Tokico vs stock struts

[TOLMACH]

Just curious are blue tokicos noticeably firmer than OEM HB sttuts?

[MUSKOKA800]

It's been stated that Blues even firmer than the TRD shocks and struts which from my experience are considerably firmer than OEM.

[CrankyOldMan]

Uh oh, are you looking to buy a set of blues too? I just scored a gently used set of Tien S-techs and want to install them on a dedicated set of struts for the front springs.

[my2sense]

To me, the Blues are way firmer than stock. Unless you have some really saggy ass, you'll definitely notice the difference from stock.

I had M2 springs with stock shocks/struts and the handling and ride was okay. Replaced the stock with the Blues and handling was :thumbup: but now I'm feeling every dips and bumps on the road, which is okay by me since I quite prefer it that way.

Granted my stock struts/shocks are 140k km old so take my comments for what they're worth. I also got the UR 23mm rear torsion bar and I can't believe how good our little cars handle! If you're after handling then I say go for it.

[TOLMACH]

Thanks to everebody who left his feedback above

Looks like Tokico are a good option for those who want better handling without paying a fortune. I also do not want my car lowered - hoping tokicos are ok with OEM springs.

Btw, I have 205/40/17 tires on 7.5 inch wide wheels and I am already feeling all dips and bumps on the road..

[DeathBeard]

switching to blues and tein springs was the best investment ever..Got rid of all the highway wander, car stays glued to the road..Perfect for those with a daily commute

[Thirty-Nine]

switching to blues and tein springs was the best investment ever..Got rid of all the highway wander, car stays glued to the road..Perfect for those with a daily commute

True that. In fact, switching from Megan Coilovers to Blues/Teins was a great swap for me. Much more street-friendly setup.

[TOLMACH]

True that. In fact, switching from Megan Coilovers to Blues/Teins was a great swap for me. Much more street-friendly setup.

Do they still give you the coilover feel? (= car "glued" to the road, no swaying from side to side when turning left or right)

[Thirty-Nine]

Do they still give you the coilover feel? (= car "glued" to the road, no swaying from side to side when turning left or right)

The Megan Racing coilovers I used to have were very, very stiff even on "full soft." The Tokico/Tein allows for a smoother ride, but the handling is still quite good. I'd argue that it is better in most street/daily-driver scenarios because the car isn't upset by bumps and such.

If you're on the track a lot, I can see why you'd want coilovers. I ran mine full-hard on Portland International Raceway after running them full-soft, and there was quite a difference. However, we daily drive our Yaris and the Tokico/Tein setup handles great, rides well, and isn't too costly, either.

Can you go super slammed? No. But I'm a functionalist when it comes to my daily driver.

[TOLMACH]

The Megan Racing coilovers I used to have were very, very stiff even on "full soft." The Tokico/Tein allows for a smoother ride, but the handling is still quite good. I'd argue that it is better in most street/daily-driver scenarios because the car isn't upset by bumps and such.

If you're on the track a lot, I can see why you'd want coilovers. I ran mine full-hard on Portland International Raceway after running them full-soft, and there was quite a difference. However, we daily drive our Yaris and the Tokico/Tein setup handles great, rides well, and isn't too costly, either.

Can you go super slammed? No. But I'm a functionalist when it comes to my daily driver.

thanks man

I am never on a track, I just like firm/stiff suspension ))

[TOLMACH]

Based on what I read - I am gonna need spring compressors to disassemble and put back together my struts (plan using my original springs)

will this stuff work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Coil-Spring-Compressor-Strut-Auto-Suspension-Tool-Automotive-Cars-Trucks-New-/230802388689?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35bce4f6d1&vxp=mtr

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HILKA-HEAVY-DUTY-COIL-SPRING-COMPRESSOR-KIT-BRAND-NEW-12-MONTHS-WARRANTY-/320899521484?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4ab71a1bcc&vxp=mtr

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AM-TECH-HEAVY-DUTY-2pc-CAR-COIL-SPRING-COMPRESSOR-CLAMPS-12-31cm-TOOL-J0370-/150826410209?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item231df460e1

They all look pretty much the same.. What to look for? Size?

Thanks

[TOLMACH]

Another question: do Tokicos some with any mounting hardware like nuts? (Toyota spring replacement manual kind of suggests some of the nuts need be replaced with new ones)

Thanks

[why?]

You should be able to go to any local auto parts store and rent a spring compressor for free with just a deposit. No need to buy one.

[TOLMACH]

You should be able to go to any local auto parts store and rent a spring compressor for free with just a deposit. No need to buy one.

Thanks for the idea - I would never have thought about it myself.

(My twisted mind was only suggesting to buy stuff and bring it back to the store once installation is done)

[racerb]

I own a screw type spring compressor, but have found on some vehicles it doesn't work very well. A good set of ratchet straps, the 1"-2" wide ones like for motor cycles tiedown use, work just as well if not better. When I changed the struts on my Rav4, the standard spring compressor would not work, but the ratchet straps worked perfectly and actually much safer.

racerb :biggrin:

[why?]

Thanks for the idea - I would never have thought about it myself.

(My twisted mind was only suggesting to buy stuff and bring it back to the store once installation is done)

Never would have thought of it either, but someone on here mentioned it. I guess auto shops have all sorts of things like this for rent for cheap. Really cool thing, especially for tools you'll really only use once.