Notices
Scion tC 2G Suspension & Handling Coilovers, Shocks, Airbags, Swaybars...

Does the TC2 Have Linear Springs?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 04:28 PM
  #1  
yardleyTC's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
5 Year Member
SL Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 438
From: Ottawa, Canada
Default Does the TC2 Have Linear Springs?

Im trying to confrim that the TC2 has linear springs?

A type of spring designed so that the force deflecting the spring is in direct proportion to the distance the spring travels. The linear spring is the most common type of spring.

Thanks
Chris
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 04:41 PM
  #2  
EOIO3's Avatar
Banned
SL Member
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 230
Default

Yes it does...also known as a constant rate spring.
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 05:31 PM
  #3  
yardleyTC's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
5 Year Member
SL Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 438
From: Ottawa, Canada
Default

perfect thanks, so cutting shouldnt be an issue
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 06:41 PM
  #4  
donweso809's Avatar
Member
SL Member
 
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 50
Default

Originally Posted by yardleyTC
perfect thanks, so cutting shouldnt be an issue

It shouldn't,i cut mine.. I wouldn't recommend it ride quality turns to Shyt..i ended up buying used oem springs on Ebay for 60 bucks..i went 2" also another issue I has if you thinking about going more then 1.5 you might have to weld the spring in place..it poped out of place when turning the steering wheel from one side to the other..
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 06:58 PM
  #5  
Blackedout011TC's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
SL Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 704
From: North Augusta, SC
Default

When you cut a spring, the ends need to be 180 degrees apart. That is how they are made. I would buy a set of springs, and read the TRD instructions on spring clocking(positioning) or you will ruin your strut upper mount bearing assembly.
TRD instructions state that the spring ends need to be within 60 degrees of the spindle/suspension arm..The exact jargon is in a link on page 2 of this thread.
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=198824
Our cars are made super cheaply, so proper parts orientation is critical. Quite a few OG's had to replace upper bearings at like 180 bucks a pop..I might be next, got some creaking noise on low speed turning. I swear I installed my springs by marking everything like the factory had it and reassembling exactly the same. I wish now that I had made sure to check the spring clocking.
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 07:56 PM
  #6  
engifineer's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
Scikotics
SL Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 9,731
From: Minneapolis, MN
Default

When you lower, rates should go up. It is and always will be a dumb idea to cut springs. Especially these days when aftermarket springs are so cheap.
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 11:07 PM
  #7  
norcalstatvs's Avatar
Member
SL Member
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 57
From: CA
Default

Honestly all that work wen u can spend 220$ on a set of nice s techs
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 11:12 PM
  #8  
yardleyTC's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
5 Year Member
SL Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 438
From: Ottawa, Canada
Default

I have a spare set of OEM's and by the time it gets to me in ottawa its closer to 400 after shipping and taxes. The drop isn't enough so if I make a mistake with the cut or have issues ill put the other set of OEM's on and get the dealer to fix it under warrenty
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 12:59 AM
  #9  
engifineer's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
Scikotics
SL Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 9,731
From: Minneapolis, MN
Default

Wow, ethics at work !

Like i said, dumb idea. Its your car though. You want it to handle like a box of s#1t, go for it. I mean, stechs make it handle bad enough, but cutting springs? :p
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 01:07 AM
  #10  
norcalstatvs's Avatar
Member
SL Member
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 57
From: CA
Default

Hah how come everybody likes ksport springs so much? Wen they hit the tc2 market it seems like their gunna sell out after a day
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 01:21 AM
  #11  
yardleyTC's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
5 Year Member
SL Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 438
From: Ottawa, Canada
Default

Originally Posted by engifineer
Wow, ethics at work !

Like i said, dumb idea. Its your car though. You want it to handle like a box of s#1t, go for it. I mean, stechs make it handle bad enough, but cutting springs? :p
Ethics from a dealership at the time I bought my car the dealership did not cut the price at all even tho our dollar was higher than the US buck. They kill us up here on prices on anything.
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 01:30 AM
  #12  
engifineer's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
Scikotics
SL Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 9,731
From: Minneapolis, MN
Default

Their pricing has nothing to do with ethics. They wanted to sell it at a price (which is totally their choice) and you wanted to buy it (your choice) .... and you bought it at the price you saw it. No one forced you to buy the car. There was nothing unethical about that. Screwing up a car by doing something incorrectly and then passing off the damage as a warranty claim (which Toyota corp pays a chunk of, not just the dealership you go to) is unethical, and is the very reason that dealers always want to first deny a claim, because so many kids these days screw them over on it. So in other words, we all pay for it in the long run.

Lord knows I am no angel, but I dont cheat my way out of my own mistakes either.

But chances are if you pay attention to what you are doing, you wont break anything directly. The car will just handle like complete and total crap ... possibly dramatically raising the chances that if you get into an emergency situation you will lose control and smash into something, someone, etc.
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 01:34 AM
  #13  
speterson82's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
SL Member
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 334
From: Kansas City, MO
Default

Originally Posted by engifineer
Wow, ethics at work !

Like i said, dumb idea. Its your car though. You want it to handle like a box of s#1t, go for it. I mean, stechs make it handle bad enough, but cutting springs? :p
lowering springs might make the ride rougher (....not really) but they definitely do not make it handle worse.
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 03:05 AM
  #14  
engifineer's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
Scikotics
SL Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 9,731
From: Minneapolis, MN
Default

Lowering without raising spring rates (aka cutting springs or running crap like stechs) absolutely diminishes handling. Ask the people who have tracked and/or autocrossed stechs and experienced horrible push while they were bouncing off the bump stops due to under stiff springs.

And over lowering absolutely equals poor handling.

With springs like stechs and cut springs you have one or both of the above.

There is way more to it than the simplistic view of lowering the cg. Go get familiar with roll couples, motion ratios, wheel rates, camber curves etc and you will understand why anyone who is shooting for competitive handling is running much milder drops than stechs and much higher spring rates. Stechs are for slamming while trying to keep the ride cushy, not at all for improving handling. Some will chime in and say "my car handles awesome on my stechs yo!" and none of them have actually seriously pushed the car in a timed environment and tried multiple different setups to find out what works.

But in no case is cutting stock springs a good choice. If you really want all show no go slam it smushy suspension, buy some stechs or something before hacking up oem units.
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 03:23 AM
  #15  
norcalstatvs's Avatar
Member
SL Member
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 57
From: CA
Default

Is that y ppl buy coilovers? So they can have a nice 2in drop with stiffer suspension? Noob question
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 03:44 AM
  #16  
engifineer's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
Scikotics
SL Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 9,731
From: Minneapolis, MN
Default

It varies as to why they buy them. When wanting good handling, the ability to corner balance is of importance. Also, being able to set the ride height exactly where it needs to be. And a lot of them come with camber plates up front, which is almost a must when you really want a setup you can daily drive, yet really get the most out of on the course or track. I utilize all of those benefits with my coilovers.

Some buy them just so they can slam it as far as they can, which in any case is not providing very good handling, but at least with a decent set, the rates are high which helps some.

2in is way too low for the first gen (and likely the 2nd gen) in terms of optimal handling. 1.4 to 1.5 is more like it. To put it in perspective, i am sitting at about that drop with 390/559 spring rates.
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 04:00 AM
  #17  
EOIO3's Avatar
Banned
SL Member
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 230
Default

Originally Posted by engifineer
... When wanting good handling, the ability to corner balance is of importance...


That requires having scales under each wheel when you do your wheel alignment…to get the weight distribution right! Not too many “speed shops” even have that! They don’t realize that that is the biggest advantage of having coilovers…in terms of handling. And if you don’t have scales under each wheel for the alignment, it is an advantage that is not utilized…and money wasted!
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 04:00 AM
  #18  
norcalstatvs's Avatar
Member
SL Member
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 57
From: CA
Default

Thanx for the info. Wen a bigger selection hits the market i will prolly buy a set of the best spring rated set.

Im goin to be purchasing a bigger sway bar set wen they come out and ive heard for an ideal setup u want stiff swar bars with softer springs or stiff spring with softer sway bars. Any comment on this?
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 04:12 AM
  #19  
engifineer's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
Scikotics
SL Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 9,731
From: Minneapolis, MN
Default

Originally Posted by EOIO3

That requires having scales under each wheel when you do your wheel alignment…to get the weight distribution right! Not too many “speed shops” even have that! They don’t realize that that is the biggest advantage of having coilovers…in terms of handling. And if you don’t have scales under each wheel for the alignment, it is an advantage that is not utilized…and money wasted!
I would be blown away to find a good alignment shop that does performance alignments that didnt have scales. Hell I know people with corner scales in their personal garage! The one man shop i get my alignments from has them. My car was aligned to my specs with 180 lbs of ballast in the drivers seat and balanced on a set of scales.
Old Jan 16, 2012 | 04:17 AM
  #20  
engifineer's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
5 Year Member
Scikotics
SL Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 9,731
From: Minneapolis, MN
Default

Originally Posted by norcalstatvs
Thanx for the info. Wen a bigger selection hits the market i will prolly buy a set of the best spring rated set.

Im goin to be purchasing a bigger sway bar set wen they come out and ive heard for an ideal setup u want stiff swar bars with softer springs or stiff spring with softer sway bars. Any comment on this?
Use stiff springs to get rid of a chunk of the body roll. Then run a stiffer rear bar and stock front bar. That will tune out some of the understeer. Keeping the stock front bar will leave more independence up there which helps battle corner exit wheel spin which is inherent in open diff fwd cars. Keep in mind though that a super stiff rear sway will make it more prone to snap oversteer. If you are just running it on the street, something like a progress or trd rear sway is more than enough on the first gen. I run a dg spec rear bar which makes it much more over-steery for autox. If you are not really used to pushing the car past its limits i would not rec omend that bar in full stiff for the street.



All times are GMT. The time now is 01:41 PM.