How To:Spring and Shock Installation (tC)
From SCION-TECH : The Scion Resource : tC, xA, xB, xD
This tutorial will guide you through the installation of springs and shocks on a Scion tC. Enhancing the suspension of your Scion tC will improve its handling, responsiveness, and even the looks if you decide to lower it. Original Scion tutorial by Alex8181 from club-tc.com. He rates this installation difficulty as a difficult (4/5) and that it should take around 3-4 hours to complete.
Many if not most of the other brands of shocks and springs will install in exactly the same way as this tutorial shows. So read this tutorial and save some money by working on your own Scion.
Installing performance springs and shocks, in this case TRD, is relatively straightforward with the right tools and equipment. With modifications like these, I can't stress how much the right tools will help speed things along.
Contents |
[edit] Tools and Materials
Nut Sizes: 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm
Tools: Floor Jack, Jack Stands, Sockets and Wrenches in above sizes, Flathead Screwdriver, Torque Wrench
Optional: Latex Gloves, Impact Wrench
[edit] The Procedure
Step 1: Loosen the lug nuts on all your wheels, but do not remove them yet. Then jack up your car and place jack stands on the corners, all four if you're doing both front and back. The correct spot to put your jack stands are near the side skirts of the car. If you look under the car there will be steel sidings where the jack stands can be placed.
Step 2: When the car is safely lifted, finish removing all the lug nuts and remove the wheels to gain access to the suspension components.
[edit] Front Suspension
Step 3: We will start with the front suspension of the tC. Before taking off anything else, you need to support the lower suspension with a jack stand. Then remove the front stabilizer link assembly bolt.
Step 4: There is a bolt in this area that holds the speed sensor and a flex hose. Remove that bolt and position the speed sensor and flex hose away from the shock assembly.
Step 5: Now go to the top of the shock tower. Some people will remove the windshield wipers and the whole cowl, but if you just remove the two closest clips holding the cowl on each side, you will have just enough room to maneuver your tools underneath the cowl without removing it.
Step 6: Remove the rubber dust cover carefully with a screwdriver. Underneath is a lock nut for the shock assembly, loosen but do not remove this lock nut.
Step 7: Go back down to the wheel well and remove the 2 nuts holding the bolts that are connecting the shock assembly to the lower control arm. Do not remove the bolts themselves yet.
Step 8: Go back up to the shock tower and remove the 3 nuts holding the shock assembly to the frame.
Step 9: Now you can go back down to the lower control arm and remove those 2 bolts. These bolts were quite hard to remove and I used a small sledge hammer to remove them easily. Then maneuver the shock assembly out of the wheel well.
Step 10: Once the whole shock assembly is out, it's time to compress the spring and start disassembling the shock assembly. If you have a vise available you can put the large bolts and nuts back into the bottom of the shock assembly and use the vice to grip the bolts and nuts. This will keep the assembly steady while you work. I did not have the convenience of a vice and just did it unsecured. This is what the stock assembly looks like next to the TRD shock and springs.
Step 11: Attach your spring compressor and compress the springs as much as possible. Be careful with scratching the paint off the springs and shocks. If you do scratch a little paint off just get some touch up paint and fill it in. Then remove the top bolt on the shock tower. You will need to use an Allen wrench and a box wrench.
Step 12: Disassemble the rest of the assembly. The pieces shown below are in the order they are assembled on the shock assembly from left to right.
Step 13: Here is a comparison of the stock shocks and TRD shocks. Notice the difference in rod length.
Step 14: The smaller rod length means there will be less shock travel, because of that we will need to cut the bump stop to allow more travel. I decided just to cut it in half. There is no official bump stop measurement that I know of, but this size bump stop has worked out for me so far.
Step 15: Re-install the new shock assembly using all of the pieces of the stock assembly. The TRD springs are shorter than the stock springs so your spring compressor will not be placed in the same area. When the assembly is together, you may also need to adjust the placing of the spring compressor while uncompressing the finished assembly. Also keep in mind the direction of the shock dust boot and metal cap, they need to point a certain way to fit the shock rod correctly. If everything is done right, you should end up with what is pictured below.
Step 16: Maneuver the shock assembly back into the wheel well. Again, be careful not to scratch any paint off your new assembly.
Step 17: Re-install the 3 nuts on the top of the shock tower. Torque to 38 ft. lbs.
Step 18: Re-install the 2 lower bolts and nuts connecting the shock assembly to the control arm. Torque those to 177 ft. lbs. (or as tight as you can).
Step 19: Go back up to the shock tower and tighten the center lock nut for the shock tower. Torque to 35 ft. lbs. Apply grease to the area and put the dust cap back on. Insert the cowl clips. back on.
Step 20: Re-install the speed sensor, the flex hose, and the bolt holding it. Torque to 14 ft. lbs. Than re-install the front stabilizer link assembly and its nut. Torque to 55 ft. lbs.
Step 21: Step back and enjoy your handy work.
[edit] The Rear Procedure
The rear shock and spring installation is slightly harder than the fronts only because you have to assemble the shocks and shock caps pointing in the same direction as it started with or it will not fit correctly back in the wheel well. Otherwise, this is very similar to the front suspension.
Step 1: Start of by removing the wheels and jacking up the car as with the front suspension install.
Step 2: Open the trunk and remove the rear carpet from the car. Than remove all the items in the trunk including the spare tire. The foam pieces on the side of the spare tire is plugged into the trunk with plastic plugs. A good pull will remove them. I also used a cover to protect the rear bumper while I was working.
Step 3: Now unscrew the two bolts holding down the small carpet between the trunk and rear seats.
Step 4: Remove the plastic cross member. A strong pull will do it, there are no bolts holding it down, just plastic clips.
Step 5: Once the interior is removed, go back down to the wheel well. Look behind the rotor and remove the bolt and bracket holding the skid control sensor wire.
Step 6: Now remove the upper bracket and bolt.
Step 7: Remove the bolt connecting the sway bar and the end link.
Step 8: Take a jack stand and support the lower control arm. Then remove the large nut and bolt connecting the shock to the arm.
Step 9: Go back to the trunk and remove the 3 bolts holding the shock assembly to the frame. One of them is hidden and you may need to dig a little bit for it. If you feel more comfortable with removing the whole rear panel it will make it a lot easier but is really unnecessary.
Step 10: Maneuver the shock assembly out of the wheel well. Once that is done, this presents an opportune time to install an after market sway bar if you're planning to upgrade. If not, continue with the installation, mark the angle of the lower shock and the shock top hat so you know the correct position to re-assemble the shock assembly.
Step 11: Compress the spring and remove the bolt on the top of the shock assembly by using a box wrench and a hexagonal wrench.
Step 12: Re-assemble the shock assembly with the after market shocks, after market springs, and the remaining stock parts. Again, I stress the importance of having the angle of the shock in relation to the top hat correct, otherwise you will be taking it apart and re-aligning it. Torque the top lock nut to 41 ft. lbs.
Step 13: Put the shock assembly back in the wheel well and re-install the 3 nuts that hold the shock assembly to the frame. Torque to 59 ft. lbs.
Step 14: Re-install the lower shock bolt and lock nut. Torque to 103 ft. lbs.
Step 15: Re-install the end link back with the sway bar. Torque to 32 ft. lbs.
Step 16: Re-attach the brackets for the skid control sensor wire. Torque to 44 ft. lbs.
Step 17: Everything done correctly you should have something much like the picture below. Re-install all the interior items back in the trunk. Now take your car to get it aligned because it is a must after any lowering.
