Lowering problem

[Doug Waschenko]

I have a brand new set of Intrax springs, and Tokico struts on my 92 SHO.
I have found that because the spring is shorter then stock, when the car is raised from the frame in the front and the front suspension hangs, the strut hats come out of the strut bearings.
Because the spring is shorter it puts minimal if any pressure on the top spring seat when the front suspension hangs.
The rubber ring from the strut seat only sits into the strut bearing 1/4" or so normally, but normally the spring is pushing these components together.
Now there is no pressure on them under this situation.
It also concerns me that because it is possible to get the front of the car air bound under certain conditions, that this might just be a little bit of a problem.
Death can be such a bummer.
Does anyone have any experience with this situation or a solution?

 

[slickn56]

For what its worth, Sho Shop springs do that as well. Sometimes causes a popping sound from the front end. I dont know if there is a fix for it. Maybe RISHO knows, since he has been running around with sho shop springs for a while now.

 

[SHO--ripper]

I have the same EXACT problem with my intrax. At least it isn't only me

 

[Doug Waschenko]

I would presume that any shorter spring (lowering spring) will create this. Funny no one mentioned it before in any of the lowering threads that I read.
Maybe the strut should be lowered in the knuckle to limit the suspension travel?

 

[AutoSHO]

I would presume that any shorter spring (lowering spring) will create this. Funny no one mentioned it before in any of the lowering threads that I read.
Maybe the strut should be lowered in the knuckle to limit the suspension travel?

That will not affect anything because the strut is what ultimately limits suspension droop. The only way to eliminate this is to raise where the strut rod mounts in relation to the spring.

Many coilover kits on the market do this, and aside from the noise there aren't really any ill effects.

 

[MilTownSHO]

I never had a probelm with my Intrax/Koni's...

 

[SHO--ripper]

Doug do you get a popping sound when turning the wheel at low speeds?

 

[Doug Waschenko]

No poping sound now. I think what you mean is the grinding of the strut top cup against the side of the top cup retainer when the seat is out of the bearing.
What that is actually is the spring trying to turn without the use of the bearing.
That is the indication to me that it is out of the bearing again.
If I had know that this was a problem it could have been cured by using silicone adhesive caulking between the seat and the strut bearing to keep them together when they hang.
That would work as long as the suspension doesn't hang indefinately.
This is all the response for this problem? I guess this means that I'm on my own on this one, huh?

 

[38SHO]

is this a problem only with the tokico's? what if you had the Koni's(these are the modified stock strut housing konis right?) would it be a problem since the strut is still the stock length and all?

 

[pjtoledo]

,,,,,,,,,,That is the indication to me that it is out of the bearing again.
If I had know that this was a problem it could have been cured by using silicone adhesive caulking between the seat and the strut bearing to keep them together when they hang.
,,,,,,,, huh?

That could pull the two bearing halves apart, or tear the bearing loose from it's mount plate.

Perry

 

[Doug Waschenko]

What is the difference with the Koni's vs. the Tokicos? I don't think that this is a problem caused by the length of the struts, it is caused by a shorter then stock spring.
I was just looking at the old spring seats and strut bearings in the shop.
There is a yellow substance on the white plastic bearing and it does look like an adhesive.
The only other way to hold them together would be with a travel limiting device or to put a nice thick rubber spring spacer on top of the spring. That would kind of defeat the purpose of the lowering spring though.
In effect the suspension travel is already shortened in the front by the stiffer/shorter/progressive rate spring.
Any other suggestions?