matching Tokico HPs with springs (performance)

My 89 accord lxi has stock supsension on it now and i am very unsatisfied as it is very floats and bouncy. I want to get tokico HP dampers cuz i cant find konis and bilsteins are too expensive specially if i need to have them revalved. I dont care at all about looks or lowering the car i just want a very planted, stiff, and responsive supsension. I dont care much about ride comfort either. I wanted to match the tokico dampers with tokico springs instead of H&R because i have read that the tokico springs are more stiff. However, i cannot find the springs for our accords anywhere. If anyone knows where i can find them or has a better idea for a set up for the purpose i explained please help me out. And i dont want any advice that tells me to put up 600 for bilstiens or go to africa for koni reds. thanks

in the marketplace there is a member selling koni fronts. Koni fronts + tokico rears are a great combination for the tokico springs. I have the tokico springs and I bought them directly from Tokico themselves. Perhaps you can call them and see if they still have them in stock. There are only a few members with the tokico springs on this board and I don't even know if they are even around anymore.

I'm selling Konis: https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?t=44022

Let me know if you're interested

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Originally Posted by 5spdaccordlxi

My 89 accord lxi has stock supsension on it now and i am very unsatisfied as it is very floats and bouncy. I want to get tokico HP dampers cuz i cant find konis and bilsteins are too expensive specially if i need to have them revalved. I dont care at all about looks or lowering the car i just want a very planted, stiff, and responsive supsension. I dont care much about ride comfort either. I wanted to match the tokico dampers with tokico springs instead of H&R because i have read that the tokico springs are more stiff. However, i cannot find the springs for our accords anywhere. If anyone knows where i can find them or has a better idea for a set up for the purpose i explained please help me out. And i dont want any advice that tells me to put up 600 for bilstiens or go to africa for koni reds. thanks

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A stiffer spring needs a stronger damper (shock). If you are going with the tokico shocks, I would get the H&R springs (the softer spring). You want the shock to be able to control the spring, otherwise, you are back to floating and bouncing, like you posted. If the springs are too stiff for the shocks, they will overpower the shocks and you be bouncing off the walls. Rendon LX-i got dropzone springs (off ebay) and found the hard way that there are no shocks (for our cars) that can control the stiffness of the dropzone springs.

Either get better shocks than the tokicos (konis, revalved bilsteins), or a softer spring H&R. BustedBlue has mentioned that tokico springs and tokico shocks is "decent ride, and improves handling but there is still bounce."

Search the forums, there are lots of threads on springs/shocks.

Peace.

Well......here is my .02. I really like my Tokico's! I wasn't about to spend the money for Koni's, and with my ST springs, it is a firm not bouncy ride.
As long as you don't bottom out the Tokico's alot you will do just fine with a mild drop. Consider this, my springs are a 2.5 inch in the front, and 2.25 in the rear, and I havn't bottomed out once.
Besides the Tokico's come with a hella stout bumpstop on the strut shaft, leave that in tact and you will be o.k.
Allright, everyone with Koni's flame on!!!! :lol:
You don't have to spend a grand to have a decent setup.

KYBs are cheap stock strut replacement. it could just be that your current "stock" ride is actually worn springs and blown struts. replacing them with new aftermarket "OE" parts might substantially improve your ride, and save you lots of money without having to go the performance suspension route.

note, this suggestion is hinging on whether your set up right now is blown (at least, 17 years old).

it may be true that you don't have to spend a grand for new suspension. tokicos could easily handle stock springs' rates, but they're certainly less capable of controlling stiffer spring rates out there -- including their own spring line (ironically! ask busted about the bounce with stiff tokico springs and blues in the front)

anyways, depending on your budget, you may find that replacing the struts with tokicos and buying new (or trying to reuse your old springs) will be the most cost efficient "upgrade" to the suspension. while it may not be a true upgrade, it will be an improvement on the ride from an obviously worn front end.

hope it works out

if you spend the 290+shipping for the front struts from Kerush and another 120 for the tokico rears, you got yourself a good set of struts for many combination of springs.


Finding the tokico springs will be a rather difficult task though. I bought my springs when they were on overstock on the tokico website for under 80bucks shipped. I thought similar to you about a year ago saying Tokico springs should go well with Tokico struts. They were decent, but if you are going for performance wise like me, You will be dissapointed at the performance of the vehicle. About a week has passed since I've installed the Konis into the front and I can tell you, it made the biggest difference in the way the car worked. I say, if you have the oppurtunity to get koni fronts + tokico springs + tokico rears, DO IT. I wish I had that chance a year ago so I would've been satisfied with my suspension earlier.


anymore questions feel free to ask, this forum is always here to help you out.

Here's a thread on tokicos shocks & h&r springs.

https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?t=37187

Peace.

sorry to disapoint you guys but i dont think i want to put up around 4 hundred for struts then have to buy springs on top of that even though it is very tempting. Most definately i will just buy tokicos dampers and h&r springs and i can always get front konis if i want them later ( or maybe not because they are not made anymore, but oh well). I might go with what 3gn86lxi said and get supension techniques- i found one with 1 inch drop and ones with two inch....are the ones with a two inch drop the ones you have? what does everyone thing about that or should i just go with h&r?

I think it kindof depends on what you are hoping to accomplish with your setup. If you are looking to mearly get the drop, or for handeling.
My setup handles nice, but it most definatly could be stiffer.
I think it's a good mix for a daily driver, and it won't require a kidney belt to ride in!
And it's YOUR car, so it's your call what you use.
And the ST's I have are 2.5 front-2.25 rear. E-Bay is where I got em.

I haven't seen Spring Tech springs on ebay is some time. Look at these coilovers. Just don't drop them too low using them Tokicos.

those ebay coil overs are prolly shit considering they are coilovers and only cost 75 bucks

I spoke to a tokico rep one time and all the info they would tell me is that theyre struts are designed to work with the stiffness and drop of their own brand spring.

How true that statement is I dont know, being the tokicos seem kinda soft. Maybe he just said that to sell their own product but even if its true than any spring with similar drop and rate should work well with the struts.

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Originally Posted by guaynabo89

I spoke to a tokico rep one time and all the info they would tell me is that theyre struts are designed to work with the stiffness and drop of their own brand spring.

How true that statement is I dont know, being the tokicos seem kinda soft. Maybe he just said that to sell their own product but even if its true than any spring with similar drop and rate should work well with the struts.

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Yea as I said before, Tokicos Springs dont match perfectly with the tokico struts in the front. I put konis in and felt a dramatic difference and the bounce was gone. Tokicos struts do handle the springs..but..not the way it SHOULD.

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Originally Posted by Busted_Blue

Yea as I said before, Tokicos Springs dont match perfectly with the tokico struts in the front. I put konis in and felt a dramatic difference and the bounce was gone. Tokicos struts do handle the springs..but..not the way it SHOULD.

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I dont speak from experince by the way just what I was told by the tokico rep.

But yeah I also dont think theyre perfectly matched to their springs and probably just wanted me to purchase more of their products.

hey just to update- i went with tokicos and h&r and finished installing it today- wow what an improvement- nice and low much more planted and stiffer-its like a whole new car- i know what everyone is talking about how there is definately room for more stiffness in dampers but oh well- thanks for all your help

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Originally Posted by 5spdaccordlxi

hey just to update- i went with tokicos and h&r and finished installing it today- wow what an improvement- nice and low much more planted and stiffer-its like a whole new car- i know what everyone is talking about how there is definately room for more stiffness in dampers but oh well- thanks for all your help

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congrats on your ride! how does it bounce in the front?

good to hear you are satisfied with your tokico / H&R. I can definately feel the rear bounce in mine, but I drive on some bumpy ass roads.

what kind of rims / tires are you running? I was amazed at the difference going to lower profile rubber. when I put my 14s back on, it felt like my suspension was broken.

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Originally Posted by 5spdaccordlxi

hey just to update- i went with tokicos and h&r and finished installing it today- wow what an improvement- nice and low much more planted and stiffer-its like a whole new car- i know what everyone is talking about how there is definately room for more stiffness in dampers but oh well- thanks for all your help

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You're welcome. :)

But that is what this board is for. I have learned a lot about the 3g since coming to this board. There is a wealth of knowledge here, and the members are very helpful. I see several like A20A1, mouchyn, etc., who are constantly helping members with questions.

Glad everything worked out.

Peace.

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Originally Posted by Busted_Blue

congrats on your ride! how does it bounce in the front?

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yea its a little bouncy up front but the rear is nice - maybe someday i'll get some stiffer struts up front

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Originally Posted by 5spdaccordlxi

yea its a little bouncy up front but the rear is nice - maybe someday i'll get some stiffer struts up front

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heres a little something to consider https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?t=44405 . I had to modify the lower pirch, but the ride is stiff as hell. I had to set it lower cause I coule feel every dip and pebble in the road. I would also suggest lower profile tires to help stiffen the ride. Congrads on the new suspention.