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Installing 9th Gen Performance Struts

10K views 27 replies 6 participants last post by  SuperchargedMR2 
#1 ·
Since there aren't any performance struts for the 10th gen Corolla there is an option of installing 9th gen struts with a few modifications to the front struts. I figured that I would show others what is needed to get it done if they don't want to spend $1k on coilovers.

I bought these adjustable Tokico struts for a 9th gen on clearance. There are several choices available from different manufacturers.


The struts are the same as the 10th gen with a few small differences.


The lower strut bolts for the 10th gen are a lot larger than the 9th gen as you can see in the picture. So the solution is to enlarge the lower bolt holes in the new 9th gen struts.


I used a step-up drill bit and a grinding bit on my Dremel to enlarge the holes. It worked great and didn't take long.


Here you can see the before and after size of the hole.


All 4 holes on strut one done.


The top cap that fits over the spring is different for the 9th & 10th gen Corollas. This is because the threaded part of the strut rod is a different size and is slightly different. I've seen others say that you can drill this part out but then the strut rod will spin when you are trying to tighten the top nut. With the flat parts in place the strut rod will not rotate. My solution to this issue was to buy a set of 9th gen donor struts from a junkyard. Here are my donors.


This was the car they came from, a very bad wreck!


Here is a picture of the part you need from the donor strut. I tossed the rest of the parts as they were worn out and useless. The 9th gen spring cap has 2 flat parts that fit exactly down onto the 9th gen strut rod which you can see on the left one. The 10th gen spring cap doesn't fit properly on a 9th gen strut rod. It could be drilled out but it would allow the strut rod to spin while trying to tighten the top nut.


Here is the front strut installed. I did buy new 9th gen strut top bearing mounts and found out that the bearing hole is larger on the 9th gen so this is a needed part. If you tried to drill out the bearing on the 10th gen it would just get all the metal shavings in the bearing itself.


Since the 9th gen strut didn't have the hole for the speed sensor wire, I trimmed off the back part of it and used some silicone to glue it to the new strut. I don't think that it's really needed but I figured what the heck.


The rear struts are the same so they are a direct replacement and went on in a jiffy. My biggest issue was I needed to remove my UR RSB to get the lower strut bolt off.


On the front struts the rubber cap wouldn't fit because the strut rod is taller on the adjustable version. My solution was to cut an opening in it so I can easily use the adjusting tool.


This is the look after I installed the cap over the adjustment hole. I'm a happy camper! Now maybe some others won't be afraid to change their struts. :D


As a follow up my OEM struts were still in very good condition. They never leaked in almost 70k miles and being on Eibach springs for most of those miles. :clap:

Now I just need to work on dialing them in over the next few weeks. :grin:
 
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#2 ·
Doing some searching helped me find out some information on these struts and how to adjust them. :grin:

"Okay, I just read from searching that turning them via allen key clockwise till it stops is full stiffness. Then turning them 7 turns will bring it back to full softness. Apparnently most guys here turn them 3.5 to 4 times for a setting in the middle."

"The trick with adjustable shock suspension tuning is to understand the basic concept that adjusting a shock softer will increase traction in that wheel.

Start out with all the shocks set at the same setting. Three turns from full firm is a good start. Now go for a drive on some twisty roads. How does it feel?

Assuming that you are not experiencing excessive over steer (your rear tires breaking loose before your fronts), turn your front shocks one additional 1/2 turn soft (now 3 1/2 turns from full firm). Now go for a drive. You should notice a big difference. Your steering will feel lighter and the car will be much more "flickable" around corners. However, depending on your tires, springs, etc. your car may feel too unstable.

Now, go back and adjust the fronts one full turn firm (2 1/2 turns from full firm). Your steering should feel much heavier and smoother.

The trick is finding that magic balance between the fronts and the rears. Once you know it, it does not matter if you run a kidney jolting 2 turns from full hard or comfortable 6 turns from full hard."

I quoted them to help others with the same questions later! :wink:
 
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#4 ·
I adjusted them to max firmness & then turned them down 3 turns on each corner. I took it out for a drive and WOW!!! What a difference from the OEM struts. I will continue to play with the settings in half turn increments over the next few days. I need to get an alignment though as I can tell that it's off after doing the install. I don't want to destroy my new tires so I'll get that done before doing a lot of driving and adjusting. This same installation procedure will work for any 9th ten struts. :thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
Had my alignment checked today and it was off front and back. In the front the camber was too negative, great for the track but not for the street so I picked up some cam bolts for the front. In the rear the toe was off so I picked up some shims. After installing these I'll be able to have the alignment fine tuned. :D
 
#8 ·
Thanks for taking the time to write this up.

Yesterday, I installed new Koni Str.t in the rear and noticed my Eibach springs were loose fitting once I put everything back together (without the weight of the car). Do you recall if you had the same issue? Looking at the rear struts, the spring mounting plate is a little bit lower on the 9th Gen Koni strut vs. the 10th Gen OEM. I figure this causing the issue, but I wanted to ask if you recall having the same issue.
 
#9 ·
I didn't notice any difference at all with the Tokico vs OEM. My Eibach springs were not loose but I didn't let the entire rear suspension hang loose as I had a jack under the rear beam.
 
#10 ·
Here are my notes on the Koni rear struts.

The OEM strut rod has a welded bump stop that prevents the rod from pushing through the top hat. On the Koni struts, there is no weld, only a small metal ring. With enough force, the rod will push through the top hat and the struts rod will begin to hit the frame of the vehicle causing a failure. I drove the car for a few miles before the setup failed. While I am no expert and I don't really think I missed anything during the installation, I do not think the Koni's are a good fit for our 10th gen. See pictures below. Sorry about the picture size, I don't know how to make them smaller.





















 
#11 ·
Sounds like you should look for a pair of 9th gen top hats at a junk yard. That would solve the rear shock issue.

You should have bought 225/45R17 tires instead of the 215/45R17 as they are the proper diameter of the too small 215/45R17! :wink:
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep that in mind.

Regarding the tires, that's the proper size that came on my 2013 Corolla that I put 18s on. I put my 2013 OEM wheels on my 2010 Corolla. I ordered those based on the OEM size since I'm going to swap over the wheels back to the 2013 once I put the new tires one. I'm just trying to wear the old ones down a little more.
 
#15 ·
I had to use the 9th gen strut top for the front struts but I used my 10th gen rear strut tops. There is nothing different on the rear struts between the 9th and 10th gen Corollas.
 
#19 ·
So get Eibach springs. I've had both TRD and Eibach springs and I liked the Eibach springs more. The look was much improved with a near perfect drop.
 
#20 ·
I want to keep it more daily friendly. Ideally I would want it in between the TRD and Eibach height. I know the only way to do that is to go with coilovers but I'm not that serious about it. I was going to do TRD springs with KYB struts but the sale price on Koni struts caught my eye. Thats as far as I'm willing to go for now. I was just worried about ordering the struts and the rears not fitting right. I can't return them once I modify the fronts.
 
#21 ·
Sorry to resurrect but... If I'm reading this correctly, you can fit 9th gen struts on a 10th/11th gen by taking the 9th gen struts, making the hole bigger, and using a 9th gen strut mount? If so that will be music to my ears! I'm also gathering from this that I can essentially do the same thing with the rear. I believe the 11th gen has a different shock-to-cap mounting setup for the rear shocks. But if it's as simple as just using all 9th gen parts... I may just do this to my 11th gen.

Please correct me if I'm wrong though.
 
#22 ·
Sorry to resurrect but... If I'm reading this correctly, you can fit 9th gen struts on a 10th/11th gen by taking the 9th gen struts, making the hole bigger, and using a 9th gen strut mount? If so that will be music to my ears! I'm also gathering from this that I can essentially do the same thing with the rear. I believe the 11th gen has a different shock-to-cap mounting setup for the rear shocks. But if it's as simple as just using all 9th gen parts... I may just do this to my 11th gen.

Please correct me if I'm wrong though.
That is correct for the 9th to 10th Gen use. The 9th Gen rear strut/shock bolts right up to the rear of the 10th Gen. I didn't use these very long before I bought my BC coilovers. I still have them with the Eibach springs mounted to them. Maybe I should sell them locally.
 
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#25 ·
The 10th and 11th gen strut mounts use 10mm x 25mm bolts for mounting while the 9th gen use 8mm x 20mm bolts. The 10th/11th gen has a 14mm hole for the shock while the 9th gen has a 15mm. I am curious if I should use the 11th gen strut mount, with the 9th gen spring seat and bushings. For the rear I may just use the 11th gen shock mount but use 9th gen bushings as they are literally the same aside from the 11th gen using slightly higher rated bolts.

Any other thoughts? Anyone have the 9th gen strut rod dimensions off hand?
 
#26 ·
I never messed with the 11th Gen difference. The only thing that I know was the difference between the 9th and 10th Gen. The only difference was literally the hub bolts and drilling them out and using the 9th Gen top hat.
 
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