I hate cars

I've had some requests for the a-spec and Konis together and a few for the 255/40 so I figured it would be easier to make a thread instead of answering individual PMs.

These are with Koni Yellow Sports on the low setting in front, stock setting in the rear and 6mt a-spec springs on my 5at. Tires are Nitto NT05 255/40 on stock rims. They're about 1/4" shorter than stock.

Suspension choices were based on performance but luckily the looks came out ok. It's almost too low for me, I tend to be conservative but with the Konis in the stock position up front, the rear sagged so I had to bring the front down, not to mention the car tended to understeer more with the front in the air.

binhsterbinh

Looking good. That drop looks perfect. Now I have to talk myself into buying Koni Sports for the front A-Spec suspension to obtain that lower front perch setting like yours. It's great that your Rotora 13" barely squeeze in there.

Thanks for the pictures.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Nice!

Chad05TL

Now thats the way I like it right there. Not extreme but enough to take out the gap. And plus the way the car sits, it looks like its suppose to. Not too low or too high in the front or the rear or vise versa. So those Koni's are not the Sp3's? And the difference between the SP3's and the yellow's are just the Sp3 has a few more mounting positions for added flexibility? But both shocks have adjustible dampening right?

You're also on Aspec MT springs and on the lowest setting on the front, right? How much higher would the front be if you raised it up a notch? And if you raised up the rear one notch would the car still sit the same? (just higher, but evenly higher?) If you have any pictures of it on the notch above where it is now, please post.

Are the SP3's worth it if you had to do it over and money was no problem?

BDoggPrelude

Nice. The NT05 is a pretty serious tire. You gonna be hitting the track with those?

08A-SPEC

iTrader: (3)

nice!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

They look beautiful together!

navarretg

Definitely nice TL, you dont see too many or any at all TLs with Rotora bbk and stockies.

I hate cars

Thanks for the nice words...

I figured I was one of the few with stock rims and the BBK. I guess it's from my racing roots. Always try and look as stock as possible while putting a hurting on people lol.

Chad- I wouldn't mind if the car were just a touch higher equally in the front and rear. I didn't know about the SP3s when I ordered my Yellows a long time ago. I would've gone that route if I had known about it for sure. I can only assume they would allow you to equally raise both ends but maybe someone on here who has them can answer.

BDogg- It has been tracked once on these tires. I ended up taking out a co-worker's Cayman, Camaro SS, and STi on them. Not exactly fair because they were on stock tires but I was still the underdog with half the power of the SS. These tires stick very well on the street but I had no idea just how much better they would stick with some heat in them. The nice thing is they didn't give up lap after lap in the 3,500lb TL. I expected them to turn to butter after a while.

binhsterbinh

I helped my cousin install the Neuspeed Supercup Kit with the red sport springs and Koni SP3s. I believe each perch level for both Front and Rear shocks was about ~0.3" apart. So in a nutshell, Perch 1 = -0.60" lower; Perch 2 = -0.30"; Perch 3 = Stock 0.00"; Perch 4 = +0.30"; Perch 5 = +0.60"

Would you say the lower perch on the Koni Sports are -0.75" or closer to -0.60" like the SP3?

myron

iTrader: (4)

for some reason I always thought you had an AM TL. Nice brakes damn those look sexy.

Slpr04UA6

Lookin' Good IHC!! Glad to see some pics.

ABP_04TL

iTrader: (2)

looks good... wonder how those 255s would look on 18s a-spec

Chad05TL

Thats some good information. I didn't know the SP3's were so close. I like that though. I could just leave my factory springs on if I only go down .6" to .3". And then put on some thicker anti-sway bars. But as for the Koni sports, you would have to ask Ihatecars. He may be able to approximate the amount each perch lowers, and/or the distance between each perch, on the Koni yellows.

I know to most that may seem odd to go down only 1/2 an in or less, but I don't really think I need to go down much. Its already pretty low.

I hate cars

The Koni Yellows are supposed to drop the car 3/4" on the low setting and that's pretty much exactly what they did.

I do have subs in the trunk and the car sits higher in the rear for sure without them. However, I've removed the factory spare tire, jack, sub, and trunk lid weight so it should be close to the weight of a stock TL.

I think there are advantages to dropping the TL with adjustable perches vs springs. Shorter springs make it more likely to lift a tire when the suspension unloads over bumps mid corner or when cornering hard with large swaybars.

I loved the way it looked with stock springs and the front Konis on the low setting but it had almost too much of a rake.

poormans_tl69

looks good

BDoggPrelude

Nah. Nitto designed that tire with track use in mind. It can take a pretty serious beating. Good tire choice BTW. Nitto makes a great tire.

Chad05TL

but you also have the A-spec springs for a manual transmission on your automatic car. So, its also lower than normal on the front.

I hate cars

I first ran the Konis with my stock springs. The a-specs came about a year later.

If I had gotten the 5at a-spec, most likely the car would sit perfectly level. It's hard to tell but the front is a little over 1/4" lower when sitting on level ground. This is really being picky. It's so close that all it takes is to park in a spot that's not level which is most parking spots, and sometimes the rear looks lower, sometimes the front looks lower. That's why I like to err on the side of a slight rake to the front. More times than not, the front is lower.

I hate cars

Thanks! I did as much research as I could but I bought them before there were many people using them. I couldn't be happier. They actually have a much sharper turn in yet are not as harsh as some of the other less performance oriented tires I've run. Break away is so predictable and forgiving for a tire of this nature. There's also a little howling right before the limit for warning.

With my friend's g-tech or whatever it's called, I've hit 1.38Gs in the corners with them fully hot. Not sure how accurate it is but it sure was fun.

Chad05TL

This is where the personal preference comes in. The normal look for the TL, is the wheel gap on the front is a tad more than the rear but even with that little extra gap, the character line of the car is still sloped down from the rear to the front of the car... I know thats weird to think about, but its true. You can see a pic of my car in my album. (The higher res pic). My car is still factory springs with no a-spec. Therefore, its just my opinion that if I make the front too much lower than what it is now, in respect to the rear, then the character line will be sloped even more. So for my car, I am thinking about an even drop with the SP3's, on my same factory springs, except maybe just 1 perch lower on the front than the rear. Now, on the SP3, based on what I have read, thats only about 1/3 of an inch lower than the rear. That's different that the Yellows. So, per binhsterbinh above, if I drop .3 in the rear and .6 in the front, then that may not throw off my "asmuth" much. haha But still be lower all around and still take out slightly more tire gap out of the front. That's what I am thinking as of right now. But that may change tomorrow. haha

also i dont want to go down much. I think my car is pretty low already. But I do like the added feature of adjusting the Koni's dampening rate.

Chad05TL

I know this thread is about you and not me, but another good thing about retaining my factory springs, is that, #1. I can; because 1/2" drop or less probably won't hurt the car any, even on factory springs.. And #2, I know more exactly what I will have in the end. I'm scared that some springs don't really drop what they say they do. It might be more or less. you never know. So, since I am fine tuning this thing, then I dont want to toss in a set of springs into the equation. All I really want to do anyway, is replace my bad shocks, go slightly lower if possible, and remove much of the sway. But that will be done with anti-sway bars later. I'm kinda like you in regard to being on the reserve side, on this TL. I used to be more extreme with my old Camaro. with a solid 35mm anti sway bar on front, lower with bilstien and eibachs. That thing did not lean!

Chad05TL

correction. Its .25" and then .5". This may be even better. This would be the 1/2 drop all the way around evenly, that I was looking for. hmm..

http://www.neuspeed.com/products/pro...port&p_id=1132

Chad05TL

I see nuespeed is the same as SP3 http://store.excelerateperformance.c.../i-262650.aspx

binhsterbinh

Yeah the super cup kit has the same SP3 shocks. I guess it was +-0.25" and +-0.50" perch settings after all. So if you wanted the single front -0.75" perch, you'd have to opt for the Koni Sport Yellows. SP3's are about $591 after shipping making them about $50 more than the Koni Yellows I see from the rack. Although the added convenience of 5 perches, slightly firmer valving as well as shorter rods would be nice for a hair more suspension travel. That very well might make up for the $50 difference in my eye unless I wanted the full 3/4" drop that the Yellows offer.

If I was on all stock springs, I'd probably install the Yellows (non SP3) and put them all on the lowest perch for an even 3/4" drop all around. Essentially giving yourself a drop height similar to what the 6MT A-Spec suspension would look like on an 5AT TL; however, the ride would be like stock with better dampening control. Despite the 3/4" loss in suspension travel from the lower perch, you'd probably hit the bump stops less than if you were on the soft OEM shocks because of the firm Koni compression valving.

Chad05TL

True but if I decide to go to different springs in the future, I may wish i had the Sp3's. But I doubt that will happen. I dont really want to lower my car much at all.

Chad05TL

It's a really tuff choice!! Good Golly Ms molly! haha

2Morrow

From the design perspective, Its hard to beat the stockies on the 3GTL.
Especially if you dont wanna blow a grip on high end wheels

I hate cars

I love trying to make it look stock. But I do think the big brakes and wider tires make the stock rims look better.

2Morrow

So true !
BTW, Nice GNX avatar you got goin on !

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

I think those brakes are my favorite part.

Chad05TL

ya.. what 2morrow said...

its all bs... yawl need to come to real. It IS hard to beat factory.. (unless yur goal is to look like you live in the projects)

I mean ta tell!

but nobody will confess

Chad05TL

ok I was acting weird last night. It was the full moon on a friday night or something.

I hate cars

I figured it was alcohol. I haven't been bad on this board because I joined when I was 29 and only drink a few times a year but on turbobuick.com that I joined when I was 20, I used to dread waking up and reading what I had written the night before....the good old days lol.

TRIOD3SIGNS

when are u guna drive to fresno & get better pics shot by me.... LOLOLOL

I hate cars

When you grow that sexy ponytail back.....

Besides, my crappy camera hides all of the flaws. When's the next go-cart meet?

Chad05TL

well, its true I'm a bit on the weird side anyway. haha But ya there was a drink in there somewhere too. haha

bluescreenofdeath

sorry for dragging this back from the dead, but are these pics available in another thread, since the links to the host are dead?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^i have the same exact set up.
Enjoy

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)