My suspension was in desperate need of upgrading since my OEM shocks were going on 75k miles and were completely gone. I also wanted to go a little lower than what I was at before. I decided to go with Tokico since they are a very solid company which has been making shock absorbers for more than 65 yrs. They offer a lifetime limited warranty on all their performance shocks. Also, it was at the price point (less than $800) that I was looking to spend on a quality suspension kit at this time.

I got the D-Spec shocks instead of the HP shocks so I would be able to tune the rebound and compression damping. The shocks have an adjustable range of 1-7.5 with 1 being the firmest. After the system was installed I decided to go straight to the extreme firm setting and while the ride is very rough the handling is absolutely amazing. I am able to go into the curves now with alot more confidence and oversteer is completely gone. Going through the corners there is virtually no body roll compared to the slopping handling I had with the OEM shocks and Hotchkis springs. In the coming weeks I will probably turn it to the softer settings to get the best of both handling and ride comfort.

The springs on this kit lower the car one inch and leave about a 1 finger gap between the tire and fender. The spring rates on these springs are 375/375

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the D-Spec shocks and springs and look forward to setting it at the optimal setting for whatever type of driving I encounter.




For the rear you do not need extenders, I just made larger holes in the rear strut tower and bought a 3MM T-Hex tool from Amazon for $5. Now I can just open my hatch, stick the hex tool back there and immediately adjust the shock without having to jack the car up and drop the suspension.

 

did you need camber kit w/ this mod?

 

Yes, without a camber kit your fronts will be around -2.0 and rears will be around -2.4. So you will need front and rear camber kits to get back into OEM spec.

 

How did you cut the hole in the shock tower brace?

Also, I can't remember how the front strut tower brace attaches. It doesn't cover the top adjustment point on the front shocks does it?

I'm fine with the OEM spring and ride height so I may get these Tokicos without the springs.

I like the adjustable Koni shocks but I'm pretty sure you have to unmount the shocks to adjust the rears.

The adjustment extensions for the rear shocks are pretty cheap but I like your idea since that keeps you from having those adjustment extensions flopping around in the back.

And I'm sure you know but the firmest setting is not always the best handling setting. If damping is too firm it can cause the suspension to be less responsive to bumps and irregularities in the road/track and lead to poor contact.

 

Cut a hole in the shock tower brace with a Dremel tool. In the front strut tower it is nit covered so you can access it with the small hex tool they provide you with.

Yea i've been playing with the settings and a 3 or 4 setting seems to be the optimal setting for handling and ride comfort.

 

subd


will be getting d-specs with s-techs . . . after taxes

 

I have that same set up on my 07. Perfect stance in my opinion, and the ride is stock like. You'll be happy.

OP, post some pics of the drop

 

Did you get a camber kit for this set up?

 

 

nope. I guess I should have, but so far, all seems well

OP, that looks like a nice subtle drop. It's probably a tad bit lower than my s-tech drop.

 

is this a better set up then some tein basics?

 

I have the exact same setup on my 05. I set them to 4 and have never touched them.

 

What's the final drop on these?

 

1 inch

 

is that after they settle?

 

I have the d-spec along with tein S tech.... You don't need the front camber arms, you can get away with just the rear. Also try to get the adjustment extensions. I have mine attached to the strut tower at the back and its great for adjustment when needed.


Mike

 

Not sure since I didn't measure but from the eye it doesn't look like its lower than an inch. I would say there is about a finger gap between the tire and fender.

 

It depends on your rim and tire specs too.

 

So you needed front and rear camber kits, but no new toe bolts?

 

dont you always need new toe bolts ?