The title pretty much sums it up, but here's a brief rundown. My 1991 Supra currently has Tokico Illumina IIs, paired with Eibach springs, and I absolutely despise this suspension setup. It has a very underdamped "buick-like" sort of ride; when hitting larger bumps or road imperfections, the front suspension bounces all over the place like it has blown front shocks. Rear suspension feel is far better, but it's also a bit less obvious from the driver's prospective. I've driven a car with stock 89+ suspension, and even though it was soft with a bit of body roll, it still had a much more "complete" feel to it, and didn't react so unpredictably to mid-corner bumps, for example.
I've heard a couple things regarding most MKIII Supra suspension setups.
Firstly, I've recently found that the stock springs are linear rate, and that virtually every lowering spring available is progressive rate. In addition, I've read the MKIII's suspension setup is already "progressive" in its design, meaning that with a progressive spring, the "soft" part of the spring is blown through quickly, immediately dipping into the stiffer part of the spring, and giving the suspension an "unpredictable" reaction to bumps.
Secondly, I've heard anecdotal stories of the Tokico Illumina IIs being "soft", "crappy", and generally not very well suited for anything other than stock springs. Is this correct? I'm tempted to agree, since my suspension has the wallowy and underdamped feeling to it, and that a stiffer shock would be more appropriate. This is all just word of mouth accounts, so take it with a grain of salt.
So this boils down to series of questions, really.
Are progressive springs really as un-fit for a Supra suspension as I think? Would linear rate springs make for more predictable ride and handling? What linear rate springs are available?
Are Tokico Illumina IIs are bad as I've heard? Or do I just a have a bum set that are blown? Maybe my struts just don't pair will with Eibach springs, and a different spring would be a better fit?
Lastly, coilovers. I can't help but feel that coilover options aren't exactly ideal for our cars. There seem to be two camps: The ultra-cheap hardparking stancenation coilovers that are only good for slamming your car and nothing else, or the ultra-stiff Japanese brands (Tein, for example), that are way way way too stiff for the street, and only work well on a road course in Japan that's as smooth as glass. Is there a coilover out there that has decent streetability while also being of good quality? I think the "HKS HiperMax II" for some reason came up in that category, but they seem discontinued.
Oh, and I should probably mention my application. The car is primarily for street use, but it will probably see semi-regular autocross usage (5-10 events a summer), and an occasional track stint (1-3 times a summer). Any suggestions and opinions are much appreciated!
I've heard a couple things regarding most MKIII Supra suspension setups.
Firstly, I've recently found that the stock springs are linear rate, and that virtually every lowering spring available is progressive rate. In addition, I've read the MKIII's suspension setup is already "progressive" in its design, meaning that with a progressive spring, the "soft" part of the spring is blown through quickly, immediately dipping into the stiffer part of the spring, and giving the suspension an "unpredictable" reaction to bumps.
Secondly, I've heard anecdotal stories of the Tokico Illumina IIs being "soft", "crappy", and generally not very well suited for anything other than stock springs. Is this correct? I'm tempted to agree, since my suspension has the wallowy and underdamped feeling to it, and that a stiffer shock would be more appropriate. This is all just word of mouth accounts, so take it with a grain of salt.
So this boils down to series of questions, really.
Are progressive springs really as un-fit for a Supra suspension as I think? Would linear rate springs make for more predictable ride and handling? What linear rate springs are available?
Are Tokico Illumina IIs are bad as I've heard? Or do I just a have a bum set that are blown? Maybe my struts just don't pair will with Eibach springs, and a different spring would be a better fit?
Lastly, coilovers. I can't help but feel that coilover options aren't exactly ideal for our cars. There seem to be two camps: The ultra-cheap hardparking stancenation coilovers that are only good for slamming your car and nothing else, or the ultra-stiff Japanese brands (Tein, for example), that are way way way too stiff for the street, and only work well on a road course in Japan that's as smooth as glass. Is there a coilover out there that has decent streetability while also being of good quality? I think the "HKS HiperMax II" for some reason came up in that category, but they seem discontinued.
Oh, and I should probably mention my application. The car is primarily for street use, but it will probably see semi-regular autocross usage (5-10 events a summer), and an occasional track stint (1-3 times a summer). Any suggestions and opinions are much appreciated!
