Help! KYB GR-2 shocks - Not that Happy!

[chiron]

A while ago I fitted a set of 4 KYB GR-2's ordered from the US and i've not been too happy with the feel of them.
The original suspension was 99k old and soggy. The front end would dip under braking and the whole car felt tired. I decided to buy the KYB's as they seemed to be the cheapest option available to sort out the dampers.
After fitting them the car was 4-wheel aligned and everything was put to factory spec.

I've not been too happy with the shocks, they feel too soggy for me and not as good as the original Toyota shocks when i bought the car at 44k . It even makes the car feel less controlled than the very worn original shocks. The front end dipping under braking is sorted and if you press the car into ground it feels damped so the shocks are working - just not that good. Overall it feels underdamped and very "american" and wallowy.
This got me thinking, do the US spec GR-2's have a different spec to the EU spec KYB EXECL-G's ?

or could it be that the springs have sagged/gone soft?

any suggestions?

The car is standard apart from a GZE engine.

[LimeyMk1]

They should be the same, most of the part numbers between GR-2s and Excel-Gs match.

The UK bought KYB shocks I've fitted to both my car and Cassi's car are pretty firm.

GR-2 and Excel-G share part numbers for the front shocks (363045) and for the rear shocks of the early spec Mk1 (363046). The later spec shocks are 365086 for the Excel-G and 365064 fot the GR-2.

[Jim-SR]

most likely the springs. all of the dampers available for Japanese cars tend to be valved with lots of rebound damping and not much bump damping. meaning that the springs are being asked to do all of the work in compression, e.g. absorbing bumps, and body movement under braking, cornering, etc.

match up stiffly rebounded dampers with old soft springs and the end result isnt usually brilliant. stick some aftermarket springs on there (Eibachs maybe) and the result should be much better. assuming that the dampers are any good.

[chiron]

It could be the springs...

But do the springs REALLY go soft? Even on an 99k car?

Anyone got any evidence?

[pistol pete]

mines got 110k miles and springs are very very soft

don't forget age of spring not just mileage

pete

[cartledge_uk]

Its the springs.

And as for proof of old springs, put it this way, one of my MR2's actually had higher ride hieght after I put lower springs on, they had sagged that much

[SuperRedMR2]

When I changed all my shocks and springs for the koni kit my original springs were shot, even though the car had only covered 80k by this point, you have to remember those springs have been through alot in 18 years!

[chiron]

Blimey,

Wouldn't have believed it before but maybe that is my problem!

I wish I had known that before refitting it all and forking out £90 on laser alignment.

[SuperRedMR2]

£90 thats cheap!

[chiron]

APS in Brackley for alignment.

They used proper Beissbath kit which uses the wheel rims as datums (rotationally equalised to cancel out warped rims) not the tyres like the cheaper stuff.

Got to make sure everything is freed off though first.

[chiron]

Just a thought here... ( oh no another suspension thread starting)

My Mk1 always handled better with a bit of weight in the front end, (like collecting 50kg of coal). I discussed this with an old racing mate who suggested softer springs on the front to create the same effect.
So if I kept my original worn out springs on the front and replaced the rears with new springs I might get the same effect?

Also any opinion on these?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/APEX-LOWERING-SP ... 398832640

[Shadeh]

are kyb shock absorbers suitable for a mk1 track car with turbo engine 3sgte

[tomsky]

having the opposite problems to this. Original front struts failed mot so had some kybs fitted as a replacement. I live in bucks which has a lot of pot holes and im avoiding everything going at the moment as its making for fairly unforgiving ride and doesnt feel any improvement apart from feeling fairly taught on smooth roads. Always fairly happy with the ride quality of the original set up and not that pleased with the KYBs maybe ok on a track but not in everyday life. Thinking about changing to Konis has anyone any info on how they compare to original setup ride quality and as they are adjustable whats available

[LimeyMk1]

Koni's on full soft are (I believe) about the same as stock.

Have you considered going back to Toyota for a set of new shocks? If that's the ride quality you're after it'd be cheaper than the Konis.

[crazybrightman]

ive found kyb's either soft or hard. cant remember whic way around it is but the full set that fits the mk1a's are usualy quite hard then you get different rear shocks for the b model and the rears are dead soft and the ride and handling is a bit odd as a result of this. i quite like the hard damping, but not as an everyday car.
id say go kyb's on a mk1a but choose something else for a b as its just doesnt work.

[chiron]

Yep that sounds about right, the rears are a bit too soft but the front are OK. Mine is a MK1b.

The KYB numbers for the rear shocks on mk1b are different between US and EU (GR-2 vs EXCEL-G). I'm wondering if the US KYB's are too soft on the rear....

GR-2 MK1b rear: 365061
EXCEL-G MK1b rear: 365086

Interestingly the 365061 GR-2 for the MK1b rear also fits:

* 1990-1991 Lexus ES250 front
* 1987-1991 Toyota Camry front
* 1987-1989 Toyota MR2 rear

But the EU EXCEL-G ONLY fits the MR2 rear, this suggests the US GR-2 is actually a Camry damper. This might explain why its too soft.

Also found some X-ref tables Here:
http://www.nipponsuspension.com/catalog ... TOKICO.xls
and Here:
http://www.kybcom.ru/kybcom_right.xls

[chiron]

Finally sorted it!

Fitted some KYB 365086 rears - problem solved