Toyspeed.org.nz Message Board

by **roytarolla** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:38 pm

Hi, I have a pair of ae92 TRD yellow inserts with spacers in carina struts with threaded sleeves in my 4age ke70.

What spring rate do these inserts work best with?

I currently have 200lb/3.5kg/mm springs which are a bit soft, ride well but shocks seem likely to bottom out with 60mm of bump travel before bump stop.

Im looking for a rate that is not to harsh and will allow sufficent droop travel but will be sufficent to prevent the shock from bottoming out.

Has anyone had any experience with this sort of thing?

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:09 pm

sounds like you don thave enough travel
whats the stroke length like vs stock?
ad how long are your bump stops?
when are you measuring the 60mm? with the car on the ground?

by **roytarolla** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:41 pm

Stroke is 160mm compared to the stock 200 and the bumpstops are around 50 - 60mm bit had to measure.

The 60mm bump travel as measured is the distance from the top of the strut casing to the bottom of the bump stop when the car is on the ground.

has 110mm to the bump stop when the car is jacked up.

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:53 pm

so you have 60mm travel? thast prob your issue.
remove spacers and shorten strut body to suit. that will give you however long your spacers are as extra travel, so you keep the ride you like, and the height you like

by **roytarolla** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:46 pm

I dont know that shortening the strut will help. the shock is already working in the upper part of range at the current ride height.

I think the bumpstop may be to long. ie bumpstop is taking up 1/2 avalible travel. Without the bump stop there would be 120mm of bump travel which is almost the same as stock but with a stiffer spring so there would be less chance of bottoming out than with a factory setup.

How short can the bumpstop go before you risk causing damage if you bottom out for some reason?

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:09 pm

I dont know that shortening the strut will help. the shock is already working in the upper part of range at the current ride height.

the way you have explained it, it seems to me that you have lowered the car until you only have 60mm travel.
Removing the spacer, and shortening the strut will regain travel before it bottoms out. as in you are moving the bottoming out point lower.

Shortening the bump stop can help, 60mm is a reasonable size one. You want to make sure that the shock can't bottom out on its self. go to autolign/repco etc and look at strutmate kits or similar

Increasing the spring rate will stiffen the ride, and if you go too far make they car handle worse. And imo (and experience) 60mm travel is not enough for the front of a KE70. To lower one properly, you have to shorten the struts

by **fangsport** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:12 pm

i would think that 200lb is way too soft in the front, that is close to a gravel rate for the rear (which has far less sprung weight), and for circuit you would want twice that + up front.

for a road car, i'd be thinking around the 300 mark.
how long are you springs (free length)??
how often do you get over to the east coast??

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:20 pm

I think you will find that rate is an increase over stock, and roughly the rate ppl like TRD and TEIN use

by **roytarolla** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:51 pm

300lb sounds like a good rate to try then. The current springs are 250mm free height. I know there completely wrong for this setup. But work well with the full length shocks especially on gravel.

I might give a pair of 300lb springs a go see what happens.

I normally make it to Dunedin every couple of months.

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:53 pm

Is this a race/rally car?

by **roytarolla** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:03 pm

mostly a road car but I built it with the intention of competing in OSCC events, gravel and sealed Hillclimbs, autox etc. Roads arnt that smooth so suspension needs a bit of give in it.

by **fangsport** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:08 pm

roytarolla wrote:300lb sounds like a good rate to try then. The current springs are 250mm free height. I know there completely wrong for this setup. But work well with the full length shocks especially on gravel.

I might give a pair of 300lb springs a go see what happens.

I normally make it to Dunedin every couple of months.

if you are ever heading to Timaru, give me a holler, have heaps of various rated springs to try before you commit to buying new ones.

by **roytarolla** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:23 pm

Thanks for that I will keep it in mind. The trial and error process can be an expensive one.

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:07 pm

yeah try several if you can
I was under the impression it was a road car. if it was those rates you have would be ok (though some prefer more)

by **TRD Man** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:00 pm

A 200lb spring is a considerably heavier spring than a TRD rally rated spring for AE86.
I would be very surprised if the spring were the cause of your car being soft in the front.

Are you sure your shocks are working at all?

by **roytarolla** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:58 pm

I think TRD rally springs are 150lb. The 200lb spring is quite firm but just not quite stiff enough for the ride height I have set at. ie It feels like if i hit a big bump or the car comes down hard on somthing the suspention will bottom out. Just need a rate that will reduce the chance of this happening without being to stiff.

Shocks etc are all working well. I use the 200lb with factory length shocks on gravel etc which works really well but the car sits to high and is not so good on asphalt. Im using shorter shocks to let me use stiffer shorter springs while keeping the shock within its optimum range

Toyspeed.org.nz Message Board

TRD insert question

TRD insert question

Who is online