Installed KYB 361002 and eibach on front....HELP

[Ben's Z]

Everyone said I would need the strut compressor for the front springs, didn't need it, not even close. I put in the strut cartridge, tightened down the gland nut. Installed boot and new bump stop. Put on strut on the strut hat or cap, whatever it is called. Installed whatever that bearing does inside the strut mount, put strut mount on strut cap. Installed 17mm strut nut and tightened down. Eibach spring is still loose with no pressure from strut hat on top of eibach. I have to push down on strut mount for cap to make contact with spring. I have the ######.1 part number on the front too. Prior posts said others needed the strut compressor for the front, hell I can't even get the strut hat to compress the spring at all. Normal? Something installed wrong?

[Zed Head]

Can't help on the Eibach spring fit, mine are stock. But the dimensions you're working with would help, since the distance from spring perch to spring perch should be the same for any 280Z using the KYB 361002 in the front struts. I have the KYB 361002s on the front of my 280Z and could measure the distance from perch to perch with the front end off the ground, as could anyone, for comparison.

With that measurement (maybe it's in the FSM?, I haven't looked), anyone with a new spring could measure its length and determine if they'll need a compressor or not before they even start. Do you know the length of the Eibach spring? Maybe they've been cut in the past.

[ConchZ]

I have the same combo. I remember being able to put the fronts on by hand, without a compressor. It wasn't easy, and there was spring tension in the finished product. A lesson I learned the hard way is there is supposed to be a spacer in the rear struts that usually rots away, and wasn't present when I took mine apart. I bought my kit from MSA, and they didn't tell me about the darn spacer. I put it together, both front and rear by hand. It wasn't easy, took two of us to squeeze it together. Anyway, I didn't have a spacer on the rears. The result was the rear seemed to sag. Called MSA, and they said oops, sorry, you need a spacer. Took it back apart, put the spacer on, and then needed a compressor to get the rears back together. Not sure if the 280s had the spacer. They did have a taller strut insulator. Maybe you got a 240 insulator, which someone might have used to lower the car. That would explain it. I just measured my extra set of 240 insulators. Not counting the threaded bolts, it measures 2 5/8s". If yours aren't taller than that, you might be trying to use 280 springs with 240 insulators. That would explain it.

[Ben's Z]

I didn't have to use a spring compressor on the rear, but it was a little tight. The front on the other hand there was no struggle and even with the insulator and strut spring cap on and the 17mm tight the spring is completely loose.

[cozye]

Eibach springs on the 280 will be loose. You would have needed a spring compressor to get the old ones off, not put on the eighbachs. When you mount on the car and the wheel pulls on the strut you will have gap on the spring to the top, this is normal. Also, the shorter springs go in front which is not intuitive. The number on the front spring should start or end with 001

[Ben's Z]

They are brand new Eibachs.

Can't help on the Eibach spring fit, mine are stock. But the dimensions you're working with would help, since the distance from spring perch to spring perch should be the same for any 280Z using the KYB 361002 in the front struts. I have the KYB 361002s on the front of my 280Z and could measure the distance from perch to perch with the front end off the ground, as could anyone, for comparison.

With that measurement (maybe it's in the FSM?, I haven't looked), anyone with a new spring could measure its length and determine if they'll need a compressor or not before they even start. Do you know the length of the Eibach spring? Maybe they've been cut in the past.

[Zed Head]

They are brand new Eibachs.

How long are they? And how much space do they have to fill?

The space to fill should be the same on all 280Zs with the same shocks. The shocks determine the fully extended length between the perches.The only other variable is spring length. If some people need a compressor and some don't it could be because they're using different shocks. Maybe aftermarket shocks are not all the same.

[cozye]

I searched this extensively when I installed my springs. The space is normal guys, just mount them and move on. I've not heard one example of anyone using a spring compressor install eibach or tokico springs on 280. They are a lot shorter than an oem type progressive rate spring. You have the 001's on the front, it's all good.. Take a look at blues tech page where he talks about this installing the tokico if you want confirmation