BRAND NEW Tokico HP's blew after 1 week!?!??
 

I just had my brand new Tokico HP's installed last weekend, to replace my blown stock shocks with 90k miles on them. Mainly my rear right shock was COMPLETELY shot, when my mechanic removed it, it was basically freeplay up and down with zero resistance.

so now 1 week driving on my brand new shocks, all happy how my car is not a floating boat anymore, and it feels so much tighter... i started noticing my car seems to progressively getting softer and softer again... WTF??

so today was really bad, on the highway i would hit bumps with my right side and the whole back would sway to the right, and the wheel would feel like its bouncing real quick untill it sattles down.

I got home and started rocking the rear of the car up and down, and it was real east to make it rock, the right side felt like there was no resistance at all, and the left side still had some left, but not nearly as stiff as it was one week ago.

so i just wanted to vent and im really pissed off and i hope Tokico will stand behind their products.

can there be anything in the rear suspension that is making the shocks blow like that?? i mean i replaced the stock shocks and the rear right was completely blown and now the same shock is blown again??

also im on STOCK springs and NOT lowered.

only you...... nah.. just call them and thy will replace it....unless your mech ****ed it up

mechanic probably over tightened the top nut and messed it up

Over tightening the top nut can blow shocks? how is that possible?

They were installed by a very reputable NYCM org member that installed lots of suspensions before...

I emailed the ebay seller and im waiting for a reply from them.

hey... im in the same boat.

After like 500 miles, they seem better. But I will double check
that mine are not blown either... the rear passenger shock looks
like the culprit.

My rears are still soft... i was wondering if thats how its suppose to be.
It was like that when brand new installed. wierd, they are not as soft as when
I first got them. Fronts are firmer now and rear a little better.
* When I first got them, I was like WTF? so wobbly and floaty. But after
500 miles + alignment... better. alot better. But still the rear bucks a little
over bumps.

Well, let me know what Tokico says. I got them off ebay too
-brand new.

Im not lowered either... im running stock GXE springs.

I looked at my shock... kinda looks oily.

I'll try calling tokico too.

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http://www.hitachi-hap-la.com/TokicoGasShocks/
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TOKICO Performance Shocks
550 W. Artesia Blvd
Compton, CA. 90220
Local: +1.562.295.2500
Toll Free: 1.800.548.2549
(North America)
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GL,
Anthony

:Orly::snap:

update.
 

I just got off the phone with TOKICO. They said you have to go through the
merchant you purchased them from. I just emailed my ebay seller. (Hopefully
they'll respond)

From there, you have to send the merchant the shock(s) and then they send
it out for inspection. The tokico rep said that any marks or scratches on the
piston will cause the shock to fail and he said its a common mistake by
installers to grab the piston with pliars. ** I guess he kinda hinted that NO DICE
on Warranty if thats the case. But if its the seal (perfect piston), then you are covered.

I wasn't there during the install... but i hope there are no marks on the
piston. Ill be swapping the rears out when I hear back from djfrestyl.

So, with a click over 500+ miles, I'm taking off the rears only and replacing
with stock set up (thanks to maximumobsesion)

anyways, thats the update.

-Anthony

PS. The rear should not be soft. I just tested all the cars in the driveway,
and even my 4th gen on stock struts are stiffer. Go figure?!

...Could have some truth.... Tokico rep insisted that there are failures due to installer errors.:(

Who knows?...till you inspect the strut anyways.

Your situation could be what the Tokico rep said... that the piston starts
leaking after driving for a few miles (or hundred) due to "installer error" from
a mark or scratch on the piston.

Good luck,
Anthony

I just called up the ebay seller(JDM-IN-STOCK), cool people. said i need to take the shocks off, mail it to them, then they send them out to tokico and then tokico sends them the replacement.
well i said that i cant do that because i need to commute to work everyday and i cant really do that without shocks :)
so i paid $130 for two rear shocks, and he said when i get the new ones, just put them in and send the old ones back. once they get the old ones back and tokico replaces them then they will refund me the money.

I think thats probably what the problem is, i saw the guy who installed the shocks use pliers to hold the shocks in place while he was unscrewing the top nut off.

I really hope that there are no marks on the piston, as i will be very pissed if i have to spend another $130 on replacement rear shocks!

Where is the best place to get a whole set of these?

Right where this guy got them.....

on ebay from jdm-in-stock. I made an offer of $275 and he accepted it. That includes free shipping. Got them installed last weekend. Great shocks. Tightened up the handing a bit and very smooth. I was actually aiming for small bumps because they were so nice going over them

:jump:

yup, ebay or where ever. The JDM ebay seller look reputable. I got it from the
other vendor.

In anycase, shox.com is a good place. the tokico rep said that they are one of
their distributor. and I read the shox.com handles warranty the same way.

good luck. I'm still waiting on my ebay seller.

I wonder if they used a torque wrench and applied the correct amount of torque to said bolt in question? :gotme:

GL w/situation

Are you running them on stock springs?

damn .. wish i knew bout the warranty.Then again.. I lost the receipt.I have em on my 3rd gen and my left rear blew. I had to put my old KYB that I saved to get by till i can get another one.I wonder if I can go straight to Tokico HQ and explain/exchange the strut. Compton is not to far from me. My car runs eibachs. But according to the instructions, they say thats ok.When I was at SpoCom last year, the Eibach rep said they recommend The HP w/ their ProKit springs.

Yup...

nah ... Eibach prokit

I had the same problem with the Tokico Hp’s in the rear. I when through two set of them in the back, my opinion they suck spend the extra cash and get the illumina. I also bought them on ebay from jdm-in-stock. The second set blew out when I was on my way to NY. After that I gave up on them. I ended up installing Monroe’s in back and they haven’t died yet. I wish some store in NY had the illuminas or the KYBs in stock cuz I wasn’t sure about the Monroe's but their pretty good. The back is very stiff. Thank god I know how 2 change them myself, if I had to pay a mechanic 3 time to put in struts I probably would of killed him :D Tokico will replace them without any problem unless there are marks on the piston