Suspension Debate
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For me, I'm in Cali so roads can go from good to bad in a heartbeat...
I've been wanting to get either Tein or Tanabe coil-overs, but don't know if a camber kit is going to be needed. That has led to the debate over a full TRD suspension (shocks & springs included) because I know it is safer as a daily driver, but performance might not be as great as a coil-over system.
My plan is to do all the suspension work all @ once (meaning: struts, tie, and sway bars except sway bar only on the back).
Whats everyones overall experience with various types of full suspensions?
Hows the daily driving? and how low did u go?
I've been wanting to get either Tein or Tanabe coil-overs, but don't know if a camber kit is going to be needed. That has led to the debate over a full TRD suspension (shocks & springs included) because I know it is safer as a daily driver, but performance might not be as great as a coil-over system.
My plan is to do all the suspension work all @ once (meaning: struts, tie, and sway bars except sway bar only on the back).
Whats everyones overall experience with various types of full suspensions?
Hows the daily driving? and how low did u go?
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If you're never going to Auto-X or race your car, anything more than the TRD kit is an expensive luxury. while the TRD is not as "pure performance" as any of the adjustable coilover kits, ask yourself: do I really need it to be?
If you're just looking for a spirited daily drier, the TRD will suit you well. Hell, even the stock setup is severly limited by the quality of the OEM rubber. Replacing the tires should be suspension concern #1.
I speak from some experience-- I had a bit more tied up in my last suspension than I do in the current one...
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If you're just looking for a spirited daily drier, the TRD will suit you well. Hell, even the stock setup is severly limited by the quality of the OEM rubber. Replacing the tires should be suspension concern #1.
I speak from some experience-- I had a bit more tied up in my last suspension than I do in the current one...
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I know it says debate, but this has been debated a ton before. I would just like some more pointed questions instead of just general what do you think. Everyone likes different things. I mean things like the fact that coilovers are going to give you the most adjustability is fine, but i am not sure that he even knows that.
FINALLY!!! Someone that KNOWS what he's talking about... Thx Dr. Isotope, but lemme ask how you've got your suspension setup & hows it perform?
Eddie
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...I would appreciate it if you didn't ASSUME things about me. I've had plenty of experience on other vehicles previous to my current tC (which is why I'm askin about the tC), but I'm not here to bust out my credentials, I just simply want everyone's experiences (no need for sarcasm).
I don't plan to go full race yet, but atleast build a platform for it one day. from my experience when the car is "dropped" it can handle much better, but tires wear out much faster (mainly on the inner corners). That is why I'm wondering bout the camber kits... From the looks of it Dr. Isotope has got the full setup (atleast on the back), but how did the strut bar in the back fit? do the seats still recline fully?
Eddie
I don't plan to go full race yet, but atleast build a platform for it one day. from my experience when the car is "dropped" it can handle much better, but tires wear out much faster (mainly on the inner corners). That is why I'm wondering bout the camber kits... From the looks of it Dr. Isotope has got the full setup (atleast on the back), but how did the strut bar in the back fit? do the seats still recline fully?
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The tC rides on the TRD setup: struts, springs, and rear sway. Set it and forget it.
The car pictured was my Sol (may she RIP), with Tein SuperStreets, 7kg/mm front, 4kg/mm rear, ST 19mm rear bar, SRP front and rear camber kits; front set to 1/8" total toe out, rear to at 0º, front camber -2.5º, rear camber -1.5º. rear camber arms were shortened and pivot points moved outward to quicken camber gain. On the chassis scale (wiht me in the driver's seat of course), she had perfect 50/50 crossweight, and 54.4F/45.6 weight distribution.
It was a superb handling car. But for what you get, you also have to give. Any weight changes over a percent (anything approaching 25lbs) would force me to rescale and rebalance the car. New exhaust? Rebalance. Different subs and enclosure? Rebalance. Fortunately, I enjoyed it. It's just not what I was looking for when I bought the tC. heck, the first thing I bought aftermarket for the tC was a DVD head unit. I think of the tC in completely different terms.
The Sol had no A/C, no cruise, underdriven P/S, 250lbs of weight reduction-- it was my go-kart, and the Tein SS complemented that perfectly. Throw the damping into double digits and go three-wheeling. So I know one extreme from the next-- and chose to aim the tC at a happy middle ground.
The car pictured was my Sol (may she RIP), with Tein SuperStreets, 7kg/mm front, 4kg/mm rear, ST 19mm rear bar, SRP front and rear camber kits; front set to 1/8" total toe out, rear to at 0º, front camber -2.5º, rear camber -1.5º. rear camber arms were shortened and pivot points moved outward to quicken camber gain. On the chassis scale (wiht me in the driver's seat of course), she had perfect 50/50 crossweight, and 54.4F/45.6 weight distribution.
It was a superb handling car. But for what you get, you also have to give. Any weight changes over a percent (anything approaching 25lbs) would force me to rescale and rebalance the car. New exhaust? Rebalance. Different subs and enclosure? Rebalance. Fortunately, I enjoyed it. It's just not what I was looking for when I bought the tC. heck, the first thing I bought aftermarket for the tC was a DVD head unit. I think of the tC in completely different terms.
The Sol had no A/C, no cruise, underdriven P/S, 250lbs of weight reduction-- it was my go-kart, and the Tein SS complemented that perfectly. Throw the damping into double digits and go three-wheeling. So I know one extreme from the next-- and chose to aim the tC at a happy middle ground.
you could look into the tein ss with the edfc, which you can tune from inside the corner through the edfc system, so just incase you don't feel like you need much handling for the day you could change the setting to the softest and most confortable, although it will feel more comfortable, you have to keep in mind that it is a coilover system so soft won't exactly be comfortable. My oppinion is that you must always sacrifice something good to get something good in return. IMO comfort<handling.
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i gotta go 100% with the dr. on this one. the trd setup makes a nice daily driver, with improvements noticeable in the handling and launching/braking of the tC, and minimal decrease in ride quality. TRD is pretty well known for being the inbetween company when it comes to mating sport and comfort.
going coilovers is overkill for some, but for others it is exactly what they want. if you are into adjusting your suspension, there is no other way to go, obviously. the tein ss coilovers are amazing, the ride quality is fabulous, the cornering is tight and predictable. coupled with lower front and rear sways, there is very little i can think of that would outperform them on the tC.
going coilovers is overkill for some, but for others it is exactly what they want. if you are into adjusting your suspension, there is no other way to go, obviously. the tein ss coilovers are amazing, the ride quality is fabulous, the cornering is tight and predictable. coupled with lower front and rear sways, there is very little i can think of that would outperform them on the tC.
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I've got the TRD Springs/Struts package and am adding the front and rear sways. I drove/rode in an '05 with this package, and it is exactly what I want on my '06. I already love the TRD combo, the sways just tighten things up that extra bit. I think this combo rocks in a touring car for the open road that I also use as a daily driver on often less-than-ideal urban road conditions.
My only challenge now is deciding whether I'll want 17" or 18" rims after these mods. Anyone with this combo have a wheel/tire suggestion?
Above all, IMO, the most dramatic changes come with different tires.
My only challenge now is deciding whether I'll want 17" or 18" rims after these mods. Anyone with this combo have a wheel/tire suggestion?
Above all, IMO, the most dramatic changes come with different tires.
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I've had Tein HA's on my Supra since 2000. I've put 40k miles on them in that time, and my Supra was a daily driver for a great deal of that time. They still work just fine.
I put SS-Ps on my tC, and the ride is acceptable for daily driver, even with pillowball mounts. I was a bit skeptical when I saw the spring rates and when I saw how much shorter the units were compared to the OEM struts and shocks, but after driving them, I'd say they're about perfect for spirited daily driving.
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I don't like to slow down for corners, but I don't plan on four wheel drifts all the time either. That's what spirited means.
Tuning for the HA's was basically getting the ride height where I wanted it, and experimenting with the damping to find the best compromise between performance and comfort. There weren't a lot of soft options, so it ended up being what minimized the kidney damage.
Tuning a coilover isn't a huge deal unless you are planning to compete. Then it really is a big deal because every little bit counts. For street driving, you could be off three clicks on the damping, and it won't be a disaster. If you did that at the track, you'd be running mid to rear of the pack instead of running up front. That just doesn't happen on the street.
Tuning for the HA's was basically getting the ride height where I wanted it, and experimenting with the damping to find the best compromise between performance and comfort. There weren't a lot of soft options, so it ended up being what minimized the kidney damage.
Tuning a coilover isn't a huge deal unless you are planning to compete. Then it really is a big deal because every little bit counts. For street driving, you could be off three clicks on the damping, and it won't be a disaster. If you did that at the track, you'd be running mid to rear of the pack instead of running up front. That just doesn't happen on the street.
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In the end i've noticed that getting coilovers set often comes down to personal preference. Depending on how you drive you make like it harder/softer than someone else. I personal prefer a mild amount of roll with the suspension because i don't mind a little controlled slide in a corner, some people, like lance like a very firm suspension though so he just sticks in every corner.
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I don't prefer a stiff suspension. My ideal suspension would have a Cadillac ride with no performance compromise. Sadly, that isn't possible, so I grumble about how stiff the ride needs to be to get the kind of performance I like. I really DON'T like stiff suspensions, because I know they are compromising compliance for roll control, and sometimes (often in fact) compliance is equally important to maintaining control of the vehicle.
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