Need help ASAP with 300zx springs on my Q

[pdqwrx]

Hello, I have my 1994 Q45 and I am installing the Eibach 300ZX turbo springs and have a problem with the rears. They don't seem to be even close to fitting. The top hat dose not fit. Is there a trick to making them work? All help is appreciated.

ThanksScott

[gniknave]

Bump. I'll be doing this next week. Want to make sure this doesn't happen to me.

[RobertsnewQ]

From the research I've done (calling Eibach and looking at stock springs) the rear mounts are different.

BUT....

Lots of people on this forum claim that they are the same. I haven't gotten as far as you have, but I'm close. Maybe you have to use the Z32 upper mount?

[elwesso]

IS there a difference between the N/A and TT springs?

[gniknave]

I'm going to call my supplier to find out if there's a difference between N/A and TT springs. I actually had my front struts out to get the job done then a few setbacks delayed everything. I'm wondering if I should just get some Z32 Tokicos for the rear while I'm at it to avoild this issue...Questions Questions Questions...

[qship96]

why do people post on here that 300zx suspension components are interchangable with the q without knowing? nothing like incorrect info archived for some poor fool to research in the future,and make decisions based on incorrect data

[pdqwrx]

Alright, I managed to install the z32tt springs and my Tokicos today and let me say that it is far from "Bolt In". Here is a list of problems I encountered.Before I start, let me say that this is somewhere around my 26th or 27th car that I have lowered and I am very mechanicly inclined.On the front...The springs fit the base of the strut well but I had to cut down the rubber bushing that the spring sits in on the top hat because it was too fat to fit into the spring. Wasn't a big deal, just unexpected. After that they installed fine.

On the rear...Here is where the larger problems started to surface.The z32tt spring is a smaller diameter and won't fit onto the strut base very well. It won't drop all the way on the perch. This means the spring sits about 1/2 an inch too high and ultimately will raise the car.I also ran into the top hat issue again only this time I had to trim even more.

Now, all said and done I am happy with how the car handles and drives. It is stiff and you feel all the imperfections in the road surface.

I don't know what is going to happen in the rear, either the spring will stay where it is or the coil will spread and it will drop the last 1/2 inch.

It sure would have been nice if someone who suggested these spring in a previous forum would have listed all the potential problems. I probably would have bought the JIC coilovers.

As for using z32tt tokicos on the rear, they would solve the bottom pearch issue but I have read (On the same forum that suggested I do the z32tt springs) that you still need to use the Q's top hat. If thats true then you would still have a issue there, although not as big.

I would also do the z32tt front Tokicos too if they fit so that shock dampning would be tuned front to rear. Front Q struts and rear z struts might be scary.

Good luck and thank you for all the replies.

LaterScott

[gniknave]

Thanks Scott! Yeah I'd definitely do Tokicos both front and rear. I actually have easier (and cheaper) access to some KYB AGX's but I'm not sure how they compare to Tokico. I'm glad this thread came up when it did. Now I know what to expect. BTW where in NorCal are you located?

[Mark86T]

Thanks Scott! Yeah I'd definitely do Tokicos both front and rear. I actually have easier (and cheaper) access to some KYB AGX's but I'm not sure how they compare to Tokico. I'm glad this thread came up when it did. Now I know what to expect. BTW where in NorCal are you located?

I've been told (by my TT friends) that the KYB AGXs are better than the Tokicos. The adjustable ones are easier to adjust as the adjustment knob is on the lower shaft instead of the top of the strut-which is usually unaccessable on the rears.

[pdqwrx]

Thanks Scott! Yeah I'd definitely do Tokicos both front and rear. I actually have easier (and cheaper) access to some KYB AGX's but I'm not sure how they compare to Tokico. I'm glad this thread came up when it did. Now I know what to expect. BTW where in NorCal are you located?

I am in Stockton.....

[gniknave]

Ok I'm pretty frustrated. You're right, this is far from bolton. How did you cut down the rubber bushings? Can you elaborate on that a bit? So far we started on the front, but ran into trouble with the bushing. The way the guy cut the bushing, he had half of the bushing on and the other half off. I din't feel comfortable telling him to finish the job. Chalk this up as the second time I've had the struts out to do this and ran into a setback. Help please!

I couldn't even tell which springs were for the front and which were for the rear. I just took a guess.

[gniknave]

Bump, really need help with this. Anybody?

[RobertsnewQ]

According to the 300zx shop manual, the front springs are 4.42 inches OD on the big end and 3.63 inches on the small end, and 360mm longRears are 4.38 on the large end and 3.97 on the small and 370mm long, which means you can't use length or diamter to tell them apart.

Your aftermarket springs will be different, but the rears should be the softer pair (more turns, larger diameter in the center)

[pdqwrx]

The fronts are 001 and the rears are 002 in the eibach part # on the springs.

The rubber insulator is a cone shape that is designed to isolate the spring from the top hat and center the top hat in the spring. I cut off the rubber that went into the inside of the spring. The top hat fits well without the rubber there. I also put a couple of layers of duct tape on the top hat where the rubber used to be to make it fit tight so it cant move around.

I did the same on the back......

Here is an update on my impression of the springs.....They ride hard!!!! The car handles great but is not nearly as comfortable as before. It also lost most of it's suspension travel so big bumps have you on the bump stops.

But it looks way cool........

I am looking for a set of Eibachs.

Good LuckScott

[maxnix]

I also put a couple of layers of duct tape on the top hat where the rubber used to be to make it fit tight so it cant move around.

LOL Not long for this world!

PMQ45, quit posting under other board names!

[gniknave]

The fronts are 001 and the rears are 002 in the eibach part # on the springs.

The rubber insulator is a cone shape that is designed to isolate the spring from the top hat and center the top hat in the spring. I cut off the rubber that went into the inside of the spring. The top hat fits well without the rubber there. I also put a couple of layers of duct tape on the top hat where the rubber used to be to make it fit tight so it cant move around.

I did the same on the back......

Here is an update on my impression of the springs.....They ride hard!!!! The car handles great but is not nearly as comfortable as before. It also lost most of it's suspension travel so big bumps have you on the bump stops.

But it looks way cool........

I am looking for a set of Eibachs.

Good LuckScott

So would you do it again if you could go back in time? What type of struts do you have?