My New Suspension Parts Have Arrived :)

[Luni]

Yeah I agree this is a good how to post, it shows people how easy it is to replace suspension on an MR2. I was such a sissy when I got my MR2, now Im not afraid of anything on the damn thing.

But as I stated before, it looks like the sway bar endlinks you put on are weaker and thinner than the ones you took off. Can you elaborate on that man?

[Poohhbear9044]

Originally Posted by MR2TRD1

nice pics...you paid a almost double on those tein s-techs though. :-(

Best price we can get them for over here unfortunately..you guys dont know how lucky you are.

Bob

[Poohhbear9044]

Originally Posted by Luni

Yeah I agree this is a good how to post, it shows people how easy it is to replace suspension on an MR2. I was such a sissy when I got my MR2, now Im not afraid of anything on the damn thing.

But as I stated before, it looks like the sway bar endlinks you put on are weaker and thinner than the ones you took off. Can you elaborate on that man?

Thanks for the good comments..hopefully the how to will help someone else out. As for the endlinks, they are slightly slimmer than the originals but not greatly so. On the original ones they have a fatter section in the middle but slim ends..these new ones are the same thickness all along their length.
They are used over here by most people without any issues that I have heard of. The reason they get used is because for us to buy them from Toyota would cost 3 times as much, and like I say I haven't heard of any breaking or bending yet!!

Bob

[Luni]

Those look like the thinner ones used in the older model cars. I honestly wouldnt imagine what could be wrong with your other ones. Endlinks arent generally a wear item. Id run the thicker ones. Ive seen those things bend bad. Ive seen em break. Upgrading to the thicker endlinks off a 93+ car did quite a bit for my handling. Id put the bigger ones back on if I were you.

[monopolizedinc]

This is a great write up. Im sure the community will be greatful for the time you have spent.

I would like to add a comment about your strut assembly if you dont mind. It is not good practice to zip tie the bottom of the strut boot to the strut housing.

Explanation:
Yes most companys supply zip ties for the top and bottom but i have learned through both personal experience and the word of others far more advanced in the field than I, that if you zip tie the bottom of the strut boot to the housing it will fail far sooner than if its left "loose"
Most boots fit rather snug on the housing w/o being atached, they are designed that way for a reason. If you ziptie the boot to the housing you are basicly turning it into an accordian (sp). ( an air tite chamber ) After the car is put on the ground the boot is compressed... a lot for our front springs esp.
W/ the boot atached to the housing the bottom of the boot is not allowed to slide further down the housing to help releave the compression stress.
Next now that its fully compressed (and pretty air tite) any time the car moves up there is a vacuume in the boot causing more stress on the walls and in turn causing failure down the road.
with it left loose you give it the freedome to slide up and down the housing on compression and rebound and you also releave any type of vacuume that would have been created with the motion.
ehh just my 2 cents
joe

[canadam]

Excellent write up, I'll be using it in the near future

[Gairloch]

Originally Posted by monopolizedinc

This is a great write up. Im sure the community will be greatful for the time you have spent.

I would like to add a comment about your strut assembly if you dont mind. It is not good practice to zip tie the bottom of the strut boot to the strut housing.

Explanation:
Yes most companys supply zip ties for the top and bottom but i have learned through both personal experience and the word of others far more advanced in the field than I, that if you zip tie the bottom of the strut boot to the housing it will fail far sooner than if its left "loose"
Most boots fit rather snug on the housing w/o being atached, they are designed that way for a reason. If you ziptie the boot to the housing you are basicly turning it into an accordian (sp). ( an air tite chamber ) After the car is put on the ground the boot is compressed... a lot for our front springs esp.
W/ the boot atached to the housing the bottom of the boot is not allowed to slide further down the housing to help releave the compression stress.
Next now that its fully compressed (and pretty air tite) any time the car moves up there is a vacuume in the boot causing more stress on the walls and in turn causing failure down the road.
with it left loose you give it the freedome to slide up and down the housing on compression and rebound and you also releave any type of vacuume that would have been created with the motion.
ehh just my 2 cents
joe

Damper piston > strut boot. I'd just as soon wear out the boot faster and provide better protection for the damper myself.

[monopolizedinc]

Originally Posted by Gairloch

Damper piston > strut boot. I'd just as soon wear out the boot faster and provide better protection for the damper myself.

agreed but i have yet to ever see a top seal go bad on a blown set.

[PearlJammzz]

Can we get a few pics w/ em installed?

[Poohhbear9044]

First of all my boots have a small air hole near the top to prevent the sealed boot acting like an accordian so no probs there with premature failure.

And as soon as I pop my 17" wheels back on I will take some pictures.

Bob

[PearlJammzz]

Awesome . Well hurry up, I am trying to decide between this or the TRD springs sooooo ya, get to it, or else...haha jk

[Luni]

Dont mean to bug, but you didnt comment on my comment that you should run the thicker endlinks, unless theyre physically damaged.

[Poohhbear9044]

My previous endlinks were pysically damaged in the sense that they were loose enough to be continually rattling. Now I've changed them...no more rattling. And as previously said lots of people over here are using the thinner endlinks without any issues, never ever heard of any endlink over here bending to be honest whether the thick ones or the thinnner ones.

Bob

[Luni]

Cool. So yours were damaged.

Well the thinner ones do bend and break. Ive seen both happen (wish I could post some pictures).

But in that case, you did the right thing.

I wouldnt want rattly lose endlinks on my car either.

Cheers M8

[Poohhbear9044]

Here is the final picture comparison between before and after. Plenty of drop at the front..approx 30mm and about 25mm at the rear which ties in with my original suspicion that my stock springs were already sagging.
I will have to wait for the spring to see what the drop looks like with my 17" Rota wheels.



Bob

[PearlJammzz]

Very nice, would love to see the drop w/ the 17''s as well when you get those on

[Poohhbear9044]

Just one further thing to add, I have had to cut away the bottom 40mm of the power flex bump stops at the front as occasionally the front shocks were bottoming out on the stops. Strangely the rears seem to be ok.

Bob

[Poohhbear9044]

As promised, some pictures with 17" wheels fitted

























Bob