Where do you start on a DD w/ 750 total for the job.
Heres my list
KYB gr-2 126.00 shiped - Ebay
Rb springs 220.00 shiped RB
poly fornt bushing set 175. shiped p-s-t.com
inner & outter tie rods w/ ten. screw 100.00 shiped autozone.com

What i was wondering was how hard is this to do myself. I do have most tools and a warehouse to do it in. I would say im a skill leval of 7 out of 10 mechanicley speaking. any thing i should do differently buy differently. COMENTS anyone?

 

well. . . I have a friend who broke a KYB strut on a wrx and they would not replace it because it happened during an autocross, so I am boycotting KYB.

also dont forget about anti sway bars.

 

I was just looking at those exact KYBs on ebay, and wanted to get everyone's opinions of them...

Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KYB-G...QQcmdZViewItem

Are these good, or ****?

 

Doesn't the PST kit include outer tie rod ends?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOKIC...temZ7994202193

These are from the same guy...

 

I have the KYB Gr-2's on my car, and I like the ride quality. I also have unknown brand springs that lower the car even further than RB, ST and Eibach's. Rides quite good, until I hit a large bump. On the larger bumps, it can bottom out, giving a good jolt. Since I live in Oklahoma, I get a lot of use out of the bumpstops...........

 

I would like to know as well...since i will be getting new shocks soon and new RB lowering springs.....

 

well it depends on driving style i have been looking for a good setup for some time now....

from what people have told me in my posts were the gr-2's are REALLY soft.....so if you like the idea of not needing new insides (talking about yourself not the car) then this would be a good everyday driver shock setup.....

the tokico "blues" on the other hand are about a 3 when being compared to the tokico Illumina's which have a 1 to 5 adjustable setting...when racing with these shocks. Most set the Illumina's around 2 or 3 in the rear but alittle stiffer in the front like 3 or 4.....

pretty much since i want my car to be a daily driver but be able to still take it to auto-x's and other events with a relitivly stiff ride i feel the Blue's are MY best choice.....

but... spring choices and the rates the spring carry also make a big difference in the handling....i have bought and had them sitting on my shelf a few months now the RB springs

 

kyb gr-2's are not a performance shock. they are a budget shock. i had some on the rear of my rx7 and their rebound rate was very low, plust after a few months of wear when i went over a big bump (i drove down that street >2x a week) the rear end stayed in the up, compressed position for split second then car slammed down. wheel hop. not good. switched to tokico illumina's solved the problem.

 

KYB... Keep Your Bilsteins

 

Allright then KYB suck... Any recomendations? I heard that bule's are kind of stiff. What ids the advantiage of going w/polygraphite? Could i save some money there?

 

I did the racing beat springs front and rear, and tokico blues front and rear. The front struts are a pain to replace, but necessary. I had a difficult time with the large nut at the top of the strut tube. The ride on the car is a little stiff, but that is good, it is a sports car after all.

 

im sorry for jacking your thread, but this might help someone. i have a '79 rx7, and the only thing available for the front struts, other than swapping out the front end, is the KYB sturt inserts. is it worth going through the trouble swapping out my front, or should i just buy tokico hp's for the rear and KYB inserts for the front? are the KYB's really that bad?

 

Who besides rb makes front swaybars . Ive searched but me no find.

 

Try www.mazdatrix.com. I think they sell Suspension Techniques or something.

Direct link: http://www.mazdatrix.com/h4579-85.htm

 

If it's a DD, don't worry about swaybars.

I've got KYB GR-2 shocks and RB springs and I absolutely LOVE the setup. It's the perfect balance between daily drivability and performance that you could ask for. Don't just jump to the conclusion that KYB are crap because of a few people's bad words... A little while back some people were saying bad things about Tokicos too, and they're usually highly regarded on the forum.

So I say go for the KYB and RB setup and don't worry about the swaybars. Put any money you've got left into steering and front bushings (as you said, inner and outer tie rods with the adjusting sleeve are a good start. After that you'll want to do the busings for the control arms, the end links w/ bushings, the idler arm, pitman arm and ball joints)

I've done it on my car, and if you were local, I'd let you take it for a spin. I guarantee you'll love it.

Jon

 

ST makes a Set.

 

Thanks Jon. I'm thinking now the polly bushing might be overkill also. Would i be better off w/ good tires insted. The tires i got now are all seasons from sams club but they got like 90% tread on them.

 

Do you have part #s for the tie rods?

 

inner tirod part# ES2193R Adjusting sleave #ES2154S. Both online order only both LLT warranty.

 

Start with replacing stuff that is likely worn. You already mentioned control arm bushings and tie rod ends. Check the tension rod bushings as well as the rear suspension bushings. Check the idler arm bushings - they are almost always bad. Check the strut tops - after high miles they develop slop. Check the front wheel bearings. Remember our cars are 20+ years old, and things wear out and deteriorate.

Assuming that this is all OK and you have some money left,

- Do the PB&J mod to your rear suspension linkage.
- Tokico Blues are really the best moderately priced shock out there. The KYB's are cheap OEM replacements.
- It seems springs are getting hard to find, but do a search on this board to see what is out there. Since your car is a daily driver and you don't want it too stiff, look at the spring rates of various setups and choose appropriately.
- Finally, in the interest of economy, buy a large (1-1/8") front sway bar. There used to be numerous manufacturers: Racing Beat, Suspension Techniques, Addco, etc. You really don't need an aftermarket rear bar as our cars tend to be tail-happy anyhow. Plus, there are at least three different size rear sway bars that came stock so you can do some junkyard shopping there.

Some of this stuff you might find used. I would suggest buying the shocks new since they are a wear item.

Good luck!