Shock Question (Top Nut, Front Struts)

DTNODYA · May 11, 2006

Ok, I have been wanting to get some CC plates so that I can get a decent alignment. I have Tokico Illumina 5 way adjustable shocks. The nut that goes on the top of the strut, only goes on like two complete turns. It has been like that for 3 years. With them the like this, CC plates would never go on. My car is lowered like 2 inches also.

I guess I am wondering why the nut only goes barely on? Most people's cars on this forum that I see, have plenty of thread above the nut. My stock ones looked like they had 1/2 inch thread above the nut. I just got to thinking that maybe I installed them wrong?? ... it's just something I have wondered for a while and thought I'd ask you all for some input. What can I do to get my shocks 'higher' so that the nut doesn't look like it is barely on?

It's a 98 GT FWIW and I will try to find a picture.

Bugman.dave · May 11, 2006

Perhaps you have too many spacers under the C/C plate.

03ghoststang · May 11, 2006

yeah check your spacers you may have the wrong ones on cause there are different sizes to accomedate for teh proper lowering setting and the stock height

4.6_02_Black_GT · May 11, 2006

DTN,

This is my car, you should have something like this, I have Eibach Sportlines, Illumina 5-ways and as you see MM CC plates. As everyone said..check spacers.

I have a 2002 GT, our cars use the Fox-length struts up front, heres a pic of mine so you can check part numbers

DTNODYA · May 11, 2006

Thanks for the replies. Here's how I got the shocks in the first place (long story short); A rich guy that owns a computer store bought them and forgot where he had put them. He then bought a brand new set, don't know why but I gots me a deal when I found them in his shed!! I was buying his stock front 'leather' cobra seats (he had Recaro's) and found the shocks brand new. His car was a 96 Cobra I believe. Anyway, I only paid 150 bucks for all four. I just used the stock spacers (I think ??) .. Where can I get new spacers? And are you guys talking about the big, round, rubber piece when you say spacers? (probably a dumb question) .. I'll go take a pic and show you how sketch they look. I don't know if it's safe but I've been driving on them for a while. They definitely aren't even close in terms of thread length to the pics .. 4.6_02_Black_GT posted ..

03ghoststang · May 11, 2006

DTNODYA said:
Thanks for the replies. Here's how I got the shocks in the first place (long story short); A rich guy that owns a computer store bought them and forgot where he had put them. He then bought a brand new set, don't know why but I gots me a deal when I found them in his shed!! I was buying his stock front 'leather' cobra seats (he had Recaro's) and found the shocks brand new. His car was a 96 Cobra I believe. Anyway, I only paid 150 bucks for all four. I just used the stock spacers (I think ??) .. Where can I get new spacers? And are you guys talking about the big, round, rubber piece when you say spacers? (probably a dumb question) .. I'll go take a pic and show you how sketch they look. I don't know if it's safe but I've been driving on them for a while. They definitely aren't even close in terms of thread length to the pics .. 4.6_02_Black_GT posted ..

the shinny things underneath the nut are the spacers that are on the strut the ones for the front should have come with those to mix and match to get them for the correct heightin your case for a 2" drop arrow pointing to what im talking about

View attachment 470616

GDawg · May 11, 2006

The big rubber piece is a "bump stop". That's what I was thinking... do your struts require no bump stops (like my Bilsteins require NO bump stops) and you must have put the stock ones back on... (Bilsteins have internal bump stops)

When I swapped stock struts for Bilstein stuts... the rubber bump stops did not go back on... I thought I had pictures but I can't find them at the moment.

My struts with no bump stops...

Dave0803 · May 11, 2006

how is the noise on the MM camber plates? I tried the UPR ones and they sounded like my whole suspension was loose evey time I went over a bump and then I went to the MAC plate cause they have the urethane bushing.

DTNODYA · May 11, 2006

GDawg said:
The big rubber piece is a "bump stop". That's what I was thinking... do your struts require no bump stops (like my Bilsteins require NO bump stops) and you must have put the stock ones back on... (Bilsteins have internal bump stops)

When I swapped stock struts for Bilstein stuts... the rubber bump stops did not go back on... I thought I had pictures but I can't find them at the moment.

My struts with no bump stops...

I will feel like a jackass if that is the case. It would make sense though.

Anyone with Tokico Illumina shocks, do you have bump stops on your shocks?

Here's a pic of the top of my strut (other side is the same):

Here's my stock strut:

Something ain't right ....

GDawg · May 11, 2006

DTNODYA said:
I will feel like a jackass if that is the case. It would make sense though.

Anyone with Tokico Illumina shocks, do you have bump stops on your shocks?

Here's a pic of the top of my strut (other side is the same):

Here's my stock strut:

Something ain't right ....

This is what we're here for bro... :SNSign:

Not... too... much... crap and a few points of views that equat to answers. I have learned a lot from here and a few other places that got silly and I ended up here for pretty decent tech (if not, than links to good threads elsewhere).

03ghoststang · May 11, 2006

DTNODYA said:
Here's a pic of the top of my strut (other side is the same):

Here's my stock strut:

Something ain't right ....

that cover for that strut on your car seems pretty high i might have something to do with your bump stop and or your spacers.........but i remember reading on the instructions for the tokico struts that you may have to cut the bump stop for good fitting if they dont fit untouched, dont remember how much to cut though

DTNODYA · May 11, 2006

Well, I didn't use the stock bump stops because that pic I posted, I just took it. Therefore, the bump stops on the tokico's must have been on the shocks when I got them. So what should I do? Take the bump stops out? Trim them somehow? It is difficult to see up there through the wheel well. I have been contemplating putting the stock ones back on just so I could get CC plates, but I really don't want to do that since the tokico's are in good shape. Hell, I need 1/2 inch more to get plates on the top. Something interesting is that the rear shocks went on fine and the height is good ...

GDawg said:
This is what we're here for bro... :SNSign:

Not... too... much... crap and a few points of views that equat to answers. I have learned a lot from here and a few other places that got silly and I ended up here for pretty decent tech (if not, than links to good threads elsewhere).

Yeah, I try to help people out when I can and I have found that :SNSign: 's people tend to be really helpful. I have learned a crapload too and I appreciate people's opinions, especially if they have had similar experiences.

03ghoststang · May 11, 2006

DTNODYA said:
Well, I didn't use the stock bump stops because that pic I posted, I just took it. Therefore, the bump stops on the tokico's must have been on the shocks when I got them. So what should I do? Take the bump stops out? Trim them somehow? It is difficult to see up there through the wheel well. I have been contemplating putting the stock ones back on just so I could get CC plates, but I really don't want to do that since the tokico's are in good shape. Hell, I need 1/2 inch more to get plates on the top. Something interesting is that the rear shocks went on fine and the height is good ...

Yeah, I try to help people out when I can and I have found that :SNSign: 's people tend to be really helpful. I have learned a crapload too and I appreciate people's opinions, especially if they have had similar experiences.

well if this pics are recent then try checking up on the wheel well see if they do have something that looks like a bump stop if they dontthen hmmm and try and take a pic

4.6_02_Black_GT · May 11, 2006

DTN,

I forgot to mention the spacers are the one that came with my MM CC plates...I checked see pic below

03ghoststang · May 11, 2006

4.6_02_Black_GT said:
DTN,

I forgot to mention the spacers are the one that came with my MM CC plates...I checked see pic below

DTN, if your car is lowered about 2" then you defenately need the C/C plates

tomustang · May 11, 2006

lotta weird posts in this thread

DTNODYA said:
I just used the stock spacers (I think ??) .. Where can I get new spacers?

You think? the stock spacer is about 3 inches long, one solid piece. Just call up MM and ask for new ones that come in the MMCC9994 C/C kit

DTNODYA · May 12, 2006

There have been some weird posts up in here ... It seems like half the people understand what I am talking about and the otherhalf .. dunno. I'll try and make this simple, I don't have CC plates. I want some. People, I installed these struts 3 years ago. I don't have instructions. What I am trying to figure out is:

Do tokico illumina shocks need/require bump stops?

The bump stops that are on there now are the ones that were on the shocks when I bought them ... three years ago. They are not the stock bump stops, they are the ones that were on the tokico shocks I bought, for a 96 cobra (i think).

So do I need to cut them to allow the threaded part of the strut to go up higher. If it does not go up higher, I can't get CC plates because the threaded end wouldn't be tall enough.

Let's see how that goes.

Torinalth · May 12, 2006

I'll try and clarify since nobody seems to be reading everything you have posted.

first off, something is wrong with the install. i ave never seen a strut that is resting like that. the "hat" should not be that high... not sure why its like that, but it is for some reason on yours. i would pull them out and recheck to make sure there is not something else in its path that is keeping "something" from going down all the way.

on the question of bumpstops, you should be using them, either the stock ones or ones that came with the struts... reason is that if they bottom out they can bust. to my knowledge bilstein is the only strut made for our cars that have built in bump stops.

another note, completely disregard everyones posts about checking spacers... since you do NOT have CC plates, and they DO, it kinda doesnt make sense to check this.

another note, if i am not mistaken there are 2 plates for the stock plates. bottom ones with 2 bolts and top one with the holes. i'd seriously take em all apart, buy a haynes manual, and read about how its to go back together and make sure its correct. having only 2 turns is asking for a stripped bolt on a bad bounce.

and yes for having a 2 inch drop, you really need CC plates or you will hose your inner tire line real fast. install is done in about 1.5 hours if you take your time.

Torinalth

DTNODYA · May 12, 2006

Torinalth said:
I'll try and clarify since nobody seems to be reading everything you have posted.

first off, something is wrong with the install. i ave never seen a strut that is resting like that. the "hat" should not be that high... not sure why its like that, but it is for some reason on yours. i would pull them out and recheck to make sure there is not something else in its path that is keeping "something" from going down all the way.

on the question of bumpstops, you should be using them, either the stock ones or ones that came with the struts... reason is that if they bottom out they can bust. to my knowledge bilstein is the only strut made for our cars that have built in bump stops.

another note, completely disregard everyones posts about checking spacers... since you do NOT have CC plates, and they DO, it kinda doesnt make sense to check this.

another note, if i am not mistaken there are 2 plates for the stock plates. bottom ones with 2 bolts and top one with the holes. i'd seriously take em all apart, buy a haynes manual, and read about how its to go back together and make sure its correct. having only 2 turns is asking for a stripped bolt on a bad bounce.

and yes for having a 2 inch drop, you really need CC plates or you will hose your inner tire line real fast. install is done in about 1.5 hours if you take your time.

Torinalth

Thank you.

I took my driver side shock out this morning and here are some pics of what I have:

This pic, I am wondering which way the rubber deal is supposed to go?

This pic, I am wondering if I should cut this piece of metal?

This pic, is just a pic of the Tokico beside my stock strut, also the top components:

What do you guys think my issue is and how do I fix it? Thanks again for the help ... hopefully I will get this issue resolved and I will feel SOOO much better. It will probably stop clunking too!!! :SNSign:

HoustonGT · May 12, 2006

4.6_02_Black_GT said:
DTN,

This is my car, you should have something like this, I have Eibach Sportlines, Illumina 5-ways and as you see MM CC plates. As everyone said..check spacers.

I have a 2002 GT, our cars use the Fox-length struts up front, heres a pic of mine so you can check part numbers

I see you have the Eibach sportline springs like me. Is it just me or is the front of your stang sitting higher than the rear? Thats what the pic in your signature looks like

Shock Question (Top Nut, Front Struts)

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