short stroke shock absorbers for AE86

**45aken** · 17-02-2006, 07:05 AM

i've heard that koni doesn;t have very good rebound rates. though you can probably change all of this if your after a custom set. personally i think the agx is the way to go, ALOT of people everywhere are using them and they couldn't be happier (except if they had HTS

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**truenosedan** · 17-02-2006, 08:39 AM

koni seem to have average compression characteristics, but good rebound

make sure u keep invoices for koni shocks as they seem to like blowing oil seals

**truenosedan** · 23-02-2006, 09:29 AM

im now bringing in the camaro rear shocks from USA...they should be here next week

**ae86trueno** · 19-10-2006, 04:32 PM

WOW really old thread revival time !!!!!!!!!

Just to add to short stroke strut info, i ordered some TRD adjustable inserts from toyota and what do you know they are still Tokico fronts

I know there were a few people a while back saying that was not the case but here is the proof.

The rears are a KYB rebage though.

Ben.

**ira11y** · 22-10-2006, 09:20 AM

So the rears are just rebadged with TRD on them Ben? if so that is very whack! I sure know one of the last manufacturers I would put on a race car would be KYB and would be seriously pissed off if i spent $500 a corner for them with a TRD sticker

**SRacin** · 22-10-2006, 09:40 AM

I have just seen this thread, as was reading thru and about to add my 2c about the TRD's being tokico front and kyb rear but ya bet me to it!

I havent being out at the track with the fronts installed only rear TRD sprigns and the TRD/KYB 8position adjustable shocks, and they are fantastic!

As to the front, I would definitly recommend using a 20mm spacer, I didnt and just cut/welded to suit the shock length and it was super slammed, bottom arms above horizontal slammed.

Anyway i ended up having to make some 20mm spacer plates to go above the strut top to gain the height back.

Also rather than cutting and welding the tube back together to retain the thread in the top, and nicer solution is to buy turned thread sleeves which fit over the cut down strut and have the thread already turned into them. I brought them (cheaper than making them) from Autolign Suspension for 20bucks each.

Attachment 2832

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**roadsailing** · 22-10-2006, 09:57 AM

the only proper way to do it is to cut and shut the strut AND use a spacer, any other way and you are wasting shock stroke. my fronts only have 125mm of stroke, so i wanted to get as much of that as i could!

i used a 30ish mm spacer.

EDIT:

SR, i just looked at your pics, what i have said above is pretty much the way i described, thought you meant you put the spacer on the inside of the strut, the tubes you mentoin would make it easy to do if you dont have access to good cutting gear for sure

**cri_ag** · 22-10-2006, 10:06 AM

SRacin what are your front shocks shown in that last pic with the adjuster?

**SRacin** · 22-10-2006, 10:30 AM

Same as posted above the tokcio TRD ae031's

Attachment 2836

Can you link to display attached images?

It also makes welding a shit load easy, and the over strength of the strut alot higher, as it fits over the out side of the strut body and has a seat it has 10mm of location so its square and also is only a lap weld rather than a butt weld.

shinybluesteel: Yea a should have put a spacer under the shock inside the tube, and the spacers can be ordered with your trd shocks in different lengths for an extra 20 bucks or so.

**SRacin** · 22-10-2006, 10:53 AM

A couple more pics for good measure.

This is with 20mm spacers under tophats. TRD rear springs/shocks, trd fronts.

This is angle of bottom arms before/after RCA's. I reckon that if you are going this low RCA's are a dam good idea.

(These a ra63 struts btw, 90mm bolt spacing)

Attachment 2837

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**terryo** · 24-10-2006, 08:57 PM

I've made a jig at work to hold the struts in my big lathe so I can shorten and re-thread them for MR2 inserts, coil-overs or whatever. I can do both the RA40/60 type and the smaller AE71/86 type. anyone interested can PM me

**terryo** · 26-10-2006, 02:30 PM

if anyone is currently running RA40/60/RTcorona struts in their AE86, please let me know what length bottom arms you are using and what camber you got. . thanks

**TurboRA28** · 17-01-2007, 11:05 AM

Has anyone seen the threaded product SRacin posted for sale in Australia? I'm about to cut some struts down and this might make the job easier.

Thanks
Joel

**Sagluren** · 17-01-2007, 04:11 PM

hey terryo, i am intrested in seeing this "jig" you made up fot the lathe, do you think you could please take a pic or two and send them my way. if not completely understandable.

sam.