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Shocks for SC400

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Old 06-16-12, 02:16 PM
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mcannaday
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Does anyone know how the ride is with tokico blues, while keeping OEM springs? Car has 196K on it.
Old 06-16-12, 05:27 PM
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This single thread has given me more info than any other thread ive read!

Im in the same boat as you guys and ive been considering getting the Eibach Prokits for my car. I am still torn about changing the struts because i want as much of the stock suspension as i can get.

mcannaday, i believe you are thinking in a somewhat unusual direction. Most people here seem to change their springs/struts to lower the ride high for a more aggressive look. Changing the struts wont lower the car by much if at all. You should consider doing it the other way around: aftermarket springs with OEM struts. Of course i could be wrong and if i am someone please correct me on this.

The only question i have is if anyone can tell the difference between Eibach with stock struts and with tokico blues. Which gives the most comfort?

My main concern isnt with the sports handling of the car because this one is going to be my daily drive. If i end up getting another SC then i will be building it towards power/performance rather than casual driving.
Old 06-16-12, 06:27 PM
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My '98 SC300 has 143,000, I purchased SC400 struts w/80,000 miles with newer Tanabe NF210 springs on them, I got a 1" drop and a slightly firmer ride then what i had before. Tanebe's may be closer to a stock ride then the Eibach's ?
Old 06-16-12, 06:48 PM
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I will keep that in mind. How are those springs working with stock struts? Any issues?
I hope there is someone out here who had them both and could confirm which is softer.
Old 06-17-12, 08:23 AM
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Mike552
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LOL at this thread being from '03.

vteruni, to answer your question you will probably need new struts because putting on aftermarket "lowering springs" usually means that the spring rates are higher on the new springs. Because a strut/shock works in contrast with the spring (i.e., it, amongst other things, controls the spring rebound) then it will probably not be able to handle the speed and force of the new spring's decompression and thus the shock/strut will "blow," or leak. Once this happens, you will start to nauseate and scrape on bumps and turns, respectively.
Old 06-17-12, 01:36 PM
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Yea i wasnt the one who brought it back but its a nice thread.
Thanks for letting me know about the shocks, unfortunately that means that i will have to wait longer before i lower the car since i dont have money for the struts atm.
How long roughly will the stock struts last if i was to lower it? i saw a lot of posts about people using stock struts without any immediate issues. I only plan to lower it 1", nothing too crazy.
Old 06-17-12, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by vteruni
How long roughly will the stock struts last if i was to lower it?
That's the $300 dollar question. (Roughly the price of 4 Tokico shocks )


For a guy like me, who doesn't think much of spending a Sunday afternoon listening to Pandora and drinking a couple of beers while turning a few wrenches, then I'd say go for just the springs. But, if you're going to drop your car off to a shop and pay to get this done, then depending on how much they are going to charge you I'd say it's best to wait.

Bottom line is, if your shocks are good atm then you should be good for at least a little while, but don't expect world class handling with new springs alone.

Also, I don't think it really matters how much you will be lowering the car by. Don't get me wrong, there are some struts that are VERY sensitive to ride height, like Bilstein HD's (the "yellows"). Bilsteins have a very complicated array of chambers and seals in the hydraulic cylinder that work together to provide a calculated response. Tokicos, KYBs, and oem shocks are not that complicated from what I've researched, so ride height in our cars is not that important if you are talking about a 1" vs. a 2" drop... even a 2.5" drop IMO. YOu might however want to modify/cut the bump stop if you are lowering your car by a significant amount.

Again, IMO the longevity of a shock/strut really all depends on the spring rate, and not so much the ride height of the car (within a reasonable limit, of course).
Old 06-19-12, 06:09 PM
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That is very good advice. I plan to do the work myself so i think i will go for the springs. I do live in FL and its hot as hell in the summer so hopefully the stock shocks will last through the summer. By then i will make enough money to get the struts anyway.
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