Will These Springs / Struts Lower My Car Enough

[mazza]

I'm looking for a good drop to fill up some wheel well space left after I put on my ASA AR1 17x8 wheels. I've heard lots of good things about the Tokico springs and struts, but I'm not sure if an inch will be enough. More show really, so I can't really justify $800 dollars on some coil overs.

What do you guys recommend?

Do any of you have any pics of your car with the tokico springs and struts so i can get a better idea of how much it's going to lower my car?

gen 4.5 with 17x8 ASA AR1

Thanks,

Zac

[eddie926]

Originally Posted by mazza

I'm looking for a good drop to fill up some wheel well space left after I put on my ASA AR1 17x8 wheels. I've heard lots of good things about the Tokico springs and struts, but I'm not sure if an inch will be enough. More show really, so I can't really justify $800 dollars on some coil overs.

What do you guys recommend?

Do any of you have any pics of your car with the tokico springs and struts so i can get a better idea of how much it's going to lower my car?

gen 4.5 with 17x8 ASA AR1

Thanks,

Zac

I just installed my H&R Sports and Tokico blues last week. Had a solid 1-1/4" drop all around. The look is subtle (not slammed), but you can definitely see the difference. Just right for me. I wasn't going for the slammed look, and now that I've driven it for a week, I'm VERY glad I didn't drop it any lower. I have to be careful backing out of my driveway now, and have to watch out for parking blocks and such that I was able to ignore before. So, for my taste, I think this setup will be the perfect balance between a more aggressive look and daily driver practicality.

I'm still sitting on my stock 15" alloys, but am installing new wheels next Monday. Haven't had a chance to take any pics yet, due to weather. Probably won't have any pics til I get my new wheels on.

Edit:
Sorry, I overlooked the fact that you have a gen 4.5. I'm driving a gen 3.5, so probably not the feedback you were looking for

[mazza]

Originally Posted by eddie926

I just installed my H&R Sports and Tokico blues last week. Had a solid 1-1/4" drop all around. The look is subtle (not slammed), but you can definitely see the difference. Just right for me. I wasn't going for the slammed look, and now that I've driven it for a week, I'm VERY glad I didn't drop it any lower. I have to be careful backing out of my driveway now, and have to watch out for parking blocks and such that I was able to ignore before. So, for my taste, I think this setup will be the perfect balance between a more aggressive look and daily driver practicality.

I'm still sitting on my stock 15" alloys, but am installing new wheels next Monday. Haven't had a chance to take any pics yet, due to weather. Probably won't have any pics til I get my new wheels on.

Edit:
Sorry, I overlooked the fact that you have a gen 4.5. I'm driving a gen 3.5, so probably not the feedback you were looking for

But feedback nonetheless, my friend. I want a nice, lowered look to match the wheels and the future body kit, but I want it to handle fairly well too.

I've heard nothing but great things about the tokico spring / strut combination... is that the HR sport struts that I'm hearing about? The ones sold at RMS come as a complete kit I do believe for $400 dollars. Seems like a great deal for the money if they include both the struts and springs and you don't have to deal with camber issues.

I want the wheel well HOPEFULLY sitting very close to the tire... really looking to fill up as much wheel well space as possible. I heard INTRAX gave a 1.6" drop, but I'm not sure if I want to do that. I mean, is half an inch really that noticeable? I wouldn't want to sacrifice quality and handling for an extra .5".

Here's the kit that I have been looking at...

http://www.rms-usa.com/product_p/tok-hpk353.htm

Are there any other good companies to purchase tokico's from?

[eddie926]

I have the Tokico HP blue struts with H&R Sport lowering springs.

If you're looking at that Tokico kit proceed with caution. Despite the fact that some vendors advertise those as being in stock for Gen3 Camrys, Tokico apparently isn't even making them. The same may be true for the Gen4 Camry.

Check out this thread from Venom_5.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t229260.html

As far as handling, my Camry handles like it's on rails now. I added the TRD RSB also.

[mazza]

Thanks for the help. I may just go with the H&R springs and the KYB struts from Tirerack. Buy them all in one place from a good vendor. Pay a bit more, but from your review it sounds like you like the H&R. About the same drop and this is only a daily driver, so high performance doesn't really appeal to me at the moment in my 4cyl automatic camry.

[mazza]

OK. So I checked tire rack... with the KYB struts, the price is ridiculous at 600 dollars because it seems almost each strut has to be shipped from a different location. Ugh.

If I go ahead and get the H&R springs and install them, will my struts go out soon or will they hold up long enough until I can get a good deal on some tokico's?

Also, will using drop springs and OEM struts affect the ride height? Will I get more of a drop when I use application specific struts?

Thanks,

Zac

[Eye8Pussies]

they'll hold up for a decent bit- I rode on stock struts for over a year after dropping my car

the ride can be a "floaty" though if you hit big bumps at high speeds

['_']

I have 17" rims with the Eibach spring/KYB strut combination on the i4 gen4.5. The drop is moderate (subtle but noticeable). The Eibach Pro-Kit drops 1.2" all around. As for the ride, I wish it was stiffer, but I'm getting a RSB and maybe a strut bar during the summer to help fix that. A few people mentioned that getting a shorter than stock strut like TRD struts could make the drop lower as well. I'd suggest getting Tokicos or TRD struts over the KYB though (for a firmer ride).

[datnguyen24]

I too just installed some Tokico Blues and H&R springs at first I wasn't sure what the drop was going to be until I lowered my car off the jack stand an bam! it look sweet not to low I think it'll look good with my 17" MB Weapons and Falken ZE 912. I am still riding with my 14" steelies and overall my alignment wasn't way off so I am going to get it realigned after I get my left front CV boot changed. Debating about putting the TRD kit on I am already rubbing going up and down of the driveway.

[eyeball96]

I have both! KYB and HR sports on the Coupe in my sig, and Tokico blues, and HR sports on my 94 coupe! Each have TRD RSB's and 17/7 rims ,40 offset ,and 215/50 tires! The taller sidewall fills the wheel wells alittle more!

Both handle great and are a blast to drive, but contrary to information given here previously in other discussions, the Tokico blues actually ride smoother than the KYB"S in my experience! The 96 will get Tokicos when the KYBs go!...but their new, and that may be awhile!

Tokico's and H&R sports FTW!! BTW...U pay more at TireRack, but their customer service ,and super fast shipping is outstanding!

[eddie926]

I got my Tokicos from seller jdmwerks13 on eBay, here's a link to their eBay store.

http://stores.ebay.com/jdmwerks13

It doesn't appear that they have a listing for a full set of Tokicos for your Camry at the moment, but I'd keep an eye on them or contact them and ask about it. They were excellent to deal with, and shipped very quickly and they had the best price I could find online at the time.

As a side note, I bought my H&Rs from TireRack and I agree, excellent service, fast shipping, and their price was competetive.

Oh, and for reference the Tokicos and H&Rs combined totaled $574. So, yeah, if you buy top notch stuff new, you're going to be approaching $600. After you digest that number don't forget the cost of replacing your strut mounts and any other parts you elect to replace. I replaced another $450 worth of parts when I did mine. Then add in the cost of a 4 wheel alignment. It's not a cheap upgrade if you do everything. But, my suspension is ROCK SOLID now. Not a squeak or pop or groan anywhere. I didn't realize how noisy my old suspension was until I had the new one done.

[xet]

any way you go on springs as long as its a decent quality brand it should be fine. if and when i get to mine im thinking of trying megan racing springs out

[mazza]

You all have definitely made my decision a lot easier. I think I am going to go ahead and purchase the H&R and just use them with my stock struts until I can get some tokicos.

Do you recommend replacing anything else? And if I order just the springs, will I need any additional parts to get them installed correctly? Aside from the spring compressor?

And did any of you notice any camber issues after the drop? I know Tirerack.com sells a camber adjustment kit that's recommended for the eibach, but I'm sure it's nothing a competent front wheel alignment tech couldn't take care of.

Where are you guys finding your RSB for the gen 4 camrys? I tried looking for them yesterday, but no luck.

Thanks again for the link and the help. It sounds like H&R's are going to give me a noticeable drop, fill up the wheel well space, and give me a firm suspension.

Thanks,

Zac

[eddie926]

Just be aware that if you do springs now and struts later you're doing the same labor twice. If you're doing it all yourself, it's just your time, but if you're having it done at a shop you're doubling your labor cost. Also, you'll need an alignment each time even if you do everything else yourself, so you're doubling your alignment costs at the least.

There aren't any other parts that HAVE to be replaced unless they're bad, but it's frequently recommended that you replace your strut mounts, and a lot of people also replace strut boots/bump stops/upper and lower coil insulators. Some will say you don't need to replace all that stuff. Others will say you might as well replace it all while you're in there.

You've got a gen 4.5, so your original parts should be in better shape than they would be on a Gen 3/3.5, but you should at least be mentally and financially prepared to replace those things in case you find out they're bad while you're in there. I hate expensive surprises

When I did mine, I decided to wait until I could do everything at the same time. I wanted to do the job once and know that everything was going to be good for a LONG time.

['_']

Contact Reggie on SG regarding the TRD RSB.