3 weeks ago I had a shop install some Tokico springs for me, 1.5" drop all around. I already had KYB AGX shocks installed up front. Since then my ride has gotten worse, harsh and bouncy, in the front. The adjustment screw on the AGX no longer works, just spins and there is fluid leaking out on top.

It seems that he shocks have gone bad, as indicated by fluid and bouncing!

Could the shop have caused this during the spring install? As noted in another thread, they managed to break the shaft of one of my Tokico Illumina's in the rear (they replaced it) and installed everything without bumpstops (which they later reinstalled at my insistence).

I've never done a spring install myself (was also there for tires and alignment) hence my hesitation to blame them outright. However, when mounting a spring on a shock, don't you use a male hexhead socket to keep the shock from turning? I saw them using one on a ratchet, it fit in the top of the shaft head. I'm wondering if they somehow damaged the shaft during this process?

Thoughts?

 

How old are the KYB's ? have you really ever messed with them before ?

Okay, let me re phrase.. if you had not had the shop install the other stuff, would you have ever noticed this problem? and if in fact it started shortly after the drop, maybe the shop is responsible..

Shoulda just done it your self IMO, I mean, it is not hard at all, and you gain the know how.. Then if something f***s up, you can just re trace your steps.. There are more than enough rescources on here, and many other forums to assist you.

I did mine over the coarse of 2 days, and I work 50+ hrs a week, and have a VERY small drive way.. So there really is no excuse or reason to NOT do your own mods. Especially such easy ones as this..

Sorry if this was not helpful, But thats all I could offer.. bring it up to the shop, see what they say, and learn from it.. Next time, D I Y.

::Edit:: You live in california, I am sure there are a million and one other tuners around who will be willing to help you do this stuff, as long as you dont try n get them to do it all 4 u.

 

A shop that cares about how they do shit will often have a spring compressor that squashes it down and un does the nut from the shaft. The manual back yard garage way is to compress it yourself w/spring compressors, hold the shaft w/the right size open end wrench or allen key while you spin the nut off. I am willing to bet that the place you allowed to lower you car held the shaft in place w/some vice grips to keep it from spinning while they un-did the nut. That in turn burred the shaft and cut the strut seal.

 

The shocks had probably 15k miles on them, no problems before I went in, have progressively gotten worse sense that time.

And thank you sooooo much for the lecture on DIY. I was buying 4 new tires, having the springs installed, and getting an alignment. IF YOU CAN MOUNT TIRES AND DO ALIGNMENTS IN YOUR SMALL DRIVEWAY YOU ARE THE F***ING MICHELIN MAN. Don't make assumptions about how I work on my car and then lecture me and give me examples about how awesome your DIY skillz are, please.

 

Thanks mang, good info, usable when I go in to talk to them, and no lecture about how I shoulda done it myself!

They have a spring compressor mounted on a wall. They put the spring and shock in and spin a wheel on top that compresses the spring. They used an allen key socket into the top of the shaft to uninstall/install the nut. I watched them do it on another one. But they had some guys there who had no idea what they were doing, the threads of the shafts are all messed up.

 

Well, it was just a suggestion since you obviously dont know how to go about finding a credible shop to do YOUR work for you.

Maybe I am the fucking michellin man, at least I did my own shit in my own drive way with out anyones assistance..

So dont hate, because I am sure you will tell all of your friends "oh yeah man, i lowered my car today" when in reality YOU didnt do jack, but pay some one else to do it for you.. :airon:

Guess you can sympathize with them then..

 

WTF is going on in here?

DOHC92_GS, not all of us have the space, time, tools and/or know how to do work on our cars. With that said, there is no reason to continue this discussion. Stay on topic.

 

My apologies sir..

To both you Provoc for stirring it up, and millman for a pointless lecture.

No point in arguing over the web..

 

Just an FYI, I just changed my own oil AND filter and called all my friends to let them know. I've also got an air freshener DIY thread (with photos) planned so stay tuned.

 

Can we please move on? :shake:

I'm seconds away from locking this mess so we can just start over.