Check out this great site with pictorial instructions on replacing the struts/springs:
- http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/suspension/tokicoupgrade/tokicoinstallfront.htm
- http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/suspension/rearend/index.html
My shopping list of additional parts includes:
- MOOG U-joints (driveshaft & half-shafts)
- Rear spindle pins & lockbolts (maybe)
- Outer tie-rod ends
- Ball joints
- Strut mounts
- Front strut bearings
- Differential seals (sides, rear, pinion)
- Half-shaft boot kits
- Transmission seal (rear)
- Rustoleum professional rust-primer, enamel, and TSP
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| Tokico suspension kit (springs, strut inserts, gland nuts) |
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| Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushing Kit |
FRONT SUSPENSION
Removal of the front suspension members went fairly well. My impact wrench and shop-press were life savers and time savers; I highly recommend getting proper tools if you tackle this job. While pressing the outer bushing sleeve out of one lower control arm, I did end up deforming the piece. Luckily I was able to pick up a replacement on eBay for a very reasonable amount.
While everything was apart, I did clean the parts with TSP and then primed and painted with Rustoleum Professional enamel.
The new strut inserts and springs assembled very easily and the replacement tie-rods and ball joints fit perfectly. The only issue I had was with the rack & pinion boots being a little short, but I was able to modify them to make them work properly.
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| Dirty & grimy pieces |
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| Looks like something is missing |
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| Damaged LCA |
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| Painted & ready for reassembly |
REAR SUSPENSION
Thanks to the help of my dad, we began to pull apart the rear suspension. Everything seemed to be going easy until the dreaded spindle pin removal of the first control arm. It wasn't nearly as bad as many of the stories I've heard, but not fun and not as easy as the service manual shows (see picture of just pulling the pin out). Then came the removal of the bushings which proved to be a challenge again.
After breaking my 12-ton shop press, I decided to go another route of using an air hammer to knock the bushings out; that proved to work very well. When I went to tackle the other side, everything came apart much quicker since I knew what I was doing. Now its onto paint and reassembly.
