(install pics) QUESTION at bottom of thread inre insulator

[swindler]

First, been off the board for a loooong time. I haven't done any mods for a loooong time too. Been tied up doing a LOT of work on my son's Celica - a near-POS when we bought it that we have in pretty good shape now. But I am about to start a mod on the Solara, so here goes.

I have a set of Tein Super Street coilovers in my garage that I've had for a while. I'm fairly good with mechanical work, but haven't done suspension work before, so I was debating whether to do these myself. I'm trying to work up the knowledge to get started. What I don't want to do is to start the job and end up stuck or stranded waiting for a ride to get something I need. I can't leave the thing in pieces for long.

I've read some threads on the Tein and read some tutorials for some other brands - but I never seem to be able to find a complete walk-through for the Tein SS on a Gen 2. SO, I will happily accept any tips or tricks that others may have found with this setup or ones similar.

To outline my goals, I'm not looking to slam it all the way, but would certainly like to get the benefit of the lowered ride. Figure a 'typical' drop. As far as damping, I prefer a ride on the stiff side, but obviously want a setup that works well with the car. I have an SLE convertible ('06), so my ride isn't quite the same as the coupe. I already have the TRD RSB and FSTB installed.

Questions:

Are there any parts I should purchase before I attempt the install? Camber kits? (I read that rear might be needed). Mounts? Bearings?

Any essential tools to get the job done? I'll get a spring compressor from AutoZone. Do i need an impact wrench or is a breaker bar okay? Is an offset wrench ever needed? Spreader tool? I plan to have the car on jack stands and will use a floor jack to hold/lift the suspension while working.

Any recommendations on settings? Are they easy to adjust after install? Are there any adjustments I can make for camber myself or should I have an alignment done after I drive it for a couple of weeks or so? Of course, the adjustments need to give the tech a range that hits spec.

Anything else I didn't mention? Like does the convertible setup cause any issues with the install or settings?

Muchas gracias.

[GzNutz]

Please take lots of pics for a tutorial when you're done!

[akora12]

It sounds like you're fairly set if you've got a jack, jack stands, breaker bar, and a spring compressor. In most cases, a camber kit isn't needed for our application so I'd wait until after an alignment to confirm that. Aside from removing the rear interior, the install is basically a bolt-in procedure.

Since the tein coilovers will need your strut mounts swapped over from your stock suspension, I recommend purchasing new upper lock-nuts since those are supposed to be replaced after each use. Depending on your mileage, your bearings in the front mounts are probably still good. Good luck.

[[SMAN]]

Please take lots of pics for a tutorial when you're done!

We don't have one on this allready?

Anyways in the tutorial section is tons of info. My fiberglass thread has a step by step on how to take out the interior so you can access the top of the rear struts.

All the info can be found in the factory service manual, so be sure to grab that from one of the other threads as well.

[GzNutz]

Please take lots of pics for a tutorial when you're done!

We don't have one on this allready?

Anyways in the tutorial section is tons of info. My fiberglass thread has a step by step on how to take out the interior so you can access the top of the rear struts.

All the info can be found in the factory service manual, so be sure to grab that from one of the other threads as well.

Nah, I haven't found anything in the gen 2 tutorials with the search term coilovers or springs. But I do guess that the interior removal you had posted for the rears, clears the guess work for the most difficult part of the process.

[JamesT]

As long as you are careful with the spring compressor it's really not too hard.

[swindler]

Since the tein coilovers will need your strut mounts swapped over from your stock suspension, I recommend purchasing new upper lock-nuts since those are supposed to be replaced after each use. Depending on your mileage, your bearings in the front mounts are probably still good. Good luck.

I think the lock-nuts (that are to be used only once) are the ones that attach to the piston rod. And I'll be using the lock-nuts that came with the Tein SS coilovers, right? I'd get the OEM nuts if I need them (they're only 80 cents a piece), but I don't think I do. And I think the strut mount nuts are okay to re-use. Can anyone confirm?

The bearing is the one I wonder about. They're $50 a pair, and with 45K miles, I'm debating on whether to replace them.

[swindler]

I'm in the middle of my Tein coilover install, but have a question (opinions needed) for the rear. We re-use the existing OEM upper mount. But for the rear, this is an assembly that includes the insulator (i.e., rubber cover). There is even a tacky adhesive that holds the rubber insulator to the upper mount. The insulator will fit inside the Tein spring, but my question has to do with the thickness. At the top of the insulator, it's about a half inch thick - so it essentially adds a half inch of compression to the springs. Furthermore, the Tein install manual shows a diagram of the stack up of parts, and they show the upper mount WITHOUT the insulator present. That diagram leads me to believe that they don't intend on you using it.

So do the Tein settings account for the half inch spacing or not? I guess I could finish the install, and then measure to see if it works, but I'd like some opinions. Below is the A vs B look. (Note: The left picture shows the upper mount. The right picture JUST shows the insulator, with the upper mount missing.)

[cklinh]

My installer had the same problem installing mine... I think he left it on, while trimming some of the lower part (that goes inside the spring).

I'd assume it was supposed to be left off, but I haven't noticed anything major.

[swindler]

My installer had the same problem installing mine... I think he left it on, while trimming some of the lower part (that goes inside the spring).

I'd assume it was supposed to be left off, but I haven't noticed anything major.

Thanks for the reply. I did the first rear wheel WITHOUT the rubber insulator. But there was a LOT of slop between the strut top and bottom, and you had to raise the spring seat up quite a bit to get the spring to begin to compress (with the rear end jacked up, mind you). And after a while of thinking about it, I thought that I preferred the spring compressing against the rubber - instead of metal on metal. SO, I took that coilover back out and re-did it with the insulator back in.

Curiously, even with the half inch insulator between the spring and top mount, my back end still sat almost an inch lower than what was specified in the Tein manual. Perhaps the convertible sits a little lower in the back end because the weight distribution is different? Anyway, took the rear wheels off and I raised the spring seat up a bit to compensate.

It's all good - and I'm happy with the setup and drop. My wheels are about worn out, so I'll let them lose a little more tread and then have an alignment done when I put on the new tires.

[GzNutz]

Now let's see some pics of that drop!

[swindler]

Now let's see some pics of that drop!

I took enough photos that I'm going to try to compose a walkthrough that I'll try to post in a week or so. I learned a few things along the way that may help someone in the future.

Here's the current drop. I dropped it 2.1 inches in the front (per Tein), and ended up only dropping the rear 1.5 inches, (a half inch less than outlined in the Tein manual). I could still drop both ends more, but wanted to try it there first. What do you guys think?