georigg

Interesting comments above; I've been mulling over in my mind how to make a Tee-Bar insert which could bolt on to the existing targa top locations when the roof is off, to bring the stiffness back to its roof-on level. A big however though, is the weather up here in Scotland which frankly is not really good enough to allow the roof to be off for long periods of time(I've twice ended up with a cold after taking the roof off on "sunny days".). Much as I like my Supra, I'm now thinking along the lines of getting a car that has an electric roof......not really interested in a Merc SLK, wouldnt touch a Pug(any of them ...all horrible!), really left with an M3..............any suggestions anyone?

Didnt realise this post had been moved, so not able to comment further until I did a search today. The "old" wheels were standard "16" but when I bought the car last year it had been fitted with a new set of Bridgestone Mud and Snow tyres.....standard size 225/50-16. The M&S tyres were block tread, & capable of being studded, so they were "noisy";the block tread design resulting in insipient vibration, due to their design(dont ask me why they had been fitted by the seller!). I had already fitted a Carbing front strut and although there was an improvement after fitting, there still was a problem with the roof off. The new tyres are pure road tyres & changing the wheels and tyres has much reduced shake(tyres are 225/35-18 front & 235/40-18 Rear on Team Dynamics 18" x 8.5JJ Rims). Going back to tyre in general, on a previous Supra I had fitted Goodyear Eagles and one front tyre developed a quite dangerous shimmy above about 70MPH which could not be balanced out. Further investigation through a good friend who still worked in the industry showed that the tread join on the uncured tyre carcass had been joined "un-evenly" with a thick part at one side, thinning across the tread to the other side of the tyre. When cured, the tyre looked OK and was sold as first quality but investigation showed that one sidewall was "thick/heavy over about 100mm, thinning across the tyre to the other sidewall which was thinner than standard, & causing a harmonic to be set up, both rotationally and dynamically which at 70MPH matched a critical frequency for the suspension set-up. This brings me back to the original point of the post; do not discount tyre induced vibration when looking at ways to reduce skuttle shake...............skuttle shake is after all caused by vibration frequencies approaching the natural frequency of the(less stiff) car body and becoming amplified under certain conditions. Removing or changing the frequency of vibration will result in the "shake" occurring at a different set of conditions and lead to a smoother ride at normal motoring speeds. Fitting pure road tyres in place of the M&S tyres fulfilled this requirement, with the stiffer sidewall of the lower profile tyres and smoother tread working together to remove the previously induced vibrations coming off the M&S tyres. Sorry its a bit techy an answer, but it does work !

In a word..............no! First of all you would need to replace all brake discs, assuming the ABS pick-up is a part of the disc(usual on front wheels, sometimes at the rear wheels the pick-up ring is attached to the rear half shafts). Then you would need to fit a new/replacement ABS brake fluid "distributer" .....that is plumbed in to the brake lines around about the servo area and takes an electronic signal from an CPU unit which "picks up" signals from the wheels and re-distributes brake fluid to each wheel, sending a pulsed volume of brake fluid such that any wheel that is sensed as rotating slower than the other(at the front), ie is skidding, applies and removes brake pressure many times a second to get it back rotating again. So if you have time to replace all of the above(not to mention the money) then yes you could do it. Geo

As everyone knows, Aerotops suffer to some extent with skuttle-shake......take the roof off and you lose body stiffness. When I bought my Aero last year it came with new tyres already fitted, Bridgestone 225/50-16 all round, but even after fitting a Carbing front strut, it still "shaked", feeling like it was hinged in the middle at times, but only when the roof was "off". However, Ive just fitted a set of 18" x 8.5 rims and new tyres and the car really feels like new, its like driving on silk! Even with the roof off, its just as smooth. So if any of the Aero owners on-site have this problem, its worth while having a look at your tyres as a possible source of the dreaded shake with the roof off. It certainly has worked for me! Rgds Georigg

Do a search on NCS here on the board. I posted details last year......they do a KM to MPH converter for most Jap cars. If the speedo head had been changed from original KM to MPH type, then its likely the input signal for each were different thus giving the difference in recorded to actual speed. Taking the needle off and relocating it is then not an option as the speedo is not matched to the system signal no matter where the needle is finally placed/fixed. It is likely you will need to go back to a Jap spec speedo or change the gearbox output pickup to a UK spec or even change the control system over to UK spec. Contact NCS, they will give you the best advice. Rgds George

Hi BRK, I normally screw in the studs uising the "long" arm of an allen screw hex key and turn "tight" on the short arm into the screw, turning it another half turn approx to get theis degree of tightenting. If I do not do this, it will slacken off and the roof starts to rattle going over bumps. Sounds like you need to tighten each screw "fully" after hand-tightening. Rgds Geo

Alex, Very many reasons this could happen, you do not say what speed you are doing or what the throttle opening is(are you driving at constant speed(at what speed) accelerating/lifting off etc etc. Check fluid level, colour etc these are really the only checkes you can do yourself. Could be lots of other things from a sticking solenoid in the box to a partially blocked filter mesh. Only real way to diagnose accurately is to take the car to someone with knowledge/experience of auto boxes and let them look at it. Rgds Geo

Much appreciate a little help please. I'm looking to remove the whale-tail from my MK 4 but on removing the two 10mm bolts/set-screws per side, found that there is a plastic/nylon fitting between the two bolt positions on each side, which effectively stop removal of the spoiler. Can anyone shed a bit of light on hw to remove these two nylon fixings; are they a press on/pull off fitting or what???? Rgds George

Worth having a look at http://www.ultraleds.co.uk They do a whole range of LED lights including rope, waterproof and 12" and 15" multi LED strings. Rgds George

Although I do not have a TT I'm a Rotating Equipment Engineer(have an NA). If the inlet and exhaust "wheels" or impellers are attached to the same shaft and you are replacing one only impeller, then you WILL need to have the whole rotating assembly balanced. Turbos usually turn at very high revs and out of balance goes up exponentially. Although one Impeller can be balanced on its own, as soon as you fit it to a shaft, it is necessary to balance the whole assembly as the dynamic balance will be affected. Normally when assembling shafts/impellers, you balance the components then assemble and do a re-balance on the whole rotating assembly. Some engineers prefer to balance only the rotating assembly, however as an "oldy" my preference is to do components to a "rough" balance then assemble and do a final. Not to do so at all will result in imbalance and that will lead to failure. Rgds George

Hi Pedrostar, Short answer is No , the roof fits in, in such a way that it should clear the rear strut(or more accurately miss it as the roof fits in "behind" the strut, rearwards. Just to clarify though, I do NOT have a rear strut in my Aerotop, only a front Carbring, bought from Nic for around £160 and I can confirm that it makes a noticeable difference! Rgds George

I didnt realise this thread was still "active" and having just fitted a Carbring front strut(courtesy of Nic at ImportPimp(hope I got the handle right Nic!), there is a marked change to the handling. Just for info, I also changed out the suspension for UK spec but did this in stages, changing out the shocks first(big improvement as I didnt realise the rears were K-nackered!), then changed the rear springs, road tested the car, then the front springs, another road test and then fitted the front strut. With the UK spec springs the harshness in the suspension set-up has been "smoothed out" and the car is not just so hard when running on non-motorway road surfaces. With the front strut fitted & roof on it is smoother still and with the roof off, the "skuttle shake" is significantly reduced and it is now much smoother on "A" roads. Incidentally, when renewing the rear shocks, I noticed that my Aerotop has a 4mm thick strenghening plate across the rear turrets and bolted to the floor......similar to a rear brace. It looks like it is a standard fitment rather than an after-market item and I know from prior requests for info that the AEROTOP has additional plates fitted to the chassis to increase the body stiffness, over the standard car. Hope above helps anyone with an aerotop. Rgds George

Have a look at the attachment..........it covers what bulbs are in the uk and Jspec cars, Rgds George The correct bulbs for the J.doc

NIc is correct, you can use 9005 bulbs for both main and dip, however the correct bulbs are as per the attached which will show you an illustration of both UK and Jspec bulbs and a little diagram of what the bulbs need trimmed from them to fit correctly. Hop the attachment is helpful. The correct bulbs for the J.doc

Do a search for NCS or check in the Traders section. They do a converter that fits behind the dash(electronically) which results in your stanard 180KPH speedo reading in MPH.......ie up to 180MPH! Costs if I remember correctly around about £60 however do NOT be swayed to buying one of the cheap converters that sell on Ebay............if you check the posts on here you will seea universal comment of they are complete rubbish!!. You will also need to "convert" the mileometer to show "Miles" instead of "Kilometers" as the converter changes toe Odometer to increase in miles. Lastly if you want to change the current odometer from its kilometer reading to "miles" eg 80000Km to 50000Miles, you will need to remove the printed circuit board, send it away(NCS do this conversion for about £80) as it has to be done using "square wave counter"....... a piece of electronic gubbins that injects a signal which rolls up the reading to 999999 and then on to 50000 etc etc. Rgds George

Contact Nic, Import Pimp in the traders section. He's based in Japan and can get you a Carbing unit for around £150-160. I have recently ordered one from him, based on comments/posts received from others on the board as to which is the best unit available.........concensus was Carbing is the best! Rgds George

Richard, Just to amplify Homer's reply the short answer is yes however the UK Supra has marginally softer springs fitted than the Jspec and although the UK Supra uses a slightly different shocker(I think on the rear, same on front....going from memory!), I recently changed out shocks and springs for UK spec, but was advised by the supplier that the UK spec and Jspec are exactly the same! By the way, I paid about £62 each for standard/OE shocks, if interested, let me know and I will post the suppliers details. Having changed my Jspec springs for UK I find the ride marginally smoother(removes the constant "bump" as you go over small ridges and uneven road contours). and the ride height rises about 1/2"......not really that noticeable and worth it if your fitting 18" or 19" wheels! Again for info, I changed the shocks first, then the springs so the comparison of spring change only was on "good" shocks. To buy new UK springs from Toyota costs approx £100 per spring, however there are a few of people who have changed out UK standard springs for after-market units so worth placing an ad in the wanted page. Rgds George

Grant, PM me your address(I know its Ozzy) and I will send you a disc copy of my manuals. Rgds George

Just changed the springs on my Jspec Aero for a set of UK springs(courtesy of Bignum).... UK springs reportedly softer than Jspecs. First impressions. I changed the rears first and then the fronts the next night, so had the opportunity to gauge both situations against original Jspecs. For info I had replaced the front & rear shocks about 3 months ago, and checked over the whole suspension to ensure there was nothing needing replacement, so I feel the comparison is valid given that the shocks are relatively new. Rears only changed. Car sits slightly higher at the rear---about 1". Whereas normally jspec springs provide a very firm ride with a bit of slow speed suspension "chatter" on less than smooth roads(which might be more to do with the tyres I have fitted which are relatively "stiff" on the sidewall), the car now appears to run smoother at lower speeds. Usually with the Jspec springs you need to be travelling at about 60-70MPH before the suspension "smooths out". Front doesnt feel too bad, with slight harshness on rough/pot-holed road surfaces. After fronts changed out. Had thought there would be a marked difference in smoothness but frankly cannot really say there is much difference between Jspec fronts and UK fronts fitted........may be a very small difference. Would I recommend this change? For those of you looking for a "smoother" ride without the harshness of the Jspec suspension set up, my feeling is that it probably would be enough to change out the rear end springs on their own. This is, however just an opinion and it would be interesting to hear comments from some of our suspension gurus on this. If I had paid £100 per spring(Toyota's price for new ones) I might have been disappointed with the result, however I hope this info will help anyone else contemplating this change. George

Hi Kranz, Had the same problem on my last Supra, max of about 40PSI hot and down to about 2-3PSI at tick-over(130K on the clock by that time). It cost over £1200 to overhaul the engine, so on a scale of 1 to 10, paying out about £100 to potentially remove this future failure makes sense. For everyone else's info, I'm a rotating equipment engineer and have spent a lifetime working on pumped systems, turbines and diesels which in turn requires at least an understanding of lubrication issues. Its no coincidence that such equipment includes electric drive pumps, as well as those driven off the main rotating elements. Common knowledge therefore that the most damage potential occurs at start up and to a lesser extent at run down. I've already trial-installed a relay system to the starter circuit, which prevents engine firing until oil pressure is sensed, so the pump unit is just the next phase of this exercise. Rgds George

Try using a mild rubbing compound like T-Cut on the outer surface of the headlight plastic..........it usually cleans up the deposits that tend to get attched to the plastic. George

Hi Ricky, No great expense really, the pump is off a mini gas turbine(the kind that powers cruise missiles and "funny cars" and didnt cost much......I reckon the whole job can be done for under £100. Every time you start an engine from cold it relys on the rotating engine to turn the oil pump to give you oil pressure. Next time you start your car, watch the oil light and try and judge how long it takes from the engine first firing to the light going out...........that's how long your engine is basically turning with little or no oil pressure, which in turn means little or no lubrication. Most oil pressure switches will operate around about 5-10PSI and the average engine will rev to about 1000-1400 revs on start up. That's about 16 to 23 revs if it takes your engine one second to build oil pressure/turn off the oil light! There is of course a very thin layer of oil on the bearings from previous operation, but its not enough to fully protect the engine over a long period of time. Sorry about the "full" explanation, but it is a fact that the most damage is done to any rotating equipment particularly at start up, when lubrication is at a minimum. Rgds George

Renegade, Not necessary to remove wishbone. Two alternatives......... 1. Jack both sides of front up off the ground, this allows the roll bar to "push" down on the suspension side your changing......if you only jack up the side your changing the compressed spring/roll bar on the other side forces your side upwards, making it difficult to lever the bottom arm downwards. If doing it this way, then use a long lever(length of pipe etc) on top of the disc with end of pipe under the subframe and press down......this assumes you have removed the bottom bolt and the top three nuts and fitted spring compressors to reduce the length of the spring to a "manageable" length. Method 2 Same as above really except instead of using a long lever to press down on the disc, fully compress the spring before removing the shock/spring assembly.......this gives you enough room to get this out.......its a bit of a juggle doing it this way as the centre rod of the shock tends to extend upwards if you take too long, so you may need someone else to press down on the rod from the top as you remove the shock/spring at the bottom, but does tend to give enough room not to need to lever down the suspension to get the assembly out. This works for me and saves disturbing the suspension arms. PS......Please ensure you use axle stands to hold the front at height......not recommended using two jacks! PPS Your not just changing one shock are you??????????????? really better to change both on same axle!

Some time ago I bought a little 12 Volt gear pump with the intention of fitting it to my JZA80 NA Aero so that on starting the engine, there was already oil pressure to the main engine gallery. My original intent was to take a feed from a tee fitting at the sump drain plug and feed through a tee at the oil pressure sensor switch(NRV fitted to prevent back pressure when engine is running). However, I'm having second thoughts about the feed position and would be obliged if anyone knows of another suitable take off point that could be used............are there any redundant feed positions, blocked off on the non turbo but used for the turbo cars??????? As an alternative, is it practical to remove the sump pan with the engine in, which would allow me to fit a machined take off a little higher than the bottom of the sump pan(assuming the pan is in steel)?? Appreciate anyones thoughts on this. Rgds George

Mick, I'm just about to fit a set of UK springs to my Jspec Mk4. You are most welcome if you want to PM me for the "old" springs which I will be taking off this week-end. Rgds George