Struts and Springs

[atclate]

Hi All,

I just got some struts from one of the guys here. I wonder if there's a good way to check if the struts are good? I tried pressing on it, and the Tokicos seems much softer than the TRD ones. I wonder if it means the Tokicos are blown.

Also, has anyone here installed a set of ground controls? I would like to know how it goes. Thanks

[bronzemaxell]

a good strut test should be follow

press down the rod, it should take some force and consistently feeling the pressure upward.

if you push the rod all the way down, and let go, the rod will raise slowly, and up at a constant rate.


examples of a bad strut, or going bad
when u push the rod down, it never comes back up

when you push the rod down, less force on initially, then need to push harder to go down,

after the rod goes all the way down, it spring up not at constant rate.

[atclate]

Thanks a lot. Sounds about right.

Few more question, is it supposed to make squishing noise if it's good ( the tokicos I have make some squishing noise, but the TRD ones doesn't)?

The Tokico ones seems to be very easy to be pushed in (I can bottom the struts with just my hands pushing), and the TRD ones are pretty consistently hard, until I almost push it to the bottom, it gets really hard to push in, but still possible if I try.

[bronzemaxell]

i am not an expert on strut or suspension, but from my experience, the squishing noise may be a sign of leaking lubricant oil from a worn or blown strut cartridge seal.

the purpose for the strut is to hold or slow down the spring from up and down,

if your tokico looses its strength due to soemthing worn out, it will be easier to push in, but again, different strut has different strength, maybe your TRD is a lot stiffer than yoru tokico.

[atclate]

Thanks for your advice. ^_^