TRD Springs out for the '04

by **got sport** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 8:57 pm

slingshot wrote:Now can either of you explain in the same detail what strut braces and sway bars do?

Strut Tower Brace: Front (FSTB) and Rear (RSTB)

The Front Strut Tower Brace bridges the gap in the engine bay between the mounting points of the front struts/shocks. The FSTB will strengthen the structure of the car and will help the handling characteristics of the car. Some people will argue that FSTB's do not work. TRD has a FSTB for the '04.

The Rear Strut Tower Brace stiffens up the tops of the strut towers and runs thru the trunk space. It doesn't affect the rear as much as the front. The back of the car is pretty solid, unlike the open space in the engine bay. As a result, there's no RSTB currently for the '04, nor do I think will there ever be one.

Sway bar: Rear (RSB)

The Rear Sway Bar is also known as an Anti-Roll bar. The RSB serves to tie up the rear suspension as to limit its travel relative to each sides. When the amount of travel between the two sides is limited, the body of the car will not roll/lean as much. So, a RSB will help with going 50mph on a local road circular turn or slower speed 90 degree turns while city driving. One thing to note is that with the decreased rear suspension travel, the back end tends to have less traction at the limits.

slingshot wrote:Also, what is the advantage of getting a front strut brace vs a rear sway bar or vice versa? I'm so confused....

Like kubi stated, the advantage of getting a FSTB is to fit a supercharger in the engine bay. But, if you don't plan on installing a supercharger and based on some people's argument that FSTB don't offer any significant benefits, then there's no advantage in getting a FSTB.

It all depends on your needs.

by **got sport** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:10 pm

fotodad wrote:Anyways, would getting the new springs that all of you are discussing in this thread do what the kitty litter did?

In short, yes. LOL

Sorry I just typed a novel tonight as you can see...

by **fotodad** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 10:00 pm

What do you guys/gals think of the 18" TRD rims w/Michelin Pilot Sport tires: 225/45/18? I think they look damn cool! I wish I hadn't bought my Pilots so prematurely. I also noticed http://www.toyotaparts4u.com/e_catalog/ listed some shift knobs, BUT DIDN'T HAVE PICTURES! Does anyone know what they look like? Or do you have a picture of them?

And thanks Xango for the info in words I could understand. Good luck on that "rat race" thing!

by **slingshot** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 12:06 am

Foto,
The shift knobs are for manual transmissions only. The Michelin Pilot Sports are summer very sticky tires that are very high performance in dry and wet but are total crap in the snow (You'd have to replace them with all-season or winter tires during the winter for sure). Your tires are the all season version that get good ratings in dry, wet, and snow. I think you made the better choice. Those TRD tires are best if you live south of the snow line. ;-)

by **fotodad** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 10:13 am

Thanks, Sling.

I didn't even notice the Michelins TRD offered were the sport and not the A/S. I wonder if those TRD rims are available in 17"?

by **slingshot** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 12:14 pm

fotodad wrote:I didn't even notice the Michelins TRD offered were the sport and not the A/S. I wonder if those TRD rims are available in 17"?

Don't sit around waiting for that. Sport and racing always mean bigger tires, so TRD won't offer smaller versions of those rims I'm betting. They also offered the Pilot Sport tires because of their unmatched performance(by the way they wear out much faster than your all-seasons). A true sports racer does not use all-weather or stock size tires.

by **dabuda** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 8:28 am

thanks xango! that helps a lot...i have another question. considering the solara 'sport' is suppose to have a sport tuned suspension, wont these hold up with the new TRD springs? of course it's ideal to get aftermarket dampers but looking to cut a few $$$ to get new rims.

thanks!

p.s. noticed ur sig, r u a rich dad, poor dad fan as well?

by **slingshot** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 9:02 am

Dabuda or anyone else with an SE Sport,

Talking about the SE Sport with its sport suspension, how is the body lean when going around turns at decent speeds? I never did get to test drive the Sport model. I like the comfort of the SLE's suspension but the body lean bothers me a little.

by **dabuda** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 1:37 pm

coming from a lowered tsx the bodylean(roll) for the solara sport isnt bad...'almost' comparable to the stock tsx. i've taken it at 45 around 25mph turns and it seems to hold up ok, dont want to really push it unless i get stickier tires but it seems fine enough that i'm not in a hurry to get TRD springs. actually the springs would primary be more for aesthetics, then secondary handling.

TRD Springs out for the '04

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