redbeard1

Hello all,

Reading some other posts, am I safe in assuming OEM shocks deliver the softest ride? I had been looking at some orange koni but it sounds like even the orange are sportier than OEM.

2005 TL AT
90,000 miles
I drive so calm, I'm still on my original brakes

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

As I understand it, there were 4 OEM ride levels for the 3G TL (from softest to stiffest):

• 2004-2006 Automatic
• 2007-2008 Automatic (non-Type-S)
• 2004-2006 6-Speed Manual
• 2007-2008 Type-S (Automatic and 6-Speed Manual)

redbeard1

Thanks for the ranking,
I had been thinking of using OEM shocks from a 07-08 AT as one of the other posts had mentioned those were known for cushy-ness, but I think I will just use OEM for my car and year.

post #2
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-t...uality-908322/

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

You're not going to believe this, but so many people have said that the TEIN suspensions are softer than OEM, that I'm considering a set (I only use the car for trips now). Maybe they are comparing to the Type-S, not sure. I have the BC Racing N/A suspension at the moment, and although it's not terrible, it's much harsher than my 2007 Base suspension was. I'll be selling it to a track rat for sure haha.

dopeboy1

Tein street advance are adjustable so they can be softer than oem or stiffer than oem. Thats the beauty of adjustable coil overs. Im sure other brands that are adjustable could be softer than oem as well. I got tein SA on my TL SH-AWD and the recommended stiffness is way softer than oem.

BROlando

OP...are you asking this question because the factory suspension feels a little rattly?

It felt that way for me too, when I drove my friend's type S.

Its a pretty safe bet that Koni oranges will ride better than the stock shocks.

truonghthe

Acutally the 07-08 Base TL got the softest suspension setup, the main reason behind that because most people complain the 04-06 too sporty (yes even the AT version).

redbeard1

Hello,

Can't complain about rattles, car has always been tight.

My problem is that this winter I've begun to notice that some of the raised cracks between two sections of street paving seem to slightly bump me off my seat. I avoid the potholes so I have no way of knowing what those feel like. The cracks are less than an inch high so I would think the suspension should absorb them. My gf just got a rav4 2018 and I can feel the cracks when I drive her car, but they don't feel as harsh and they don't lift me off my seat.

So I began reading and learned that shocks are wear items and not really designed to work near 100% at 13 years and 90T miles. Even though I drive my car like a grandma, it occurred to me that the ride might get a lot softer with new shocks. I figured as long as I was getting new shocks, I should get some that are closer to how I drive my car. I read the koni orange would be the softest (i.e., koni yellow locked at softest setting), but now I think softest might be OEM. The koni are about 290 and the oem 450, but I'd gladly pay for a softer ride.

My shocks have no oil leaks but I recently read that the part of the shock that handles small bumps is some type of gas. No way of knowing if the gas has leaked.

redbeard1

By better, do you mean softer? I've read the strt koni's will handle spirited driving better, but lose a little in cushy-ness. Is that your experience?

redbeard1

Have you heard of anyone putting 07-08 shocks into a 05? Would I need to swap out the entire spring unit? If the 04-06 is too sporty, it just occurred to me, maybe I just noticed the harsh ride because I've been driving the rav4.

BROlando

Soft doesn't mean comfortable. Soft just means soft.

Konis will likely absorb the bumps you are talking about better than a stock shock due to how their valving is designed.

When I say the stock suspension "rattles", I am describing what you are describing. That sharp cracks feel like a bigger impact than needed.

Things to check before changing your shocks:

-Tyres - are they worn out? what type are you using?

-Alignment. Toe can cause harshness over cracks in the road.

At 90K miles, the stock shocks shouldn't be worn out. They're just not valved as comfortably as Konis generally are.

Again...let go of "soft means comfort" thoughts.

truonghthe

Yes I seen people put the 07-08 suspension in their 04-06 model since they are direct bolt on and yes you will need shocks and springs from a 07-08 base TL. However some thing you should notice is that bushing also difference than the 04-06 as well they all work together to reduce road feeling.

I see that you driving the Rav4 being Toyota 90% of them come with soft suspension, matter fact its the softest OEM suspension of 3 major Japanese branch. On top of that your GF Rav4 still new so of course everything feels good. If I want a long interstate cruise I will be using the LS460.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Thanks, good to know.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

My '07 TL Base was nothing to write home about. Terrible, IMO.

redbeard1

Thanks all for the replies. Lots of good info.

Tires are conti dws at 9/16 at whatever psi is in the manual so I ruled them out as culprits
I checked toe last week and it is good.
Sounds like even the 07-08 oem may not give me what I want.

I think I will try the koni orange. One last question. Can someone confirm these orange koni's are a simple swap with the OEM? I don't know much about lowering and some of the koni threads go over my head. I would just like to swap my oem shocks with koni orange and keep everything else the same. Is this possible or does my car get lowered when using the koni's?

Thanks

BROlando

Yep, everything transfers and the height is not effected.

Good luck with your install. Let us know how you like them. That will help future inquiries!

Pro-tip...harbor freight sells a floor mounted hydraulic spring compressor for a little over $100. I wouldn't recommend using the rental "claws" from a parts store.

redbeard1

Thanks, I'll order the konis today. it may be a few weeks before I find time to do swap, but I'll report on results back here.

I've rented tools before but also figured I should avoid renting this type of tool. Too much risk to save a little money.

truonghthe

Terrible as no road feeling? I see that why you have the Lotus for the weekend

Hell sometime my Type S annoy the living crap out of me being feel most road imperfection.

BROlando

The issue with the stock shocks is they don't roll off of sharp bumps very well. They kind of crash into them. A lot of Hondas ride like that. IDK why.

I think they addressed it in a lot of the newer models. But the stock TL shocks aren't all that fantastic in terms of ride comfort.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Just rough, jarring. We bought it new too, so it's not a wear thing. The car always rode harsh and had too much wind noise IMO. The rest is good.

I don't see the base TL as a sports sedan, I see it as a luxury car, so it should have been be softer, and quieter IMO. Had I bought a Type-S it would have been a different story.

My Exige with Öhlins rides softer than my TL with BC Racing suspension, and you can take that to the bank.

Öhlins > everything else

truonghthe

lol the legendary shocks maker for everything from sport bike to suspension for F1 car. When I live over sea Ohlins pop up alot for Honda/Suzuki/ Yamaha motorcycle but here in the USA I barely heard their name.


Yes about the Base TL suspension, I do agree with you that its not 100% soft compare to Lexus ES series but so far I find it a great blend between my TL-S (harsh) and the RL (soft). This is why I own all 3 (well technically 4) of them the 08 only has 49k miles on the clock lol.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Well, that may be how you see it, however, back in the day I remember reading a number of articles about the (then) new 2004 Acura TL, and if I recall correctly, the design target was the E39 BMW 5-Series with sport package. Given I used to own a 2002 530i SP, I can say with considerable authority they hit the mark pretty darn well for a FWD car.

BROlando

Sports sedans don't need to ride badly. They're supposed to ride very well while still remaining planted.

Its not really a huge secret. Monotubes, fairly large low speed rebound damping force, Fairly low compression damping force. Same way Koni, Ohlins, Bilstein, and a lot of other OEM's do it.

But that costs money.

Honda masks their economy shocks with lots of high-speed compression force to make them feel "crisp".

Nevermind. This is boring.

truonghthe

Is it the 5 series or is it Acura was after the 3 series since they are the best selling luxury entry sport sedan at all time?


Well I never consider the TL is a sport sedan, even with the Type S model. It feel like an entry level luxury car with a touch of gran touring treatment, but if you looks at the price when new Acura undercut alot of competitor so the cheap shock doesn't surprise me at all. However they tune the suspension to mask that FWD architecture very well.

BROlando

Very true. With less expensive shock tuning, it seems they'd need to choose extremely floppy vs kinda harsh.

I prefer slightly harsh Hondas to marshmallow soft Toyotas for sure.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I'm like 95% sure it was the E39 5-Series they were targeting. I wonder of the original articles from the era are online; maybe I'll look tonight.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

I'm trying the TEIN suspension for my TL soon, in hopes of getting it softer than the BC Racing.

For your enjoyment


Christmas comes early. by Andrew Thompson, on Flickr

truonghthe

^^^lmao, its super sexy. Don't forget to post once everything ready to go in.

OsK

iTrader: (2)

Air Suspension is the softest ride, but I digress

redbeard1

Just ordered the koni's. I will report back after install.

One tip that might help others. I've been keeping more and more tools in my trunk as I started doing repairs on a boat last fall. After moving the tools to the footwell of the back seat, the ride got so much better. Not sure why, but I figured I'd pass this along.

Pair of TLs

This has been my experience--the '08 Base TL has the smoothest ride.

Pair of TLs

I got the free rental GOOD type at Advance when I do mine--My old claw-type is mounted on the wall for reminiscing 'bout the good ol' days....8-)

Pair of TLs

Nothing like tools 'n stuff bouncing around in your trunk--I put carry-outs and doggie bags in the rear footwells, too!

Gregster62

I have the Koni Srt orange on all 4 corners and they ride firm I have a 2007 Type S using the stock Type S springs which are said to be 15% stiifer than a stock spring. They installed perfectly fine but mine didn't come with the bushings, just the nut on top. If I was to do it again I would try the Tein SA's.

fishinmagician

Sorry to hijack, but I am going to buy the Koni oranges and keep the stock springs.
Do I need to replace the bump stops and/or mounting plates also, or does it not make a difference? thanks

redbeard1

Everything was a straight swap except you will need some spacing washers for the rears (about 4.5 mm for each damper but YMMV). They do not come with the kit. I should finish my last Koni orange damper (i've done 2 rears 1 front) in a few days and will write up more thoughts a few days after that.

I will give this preview. Depending on your level of mechanical experience (I was still taking my car to the dealer for oil changes in 2015) and your desire for Konis (keep in mind the orange are made in Argentina not Holland like the yellow - google quality issues on the oranges before you buy), you may want to look at the OEM damper/spring assemblies. I can't speak to ride quality, but rust on my old assemblies made the koni install very difficult (I had to dremel more than a few seized fittings), and time intensive.

redbeard1

Finally finished swapping the four orange konis. The ride is good but firm. I can't remember how my new car drove so I can't say if the orange is softer than OEM. I can say my dad's 15 year old camry transmits less of the bumps. These konis feel about as firm, maybe a touch softer than my gf's new rav4. Obviously, both the camry and the rav4 feel worse in a turn.

Both my rear dampers were so bad, I could compress them with my arms (i need to use my body weight to compress the konis). They probably were the reason my car began to bounce badly after bumps. Strangely, the bouncing only began in the last few months and got worse very quickly. This was the first winter my car spent time outside our heated garage so maybe the cold did something to the valve seals? The fronts were bad as well. I could barely compress them with my body weight but could not get them to decompress no matter how hard I pulled on the shaft. These front dampers probably accounted for the jarring I felt after hitting small bumps on the road.

Most interesting to me, none of the dampers were leaking or had leaked oil. In the future, I think I will change dampers assemblies every 60,000 miles. It was hard for me to notice the ride had changed until the ride it got very bad.

I'll write up some tips on the install in the following thread in a few days.

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-t...-issue-969663/

BROlando

Compressing/decompressing the shock as you posted doesn't qualify them as blown. I can compress most twin tube shocks by hand. Most are very low pressure charged. Rebound is also slow because of the same reason.

Shocks become harder to push/extend at higher speeds...thats how they work. They just slow down the spring by resisting rapid movement. They're not supposed to hold the car up.

Maybe the stock shocks had some wear, though. Floating or bouncing when driving does signify shock wear.

Glad you got your konis installed. Installing shocks can be a pain if you've not done it before.