How to choose Shock absorbers?

[li21]

hi all,

My shocks seem to becoming to the end. Rears anyway..

Just wondering how do I go about choosing?
I know there are a few brands im interested in - KYB AGX,TRD or Bilstien etc..

But do I need to match it to my springs? I heard the type of springs you have determine the sort of shocks you should get?
I have no idea what spring rate my srpings are.. They came with the car (1983 AE86 Sprinter) and all I know is they are Lovell Super Lows.

Can I just get any shocks fitted? Any recommendations for an AE86? (want a good ride, handling and want to learn to do some light drifting)

Also anyone know if Lovell Super Lows are decent springs?

Cheers

[blacktop]

KYB short stroke should do the trick.

[li21]

KYB short stroke should do the trick.

I noticed there KYB Excel G or KYB AGX. Any noticiable difference besides price and AGX being adjustable?

How do you adjust them anyway? Is it hard or bothersome to do ?

[blacktop]

i don't really know much about KYB but i have heard good things about them,

if its not top adjustable i.e. little knob you use to screw (pun intended) it will be a compress i.e. compress shock all the way down and then twist harder or softer.

just found this:
http://toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5425

[li21]

Thanks for that.

How important is it to get adjustable ones? Seems like more a pain to adjust it?

[blacktop]

i would not have any less than adjustable, the fine tuning is the key to good handling.

Ha, i should write an episode of Initial D.

[oldcorollas]

Ha, i should write an episode of Initial D.

perhaps

the short stroke shocks are really short.... on the road, they will likely kill themselves by bottoming out.
good for a smooth track tho (which is what they were designed for)

[Billzilla]

hi all,

My shocks seem to becoming to the end. Rears anyway..

Just wondering how do I go about choosing?

$ spent = quality bought.
Buy the best ones you can afford. If you stick to the big names such as KYB, Koni, Bilstein, Tein, etc, then it's hard to go wrong.
FWIW the Koni's Im getting for the new racer are about $1500 each .... but that's the quality I need.

[blacktop]

perhaps

the short stroke shocks are really short.... on the road, they will likely kill themselves by bottoming out.
good for a smooth track tho (which is what they were designed for)

and that why i didnt cut my rear springs boys and girls, i have all the handaling i need and want and my car looks almost standard hight.

[mikie_121]

I helped a mate fit his Ae86 with new shocks and springs (much lowered of course). He got KYB gr2 (the cheapest ones) and it handles like a dream on the street. The rear shocks took about 20 mins to fit, the fronts to a little longer coz we needed washers to space out the gap below the shock. PM me and I can get his part numbers if you want.
Try this http://www.kyb.com/catalog/2006_passenger_car.pdf
I couldn't find sprinters, but i guess they may be under corolla or something. good luck

[Vios-GT_07]

Koni's FTW..

you can adjust them by turning a knob, not too much hassle... when u start getting pro, u'd want coilovers so u can adjust every detail.. but until then, u'd just go with hard / soft...

[MR04AG]

Hi Buddy, I had KYB Excel G shockers in my KE70 (same floor pan as AE86), and they were affordable, comfortable on the street, and highway (I do a fair bit of highway driving) and more than up to the task when you wanted to push it on a winding road or around a track... I had whiteline springs in mine, but lovells are just as good Choosing shockers really comes down to what you, personally, are going to use the car for... If it's your daily commuter and sees the track infrequently you may not want the rigidity of more "sporty" shocks... I've run adjustables before (Koni) and found that even on their softest setting they were as hard as a cats head! and that wasn't what i was after due to the highway driving i do I'm starting on another KE70 and will happily use the Excel Gs again... and i plan to use it everyday as a comfy commuter, and like you, wish to drift a bit, and grip drive also... just get a rear sway bar down the line... she'll drift like a champion!

[li21]

Hi Buddy, I had KYB Excel G shockers in my KE70 (same floor pan as AE86), and they were affordable, comfortable on the street, and highway (I do a fair bit of highway driving) and more than up to the task when you wanted to push it on a winding road or around a track... I had whiteline springs in mine, but lovells are just as good Choosing shockers really comes down to what you, personally, are going to use the car for... If it's your daily commuter and sees the track infrequently you may not want the rigidity of more "sporty" shocks... I've run adjustables before (Koni) and found that even on their softest setting they were as hard as a cats head! and that wasn't what i was after due to the highway driving i do I'm starting on another KE70 and will happily use the Excel Gs again... and i plan to use it everyday as a comfy commuter, and like you, wish to drift a bit, and grip drive also... just get a rear sway bar down the line... she'll drift like a champion!

Hey thanks very much for the input.
Excel G's might be the go. I dont want it overly hard as I use my car as my main (well only) get around car. I dont htink i'd be doing much drifitng or track driving, not for a while and probably not too often, just casually for a bit of fun. Cheers

[li21]

Just to add..
I was told that only my rears need changing soon.

Reckon I should change all 4 with Excel Gs or can Iget away with just doing the rears an notice an improvement in handling?

Also how much do places charge for fitting? are Pedders cheap?

[roadsailing]

how much do you want to spend? i got Tokico HTS 102s for mine (and there is nothing wrong with short stroke shocks, or low ride height for all you folks who think there is, my car is on the stiff side and the low side and i drive it to work every day)

if i was going budget i;d use HQ ute shocks on the reae, but these are insanely short stroke.

excel Gs should be the good, loads of people use them.

have you considered fitting them yourself? its a pretty straight forward job, that said, any suspension place should be able to do it for you. if pedders couldnt do a job like that then absolutely nobody would go to them.

i'd get KYB AGX but they dont make them specifically for the AE86 and their customer service/info isnt that great.