HansGT Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Thanks for your updates, rodan and Boulderguy! Looks like I'm definitely going to be interested in this in the coming days when my stock struts finally wear out. Glad to hear that it pairs well with the iONs. Awaiting news on top-hat issue. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 sooo, since it's the HTS and not the Spec Ds, would there be a difference of using JDM top hats with the HTS and possibly Spec Ds would be designed for USDM struts????? just wishful thinking? Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm thinking they just repackaged whatever they've been selling in Japan without checking fitment on the US cars.... If so, the strut rod will need to be altered. It needs to be probably 3/8" longer overall to account for the USDM top hat. And I'm a little confused on the different tophats: The JDM/Spec B tophats will raise the front by ~5/8" given the same spring? Are there side by side pics of the tophats anywhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach V Dan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Lemme give you all a little background on the Tokico situation. When I originally bought the HTS shocks on the Mach V car, they were NOT available in the U.S., and WERE available in Japan. I figured I'd use them and import more if I liked them. Then Hitachi bought Tokico, and Tokico stopped selling shocks (at all!) in Japan. Meanwhile, probably due to the fact that Japan was no longer selling 'em, Tokico USA decided to bring over all the leftover HTS inventory to the U.S. So what we get, it looks like, is exactly what was offered domestically in Japan, when they were selling these over there. That explains why there's not a different top thread for the USDM top hats. Also, the popularity of the Legacy part number was a surprise to Tokico USA, and neither they nor Japan has more stock currently. So...it will be a while before more get here. --Dan Mach V FastWRX.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 ^ Interesting info, Dan! Thanks! <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Thanks Dan. So are you running the Tokicos on JDM/Spec B tophats? If so, what are you running for springs to get the correct ride height? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach V Dan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 So are you running the Tokicos on JDM/Spec B tophats? If so, what are you running for springs to get the correct ride height? No, I'm using the stock USDM GT top hats. Swift springs. Although there's not too much thread to grab on to, it seems to be holding up fine. They've been on there for well over a year, and that includes track time at Summit Point. --Dan Mach V FastWRX.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 ^as the NASA Pace car are you allowing that again this year for the last NASA event? Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach V Dan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 sooo, since it's the HTS and not the Spec Ds, would there be a difference of using JDM top hats with the HTS and possibly Spec Ds would be designed for USDM struts????? just wishful thinking? It's "D-Spec," (not Spec D) and the HTS is the same product, just sold with a different color/name. D-Spec is just the existing US-market product (sold for the WRX, for example), and it happens to be painted gray. The red HTS shocks we're getting for the Legacy are just what Japan was selling, before they stopped selling anything. So there's no "D-Spec" for the Legacy. The red HTS shock is our only choice at this time. --Dan Mach V FastWRX.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 No one seems to be home at Tokico today... I'll try again tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I just spoke with someone in sales at Tokico, apparently the "tech" guy is on vacation 'till tomorrow. His response to this was basically, "duh...um...I don't know anything about any of that stuff...um..." I guess I'll try the tech guy tomorrow. Hopefully he knows something about their products... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIKEBRAVO Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 Figures:(. Heaven forbid they knew something about their products. If you can afford College, you probably don't need to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 I talked to the tech guy this morning. Got more "uh...I don't know". I'm waiting for a call back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintinet Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 Better than confabulation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 Just got off the phone with the tech guy. He seems to be of the opinion that this is no big deal and it's OK for their product to fit like that... I'm sending him pictures, and will talk to him again tomorrow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleBlueGT Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Just got off the phone with the tech guy. He seems to be of the opinion that this is no big deal and it's OK for their product to fit like that... I'm sending him pictures, and will talk to him again tomorrow... That's crap! I still wouldn't be too worried, but poor excuse none-the-less. Full tune of 68HTA, KSTech 73 MAF, Racer X FMIC and ID1000s................by the DataLog Mafia!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Here's a couple more pictures I took of the struts installed. The rubber removed from the tophat was to get an offset wrench on the nut... So far they seem to be holding tight with no issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Here's a couple more pictures I took of the struts installed. The rubber removed from the tophat was to get an offset wrench on the nut... So far they seem to be holding tight with no issues. Yeah, you can definitely can see that the elastomer "lock" on the nut isn't even engaging with the thread set. While the top hats themselves share the load across three bolts and a base that compacts against the strut tower, they are designed to hold the upper suspension system in correct vertical alignment and compensate for lateral shear loads. The strut itself though loads and unloads through the strut nut (the one in question here) at a significant rate and under, I would imagine, substantial tension. Perhaps that's why the strut nut thread set is so long and thick, relatively speaking, to manage those loads. I think the only adequate way to address this is with the Spec B top hats or with the JDM Bilstein Top Hats, both of which would provide the proper clearance to properly torque the strut nut. Just my $.02. Good luck, keep us posted and let us know how the Tokico folks resolve this. SBT - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 I think the only adequate way to address this is with the Spec B top hats or with the JDM Bilstein Top Hats, both of which would provide the proper clearance to properly torque the strut nut. Same top hats, not "both". Using Tokicos with KYB top hats (aka USDM GT top hats) is like using Bilsteins with them. Most likely not a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Same top hats, not "both". Using Tokicos with KYB top hats (aka USDM GT top hats) is like using Bilsteins with them. Most likely not a good idea. ^^^??? USDM Spec B and JDM GT-B Top Hats (which is what I was referring to) are the same AFAIK (and the Tokicos are designed to work with these T-hats, not the USDM GT T-hats). Help me out if I'm confused on this one. SBT - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 ^^^??? USDM Spec B and JDM GT-B Top Hats (which is what I was referring to) are the same AFAIK (and the Tokicos are designed to work with these T-hats, not the USDM GT T-hats). Help me out if I'm confused on this one. SBT Uh-oh. That's what I meant. You said "both", about JDM top hats and USDM SpecB top hats. Same thing. USDM SpecB top hats = JDM GT/SpecB top hats = simply Bilstein top hats. Yes, Tokicos were designed for JDM cars, hence they require Bilstein top hats, not KYB (stock sturts on USDM GT) top hats. Likewise, they require Bilstein specific springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleBlueGT Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Uh-oh. That's what I meant. You said "both", about JDM top hats and USDM SpecB top hats. Same thing. USDM SpecB top hats = JDM GT/SpecB top hats = simply Bilstein top hats. Yes, Tokicos were designed for JDM cars, hence they require Bilstein top hats, not KYB (stock sturts on USDM GT) top hats. Likewise, they require Bilstein specific springs. +1 Full tune of 68HTA, KSTech 73 MAF, Racer X FMIC and ID1000s................by the DataLog Mafia!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach V Dan Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I got one more set of these. Now in stock. (Yeah, yeah, top hats, I know...) --Dan Mach V FastWRX.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Any updates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Still waiting for a callback from Tokico. I'll give them another call today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.