Shock Absorbers

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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hunter37
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My tercel:: 1995 Toyota Tercel

Shock Absorbers

Post by hunter37 »

I would like to upgrade the shock absorbers on my 1995 Toyota Tercel. Is it compatible with Bilstein Shocks? I have read so many good reviews about the brand.
teranfirbt
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My tercel:: '86 SR5 4WD, 5AFE, lifted rear, 195/70/14 tires
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Re: Shock Absorbers

Post by teranfirbt »

Unless Bilstein lists them as an application then the answer is a "no, but". People have refit bilsteins for different applications into MR2's and such, should be possible to do it with your Tercel given enough fabrication/modification experience.

The real question is, what are you looking to gain? KYB Excel G dampers are reasonable quality and are (generally) a little stiffer than stock, so could be considered an upgrade.
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Petros
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Re: Shock Absorbers

Post by Petros »

I know years ago many amateur racers wanted Bilstein adjustable on their rally cars, some even used them on their daily driver. They have a good reputation, though it seems a costly extravagance to use the adjustable shocks on a street car. those that used them said it was worth the expence, but I suspect that is what they told themselves.

those in the link do not appear adjustable, but the price is much lower than I recall the adjusble shocks selling for cost. OTOH, without the adjustment you can not match the dampening to the car's need, you can over dampen a wheel and it i will degrade the handling.

if you try them let us know how they work. though I am with teranfrbt, the KYBs are a good value with decent performance.

BTW, make sure all of your suspension bushings, tie-rod ends, ball joints, etc. are in good condition before you up grade the shocks. it will not do you any good to replace the shocks if there are other problems with the suspension. Also, have the alignment done, and up grade to 14" alloy wheels with lower profile tires, those will improve your handling more than the expensive shocks (presuming your current shocks are in good working order).

good luck.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
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ARCHINSTL
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Re: Shock Absorbers

Post by ARCHINSTL »

I used the KYB GR-2 Series back in 2010 and have been happy (also used its front strut inserts).
See viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5829&p=42970&hilit=shocks#p42970
Note that I replaced almost ALL of the bushings in the rear as well - see viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5830&p=42972&hilit= ... ngs#p42972
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Re: Shock Absorbers

Post by The Professor »

Petros wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:15 pm OTOH, without the adjustment you can not match the dampening to the car's need, you can over dampen a wheel and it i will degrade the handling.
I happen to really like the over dampened feel of a suspension, it generally imparts a solid, unflappable feeling to the handling, though it can feel pretty stiff at times. Most German cars have a slightly over dampened suspension calibration, which is partly why they ALL feel so stable at high speeds.
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Petros
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Re: Shock Absorbers

Post by Petros »

there is a trade off on suspension stiffness. without variable stiffness suspension, you have to match the stiffness to the size and frequency of impacts. High speed cars will have a stiff suspension, but it will suffer a harsh ride at moderate speeds. A soft suspension gives a more comfortable ride at low speeds, but at high speeds it can feel unsteady since the tires do not stay in contact with the road surface as well.

I imagine BMW would want the reputation for high speed comfort and handling, even if they are made in the USA now, and made for the American consumer.

Some day it may be common to have suspension stiffness and dampening to adjust to road conditions and speed, right now, as far as I know, it is only available on high priced luxury cars and expensive sports cars.

I like simple, a lot less things to maintain and repair.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
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Re: Shock Absorbers

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Petros wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:08 pm I like simple, a lot less things to maintain and repair.
YESSS !
Tom M.
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The Professor
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Re: Shock Absorbers

Post by The Professor »

Petros wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:08 pmSome day it may be common to have suspension stiffness and dampening to adjust to road conditions and speed, right now, as far as I know, it is only available on high priced luxury cars and expensive sports cars.
This is not necessarily true, as a digressively valved shock varies the amount of resistance based on shaft speed. Yes, it is usually more expensive than a linear valved shock, but it really is the most cost effective solution outside of active dampening shocks like GM's magnetorheological units.

Some reading: http://accutuneoffroad.com/articles/dig ... k-valving/
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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