What brand of street shocks do you have?

[NoHachi]

@ Red: stuff like Tein (sometimes, given a low weight car), moton, intrax, Ohlins, Billstein. Quality differences can be found in the design, materials used and manufacturing tolerances. All of this allows them to respond more linearly to suspension inputs and dissipate heat more effectively. You do pay a price though.
The day Ohlins comes out with a set for the AE86 again, I will be purchasing a set..Its what the engineers at toyota would have come up with before the beancounters shlashed 75% off the price of a shock.

And as a side remark: from experience, the Tokico "blues" shocks are quite a bit stiffer then the OEM stuff on the GTS ever was. Not a really sophisticated shock, but should be ok if you keep her from the bumpstops.

[Red]

Dan-
"just make sure you say "I know Tak personally..." "
Nah, I've got an AUTOGRAPHED TOFU CUP, personally signed by TAK and given to me when I raced him through Smuggler's Notch and beat him. Of course, he never ran touge with chains on in eight inches of fresh snow, but a win's a win, right?<WEG>

On security, even with the garage I'd say to think about LoJack with the theft alert option. Ain't cheap, but they're the only tracking company with a +10 year existance on the market. The other alternatives can be less expensive, but won't be as simple. A garage sometimes just gives thieves a nice sheltered place to work. (sigh)

NoHachi-
I guess we've got different standards, what you call A-quality I'd call excessive for street use.<G> Kind of like the argument "What is a good paint job?" and frankly, I'm shocked that even Mercedes and BMW think "orange peel" is good enough to ship. I guess that's what happens when you sell a car to anyone who can pay for it, instead of just enthusiasts.

Stiffer than OEM: Thank you! You have no idea how long it took me to find someone saying that. (I trust you do have a fresh '85 around to compare rides with?<G&gt Between city streets, low profile tires (yes, by 1985 standards these are VERY LOW PROFILE tires for street use), and alloy wheels (famous for pothole damage although, knock wood, these have lasted) I try not to bottom out the suspension. I tell my car the same thing I used to tell my dog on rainy days: "All four paws on the floor!" Jumping up is by invitation only.<G>

[Fallguz]

Alright guys I have placed an enquiry concerning the TRD Japan shocks / Springs mentioned in the last page.

Here is the email reply from the shop. I think it sounds really good for somebody looking for a street setup, with only a 2-3 cm drop on the springs, and "normal" lenght adjustable dampers.

I will most likely order this kit, and try it out in a few weeks or so:


NOTE: The kit is seems more expensive than first suspected.. The total kit including shipping / customs would come in at around 1400 CHF (~870 euros) I will check back again with the shop - the prices they quoted me are much higher than the prices in the TRD list. Normally this shop charges less than suggested dealer prices.


*********************

Hi Alain,



Below is price information as your request.



* TRD Front Dampen Adjustable Shock Absorber Cartridge (Item Code: 48511-AE881): 19800Yen each x 2 = 39600Yen

* TRD Rear Dampen Adjustable Shock Absorber (Item Code: 48531-AE881): 13500Yen each x 2 = 27000Yen

* TRD Low Height Spring Set front (Item Code: 48131-AE811): 6300Yen each x 2 = 12600Yen

* TRD Low Height Spring Set rear (Item Code: 48231-AE811): 6300Yen each x 2 = 12600Yen



* Estimated EMS shipping cost from Japan to your address in Switzerland: roughly 43000Yen for all above items together


According to TRD, the external construction of these shock absorbers are designed as the same as stock ones and they are in the same length as stock ones. Their springs will lower the car height by around 2-3cm.

To order the products, please use one of the order forms on our website as usual.

************


EDIT: About the prices, just got a reply. It seems the prices on the ENGLISH trd japan site are incorrect - Prices there are meant per ITEM not per SET.



************

All the prices in TRD list (22000Yen, 15000Yen and 7000Yen) are all for one item, not for two. A lot of people who are looking at their English web page are confusing for this, however this is true as their Japanese web page is saying like this.

************

[Apolan]

auch, thats a bit much. For that amount you can make height adjustable coilovers..

back to koni for me i'll get a price quote this week.

[Apolan]

Well got the quote on the konis, bu hu, turns out that guy mixed things up and the price got almost doubled.. so it would cost something like 400 eur for all 4...

This is too much money for me right now so im back to plan A.

Plan A:
-Tokico HP (Blues) AE86 spec
-Springs with max 1 inch lowering (i was looking at tanabes with cca 2.7-3kg/mm front rear)
-prothane bushing kit

now this setup should be quite a nice starter set.. lets call it an extra sport package.

Questions: where can i get Tokico blues in europe? Or where the cheapest? And where springs are out there with cca 3kg/mm rate and cca 2 cm lowering? Where to get them?

sankyou!

[SekiguchiUeno]

those springs seem as good choice for street use, if you found them in eu let me know

[Apolan]

Well i found Tokico blues and Tanabe springs on http://www.autornd.com

tokico go for 187$ all round
tanabes for 220$ all round

Tanabe springs:



[code:1]Tanabe Sustec GF210 Corolla 85-87
[TGF044] $228.00
Tanabe Sustec GF210 Corolla 85-87
Click to enlarge

The GF210 coil spring is geared towards maximum performance, without compromising daily driveability. A subtle drop provides an aggressive stance, while the higher spring rates (+20% - 30% over stock) provide excellent handling and vehicle stability characteristics. These springs provide a very noticeable gain in performance when installed.
The GF210 is well mated with a performance shock upgrade to extract the full potential of the coil spring, but will also work with factory equipment.
Each coil spring application is tested for fitment and optimal weight distribution for sportier handling.

Sustec 210 Technology: GF210 Performance Spring
All of our coil springs feature SUSTEC 210 Technology. Sustec 210 Technology is a series of manufacturing methods developed to create a stronger, thinner, and lighter spring using only high tensile steel, without adding additional elements that could affect quality, durability, or price. 薢" stands for 2100n/m of tensile strength, which is the highest strength ever acheived in a coil spring. The Tanabe Shiga factory in Japan is home to some of the most advanced, unique coil spring machines and processes in the world!

Spring Rates Front and Rear 2.5 / 2.7
Lowers Car Front and rear 1.0 / 0.7[/code:1]

[Mux213]

Nice!

[Apolan]

So i got the quote on the shipping - for tanabe springs it would be 320$ shipped, meaning 100$ shipping&handling ..

Where can i get tokico blues?

This things i pissing me off.. when you read the tech articles it seems like you have so many options for the 86, but when you actually do some serching you see everything is either in the US or in Japan. Oh you get KONIs which are to expensive.. you get APEX springs which suck totally. I've found out that many people bought apex springs here, only to realise they actually provided aprogressive drop. when you mont them they arer -40 mm as they say.. oh wait a month and they'll be at -50.. And if you only want a spring that would drop 2 cm and provide +30% rate - well mission impossible here in EU.. im mad that i have to pay 2 times the price of a unit to get something to this god forasken europe..

[Mux213]

Apolan,

Yupz, welcome to Europa

Things will change