After reading housecor's thread on how he blew a strut w/ his Illumina/Progress setup, I'm concerned because I can't afford to let this happen to me. I have the same setup.
2k2nyc also had this happen.

Anybody else with the Illuminas and springs that drop lower than 1.5" have a problem at all? Should I change my springs or leave them? I don't hear any noises from my suspension yet.

 

dude dont panic, keep your set up its fine. your like border line on the drop. any factor could damage a strut. remeber it could be defective. dont let one persons problem effect your set up. and if so just check you struts from time to time.

 

i would panic..big time

 

SR20-TURBO, you are nothing but a trouble maker. But you are right.

 

dont worry, flukes happen, defective products are made, its part of buying anything. NOONE else on the org that we KNOW of has had a problem, and like me im sure that thee are several people with a lower drop than you, assuming you have progress. I really wouldn't worry, if you see more people, like half of the people you ask, then worry, but as of right now i believe in my opinion illuminas are the best option to go with no matter what drop, obviously excluding coilovers.


brandon

 

yea i wouldnt be too worried but be ready just in case.

 

I would not be worried/panic'd as thats retarded. Planning is your key here.

Since they are already ON your car, I would leave them there. So far they work w/o a problem right? No cost. If you have nagging thoughts, I would CONTINUE to save (adding to the money already saved for the "possible new" spring purchase mentioned in your original post). This will get you closer to new parts w/o having to actually spring for new parts (yeah, I know...bad pun )

Parts are defective at times, and improper use can also cause parts to fail earlier than anticipated. If you are below the "recommended" drop, putting it back "up" isnt going to magically extend the life of 'em. And if they dont fail while you have this car then you can use the saved money to invest or mod your next car with.

 

just bought my illuminas just waiting on my tein s techs to come in. im not worried off that tHREAD!!!!!

 

You do realize this is the one of (if not the) first person on the board to blow an Illumina... there are hundreds of us running them. Every kind of strut for this car has had some blow, it's a fact of life. Put on your parts and enjoy the ride.

 

I think there's only 2 people that blew one. housecor and 2k2nyc. Yeah i'm not too worried now. Thanks guys. If it blows, it blows.

 

someone was bound to blow a struts eventually. sometimes sooner than expected. I have S-Techs w/Illuminas with over 9K miles on them with no problems

knock on wood

 

Same here......a few groans and squeaks now and again, but nothing catastrophic.

Anybody know if you MORE or LESS likely to blow a strut on a HARD hit when the TOK is set to 1 or 5???

Personally - I run 4/5 most often.

gr

 

That's something I've kinda been wondering myself lately.

 

Man -- I've taken a half-dozen shots to the new susp. that i REALLY thought were going to bend the frame! It was NASTY!

I'm running super stiff Kumho Ecsta's in 235/45/17VR, so that doesn't help either....but DANG, some of these bigger bumps make the whole car just WHIMPER in agony!

Truthfully - I've ridden-around on 1/2 a bit, and find it to be, well - SLOPPY.
To me it seems as if the ride gets stiff and smaller bumps more noticeable, but bigger bumps are controlled more evenly.

I dunno -- I doubt I'd repeat this setup after 50k miles. I'll probably go back to stock and sell it.

I don't find much refinement in this setup. Sure it handles the corners great - but it needs some serious comp/rebound adjustment to make it less harsh.

It IS fun, though!

gr

 

When I first got it I rode around on 1/1 and it rode like stock, though seemed to take longer to settle after hitting bumps. I've since been on 2/2 for the majority of the time feeling that it kept it more controlled. I tried 3/3 for a stint but that proved to be too stiff for the sh*tty roads around here. After going back to 2/2 it felt sloppy, much like you said (mostly in the front end though) and so as of today and yesterday I've gone 3/2 and I think that's where it shall stay. Retains most of the comfort while still keeping the front end controlled over bumps and dips. Or at least it feels that way.

I agree with you though - compared to the stock suspension, there's not much refinement. It can get harsh, but for the most part it's a pretty good ride. I have to say though - after being on S-Techs and GR2s, H-Techs and Illuminas are liking riding on a magic carpet.