[taraquian]

what are teh stiffest shocks/struts there are for our cars?
also, are there any stiffer springs that are factory hieght?

im not to concerned with ride, but the car is a daily driver...

thanks
don

 

[quick]

Tockico HPs.

I don't know of any stiffer springs in the stock height. Do you have new springs? If not new ones would probably be less saggy.

 

[taraquian]

where could i get those?

uhmm, no, i have saggy old springs...i am going to get eibachs for the front and (unless i find something else) replacement stock springs for the rear...but i want to get my suspension pretty tight. i was wondering if you know of a place to get those hp's cheap?

don

 

[quick]

I got mine from cyberauto.com -- I think it was a good deal.
They're good people there --- they support the Toy-Mods list and whatnot.

I assume you're getting Eibachs in front only to prevent rear camber issues?

I wonder how that might affect handling... ?

 

[Supra Bob]

Someone on the yahoo list ( I think it was Arch Maybe?) was saying they got OEM springs from autozone for like under $90 USD a pair. Reg Reimer swears by the OEM springs... says that he gets the best launch from them... for what its worth.

 

[taraquian]

dunno on a supra...

yes its to prevent rear camber probs but its also sorta my local trademark... my first celica was about 2 inches lower in the front than it was supposed to be...no one knows why, we never did find out...anyway i did it to my other celica because i liked the look.

it actually helps handling at higher speeds in the celica, and seems to have little effect at all in town, except the occasional tire rub...which is why i want struts with hardly any give...

don

 

[CJSREDPRA]

Re: What are the stiffest suspension parts

Stiffer shocks???

The only ones that I know of, are the Tokico HP's and the KYB Gas-A-Just. The KYB GR2's are a little bit softer than the Gas-A-Just's. I don't know what the Koni equivalants are.

Don't know of anybody that has stiffer springs that retain the stock height

 

[SupraFiend]

Thats if you want to go aftermarket. I have crazy friends with AE86s and when they go shopping for stiff struts, they just hit the local parts store and see what oem stuff fits. They usually go with Monroe sensatracs as they get stiffer after they compress a bit. The AE86's supension is very similar to ours, at least as far as shocks and springs go. One friend got some shocks for a big dodge van and made those work, another just got some for an 80s camaro. Both were shorter then stock too which was a good thing for their cars. Don Lew runs BMW 3 series shocks in the rear. MR2 rear shock inserts will fit in the front of a mk2 and are very stiff as well. Just some ideas.

 

[jr85mk2]

I have to say the KYB's I had in the front were stiff but the new Koni's set a little stiffer than factory setting are even stiffer, downright harsh over uneven road and potholes. I think the factory setting is two half turns and I have mine at three. They go up to 5 half turns I believe. I have Eibachs up front now also. I'm sure you could even go to 5 half turns and get extremely stiff with the Koni adjustables. Only downfall is that they are noy really adjustable on the car.

 

[RWDCelicadude]

You can always get the Tokico Illuminas from Toysport, they are adjustable on the car. The softest setting is about stock and they get pretty nice and stiff when you turn them up. I have had them on for a couple weeks now and just love them.

 

[FWDsux]

About the Illumina's....do you have any pics of them on your car? and can you describe how you adjust them? I'm considering trying to get those sometime if, as you say, one can obtain them from Toysport....

Thanks

Nick

 

[CJSREDPRA]

RWDCelicadude & FWDsux

Remember, the RA Celica's are just a little bit lighter than the MA Supra's, thus the shocks will compress just a little bit more, depending on the setting.

Having had my current set of Illumina's installed since June of last year (I purchased mine from list member Don Lew), I can say that there is a noticeable difference, depending on what setting they are on.

So far, most everyone agree's that the #4 setting feels like the normal HP's when they are brand new. #3 setting feels like the HP's when they are broken in.

The #5 setting feels pretty firm. I only use it if I'm out on a track somewhere (only 1x a year), or if I'm up in the mountains out on the "twisties". The #5 setting to me is more or less okay for daily driving, as long as it's perfectly flat. The minute you go over bumps or small potholes, then the ride gets harsh.

The day after I got my Illumina's installed, I was still messing around with the shock settings, so I decided to pull over & put all 4 corners on the #1 (softest) setting & got back on the freeway. The #1 setting does a very good job of absorbing all of the bumps & whatnot, BUT... I noticed that on the freeway, the car was "floating"... Whatever tiny little bump or expansion joint on the freeway I ran over, I noticed that the car would "slowly" go up & down a little bit... Like as though you were on a boat on the open sea..... Needless to say 15 minutes later when I got home I was feeling a tiny bit SEASICK & NAUSEOUS... That was the last time I put them on the #1 setting. Ask any MKIII owner that has TEMS with the HKS TEMS controller as to how it feels w/ the controller locked at the SOFT setting.... The car "floats"........

For most of my current normal daily driving (because it's currently the crappy weather season & I'm not feeling as frisky when going around the long sweeper freeway ramps), I have them on the #3 setting. Nice compromise between quasi-decent handling & firmness. When it's the summertime (no crappy weather) & I'm feeling more frisky about those freeway ramps, I have them on the #4 setting. Not as much lean, as in the #3 setting.

Adjustments: All you need is a VERY TINY/SMALL flatblade screwdriver. For the front, all you need to do is pop off the rubber cap on top of the strut tower & turn the little dial to the setting that you want w/ the screwdriver. For the rear, just pop off the plastic shock tower cap that is behind the backseats & due the same w/ the screwdriver. You can have all 4 adjusted in about 30 seconds.... None of this crawling around underneath the car & adjusting a dial, or having to take the shocks out & twist them.

Hope this answers your questions.

 

[RWDCelicadude]

Thank you Chris, that pretty well sums it up. Like you said the Supras are a bit heavier than my celica and all that weight is in the front end. I haven't had any problems with swaying or floating even when driving on full soft, this may be because of the less weight or possibly the ST springs I have as well. I haven't had much time to play with them but I'll usually leave them on 1 or 2 and set them up to four if I want to go play in the mountains.
We have a car club that will go for some very aggresive drives late at night and for that I set them on 5 and it just handles amazingly well. We have a timed run marked off through some of the windiest areas and I was posting times within a second or two of a guy that drives a RSX type S and has driven the road several dozen times while I've driven it four times. At a 90 hp deficit that should tell you something about the handling.

 

[85TurboMKII]

I am running ST springs all the way around and there is almost no negative camber n the back as far as looks. I am going in for an alignment next week cause the front is pretty low now and it threw my alignment off....I'll let ya all know how bad the camber is after I get my alignment done. it's really not too bad though.

Eric
6M-GTE

 

[Flyin' Hawaiian]

Hey Chris E., would you happen to have the part #'s for your Illuminas? Are they the standard pn's for our Supras?
Thanks!
Chris C.

(edit) :arrow: Can't seem to find any listing for the Illuminas on a MK2 Supra, so your shocks/struts have to be for a different vehicle. If you could get the pn for us, that would be great!!!

 

[84MKII]

is anybody running k-mac springs?

 

[CJSREDPRA]

Chris C.

The Illumina's that I have are the correct ones for the MKII Supra. Nope, they were not for other applications.

The part numbers are at home at the moment (in one of my old Tokico brochures), I'll try & bring them w/ me tomorrow. The part numbers on the shocks/struts do match up w/ the ones in the borchure.

 

[Flyin' Hawaiian]

Thanks! I'm hoping they haven't discontinued them yet, seems that their website(as well as toysports) doesn't show an Illumina shock/strut for our years.
I'll wait for your reply before I call 'em. Hopefully, they just missed it in their database...

 

[CJSREDPRA]

Chris C.

As others have mentioned, the ones that Toysport has might possibly be old stock that they have stashed away. I have heard stories about this.

I do know FOR A FACT that Tokico Direct does not have the 5-way Illumina's for our MKII application anymore. I had my parts guys talk to them on the phone (in my presence), and he gave them the parts#'s for the shocks/struts, and they said that these particular Illumina's are discontinued. The Illumina 5-ways are NOT serviceable, which means that they cannot be rebuilt. So if I ever decide to do a warranty replacement, they can only replace them w/ the regular HP sport shocks... Or I can cough up some $$$$ & get a new set from Toysport.

 

[CJSREDPRA]

Chris C & others that are interested in Tokico Parts #'s.

I have my 1998 Tokico Application guide sitting in front of me. I'm going to list 3 different applications for comparisons sake. If you want more parts#'s please PM me off of the Forums. Otherwise, use these numbers & check to see if this is what Toysport is offering at the moment. The HP Sports shocks/struts are still easily available from anyone that sells Tokico's

82 - 86 MKII MA Supra:

HP Sport's: Front: HZ3062, Rear: HE2483

Illumina 5-Way's: Front: BZ3062, Rear: BE2321

79 - 81 MKI MA Supra:

HP Sport's: Front: HZ3014, Rear: HE2325

Illumina 5-Way: Front: BZ3074, Rear: Not Available

82 - 85 RA Celica GTS (w/ the IRS rear):

HP Sport's: Front HZ3014, Rear: HE2483

Illumina 5-Way's: Front: BZ3074, Rear: BE2321

For those w/ the GT & ST's w/ the solid rear axle, see the applications for the MKI Supra

For those curious about the MX Cressida applications, PM me off the forums.