KYB Rear Shock Mounts Missing Metal Plate?

[suprarx7nut]

Hey all. I'm installing a new set-up and have come across a major PITA.

My existing rear shock mounts (appear to be Toyota OEM) had a metal plate within the shock mount to hold the shock piston in place and keep it from spinning. This allows you to tighten and loosen the top nut with ease.

Now my new replacements are KYB mounts. The rears had a D shaped hole cutout, but just in rubber with no metal plate. I didn't think much of this until i had them installed and tried to torque the top nut. There is virtually no resistance to the shock piston spinning freely. I can't tighten the nylock nut at all, even with an impact driver.

Has anyone else faced this? I'm using the KYB boots as well so I don't have easy access to the piston to hang onto it. This seems like a design flaw in the KYB rear mount.

I'll add pictures if needed.

 

[3p141592654]

I am confused. The D cutout is in the top shock support assembly that bolts to the top of the shock tower on the body. If the shaft is spinning, it means the D cutout was damaged by the (previous) owner. Soft steel rounds out easily.

I'm talking about 48750 here

http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/EPC/291420/catalog.aspx?F=4804&P=1

 

[suprarx7nut]

Pi, you got it. I bought new mounts. (48750 from the epc link). I bought new KYB mounts and not the OEM ones from toyota.

The KYB units look identical and have the cut out, but the cut out is in rubber with no metal plate.

I'll post a couple pics later tonight. Its as if the KYB design left out the metal plate, leaving only the rubber of the mount to hold the piston from spinning.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Didn't get around to uploading pics but I got them tightened. I was able to use vice grips on the shocks installed and grip the non shaft part above the bump stop.

Upon closer inspection the KYB mount still has a metal plate, but it looks like they use a rubberized coating or paint. I'm guessing their tooling or supplier is a little sloppy and the piston d holes were not precise enough to hold the piston.

 

[3p141592654]

That makes more sense. I couldn't see how it could function if the top plate was made of rubber!

 

[yhatzee89]

Got pics of your setup?

 

[suprarx7nut]

That makes more sense. I couldn't see how it could function if the top plate was made of rubber!

Yeah, I suppose there's obviously a metal plate. Otherwise I'll be watching a shock piston shoot through the interior at the next big bump in the road, haha.

The plate was just heavily coated in the paint/coating. The hole looked great when I installed the shock, but gave way with some torque applied. I suppose it could just be soft steel, but I'd be a little concerned if the whole plate was that soft. Hopefully the hole was just poorly cut and the coating made it look less sloppy. See below for some pics.

Got pics of your setup?

No final pics of the car yet. I'll be sure to post up a bunch of the stance when it's all done after alignment. Here's a quick parts list and pics of the area in question.

-Koni Sport Shocks
-Tanabe GF210 Springs
-New KYB Mounts
-New KYB Bump stops and boots
-New Toyota Front Spring Isolators
-Epoxy painted springs perches all around
-Epoxy painted Front Shock mount Rings

 

[yhatzee89]

How much were the spring isolators from Toyota? I just went through this same process with my RSRs and illuminaIIs, and after seeing how torn up the stock isolators were I ended up ordering a set of poly ones from energy suspensions. Also found out that KYB and Moog bump stops are exactly the same, I just ended up putting a taller set on the rears.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Correction: Insulators, not Isolators.

Mine were $24 each from my dealer. I'd consider that a must replace for most everyone when redoing front shocks/springs. Mine were basically trash. Completely matted down and cracked all over. One had worn through entirely in one spot. Without the insulator the spring rides directly on the bottom metal plate of the mount.

Edit: Holy shit. The Energy Suspension insulators are $15 for a SET. They have a ramped seating surface for springs that aren't flat topped (most aftermarket springs). That's a much better solution than the OEM ones.

 

[yhatzee89]

Holy shit. The Energy Suspension insulators are $15 for a SET. They have a ramped seating surface for springs that aren't flat topped (most aftermarket springs). That's a much better solution than the OEM ones.

Yeah I know, that's why I got them lol, I've got an extra set I'm tryin to shed if your interested. No idea on ride yet as the car is still riding jack stands. And my hope is that they won't crush and become useless like the factory ones all do eventually