Tokico 5way Suspension kit is perfect

[Jfizzle5]

I just wanted to let anybody who is interested in a suspension kit know that the tokico suspension kit is the best. The car is not to low and rides super nice, actually it rides better then stock and handles like it is on rails and for $489 off ebay it cant be beat. Also you dont need a chamber kit at all with this suspension or atleast I didnt. I will post up pics as soon as I get some.
I searched alot trying to find a good suspension on here but this is better then i could have ever hoped for. Also I installed it on a 2g awd but I am sure it would be great for any DSM, just wanted to let everybody know

thanks,
John

 

[blcknspo0ln]

good stuff, i have the tokico nonadjustable suspension kit sitting in my driveway ready to be installed. i'm surprised that you didn't need a camber kit, as i recall the AWD lowering kit went to about 1.7".. its awesome that you didn't need it though

 

[zippy]

Jfizzle5, I sent you a PM for more details. I am concidering the hpk239 set, tokico blues and springs for my '95 TSI/AWD. I too am concerned about the need for camber kit. Please keep us up to date on how this setup holds up, such as which road conditions pose the most difficult, how the car rides at higher interstate speeds, etc.

Zippy

 

[Jfizzle5]

so far the front looks good i will get it aligned tomorrow, the rear maybe slightly tilted in, But it is hard to tell by just looking at it. I will let you know what happends when I get an alignment. Also so far it rides awsome and taking corners is twice as fun now.

 

[Smoothie97]

I'd have to disagree. First of all, the Tokico kit squeeks due to those poly-urethane bushings. I noticed it immediately after my install. Second, I did require an major alignment immeidately and anticipated that because I installed Ingalls camber correction kit at the same time. Third, this kit lowers the car more like 2" not 1.5". And you combine the fact that you go from a stock 205/55/16 tire to a 215/40/17 tire and you are "lowered" by another 2" because you have decreased the sidewall distance on your tire going from a stock 55 series to a 40 series tire. So we are talking about 4" effective drop for me. My car is too low. I can't just barely get my foot underneath the lowest part of the car. Being so low makes it difficult to get onto any car lift too.

Sure, this is a nice setup if you live in an area with smooth roads and all the entrances to your stores have a nice gentle sloping incline. But if you live in a city like Houston, where the roads are absolute crap (full of potholes which are dodgeable and mini ridges that extend across the entire road which are unavoidable), then a lowered car is hell. It's only fun on curvy parts of the freeway.

When I hit an unavoidable ridge in the road, the suspension compresses and BAM....upper control armas smashing into the upper fender wells. It was a lot worse when I had 18" tires...the tires would hit againest the fender and start getting torn up in the rear! Even on the softest setting, I feel every imperfection in the road. It's a rough ride.

Yes, i've enjoyed taken curves at 80 mph...but it's not worth the teeth-rattling I experience on uneven roads. I've driven like this for a year now and got sick of it. In fact, I'm putting the stock setup next week and selling the Tokico and camber kits.

 

[Jfizzle5]

thats pretty strange because it rides super nice for me even on rough roads and I still have about a 2inch gap between the fender and tire. I havent scraped on anything yet. also I havent herd one squeek. Maybe your schocks are blown or maybe you dont have the same kit because mine is nothing like that. also I did have to adjust the camber in the rear and the front was alittle in but not to bad so I didnt change it.

what setup do you have?

 

[Smoothie97]

I have the Tokico Illuminas with matching Tokico Springs. Yeah I hear tons of people praising how this kit has great comfort level. But I must disagree.

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Ingalls Xtreme Camber Correction Kit

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I had my shop install it. Everything went fine (I think). Now seeing how my ride quality is absoletely crappy, is there a bushing or some part that could wear out (or even be missing) that would affect why my ride seems like crap? I mean the car defintley is not bouncy at all. It is rock stiff. It feels like the springs don't even compress. When I jump over ridges in the road, it feels like I'm flying off a mountain and landing with no forgiveness. It sounds like suspension parts banging into each other (a metal hitting metal sound), not a rubber tire hitting fender sound.

I did NOT cut my bumpstops during the Tokico install. Is that the problem? I'm glad I didn't cut them though, because I'm putting the stock setup back in next week.

Front Suspension Turbo FWD
1) FRONT HUB and BEARING 2) KNUCKLE 3) UPPER CONTROL ARM
4) LOWER CONTROL ARM 5) LATERAL ARM 6) STRUT
7) STRUT DUST SHIELD 8) SPRING INSULATOR 9) STRUT MOUNT
10) STRUT BUMPER 11) STRUT MOUNTING FORK 12) COIL SPRING
13) STABILIZER BAR 14) LINK 15) BUSHINGS
16) CROSSMEMBER 17) SUPPORT

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Rear Suspension Turbo FWD
1) STRUT 2) HUB and BEARING 3) KNUCKLE
4) UPPER CONTROL ARM 5) FRONT ARM 6) FRONT BUSHINGS
7) REAR ARM 8) TRAILING ARM 9) COIL SPRING
10) DUST SHIELD 11) STRUT BUMPER 12) CUP
13) SPRING INSULATOR 14) STRUT MOUNT 15) STABILIZER BAR
16) BUSHINGS 17) BRACKET 18) LINK
19) CROSSMEMBER

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[blcknspo0ln]

if you didn't cut your bumpstops i'm almost sure it's contributing to your crappy ride quality. the shorter shock lengths [ and length of travel ] is reduced. therefore the need to cut bumpstops.. thats why on VFAQ and even the tokico instructions, they recommend cutting those suckers . good diagrams though, where did it come from?:

 

[Raph]

try it without the camber kit...

 

[Smoothie97]

Uhh...try without the camber kits?? Why? The camber kit is not affecting a rough ride.

Yeah, my bump stops (strut bumpers) were never cut. The instructions say to cut them in half. So that's like trimming off 1-2" Is this really gonna make a dramatic difference?

Irregardless, I'm gonna put the stock suspension back on Monday. My access to entrances of stores and shopping centers is highly limited. I can't even go to my nearby McDonald's because their entrance is way too steep.

The diagrams came from www.partznet.com
This is the store you should order all your OEM parts. The diagrams are same thing that the dealer has in their computer.

 

[Smoothie97]

What about the fact that I run a 215/40/17 tire? Is a 40 series tire just too thin to have good comfort level? Is 45 series more comfortable?

 

[98spydert]

Yes 40 series tires are not the best for comfert. Another thing to check is if the bushings on the control arms are seized. If the suspension parts can't move freely when you hit a bump or go around a corner, the springs/shocks can't do their job. All the bumps and dips get transfered straight to your ass and you hate your new springs for it.

 

[Smoothie97]

Are you refering to #15 in the diagram for the front and #6 and #16 in the rear diagram above?

 

[jtmcinder]

Rubber bushings don't seize. Instead, a common problem on our cars is that the bolt that holds a control arm to the chassis rust-welds to the inner sleeve of the bushing. But this has little to no effect on ride-quality, so you can ignore it for now.

The problem is that you didn't cut the bump-stops. The difference between running out of front suspension travel and not is huge. Also: Tokiko adjusters affect compression and rebound together. Are they turned all the way down?

- Jtoby

 

[98spydert]

Rubber bushings don't seize. Instead, a common problem on our cars is that the bolt that holds a control arm to the chassis rust-welds to the inner sleeve of the bushing. But this has little to no effect on ride-quality, so you can ignore it for now.



- Jtoby

That's what I meant (the bolts rust welding) sorry I didn't get more specific. According to Martin from Taboo Speed Shop that's one of the main reasons people hate their new suspensions when they get them installed and take them out onto the street.

 

[Smoothie97]

I've tried the Tokicos on the lowest and highest setting. With it on the hardest setting, the ride is almost unbarable. With it on the softest, I could defintely feel a difference but it still sucked. Oh well, I'm getting the whole stock suspension put in right now.

How many of you guys run a 40 series tire on a 17" rim and have after-market suspension? How's the ride quality?

 

[jtmcinder]

How many of you guys run a 40 series tire on a 17" rim and have after-market suspension? How's the ride quality?

245/40/17s ... lowered a tad less than 1.5" ... ride's fine, if you don't mind a natural frequency of 3 in the rear, tee hee.

Of course, I didn't play eBay games or buy crappy shocks.

- Jtoby

 

[98spydert]

How many of you guys run a 40 series tire on a 17" rim and have after-market suspension? How's the ride quality?

I had 215/40 and slightly stiffer springs on my last car and it sucked compared to the same suspension with stock sized wheels and tires. Could have been the tires though...

 

[Smoothie97]

Yeah, the thicker your sidewall, them more comfort you get because you are riding on more air. But thick looks ugly. But, I think I'll go with 45 series on my next tire.

 

[98spydert]

Yeah, the thicker your sidewall, them more comfort you get because you are riding on more air. But thick looks ugly. But, I think I'll go with 45 series on my next tire.

I was refering to the brand of tires I was using. Any "low profile" tires are gonna kick your ass for the most part