Struts vs coilovers

[Ben_]

Why is it that a set of adjustable tokiko reds costs more than a set of adjustable coilovers? I can't seem to wrap my head around this

Looking for suspension upgrades for frequent auto x/track use, already got the rear sway bar (white line 22mm adjustable) and doing an alignment soon

[IllusionX]

Megan coilovers 900$. Reds 600$. What's the prob?

[ilikerice]

what class are you wanting to run in? Is it SCCA?

[CrankyOldMan]

Maybe he means "Reds + stiffer springs"?

[Ben_]

No I'm just wondering about quality of coilovers vs reds. I am choosing either stf or hs class and was wondering if anyone has advice about which to go for. I'm 90% sure I can only afford parts to be competitive in hs but I'm still weighing options. Its either a set of coiovers from yariscupcar on here for 500 or the reds with OEM springs

[Ben_]

I'll be trying out current mods at the track this weekend and going from there. I'd like to have a plan for mods before purchase

[7:34pm]

He's asking why sometimes struts cost more than coilovers.

IMO. Most coilovers you see for the Yaris are cheap because.. well, they're made cheaply. They'll look shiny and colourful when new, very tempting to buy because they're pretty and it feels like your money is being well spent. You'll see them starting to rust and lose their adjustability after a few years, or they will start leaking and will likely need a rebuild.

The HTS red you're asking about are decent struts and should last a while if paired with a decent set of springs, ie: not Tein s-techs or whatever they're called. They're a bit pricey but usually go on sale at microimage every now and then for around $600 which is a good deal. H&R springs or Eibach are decent.

[Ben_]

That is helpful. What do you mean decent springs? Springs are springs right?

He's on the right track I spend my money once and make a good investment. I plan on using these parts for a few years at the most and keeping the OEM stuff in storage. I just want something that will perform well while I'm interested in driving this car fast. I'll be doing suspension and exhaust and probably stopping there. I'd like to have my mods focus on performance but not make it so I can't dd it. I'm willing to sacrifice a decent amount of ride quality, but no scraping or rock hard suspension. That's why I wanted adjustment so I can turn at least some of the harsh ride on and off. I put 15k miles on the car last year

[CrankyOldMan]

Ok, I think you're asking the wrong question. Regardless of what class you run, you should start with tires and wheels.

Get a set of tires with the most grip (usually lowest treadwear) allowed in your class. The Toyo Proxes R1R is now available in 200 treadwear, and is allowed in HS. The magic size is 195/50R15 (I think). Get a set of lightweight wheels to go with them (11-13 lbs is good, sub-11 lbs is really expensive) and you're miles ahead of where springs will put you with stock tires. You can probably get a whole package for under $1000--don't bother with TPMS valve stems--which is comparable to an entry level coilover kit.

For what I've spent on shocks and springs over the last 3 years, I could have bought a decent set of coilovers. I didn't have the funds in one lump sum, so I went with each piece as I could afford it.

Just my 2 cents.

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Ben_

No I'm just wondering about quality of coilovers vs reds. I am choosing either stf or hs class and was wondering if anyone has advice about which to go for. I'm 90% sure I can only afford parts to be competitive in hs but I'm still weighing options. Its either a set of coiovers from yariscupcar on here for 500 or the reds with OEM springs

Cheap coilovers = cheap quality. If you are planning to run in HS you cant run a coilover anyway, have to retain the OE springs.

[Ben_]

I'll be getting tires/wheels too. Right now I have used proxies r1r on some used cheap aftermarket rims. I'm hoping to do some suspension to get better tire wear before jumping on a new set of tires/rims but I don't know that that is possible. I want to get them to stop wearing the outside corners and at least get it so I can flip them and use most of the life of the tire

[Ben_]

Im still deciding on stf vs hs class at the moment the season in Utah doesn't start for a few months so I have some time to do some planning and save up money

[Ben_]

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Ben_

I'll be getting tires/wheels too. Right now I have used proxies r1r on some used cheap aftermarket rims. I'm hoping to do some suspension to get better tire wear before jumping on a new set of tires/rims but I don't know that that is possible. I want to get them to stop wearing the outside corners and at least get it so I can flip them and use most of the life of the tire

Some additional negative camber via a set of the OE Toyota crash bolts, which are HS legal, will go a long ways towards fixing your edge wear issue. You may also need to raise your tire pressures.

[Ben_]

That tire wear was at 45psi. I installed crash bolts since my last visit to the track

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Ben_

That tire wear was at 45psi. I installed crash bolts since my last visit to the track

How much negative did you dial in?

[Ben_]

Hs legal is -.9 but I haven't had the chance to run it yet. Stf legal is anything

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Ben_

Hs legal is -.9 but I haven't had the chance to run it yet. Stf legal is anything

Where did you come up with that? You can install a pair of the smallest Toyota bolts and max it out, there is no number limitation in the rules for Street/Stock. Check 13.8.E in the Solo rules.