TRD struts/shocks re oil ??

[AND189]

Gday all,
2008 i got my yaris at 20,000 km i installed the trd springs struts and shocks after a 5,000km i then installed the strut brace and sway bar the care has just done its 60,000 and i am looking to modify the trd shocks and struts by replacing the oil to a higher grade the old man said he used to put grease in his wether or not that is going to help corner speed at all i dont know,
so the thing i am after is corner speed being able to hold it in through the corner right now i have the trd kit strut brace sway bar and i have 195/50/R15 wheels with Bridgestone POTENZA Adrenalin tyres. so is it posable to replace oil in struts and if so will it make a big difference

[MUSKOKA800]

If your TRD dampers are like mine they are not serviceable units.
Basically they are KYB bodies with TRD specification valving/oil.

I know in the snowmobile and motocross worlds the dampers can be disassembled, cleaned, re-valved to many different spec's, re-filled with any number of dino or synthetic oil weights and then nitrogen recharged. Perhaps some high end auto dampers can also be serviced. But not my TRD's.

[cali yaris]

+1.

Those Adrenalines look real nice. What is the treadwear rating? Looks like a 140 contender.

What are your wheel specifications?

[AND189]

MUSKOKA800

thanks mate spewing ay

cali yaris

they are a real nice tyre i love them my wheels are just a cheap wheel set they are ADVANTI MAZE R 15“ X 6.5” MattBlack/RedLine and they came with some kind of triangle power tyre junk at 30,000 i got the Adrenalines and my car has now done 60,000 km and i will prob replace in 5,000 so about 35,000 + if you like throwing the car around a very good tyre in the cold wet :) i did find the outside to scuff quick given with any FWD car cornering hard

[Bluevitz-rs]

Have your car's alignment done with -1° of camber. That'll help stop the outer part of the tire from scuffing and add some traction.

[AND189]

only -1 they are scuffed real bad like bald

[Loren]

Changing shock oil is an old racer's trick, and it CAN be effective, but given the problem you're trying to address, I don't think it's the answer.

Better tires and more negative camber will help you maintain grip in a steady-state corner. Firmer shock damping affects transitions, such as when you enter the turn.

[AND189]

thanks

Loren

plenty of traction in ward, just a little less at apex and after ;)

[Loren]

Originally Posted by AND189

thanks
plenty of traction in ward, just a little less at apex and after ;)

Are you losing front or rear traction after the apex? And what are your driver inputs? At what point are you transitioning from braking to acceleration?

[AND189]

ok so i will have speed 3/4th gear to knock speed of drop into 2nd gear then brake for about 15/20m befor the corner in 2nd gear once i hit the apex or half way through hit the power at witch point traction is lost
or if i have to much speed into the corner i.e i am still braking into the apex the rear will slide out and drift a bit
or to much speed and the car will skid /understeer into next lain
most of the time on the inside lain.

Have your car's alignment done with -1° of camber. That'll help stop the outer part of the tire from scuffing and add some traction.

will this in turn ware the inside of the tyre quicker ??

[Bluevitz-rs]

Under normal driving, yes, but not as bad as you might think.

And it sounds to me like you're carrying too much speed entering the corner and getting back on the gas way too hard. You need to do 90% of the your braking in a straight line.

[AND189]

well that is the what i do brake befor the corner not braking in the corner sometimes we get it right most corners are different so it is just my judgment i guess and yeh sometimes it is "FUN" to get the drift on something different so back to the camber will changing the pitch -1 mean i can enter the corner with more speed ??

[AND189]

one other for Loren i was told by the old man for cornering to kill off the under steer to lower the frond pressure to 32psi and the back to 40psi and this would give the front more grip ??? your thoughts

[Bluevitz-rs]

Originally Posted by AND189

will changing the pitch -1 mean i can enter the corner with more speed ??

No, it means you'll have more corner control with the front end.

Right now with factory settings, as the car's body rolls through the corner it creates positive camber at the wheel and you only end up using the outer half of the tire. With a negative camber setting, as the car rolls through the corner it helps keep the tire flatter to the road surface, increasing the available grip.

Ideally, you want the negative camber setting to equal 0° when hard in the corner with the body roll of the car.

[AND189]

ok so the fact that i have the strut brace and sway bar will help stop the body role

[Bluevitz-rs]

Originally Posted by AND189

ok so the fact that i have the strut brace and sway bar will help stop the body role

the strut brace won't do anything for body roll, it's sole purpose is to help keep the body straight as you corner hard maintaing alignment settings. It simply transfers stress to the other strut tower as it flexes outward.

The sway bar effectively changes your spring rates as the difference between the hight of the inner and outer wheel change. For example: when you corner right, the inner right wheel extends and the outer left wheel compresses. With the sway bar in place connected to both wheels, the twisting motion of the bar want to keep both wheels parallel, keeping the car flatter through the corner.

This also increases the load on the tire causing it to loose grip faster. Adding a rear bar increases the load on the outside rear tire which help take some stress off of the front, increasing the available front grip and reducing it in the rear.

[AND189]

hmm ok this is good info thanks