KYB AGX install question

[OptionZero]

quick question, i searched already:

For the Rears KYB AGX struts on S14, are the dials supposed to be facing the inside of the car or outside of the car?

It seems as if it would make more sense to have them face inward, so you can reach them easily, but i did it that way and i have alotta damn rattling from the upper strut mount area when i drive.

stupid question, plz help!

[hookedup240]

I'm not sure it matters any, but on my s13 the dials are facing out/back so i can reach them. I guess that's all that matters when mounting them. I'm not sure what could be rattling. Maybe you have a loose bolt? or 2?

[OptionZero]

On the s14, they do not face fore or aft (front or back), they face left or right. So right now, the left shock dial is facing right, the right shock dial is facing left.

All the bolts are to my knowledge tightened as much as humanly possible, there is no room to fit an air tool with the rear windshield restricting acess to the rear strut tower upper bolts.

I know everyone and their mom has KYB AGX's on their S14, so ...anyone? how are yours mounted?

The rattling is definitely coming from the upper rear strut mounts (Both sides), so i don't think it could be a stray loose nut. It is also not any sound component, or any frame damage. I'm 99% positive its the struts, i just can't see anything else wrong...but i can't be sure.

[Tricky1980]

i have had mine installed for around 1k miles.... i have mine turned INTO the body so i can get to the dials wtihout takign the wheels off. They dont make any noise that i can hear from anywhere.. make sure your springs are seated right and that your strut mounts aren't worn out because they could be moving and making noise.. ive autoX 3 times on mine without a hitch i used whiteline springs to go with them.. doubt that makes a difference but who knows
let me know
JaY

[OptionZero]

Hrm, so your's are facing inwards...perhaps there IS a loose bolt. I will need to check it out later then.

The instructions say the dial should be facing outwards....but does
outward = outside of the car, aka towards the wheels?

or ...outside = away from the wheels, towards the inside?

Dangit...

I have brand new KYB strut boots, that can't be the problem.

[andrave]

place them inwards. Don't make the same mistake I did!
I placed mine towards the outside. You CAN still adjust them with the wheels off but its a bigger pain and you can't see the dials, just have to remember where you click them.

[OptionZero]

Dang it, so i was right all along. Guess i need to take it apart and re install now see if i missed anything.

[240Stilo]

If you did not put all the rubber pieces from your stock struts onto the new ones then that might be what's making the noise. I think they're called bump stops.

[OptionZero]

bump stops are part of the strut boot, and I have brand new ones from KYB. Somebody correct me if i'm wrong.

[240Stilo]

If you're talking about the things you see on this link then it's cool that you got them but you still need some other pieces that are supposed to go onto the rear struts. Check out my write up on my AGX install that NOBODY WANTED TO ARCHIVE (MODS)!!!. THREAD. There you'll see how I forgot some pieces and whenever I would go over a bump my rear struts would pop. I hope you didn't throw those pieces away after your install.

[OptionZero]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by rubber pieces...picture perhaps?

edit: is it this thing?

rubber piece?

[240Stilo]

YEAH! THAT ONE!

But, I took off that and everything else I can take off of the stock strut and put them on my AGX. Other than that my AGX knobs face inward also and no problems.

[andrave]

my rear tein S tech go "squeaky, squeaky" when I go over big bumps at low speed, but it just sounds like the rubber spring wrap being squashed.
which, btw, I prefer to my friends with other brands of springs "clumpf clumpf" as their coils smack each other.

[OptionZero]

I highly doubt its the spring, the rattling is metal on metal contact and comes from a higher position, right near the decklit where the rear struts mount and the rear speakers are located.

I may have found the problem in that damn rubber piece.

THIS IS WHAT I GET...for having a Honda guy install it, hehe, j/p
He does have an 11-second civic hatchback sitting in his garage. And a turbo del sol. And another turbo civic.


It was a free install by a friend, all i had to do was buy him a pack of cigs.

[neilff]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by OptionZero
[B]THIS IS WHAT I GET...for having a Honda guy install it...[QUOTE]


theres your problem... lol
KYB AGX install on civics are so much easier..

I had a similar problem on my civic, the bushing in the strut mount was missing, so the top of the strut was moving around and created a really nasty noise.

[OptionZero]

Took us damn near 4 and a half hours! he had the air tools, wrenchs and everything....except a spring compressor.
So we did it the ghetto way, shooting off the top nut into an empty garbage can
and, he had to go out and buy some Vice Grips.
and we stopped to eat

[240Stilo]

So was I right? And did you fix it?

[OptionZero]

The bolts connecting the strut to the lower arms was installed with an air tool, i cannot loosen it by hand, and i dont have a compressor (or a jack, for that matter). Gotta wait till Monday when there's a shop open or someone available to help)

thanks for askin though

[andrave]

wtf? it took me awhile to do the fronts cause my 1/2 craftsman ratchet snapped off one of the spindle/shock bolts inside the spindle and we had to have a machine shop drill it out. but the rears took me about an hour or so in my grandma's garage. all it takes is a 1/2 ratchet to get the rears off at the bottom, and a 3/8" ratchet for the tops. spring compressors and be purchased for like 20 bucks or you can rent them for free, no excuse for doing it any other way, and the reasons against are things like broken wrists.
my dad knows a guy that lost his eye sight in his left eye that way. caught a nut in the face after it popped off. ouch? indeed.
anyway I discovered today if I use my little collapsible inspection mirror I can see the dials, and I can still turn them no prob. so mounting them to the outside isn't so bad, but to the inside is still ideal.

[OptionZero]

Shooting the compressed spring into a heavy metal garbage can isn't ideal, but its not that bad. It won't break through the brick wall backing it, and all the humans were safely behind the direction the nut would shoot off into anyways.

The RS-R springs are similar in spring rate to stock.
A spring compressor would be simpler, though, yes.

Anyays, its hard to find air tools on a sunday afternoon in Davis, CA when everything is closed and most of us college students live in garageless aptments. Probably going to have to end up paying for some shop time just to put that damn rubber piece back in.