Hey guys, i would normally jump onto mr2oc with this question but the peeps on there are not as active on that site as you fellas are here. Ive owned my 91' sw20 for about 2 months now and the buggered suspension on it is not worth revalving (heasman in sydney quoted 200 a corner for my car). So now to my question, what would you guys recomend (in terms of brand names) for a strut/spring combo (as coilovers are out of reach with the shallow pockets of someone under 20) ? I am leaning towards tein s-tech springs but am in the deep end with regards to knowing what to go for in terms of struts. Any past experiences or knowledge shared here would be greatly appreciated. And i apologise if this is one of those threads thats just like the other 2000xxx suspension threads out there.Thanks in advance, Cal.
firstly why do you need new springs ? seocndly you wont get out fo rit for much less then $200 a corner for dampeners that are worth having anyway. the konis are about that much as are the top shelf kyb, the bilstein factory fit ones can be had for a few quid more if you know where to look.
Toof, new springs are required because i suspect they are cut, its quite obvious that they are knackered (as there is virtually no dampening effect) and if my suspicions are correct then the fool who sold me the car had definitely been driving around on them long enough to put plenty of stress on the factory struts (hence cactus suspension). I was thinking kyb, i just wanted to get somefeedback about peoples experiences with different brands, the obvious place to look for quality gear is the top shelf, but even still some are better than others...thanks anyway brother. factory fit sounds appealing, less surgery.
My pick for quality on a budget and ease of availability would be KYB shocks with TRD springs. Not worth getting anything more unless you are regularly tracking your car. But for street and the occasional weekend blast KYB/TRD combo FTW.
AW11 - 1988 Red ADM 4AGZE conversion +
MZW11 - 1987 Track car - "Ag-Spec Racing 1" - 1MZ powered AW11
GXE10 - 2003 Gunmetal IS200 - Commuter hack
MS65 - 1973 Conoil Orange Crown 'Kujira' - Chrome and Carbed
VZV21 - 1989 V6 Camry (the primogenial Lexus!) - Tow hack
be prepared to spend the money on the gear for starters, and once you do you'll wish you got coilovers anyway...
KYB are good basic sports shocks
Koni are my pick, but for the price you pay for Koni's you may as well buy coilovers
Tein's seem to be to overkill for Australian roads, I know many people that have taken teins out and replaced with Koni's.
TRD springs would be a good choice but I don't know how much they are
K-Mac springs are a progressive rate spring that are made to your requested hight
King springs are evil p plate killers!
Drifty Midship: Yeah no track work for me just yet, just need to buy some decent suspension without going overboard, im leaning towards kyb shocks as my mechanic stocks and regularly sells their gear.
blacktopspirit: i had a look at koni's and they seemed good for the price but i guess they are on par with kyb which are a touch cheaper, i dont want to take shortcuts though when it comes to my choice. Do you know who stocks trd spings, their stuff is always being discontinued (especially parts made for the sw20 it seems), i want to buy genuine tein s.tech lowering springs. Do you know if this brand of spring will couple with kyb struts, is there standardised sizes for springs on certain vehicle types (obviously not with coilovers as they are entirely different) or are spring dimensions manufacturer specific?
Work out your budget
Lets say $1400
My personal opinion would be
Koni adjustable
TRD springs
thats your budget gone
I think Nengun sell TRD gear
Tein springs should work pretty well to but they will be just as expensive as any other top brand