To anyone who installed their TRD struts:

This weekend I was having trouble installing my TRD struts and Hotchkis springs. I got the stock front strut off the car and completely disassembled. However, the new struts are so much shorter then the stock ones I cannot compress the springs enough to attach the top spring perch on the stop of the strut! I put the stock one back in and gave up for the day.

Is there a trick for this? Some way to stretch the strut, and keep it extended? Am I having some new problem?

Thanks for your help!

 

The Hotchkis Srping s are a beotch to put on any strut....The way I installed mine on the TRD Struts is the way I placed the spring compressors. I set one half on the Strut and the other half on the spring.......BE VERY CAREFUL, if you do it this way.

 

Are you using air tools ? The spring compressors I got from Autozone (rented) were just literally the exact amount to compress the spring to get them to fit. You also have to place them at a certain point on the spring so they dont get in the way. Make sure your using some air tools so you can just drill the spring compressors down really fast on both sides so u have a even amount of compression as well as they compress fully.

 

The problem with the Hotchkis Springs is that there isnt alot of space on the Spring to place the Spring compressors from Autozone like there is on the TRD's or Teins' that I have installed in the pasted......The Hotchkis were a B!

 

So put the spring on the strut, clamp the bottom spring seat and top of the spring? Sounds good, but I guess the hard part would be making sure it doesn't slip at the bottom.

I actually bought the spring compressors, they were like $30, and figured I will probably use them again or someone will need to borrow them. lol.

And yes, I used an air impact wrench, I couldn't imagine compressing thoes by hand, it would take forever.

 

ohh it does I know lol. let me know how it goes. u up in frederick or back in school in va?

 

Yes, Thats the way I did it....Once you get both compressors on....It will hold. I set one side of the compressors on the bottom of the Strut and the other side of them about 2 to 2 1/2 coils down from the top....

 

I'm back in Frederick doing a Co-Op this semester and summer. Was the CDC auto-x cancelled this weekend? I eventually got in, but checked their site the day before and it was cancelled!? I'm doing an Autocrossers Inc. event this Sunday at Ripken hopefully to make up for lost time.

Awesome, I'll give that a try on Saturday. Thanks for the advice!

 

i dont know I didnt go cause i had to check alignment out. Ill be in NY this weekend but ill be at teh cdc event in frderick on the 21 and the 22nd for sure!

 

Quick note.....be sure to look how the whole setup is going to mount......I ran into a few problems doing this install, because the springs will sit at an angle instead of going straight up and down on the spring. Be sure to set the compressors so that you will be able to take them off without the top cap being in the way.

 

The springs aren't going to sit vertical? Scary How did you line up the stop spring perch? I was thinking putting the end of the spring where the indentation of the old one was in the rubber boot (the boot that covers the exposed strut and goes all the way to the top of the springs.)

 

thats what I did.

I put the spring on the indentation of the rubber boot and it worked out fine for me and looked normal as well.

 

The base of the front struts are wider than the top of the springs, so when you grab the base and the top, the compressor will sit at an angle.....Its kinda scary, but once it grabs tight, it wont move, but yes, you wanna line everything up with the old indentation.

 

W3rd. Thanks a lot guys!

 

if your still havin problems later on down the line let me know. I dont mind giving a hand.