Today me and my dad started on replacing the stock front shocks and springs with Tokico Illumina’s and H&R Race springs. First we started off with the left side of the car and after removing the stock shock assembly we used the spring compressor so we could re-use some of the parts. I noticed that the stock shock absorber didn’t have bumpstops and also used red damper mounts, which I assume are polyurethane, also noticed that they were installed upside down. Same goes for the right side. So I re-used the polyurethane damper mounts, since the ones that came with the Illumina’s were rubber, but I put them in the right way. Put the tires back on and when I pulled the jack out from under the car and the car settled to the ground the shocks didn’t compress with the cars weight so the shocks metal rods were sticking way out.
So I’m wondering what is wrong and what I might need to do. Maybe the way I installed the shock and spring assembly? Or are my Illumina’s bad?
Right now I am installing the rubber damper mounts that came with my Illumina’s, which fit a lot better, and I’m also using the dust cover, even though I don’t think that was what was causing the problem. Once I get them installed I’ll try removing the jack from under the car and letting the car sit on the ground and see if the shocks will compress.
Another thing was when I pulled the stock shocks out that I think were blown and compressed it, it compressed really easy. So I tried compressing the Illumina’s when they were out and they were extremely hard to compress but I got’em to compress.