Suspension setup for comfort

[doru]

Hi there,

as few others here I'm looking to replace the suspension (mainly struts) because is getting old now. My car is a first production series gen 4 made in Japan.

The car is my wife car and it is very important that after the suspension refresh the car still has comfortable ride. It will be very nice if in the process the suspension will get a little better performance. The ideal will be to get a ride like a grand touring car (like a Volvo S60 or a MB C series). As a reference I drove the TRD Camry (TRD springs and struts, OEM swaybars) at the dealer few years ago and I liked it for its performance and as a well designed suspension package BUT that is way too much for my wife or even for me for every day/all day riding. I'm driving a Volvo V70R with driver adjustable suspension that has the advanced mode as stiff as the TRD package plus TRD swaybars but the comfort mode is as plush as the Camry's w/o Camry's body roll.

I do not plan to change the sway bars. The car already has the Energy bushings and it is good. The car rides on 205/R15 tires (the V6 OEM size) but with wider rims (7"). It is a 4cyl.

The ideal suspension combination will be: H&R OE Sport springs + KYB GR2. Unfortunately there are no H&R OE Sport springs for gen 4 Camry. I really do not understand why they are not making them cause not a lot of current owners are enthusiasts and want to drop the car or to stiffen it so much as the Sport springs do.

The options that I'm investigating are:
1) OEM + KYB - this will get my ride restored to the new car ride and it is the minimum that I will do. But I'm trying to see if I can do better w/o much comfort degradation.

2) OEM + Tokiko - this will be stiffer than #1 but no idea how it will actually feel. I remember someone in CamryMan forum reporting years ago about this setup. It was a V6 and he was complaining that the struts were lifting the front of the car.

3) TEIN springs + KYB - from this forum I'm getting the impression that this will give a better comfort than #4 but I do not remember anybody testing both; just people making a wild/educated assumption. Another thing that wories me is that because the front is more lowered than the rear and because the car has a long front overhang it will make the front bumper actually be lower than for the #4. That translates in more bumper damage from parking blocks. Also this setup will require to readjust the headlight and fog lamps.

4) Eibach + KYB - sounds like a well rounded package for the bottom of the performance range. I guess this is the stiffest of the four and don't know if I want to go as stiff as this but I may be wrong or this may be the only acceptable solution besides #1.

So what the owners that have a 4gen and one of these setups think. I'm more interested in what people that tested more than one of the above setups think. Please try to respond to this post with comfort / perf balance in mind. Please try to error in the comfort side rather in the perf side (will not mean that you are a less of an enthusiast).

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my post.
Doru

[skewe]

TEIN springs + Tokiko

[dj14901]

I think the Tein H-Techs sound ideal for your application:

http://www.tein.com/htech.html

I wish they were around a few years ago when I did my combo ;-) Struts are probably a toss up, my KYBs are decent, but in my opinion the rebound is a bit soft...

HTH -

DJ

[CX889]

How long does the stock one last normally?

[Eye8Pussies]

comfort side?

monreoe struts (oem ride) + eibachs (small drop)
- the struts would have no problems handling the drop

[Mousiee]

I have Tokicos w/ Tein Solara V6 s-techs. I still have factory sways and no strut tower bar.

As far as comfort it's great. To me I think this is the way it should've came from the factory.

This was my wife's car before I brought her an Altima 3.5 SE. We had an 94 Accord and the gen4 V6. Back then she like the handling of my Accord better than her Camry. She always complained about the handling of the car. She liked the way the Accord held the road. Now that I have the done the struts and springs she likes the ride much better. She now loves to drive it. I have not once heard her complain about how harsh the ride is.

The only problem I do have is pulling into parking spots were there is a curb. When I do sometimes I forget that the car is lowered and pull in to far. No damage I just scrap the black thing at the bottom. I think it's there for a warning. If you have a front lip this could be a problem.

Hope this helps

[NiGHTMaR3]

air ride suspension if you want to spend that much

[Chet]

My direct experience is only with the Tokicos on my 97 Cam for almost 2 years now (only suspension mod). They can be a tad harsh over the many expansion strips and potholes we have in the Detroit area. I know you said you did not plan on changing out swaybars but, IMHO, nothing takes out as much body roll and improves performance without compromising (making harsher) the ride as swaybars do. With what you describe you want and what I have learned at this site, I suggest KYBs with a set of sway bars from Whiteline or Intrax. If you want to take out more understeer, the KYBs with a stock front bar, rear TRD bar on track setting and polyurethane bushings all around might do the trick. Springs only if you want the dropped look.

[doru]

For people that have Tein springs how is the ride affected by the significant increase rear spring rate over the front rate? Is it getting you in trouble because of easy over steer? Is it making the rear jumpy over road bumps? How about the winter driving? Does it make you lose the rear end?

Thanks,
Doru

[Mousiee]

Originally Posted by doru

For people that have Tein springs how is the ride affected by the significant increase rear spring rate over the front rate? Is it getting you in trouble because of easy over steer? Is it making the rear jumpy over road bumps? How about the winter driving? Does it make you lose the rear end?

Thanks,
Doru

Wit my set up I don't feel it as being jumpy at all in the back. I think mine is lowered 1.6 in the front and 0.9 in the rear. I have only had this setup about six months at the most. I've yet to experience oversteer or the rear jumpy over bumps and we have pretty bad potholes and streets.

[CDub LXi]

I have Tein S.Techs and I can't see any of the affects you're talking about doru.

Wanna buy my S.Techs? I think I'm going with GCs here soon.

[doru]

Thanks Big Body LX, but If I buy Tein it will be the High Tech ones to keep the ride height.

I've done a search on the Net and I found plenty of Tein S. Tech but few High Techs. Where do you guys buy Tein? I'm looking for a trusty shop.

Thanks,
Doru

[CDub LXi]

got mine of ebay