identifying aftermarket shocks

[jot_ie]

I have a sneaking suspicion that (prior to me buying the supra) an aftermarket suspension was fitted to the car.
Not many other supes around to compare to.....

What colour should the standard shocks be on a 98 vvti tt jpec.
The ones on mine are red.
Anyone any ideas what they might be.
I do intend taking the wheels off for a better look over the weekend.

The reason I am asking is that I have been trying to get the handling sorted, and nothing I do seems to work.
Am I right when I say that if the car is lowered, the suspension setup has to be altered as well. I.e Camber,Caster, Toe and alignment.
I have tried the lance alignment from mkiv.com, now the whole car "wiggles" from time to time, especially at the back when cornering, i.e. sweeping downhill on a motorway.

Anyone got any suggestions as to what the alignments should be on lowered suspension?

John

[Chris Wilson]

They are not Bilstein, or made under licence by Toyota Bilsteins, and are not the black basic shock, so they are aftermarket.

The cars don't like much lowering at all, the suspension kinematics go to pot, get some higher springs and some known quantity dampers and it should transform the car, given correct alignment set up.

[Gaz Walker]

Red huh...

Could be: RSR i-Shock, GAB Super/Revolution Stroke II, Tanabe Sustec Pro S-S, Blitz/Sachs SP7, C-One Type G. Maybe more...

If you can get a pic I'll try and help further.

Gaz.

[merckx]

What colour should the standard shocks be on a 98 vvti tt jpec.
The ones on mine are red.
John
Mine are red on my 1997 VVTI.

I would be surprised if they weren't stock,my car was completely stock and the previous owners weren't interested in modding anything at all the car. Strange if just the shocks were done, not even an aftermarket exhaust.

[jot_ie]

Mine are red on my 1997 VVTI.


Is it possible then that the jap vvti has red shocks as standard?
john

[SimonB]

I think this may be the answer:-
http://www.mkiv.com/specifications/99_brochure/1999-15.jpg

Looks like the REAS shocks on VVTIs had red struts.

[Chris Wilson]

Easy to tell as they have hydraulic hoses going into the base section of them. I have some here. I am sure he'd have noticed, they are quite different from a normal damper.

[jot_ie]

SimonB

A picture is worth a thousand words.
I guess I have more sinister problems than I thought.

Beats the hell out of me what would cause a car to "wiggle" though.

Chris, to be brutally honest, I hadn't ....er'em... really noticed, but I am trying really, really hard to learn as much as possible.

Btw, Chris, a big thank you for sorting me out with my cat problem.
Managed to get the pipe fitted last weekend.
Tried it myself but couldnt get the car high enough off the ground. Didnt quite feel comfortable with the back of my head scraping the ground and my nose squished by the sump. Frightenmed the sh*t out of me to be honest.
A guy in a Kwik fit centre did it for €60 because he liked the car.
He had never seen a downpipe made so well.....Compliments to the chef.

Cant believe the difference.

Just have to sort out the fuel now.
No more 97+ron here in Ireland.



After that I am well and truly lost
Red dampers as stock on a supra .
Was kind of hoping this was my problem

[merckx]

Easy to tell as they have hydraulic hoses going into the base section of them. I have some here. I am sure he'd have noticed, they are quite different from a normal damper.
They do!

Are they variable rate?:)

[Chris Wilson]

A wiggle sounds like rear steer. Main candidate is top rear wishbone inner bushes worn out. Only available as an assembly from Toyota. The bushes are quite trick semi compliant spherical bearings, and the arms cast alloy, so the price is reasonable. Check those out for movement with rear jacked off ground, and with weight on rear wheels. use a pry bar, (sensibly....).

[Alex]

Hmmm my VVTi has black suspension :( Think someone has binned the REAS....deffo not noticed any hoses!

Can someone please post a pic of a REAS damper please (close up)

[Ian C]

SimonB has finally found the "how to change the heater matrix" picture then ;)

-Ian

[SimonB]

SimonB has finally found the "how to change the heater matrix" picture then ;)

-Ian

PMSL! Think it needs a bit more disassembly for that job... REAS wasn't on all VVTIs, only the RZ and I think it might have been an option even then.

[Gaz Walker]

SimonB has finally found the "how to change the heater matrix" picture then ;)

-Ian

LMAO, your not wrong. That brings back painful memories ;)

Gaz.

[Alex]

PMSL! Think it needs a bit more disassembly for that job... REAS wasn't on all VVTIs, only the RZ and I think it might have been an option even then.


Bollox then...my RZ wasn't fitted with it, just plain old black shocks :(

[SimonB]

Bollox then...my RZ wasn't fitted with it, just plain old black shocks :(

You sure it's a RZ and not a RZ-S? I thought the facelift RZ came with Bilsteins before VVTi and REAS afterwards? Maybe it was only after 98 or something, because the 99 brochure definitely has the RZ with REAS as standard.