adjusting tokico illuminas

[protegeFive]

I just got myself a set of tokico illuminas...but i havent gotten them installed yet..

Will it be easy to adjust the stiffness of the rear struts after they have been installed or will i need to modify anything to be able to get to the strut?

thanks in advance!

 

[rustychops41]

You'll have to set them where you want to keep them, or be prepared to remove all those rear trim panels and the seat belt tensioner to get to the adjuster. This is the only bummer, as the MazdaSpeed adjustables from Japan (they're lime green, and now hard to find, so I'm told) had the adjustment knob on the rears down on the strut body near the sway-bar end-link mounting tab, so you could adjust them "when you got to the autocross." Ah, progress.

 

[Familia323]

luckily its not that hard to remove those panels.. when you get them installed I'd like to know how you like them and if you had any problems with them...

 

[protegeFive]

You'll have to set them where you want to keep them, or be prepared to remove all those rear trim panels and the seat belt tensioner to get to the adjuster. This is the only bummer, as the MazdaSpeed adjustables from Japan (they're lime green, and now hard to find, so I'm told) had the adjustment knob on the rears down on the strut body near the sway-bar end-link mounting tab, so you could adjust them "when you got to the autocross." Ah, progress.

Can I get aways with just taking apart the top part of the panel where the seatbelt is or will it have to be the whole side off (ie where the jack is located)..

 

[Jeph]

As long as you can get to the adjustment screw take off as little as possible...

 

[protegeFive]

As long as you can get to the adjustment screw take off as little as possible...

do you know if i can reach the screw if i just take of the top panel?

sorry for all the questions.. thx

 

[Jeph]

Sorry man, I don't. I will know in like a week or so when i install mine Waiting for eibachs to come first...
Do you have yours yet? I have been wondering what i am going to need off my stock struts. Bumpstops obviously, and what else?

 

[tonkabui]

the illuminas in the rear hide underneath the seat belt anchor. to get to it, you gotta either modify the anchor so there's a hole in it so you can get to it, or disable your rear seat belts. heh heh... it's a pain in the arse.

 

[Jeph]

Can you just drill a hole close to the anchor and use a long screwdriver and a flashlight to get to it?

 

[tonkabui]

yep. all you gotta do is take off the plastic cover to get to it.

 

[Jeph]

Plastic cover of the seat belt anchor? Sorry, I'm having issues picturing this in my head at 1 in the morning, and am way too lazy to go out to my car and look at it.

 

[tonkabui]

ah, that's the problem... you have the sedan. i don't know how those work. i'm talking about for the p5 where the rear strut assembly lives underneath the plastic cover where the seatbelt comes out of in the hatch.

 

[Jeph]

Dammit! I guess i'll jsut tackle that issue when i get to it. Well what is a good setting to leave it at if i have too. Not planning on doing too much autox til i get lighter rims, and some other stuff done soo 2?

 

[tonkabui]

2 front 3 rear for me and it's a bit stiffer than stock. go 5 and 5 and you can take 25mph twisties at 65. no lie.

 

[Jeph]

you ass. you had me thinking you really painted yours in that other thread. (FU)
2 front 3 rear would increase OVERsteer correct? do you feel adverse effects because of that.

 

[tonkabui]

i've taken some hard corners on the 2/3 combo and the ass end stays put. no understeering at all yet, unless, of course, i go into a turn with the brakes mashed. oversteer is negligible. i'm quite busy right now with school, or else i'd go for a quick drive to mess with the settings to see which setting i should use to kick my ass end out. the tighter the rear, the more likely it'll swing around. the tighter the front, the more understeer you have.

and about painting my struts... i'm surprised no one called me rice. it kinda sucks.

 

[Jeph]

Wait i'm confused, brake mashed? wouldn't that induce more understeer since the front wheels aren't accelerating through the turn? Or is my tired brain failing me? I guess i'm most afraid of flying off the ramp from I-15 to I-215 at 80 instead of my usual 70, and watching in horror as my back end rotates too much and i lose it into the wall...

 

[protegeFive]

ah, that's the problem... you have the sedan. i don't know how those work. i'm talking about for the p5 where the rear strut assembly lives underneath the plastic cover where the seatbelt comes out of in the hatch.

so just the top plastic cover where the seat belt cover is, correct?

the reason i ask is because i have my sub in the trunk and dont want to have to unbolt it each time take the panels off in the trunk.. if its just the cover where the seatbelt is .. then i should be okay ..

thx!

 

[uclap5]

to get to the strut bolts i thought there was the plastic cover then the metal dome thing. at least, thats how it went with my installation.

 

[Jeph]

You people and your P5's...