A Tokico / MI spring install question:

[OTB]

so I installed the micro image springs and tokico hts (reds) and I'm liking the improvement so far. I do have a question about the front upper strut hat.

With the car on the ground, the upper front strut hat hovers above the strut tower as shown in the picture below.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/casual540/IMG_0733.jpg

and with the car in the air:
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/casual540/IMG_0734.jpg
With that corner in the air, the strut sags to almost resting on top of the strut tower. It actually drives fine and doesn't seem too strange over rough bumps, but I don't think that is too cool either way. some washboard or rough terrain will pound on the strut tower.

One theory: Could I have too much preload on the strut nut just below the tower, exposing too much of the damper shaft? Perhaps you need to just barely compress the spring in the strut to take up more of the shaft length? I swear I tried to put minimal preload on the strut, but that's the only thing I can think of.

I searched for "front strut gap" "front strut slop" "front coilover gap" ...etc, and didn't find much

I'd appreciate to hear your experience with this-

[Cosmonaut]

You didnt notice it before?
my car is stock and it looks like that.

[Focus_Sh1ft]

I had the same thing happen when I installed my tokico blues. It's normal and is most likely just a slight difference in the strut stud size.

[OTB]

normal I guess. I'm still going to try to devise something to keep it in the "up" position. Maybe a little blue pill?

[DARK AGE 53]

this may happen a lot but I don't think it's correct, check out reply #142 http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1096&page=8 , what about the air discharge groove not being lined up correctly?

[WeeYari]

There are actually several threads on this. They are always posted by someone who has just done a spring install.

What you are seeing is normal, and the same in untouched factory setups. People seem to notice this and question it when they are dong a post install visual inspection. It goes unnoticed if nothing has been done to the car to warrant looking at the strut mount area.

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=346796&postcount=34

[DARK AGE 53]

There are actually several threads on this. They are always posted by someone who has just done a spring install.

What you are seeing is normal, and the same in untouched factory setups. People seem to notice this and question it when they are dong a post install visual inspection. It goes unnoticed if nothing has been done to the car to warrant looking at the strut mount area.

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=346796&postcount=34

my Yaris ( stock ) is a 1K away so I can't check it, I've checked several different threads and some have the gap and some don't. Let's see if I have this right, on top of the strut tower you have a cover, some type of top plate and a nut on top of the plate, under the tower there's what I'll call it a Doughnut. Could it be the nut holding down the top plate isn't tighten down enough, that would allow the doughnut to move up and down.....which could cause the gap when the suspension is loaded.

[OTB]

Yes the nut being too loose (not screwed down far enough) on the top hat would cause this problem.

Unfortunately, no, that's not the case here. The nut definetely hits a stop point where you don't want to try any harder.

[WeeYari]

Once again, this is normal. How many times does it have to be said?

There are no issues with anything being loose or not seating properly. Stop looking for ways to resolve it.

[OTB]

"normal" doesn't mean "ideal". For example, I'm going to run this car in Miller Motorsports Park wintercross series. In dry conditions, jumping curbs could unweight a corner and beat up on the strut tower. In snowy/icy conditions, there are ruts and bumps, probably similar to those that rallycrossers deal with. Look at Isley's avatar photo, front wheel definetely off the ground. If the strut tower isn't tightly sandwiched between the upper strut bushing and the top hat, it will take impacts when loaded/unloaded.

I destroyed a front strut this way at last year's wintercross. top nut loosened a little, then over the rough stuff, the impacts hammered the top nut off the threads, then all hell broke loose.

If this gap was on a rear strut, I'll bet people would notice it quite often, as the inside rear wheel can often unweight on fwd cars.

so....that's why I'll devise something to make up this gap

cheers

[WeeYari]

OK, now you're starting to paint a different picture for us.

[DARK AGE 53]

Once again, this is normal. How many times does it have to be said?

There are no issues with anything being loose or not seating properly. Stop looking for ways to resolve it.

ok, to put this to rest can you say why some only have this problem and others don't? Not trying to start a pissing match but I don't find it normal when only some have this happen, if guys want to think it's o.k then god bless them.

[WeeYari]

I don't know who for a fact is saying that, while sitting on level ground, they do not have the gap. Every Yaris I've looked at, stock and modded, has it. The picture I linked to above was of my car before I ever touched the suspension.

If someone who has not touched their suspension and states they have no gap can post a pic, then I'll concede to the fact that there is a possible out of the factory variation in builds.

Here is another pic, from a sedan, no mods, and it too shows the gap.

[annn]

I installed tokiko reds hts and eibach prokit springs last nite... This same problem came up with me .... It is NOT normal For "my yaris"my hats were flush until the mods...anyone know what I did wrong ?? Thanks