My Tokico Blue + Stech review w/pics

[Nan Desu Ka?!]

I picked up a set of used (only around 1000 miles on them) Tokico Blue shocks and Tein S-tech springs for dirt cheap to replace the spongy ass stock suspension and to lower my 4x4.

After less than 12 hours of recieving them, Jesse(I8yourfwd) and I headed over to Jon Wayne's(SilABC) house to do the install, sadly I totally forgot my camera, so I'll mention some of the things we did that I can remember being helpful for the install.

First of all, I rented (by rent I mean purchased/returned) a spring compressor from Kragen. 60$ initailly and I got 55$ back, so *does hard math* it was only 5$ to rent the thing.

The installation itself is farely straight forward, nothing difficult at all. But I do have some helpful hints (or at least I think they are helpful)

1. when removing the bottom bolt on the old shock (the one that connects to the LCA) Have a friend step on the center part of the brake rotor NOT ON THE ROTOR GUARD THOUGH to help slip the old ass bushing off. If you dont have a friend handy, your going to have to break out a rubber mallet and whack away to loosen it/slip it off. Also do the same thing when slipping the new shock on.

2. WD40 is your friend
3. Change you breakpads while your at it, it takes like 5 extra minutes.
4. Umm... did i mention this is a very straight forward process?

So basically the process goes like this.
-take only shock/spring combo off
-compress spring
-remove spring from shock perch
-transfer bump stops to new shock
-slide new spring on new shock
-compress new spring and secure it to new shock perch
-bolt the whole assembly back in stock location
-lather, rinse, repeat X 4

I think the whole thing, including changing the break pads and some pizza/soda breaks took like 3 1/2 hours. Not to shabby I think. The compression/decompression took most of the time.

ok onto some pics, and then a review! yay!

before pics
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/DSCN1922.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/DSCN1925.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/DSCN1919.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/final.jpg

After pics

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/DSCN3264.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/DSCN3265.jpg
I think I'm around maybe -1 camber or so now in the rear, nothing major. hardly noticable.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/DSCN3286.jpg
super un-flushness. also i have about 2 fingers worth of gap all around once it settled.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a220/dracco77/thisone.jpg


comming soon: a full side shot.

The review

Well let me just say this, I have almost elimated my body roll and the corner handling is about 20 X better than stock. So much so that I now, more than ever, realize how shitty my tires are; they can't keep up with the car! The shocks are awsome, pretty stiff for non-adjustables. Also I really like the Stechs. They are great for daily/freeway driving. i.e. they dont rattle the crap outta me unless the road gets pretty rough or im at low speed. However I can really feel the road now, its awsome. Also when I start to push it and come into a corner hot the springs really shine. They get nice a stiff and I feel like I dont have to break nearly as much when entering a turn, alll the way through the apex and its WOT throttle past the apex. I can see myself upgrading to coils once i get a DD and this becomes my weekend/track car, but for now I'm satisfied. I could be a bit stiffer for when Im driving in the mountains but since its my DD 80% of the time and my g/f already bitches enough about my ride, I think it was money well spent. :D

Hope this was also informative. cheers, and thanks for reading.

[ranisron]

definitely good info for the noobs who have bunch of questions.

I would imagine that the tokico blues are one step stiffer than the KYB GR2 right? On top of that, AGX, Koni Yellow would come in?

[rancid240]

definitely good info for the noobs who have bunch of questions.

I would imagine that the tokico blues are one step stiffer than the KYB GR2 right? On top of that, AGX, Koni Yellow would come in?

Pretty much. Ive rolled on Blues and AGX, AGX outperformed. But blues and Stechs made the car feel luxury soft (Im on PROF springs/Msport adj. shocks and its killer stiff)

[MaD1337M3DRiV3r]

Looking really good, time for wheels! Gj on the install

[drew935]

I saw your car at work. I would have stopped by and said hello but then decided to go to Oakridge instead. It looks good

[Nan Desu Ka?!]

Looking really good, time for wheels! Gj on the install

Thanks man! By the way, this cat is an AWSOME seller. Thanks again for the spring/shocks.


I saw your car at work. I would have stopped by and said hello but then decided to go to Oakridge instead. It looks good

Thanks for the complement, Yeah next time stop in and say hi :)

I need to find some decent wheels for around 500$ if I can, and the pickens are slim... mostly cause im very picky. *shrug*

[sked707]

looks real nice. I'm also considering to get the s-techs for my ride. what size tires do you have on right now?

[Drunk Bastard]

still lookin a little 4x4'ish....
http://www.obsessionracing.com/graphics/monster.10.jpg

[420sx]

thats a nice truck.

[Chernobyl]

This review sounds like something written in the last millenium.

Tokicos are great though. Having had both Tokico HP and AGX, I prefer them over AGX.

[Nan Desu Ka?!]

writen in the last millenium? How so?

if you call 2 fingers of room 4X4 ish... then yeah it is.

Im running some 205/60/15's at the moment. Im looking for a nice set of 16 or maybe even 17's right now, that should eliminate the fender gap all together.

[Chernobyl]

writen in the last millenium? How so?


Everyone seems to only use coilovers these days. With the lack of front suspension travel in a stock S13 strut and almost no availability of replacement struts that can actaully cope with lowering for long periods of time, I don't blame them.

[Nan Desu Ka?!]

Everyone seems to only use coilovers these days. With the lack of front suspension travel in a stock S13 strut and almost no availability of replacement struts that can actaully cope with lowering for long periods of time, I don't blame them.


Oh ok, i thought you meant like... the syntax of my writing style or something. like i said i can see myself getting coils in the future, but for now i am satisfied for the money i payed.

[derux]

I put the same set up in my coupe a few months ago. I took it on a few easy runs and it was all good. Then i really pushed the car like i do with my 510 and i bottomed out the fronts. I did this in a tight corner and when it bottomed out the shock blew. I drove on the s-techs untill yesterday when i installed my silkroads. The two rear shocks were nice and blue still but both fronts were black from the oil coming out. I only had the S-Techs in for about 6 months.

[TurDz]

Thanks for some the classic write-up, this is what makes forums great.

[Nan Desu Ka?!]

Thanks for some the classic write-up, this is what makes forums great.

Thanks, I do what I can :) I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[TAMTANIUM]

1. when removing the bottom bolt on the old shock (the one that connects to the LCA) Have a friend step on the center part of the brake rotor NOT ON THE ROTOR GUARD THOUGH to help slip the old ass bushing off. If you dont have a friend handy, your going to have to break out a rubber mallet and whack away to loosen it/slip it off. Also do the same thing when slipping the new shock on.

Don't really need a partner for this. Press down the on the rotor or somewhere around there and just use a rubber hammer and tap it out...very easy. I'm just adding this for the future people that are going to be reading this.