Spring installation

[gordon77]

hey ppl i have some springs and shocks (jamex and KYB) sitting in my bedroom - time to put them in
i went to a few mechanics and they all quoted abuot $240, i dont have that sort of money and i rekon i could do it myself.
i would like to know whats involved (tools etc..) in changing them. should i get a mechanic to put the springs in the shocks for me?? i have a manual for the car but it doesnt explain much

thanks ppl

[Ae92typeX]

although you can do it without a spring compressor (as others im sure will say) I'd reccomend getting one, they are only like $40ish from places like supercheap.
Im going to assume as your post says you have a ae92, and also assume that the fx is the same as the levin (im sure it is)
The front breakline goes through a bracket on the strut. you will either need to undo it, or put a notch in the bracket and bend it open to slip the hose out. If you decide to remove it then obviously you will need to bleed the brakes also.
Aside from this its a pretty easy job- unbolt the strut top and bottom at all four corners.
Put the spring compressor on your springs, unbolt the top hat. then assemble your new springs and shocks, making sure the springs are seated correctly at the base and top- you should be able to see what I mean.
Bolt it all in, get an alignment done and youre away.

[THA SHZ]

From the questions that ur askin then u really shouldnt be doing it urself . I can still do it for u if u like pm me for a price

[pc]

Is putting the rear shocks in a bolt-in job?
On my AE82 I got the supplier to do the rear shocks as the struts had to be cut in half & then rewelded to change the shocks.
If this is the case with the AE92, then this may explain the high quote.

[Perky]

FYI, spring compressors are on sale at Supercheap at the moment. I think they're $30.

[Dr-X]

From the questions that ur askin then u really shouldnt be doing it urself . I can still do it for u if u like pm me for a price

BS man, it's a bloody easy job, any newbie with tools can do it.

Is putting the rear shocks in a bolt-in job?
On my AE82 I got the supplier to do the rear shocks as the struts had to be cut in half & then rewelded to change the shocks.
If this is the case with the AE92, then this may explain the high quote.

That doesnt sound quite right, can anyone confirm this is the case? Remember, they build these things to be serviced.

[TRDWGN]

From the questions that ur askin then u really shouldnt be doing it urself . I can still do it for u if u like pm me for a price

BS man, it's a bloody easy job, any newbie with tools can do it.

Is putting the rear shocks in a bolt-in job?
On my AE82 I got the supplier to do the rear shocks as the struts had to be cut in half & then rewelded to change the shocks.
If this is the case with the AE92, then this may explain the high quote.

That doesnt sound quite right, can anyone confirm this is the case? Remember, they build these things to be serviced.

Rear shocks are a sealed unit so usually the whole unit is replaced, however it is possible to gut the existing shock and throw an insert in which is what they would have done here.... It is not easy to buy bolt in rear performance shocks for the corollas so a bit of mix and match has to happen for best results

[bad20v]

Rear shocks are a sealed unit so usually the whole unit is replaced, however it is possible to gut the existing shock and throw an insert in which is what they would have done here.... It is not easy to buy bolt in rear performance shocks for the corollas so a bit of mix and match has to happen for best results

Hmmm.... thats a bit of B.S! The rear shocks are a sealed unit but performance upgrades for them are readily available from many well known manufacturers e.g. KYB, TOKICO, MONROE etc. You can even buy aftermarket coilovers that bolt straight in. The front however are usually rebuilt using strut inserts, by undoing the top nut around the shaft, taking out the insides, draining and cleaning the oil out and replacing with a new strut. You could even put a strut insert in with adjustable damping. I used to rebuilt these things on a daily basis and I wish all shocks were as easy to replace/rebuild as corolla ones.

[TRDWGN]

Rear shocks are a sealed unit so usually the whole unit is replaced, however it is possible to gut the existing shock and throw an insert in which is what they would have done here.... It is not easy to buy bolt in rear performance shocks for the corollas so a bit of mix and match has to happen for best results

Hmmm.... thats a bit of B.S! The rear shocks are a sealed unit but performance upgrades for them are readily available from many well known manufacturers e.g. KYB, TOKICO, MONROE etc. You can even buy aftermarket coilovers that bolt straight in. The front however are usually rebuilt using strut inserts, by undoing the top nut around the shaft, taking out the insides, draining and cleaning the oil out and replacing with a new strut. You could even put a strut insert in with adjustable damping. I used to rebuilt these things on a daily basis and I wish all shocks were as easy to replace/rebuild as corolla ones.

Mate you've done a bit of everything aye!!! You have listed common replacement items which yes are available as a sealed strut replacement, now go and try to buy a replacement Bilstein or Koni rear complete strut for a AE82

My reference is regarding performance shocks...

Also you would be doing really well to be able to buy a set of coilovers for an AE82 these days!!

I should add that Autolign could not offer a complete bilstein strut for my AE111 carib so it was necessary to gut a standard shock body, weld in a fitting to seat a gland nut and put an insert in, so don't tell me it is B.S my car is living proof!!

[bad20v]

You wud know then that a bilstein is a totally different type of shock than a standard one. If it is the type im thinkn of then the shaft is on the outside and the piston is upside down on the inside. If yur goin to put those in then of course u wud need to totally rebuild them. But we are talking bout an ae82 not an ae111 which is more of a performance vehicle and needs beta shocks. I wudnt put crappy shocks in my ae111 either.

[TRDWGN]

As i was saying for performance applications it is a completely normal practice....

Yes I cannot remember the exact model of the Bilsteins i have although they have a 35mm O.D piston and the body would not be a great deal wider, so you are most likely thinking of the same ones

[bad20v]

Sweet as. how do they handle?

[TRDWGN]

Handling is a definite strong point, comfort is secondary! The fronts are at their factory preset valving however the rears have been re-valved quite firmly, i am running linear rate springs 280Lb Fr 200Lb Rr which are as close to perfect for shall we say spirited driving around AK's fine roading! The suspension really comes into it's own over 100kph, it is absolutely stable at 200kph and in fact I have yet to have the car feel unsettled in a corner at any speed. I put a whiteline adj rear bar on also which is quite possibly the best performance for money spent on a AE111 IMHO!

The low speed ride is fairly harsh and noisy (due to the fact that the factory housings have also been converted to coilover) so i have purchased some dead AE111 shocks and some Tein S Tech springs and i will have these "dead" shocks rebuilt with the bilstein inserts and then fit the Tein's. The Tein's are a progressive spring which still run F245/R180Lb at the firm end of the scale yet offer F100/R90Lb at the soft end so should ride real nice yet still have a bit of performance!

I will lose a bit of the outright performance however creature comfort is more important these days, plus I have finally installed my stereo system which is a smallish SQ based set-up so removing NVH and adding sound deadening is a bit higher on the priorities than it used to be!

[bad20v]

sweet as, sounds like a good setup.

im goin to do my setup as soon as i can be bothered. A full TRD coilover setup. bout $3500. but will bolt straight in.

[gordon77]

thanks Ae92typeX that was very good information. i talked to my boss about it - he was a mechanic for a while and he is going to do it for me. he has some air operated spring compressors so it will be rather easy..
thanks ppl

[bad20v]

sweet as

[Lloyd]

Dont trust those cheap spring compressors, dont tend to hold very well sometimes