Wheels, Tires, Or Suspension First? :(
07-16-19, 09:37 PM
#1
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Wheels, Tires, Or Suspension First? :(
I was looking online and saw mixed reviews on several different ways on how one should go about getting fresh kicks for your car. I am honestly confused about which should I pay attention to first. I was looking towards suspension, then wheels and tires but I saw that for certain coilovers and adjusting myheight that it would determine on if I have aggressive wheels which I havent decided yet. Still new to adding new things to my car so I honestly want to see what's the best route to take.
07-17-19, 12:06 AM
#2
One thing to consider though is getting 1995-2000 LS400 front brakes swapped on, for which you will need at least 17" rims with enough offset clearance. That also is an essential part of the whole suspension and control aspect of the SC.
I'd suggest doing those and the right wheels and tires along with them and then the suspension. Really as long as they're good quality alloy wheels and around 8"-9" up front and at least 9.5"-11" in the rear with enough offset for the LS400 brakes they don't need to cost too much.
It's the whole package, really. If not for the very undersized stock SC300 front brakes I'd say just do the suspension first but I personally suggest making that brake upgrade a priority too. They match the car far better and provide much safer and more confident stopping capability.
I'd suggest doing those and the right wheels and tires along with them and then the suspension. Really as long as they're good quality alloy wheels and around 8"-9" up front and at least 9.5"-11" in the rear with enough offset for the LS400 brakes they don't need to cost too much.
It's the whole package, really. If not for the very undersized stock SC300 front brakes I'd say just do the suspension first but I personally suggest making that brake upgrade a priority too. They match the car far better and provide much safer and more confident stopping capability.
07-17-19, 07:10 AM
#3
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
One thing to consider though is getting 1995-2000 LS400 front brakes swapped on, for which you will need at least 17" rims with enough offset clearance. That also is an essential part of the whole suspension and control aspect of the SC.
I'd suggest doing those and the right wheels and tires along with them and then the suspension. Really as long as they're good quality alloy wheels and around 8"-9" up front and at least 9.5"-11" in the rear with enough offset for the LS400 brakes they don't need to cost too much.
It's the whole package, really. If not for the very undersized stock SC300 front brakes I'd say just do the suspension first but I personally suggest making that brake upgrade a priority too. They match the car far better and provide much safer and more confident stopping capability.
I'd suggest doing those and the right wheels and tires along with them and then the suspension. Really as long as they're good quality alloy wheels and around 8"-9" up front and at least 9.5"-11" in the rear with enough offset for the LS400 brakes they don't need to cost too much.
It's the whole package, really. If not for the very undersized stock SC300 front brakes I'd say just do the suspension first but I personally suggest making that brake upgrade a priority too. They match the car far better and provide much safer and more confident stopping capability.
07-17-19, 09:20 AM
#4
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
SC Goals In Mind - Your Honest Thoughts
So I figured it might be useful to put out my goals for my sc on the forum just to collect thoughts and inspiration from others who have plans and have already done projects. Heres what I hope to achieve.
For starters I want to get the entirety of the engine bay and maintenance up to date, that's something I'm really not to worried about yet, running at 105k I still have yet to do the timing belt, valve cover gaskets, maybe replace some of the surface rusted pulleys on the serpentine belt, as well as replace the serp belt. Also get some new bolts to replace surface rusted ones or marker over them. As well as get new or used Lexus LS400 or Brembo brakes and calipers. I also want to repaint the window separate panel as those are weared.
Once everything is up to par OEM and detailed, I plan on moving to some new tires, medium to low profile tires, and maybe some aftermarket wheels. Not trynna go for aggressive or anything but probably just flush with the fenders and lowered a tad bit, I live in the Midwest (Chicago) as of now so not too much because of their roads here, but definitely lower than stock. Other than that I plan on keeping it a NA V8 until I'm older and can afford to put into rebuilding for a turbo (I'm 18 :]). I just want to make it look oem clean and but fresh for now as it will be my daily driver.
Any extra project along the way will probably be replacing surface rusted parts that I happen to come across, adding tint, and replacing the speakers and seeing if I can get the phone inside the center console to work
. also getting a new leather interior as the leather is badly torn, (doesnt bother me much).
Other than that if you have managed to read through this entire post congratz you have patience to hear me blab on about what I want to do as if you would care down the road.
Since you are already here, I would appreciate ANY AND I MEAN ANY feedback on what you think. I'm serious on whether what I should start on first all the way to why I should JZ swap. Any recommendations on certain manufacturers or brands for parts to any handy tips you might find useful or found useful to yourself when doing your own thing.
Another thing is if you have goals or plans for your own SC post them here. It could definitely give then next SC owner inspiration for a new project or idea.
Have a great day to all that reads this.
For starters I want to get the entirety of the engine bay and maintenance up to date, that's something I'm really not to worried about yet, running at 105k I still have yet to do the timing belt, valve cover gaskets, maybe replace some of the surface rusted pulleys on the serpentine belt, as well as replace the serp belt. Also get some new bolts to replace surface rusted ones or marker over them. As well as get new or used Lexus LS400 or Brembo brakes and calipers. I also want to repaint the window separate panel as those are weared.
Once everything is up to par OEM and detailed, I plan on moving to some new tires, medium to low profile tires, and maybe some aftermarket wheels. Not trynna go for aggressive or anything but probably just flush with the fenders and lowered a tad bit, I live in the Midwest (Chicago) as of now so not too much because of their roads here, but definitely lower than stock. Other than that I plan on keeping it a NA V8 until I'm older and can afford to put into rebuilding for a turbo (I'm 18 :]). I just want to make it look oem clean and but fresh for now as it will be my daily driver.
Any extra project along the way will probably be replacing surface rusted parts that I happen to come across, adding tint, and replacing the speakers and seeing if I can get the phone inside the center console to work
. also getting a new leather interior as the leather is badly torn, (doesnt bother me much).Other than that if you have managed to read through this entire post congratz you have patience to hear me blab on about what I want to do as if you would care down the road.
Since you are already here, I would appreciate ANY AND I MEAN ANY feedback on what you think. I'm serious on whether what I should start on first all the way to why I should JZ swap. Any recommendations on certain manufacturers or brands for parts to any handy tips you might find useful or found useful to yourself when doing your own thing.
Another thing is if you have goals or plans for your own SC post them here. It could definitely give then next SC owner inspiration for a new project or idea.
Have a great day to all that reads this.
07-17-19, 11:46 PM
#5
It is a matter or personal opinion. It is a well designed Toyota/Lexus after all and as long as the brakes are in good well maintained shape it is going to be fine. The reason I personally recommend and advocate for the LS400 front brake caliper upgrade for SC's is down to the fact that I feel when these cars are spiritedly driven or if they are given higher than stock horsepower they can really benefit from the night and day difference in braking power for these 3500lb+ coupes.
Stock SC400 brakes from 1992-2000 and stock 1998-2000 SC300 brakes are slightly larger and better matched but the LS400 front caliper upgrade, MKIV TT caliper upgrade or any other custom caliper upgrade definitely changes the braking ability and confidence of these cars tremendously if they are intended to be driven like sports cars or muscle cars.
Further, for some reason Toyota engineers thought it was okay to install smaller brake calipers and rotors in the front versus the rear on all 1992-1997 SC300's. It makes no sense but that's what they did.
Nonetheless no one has ever thought of ANY of the braking systems in these cars as being unsafe. They are just as well designed as the rest of the car is. It's just... when we get into modifying them as we often do these days and treat them more like sportscar-like GT muscle coupes it makes more sense to upgrade the front brakes at least to be able to handle a better range of high performance driving conditions in addition to offering added safety while retaining the stock ABS functions.
That's always been my reasoning in a nutshell. It totally comes down to intended use of the car, how you drive it, and how you brake. For what it's worth, to me all SC300's and SC400's can benefit from the common front LS400 caliper upgrade. If you are aware of the lower fade limits and smaller front rotor size of the stock single sliding caliper braking system and drive the car with respect for what that stock hardware can handle it will be fine. Even a pad upgrade to EBC Greenstuff, Hawk HPS or another good street oriented aftermarket brake pad compound will improve things a bit.
But now or later I always feel it's good to recommend a front brake caliper upgrade. An in between would be swapping in stock SC400 front calipers and rotors which are both slightly bigger and offer a more even match of the front and read braking systems but for the same amount of work involved the LS400 calipers might as well be pursued.
The only caveat is that, yes, you will need to upgrade from factory stock 15" or 16" rims at the same time unless the car already has 17"-18" rims with suitable offset clearance for LS calipers.
Stock SC400 brakes from 1992-2000 and stock 1998-2000 SC300 brakes are slightly larger and better matched but the LS400 front caliper upgrade, MKIV TT caliper upgrade or any other custom caliper upgrade definitely changes the braking ability and confidence of these cars tremendously if they are intended to be driven like sports cars or muscle cars.
Further, for some reason Toyota engineers thought it was okay to install smaller brake calipers and rotors in the front versus the rear on all 1992-1997 SC300's. It makes no sense but that's what they did.
Nonetheless no one has ever thought of ANY of the braking systems in these cars as being unsafe. They are just as well designed as the rest of the car is. It's just... when we get into modifying them as we often do these days and treat them more like sportscar-like GT muscle coupes it makes more sense to upgrade the front brakes at least to be able to handle a better range of high performance driving conditions in addition to offering added safety while retaining the stock ABS functions.
That's always been my reasoning in a nutshell. It totally comes down to intended use of the car, how you drive it, and how you brake. For what it's worth, to me all SC300's and SC400's can benefit from the common front LS400 caliper upgrade. If you are aware of the lower fade limits and smaller front rotor size of the stock single sliding caliper braking system and drive the car with respect for what that stock hardware can handle it will be fine. Even a pad upgrade to EBC Greenstuff, Hawk HPS or another good street oriented aftermarket brake pad compound will improve things a bit.
But now or later I always feel it's good to recommend a front brake caliper upgrade. An in between would be swapping in stock SC400 front calipers and rotors which are both slightly bigger and offer a more even match of the front and read braking systems but for the same amount of work involved the LS400 calipers might as well be pursued.
The only caveat is that, yes, you will need to upgrade from factory stock 15" or 16" rims at the same time unless the car already has 17"-18" rims with suitable offset clearance for LS calipers.
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Slackful (07-18-19)
07-18-19, 12:11 AM
#6
Your goals as stated are very sound! Follow up on all the long term maintenance as a priority. Work on the repainting and reconditioning/removal of any rust areas as desired and of course whatever cosmetic restoration you want to get into.
You've already seen my posts and thoughts about the recommended LS400 caliper upgrade, which will mean you need 17" or 18" wheelswith enough offset to accommodate them. Pretty easy
From there, addressing the suspension and going through all that will both restore and improve chassis control. Also look into good high performance summer tires with good rain traction reviews with a good balance of treadwear and cost. A good starting point that I recommend for tires is the excellent BFGoodrich Comp 2's. They are not the cheapest but acceptable and reasonable on price, are plenty sticky and offer good treadwear AND good rain traction characteristics if the SC is driven with respect for its RWD nature in poor weather. Good tires that balance all these things in an SC I think are very important for safety.
It's when you have mega turbo horsepower that pros and cons of which type of very high performance tires to use that support the power level and have acceptable tradeoffs come into play.
For future turbocharging the honestly easy answer is to plan for an xJZ-GTE swap or swapping in a turbo converted 2JZ-GE engine. Turbocharging or supercharging the V8 has been done and there are examples of builds to take inspiration from but it will be very costly... and doing any JZ turbo setup will be considerably less, have far more robust aftermarket support and still will be enough to invest in when on a budget.
However your 250hp V8 is a very good engine as is. Other than good maintenance and regular synthetic oil changes the two things that will bring out the best in it long term are a well sorted SC300 or MKIV Supra spec W58 5-speed manual swap and/or an LSD conversion or swap. The 1UZ is an excellent engine in stock form if a little hampered by its stock 4-speed automatic transmission. Plus, if maintained well it still has the longest track record for extreme high mileage capability between rebuilds of all the Lexus engines to date. The 2JZ is a close second in ultimate longevity though.
If, however, you want to keep things simple and you are dead set on a turbo setup later on, plan for the long term goal and leave the stock V8, and stock auto transmission alone.
However many an SC400 have been enjoyed with just the stock engine and the W58 manual conversion if big power is not your goal or if you just like a manual and prefer a V8. Just remember that unless a LOT of money is dumped into a 1UZ V8 it is not like a GM LS V8 in terms of potential power. However it is a VERY good and smooth V8 that can be very fun as-is
Also I recommend picking up a 3M headlight restoration kit with wipe-on clearcoat to restore your headlights. It is careful work to do right but it's an inexpensive way to bring your lenses back from a cloudy state and keep them sealed. If you have any moisture and condensation issues with the headlights or tail lights the place to send your originals or spare assemblies is to Organized Garage Status so that they can be professionally re-sealed. Plenty of other headlight upgrade options are available from them if your wallet isn't feeling empty but I'm just going to emphasize the re-sealing services.
Then, I recommend a basic HID upgrade kit since we do have early style Halogen projector lenses in SC's. The most reliable inexpensive version I've found to date is XenonDepot's single beam 9006 HID kit at 4200K or so color temperature (considered "normal") and with their Phillips bulb and ballast option. It is a universal kit and is very straightforward to wire up. Power draw should be direct from the battery positive of course and the ground wires I found work best if routed to the battery negative.
Very reliable install and forget HID system that is easy to maintain and which will increase your safety and visibility a great deal over the factory original Halogen type bulbs. It's not as perfect as having your headlights sent out for a professional conversion to another car's OEM HID system and projector hardware but it's good enough, affordable and very adequate without causing issues for other oncoming drivers since you are starting from an existing factory SC projector type lighting system.
You've already seen my posts and thoughts about the recommended LS400 caliper upgrade, which will mean you need 17" or 18" wheelswith enough offset to accommodate them. Pretty easy
From there, addressing the suspension and going through all that will both restore and improve chassis control. Also look into good high performance summer tires with good rain traction reviews with a good balance of treadwear and cost. A good starting point that I recommend for tires is the excellent BFGoodrich Comp 2's. They are not the cheapest but acceptable and reasonable on price, are plenty sticky and offer good treadwear AND good rain traction characteristics if the SC is driven with respect for its RWD nature in poor weather. Good tires that balance all these things in an SC I think are very important for safety.
It's when you have mega turbo horsepower that pros and cons of which type of very high performance tires to use that support the power level and have acceptable tradeoffs come into play.
For future turbocharging the honestly easy answer is to plan for an xJZ-GTE swap or swapping in a turbo converted 2JZ-GE engine. Turbocharging or supercharging the V8 has been done and there are examples of builds to take inspiration from but it will be very costly... and doing any JZ turbo setup will be considerably less, have far more robust aftermarket support and still will be enough to invest in when on a budget.
However your 250hp V8 is a very good engine as is. Other than good maintenance and regular synthetic oil changes the two things that will bring out the best in it long term are a well sorted SC300 or MKIV Supra spec W58 5-speed manual swap and/or an LSD conversion or swap. The 1UZ is an excellent engine in stock form if a little hampered by its stock 4-speed automatic transmission. Plus, if maintained well it still has the longest track record for extreme high mileage capability between rebuilds of all the Lexus engines to date. The 2JZ is a close second in ultimate longevity though.
If, however, you want to keep things simple and you are dead set on a turbo setup later on, plan for the long term goal and leave the stock V8, and stock auto transmission alone.
However many an SC400 have been enjoyed with just the stock engine and the W58 manual conversion if big power is not your goal or if you just like a manual and prefer a V8. Just remember that unless a LOT of money is dumped into a 1UZ V8 it is not like a GM LS V8 in terms of potential power. However it is a VERY good and smooth V8 that can be very fun as-is
Also I recommend picking up a 3M headlight restoration kit with wipe-on clearcoat to restore your headlights. It is careful work to do right but it's an inexpensive way to bring your lenses back from a cloudy state and keep them sealed. If you have any moisture and condensation issues with the headlights or tail lights the place to send your originals or spare assemblies is to Organized Garage Status so that they can be professionally re-sealed. Plenty of other headlight upgrade options are available from them if your wallet isn't feeling empty but I'm just going to emphasize the re-sealing services.
Then, I recommend a basic HID upgrade kit since we do have early style Halogen projector lenses in SC's. The most reliable inexpensive version I've found to date is XenonDepot's single beam 9006 HID kit at 4200K or so color temperature (considered "normal") and with their Phillips bulb and ballast option. It is a universal kit and is very straightforward to wire up. Power draw should be direct from the battery positive of course and the ground wires I found work best if routed to the battery negative.
Very reliable install and forget HID system that is easy to maintain and which will increase your safety and visibility a great deal over the factory original Halogen type bulbs. It's not as perfect as having your headlights sent out for a professional conversion to another car's OEM HID system and projector hardware but it's good enough, affordable and very adequate without causing issues for other oncoming drivers since you are starting from an existing factory SC projector type lighting system.
Last edited by KahnBB6; 07-18-19 at 12:14 AM.
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Slackful (07-18-19)
07-18-19, 01:14 AM
#7
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Your goals as stated are very sound! Follow up on all the long term maintenance as a priority. Work on the repainting and reconditioning/removal of any rust areas as desired and of course whatever cosmetic restoration you want to get into.
You've already seen my posts and thoughts about the recommended LS400 caliper upgrade, which will mean you need 17" or 18" wheelswith enough offset to accommodate them. Pretty easy
From there, addressing the suspension and going through all that will both restore and improve chassis control. Also look into good high performance summer tires with good rain traction reviews with a good balance of treadwear and cost. A good starting point that I recommend for tires is the excellent BFGoodrich Comp 2's. They are not the cheapest but acceptable and reasonable on price, are plenty sticky and offer good treadwear AND good rain traction characteristics if the SC is driven with respect for its RWD nature in poor weather. Good tires that balance all these things in an SC I think are very important for safety.
It's when you have mega turbo horsepower that pros and cons of which type of very high performance tires to use that support the power level and have acceptable tradeoffs come into play.
For future turbocharging the honestly easy answer is to plan for an xJZ-GTE swap or swapping in a turbo converted 2JZ-GE engine. Turbocharging or supercharging the V8 has been done and there are examples of builds to take inspiration from but it will be very costly... and doing any JZ turbo setup will be considerably less, have far more robust aftermarket support and still will be enough to invest in when on a budget.
However your 250hp V8 is a very good engine as is. Other than good maintenance and regular synthetic oil changes the two things that will bring out the best in it long term are a well sorted SC300 or MKIV Supra spec W58 5-speed manual swap and/or an LSD conversion or swap. The 1UZ is an excellent engine in stock form if a little hampered by its stock 4-speed automatic transmission. Plus, if maintained well it still has the longest track record for extreme high mileage capability between rebuilds of all the Lexus engines to date. The 2JZ is a close second in ultimate longevity though.
If, however, you want to keep things simple and you are dead set on a turbo setup later on, plan for the long term goal and leave the stock V8, and stock auto transmission alone.
However many an SC400 have been enjoyed with just the stock engine and the W58 manual conversion if big power is not your goal or if you just like a manual and prefer a V8. Just remember that unless a LOT of money is dumped into a 1UZ V8 it is not like a GM LS V8 in terms of potential power. However it is a VERY good and smooth V8 that can be very fun as-is
Also I recommend picking up a 3M headlight restoration kit with wipe-on clearcoat to restore your headlights. It is careful work to do right but it's an inexpensive way to bring your lenses back from a cloudy state and keep them sealed. If you have any moisture and condensation issues with the headlights or tail lights the place to send your originals or spare assemblies is to Organized Garage Status so that they can be professionally re-sealed. Plenty of other headlight upgrade options are available from them if your wallet isn't feeling empty but I'm just going to emphasize the re-sealing services.
Then, I recommend a basic HID upgrade kit since we do have early style Halogen projector lenses in SC's. The most reliable inexpensive version I've found to date is XenonDepot's single beam 9006 HID kit at 4200K or so color temperature (considered "normal") and with their Phillips bulb and ballast option. It is a universal kit and is very straightforward to wire up. Power draw should be direct from the battery positive of course and the ground wires I found work best if routed to the battery negative.
Very reliable install and forget HID system that is easy to maintain and which will increase your safety and visibility a great deal over the factory original Halogen type bulbs. It's not as perfect as having your headlights sent out for a professional conversion to another car's OEM HID system and projector hardware but it's good enough, affordable and very adequate without causing issues for other oncoming drivers since you are starting from an existing factory SC projector type lighting system.
You've already seen my posts and thoughts about the recommended LS400 caliper upgrade, which will mean you need 17" or 18" wheelswith enough offset to accommodate them. Pretty easy
From there, addressing the suspension and going through all that will both restore and improve chassis control. Also look into good high performance summer tires with good rain traction reviews with a good balance of treadwear and cost. A good starting point that I recommend for tires is the excellent BFGoodrich Comp 2's. They are not the cheapest but acceptable and reasonable on price, are plenty sticky and offer good treadwear AND good rain traction characteristics if the SC is driven with respect for its RWD nature in poor weather. Good tires that balance all these things in an SC I think are very important for safety.
It's when you have mega turbo horsepower that pros and cons of which type of very high performance tires to use that support the power level and have acceptable tradeoffs come into play.
For future turbocharging the honestly easy answer is to plan for an xJZ-GTE swap or swapping in a turbo converted 2JZ-GE engine. Turbocharging or supercharging the V8 has been done and there are examples of builds to take inspiration from but it will be very costly... and doing any JZ turbo setup will be considerably less, have far more robust aftermarket support and still will be enough to invest in when on a budget.
However your 250hp V8 is a very good engine as is. Other than good maintenance and regular synthetic oil changes the two things that will bring out the best in it long term are a well sorted SC300 or MKIV Supra spec W58 5-speed manual swap and/or an LSD conversion or swap. The 1UZ is an excellent engine in stock form if a little hampered by its stock 4-speed automatic transmission. Plus, if maintained well it still has the longest track record for extreme high mileage capability between rebuilds of all the Lexus engines to date. The 2JZ is a close second in ultimate longevity though.
If, however, you want to keep things simple and you are dead set on a turbo setup later on, plan for the long term goal and leave the stock V8, and stock auto transmission alone.
However many an SC400 have been enjoyed with just the stock engine and the W58 manual conversion if big power is not your goal or if you just like a manual and prefer a V8. Just remember that unless a LOT of money is dumped into a 1UZ V8 it is not like a GM LS V8 in terms of potential power. However it is a VERY good and smooth V8 that can be very fun as-is
Also I recommend picking up a 3M headlight restoration kit with wipe-on clearcoat to restore your headlights. It is careful work to do right but it's an inexpensive way to bring your lenses back from a cloudy state and keep them sealed. If you have any moisture and condensation issues with the headlights or tail lights the place to send your originals or spare assemblies is to Organized Garage Status so that they can be professionally re-sealed. Plenty of other headlight upgrade options are available from them if your wallet isn't feeling empty but I'm just going to emphasize the re-sealing services.
Then, I recommend a basic HID upgrade kit since we do have early style Halogen projector lenses in SC's. The most reliable inexpensive version I've found to date is XenonDepot's single beam 9006 HID kit at 4200K or so color temperature (considered "normal") and with their Phillips bulb and ballast option. It is a universal kit and is very straightforward to wire up. Power draw should be direct from the battery positive of course and the ground wires I found work best if routed to the battery negative.
Very reliable install and forget HID system that is easy to maintain and which will increase your safety and visibility a great deal over the factory original Halogen type bulbs. It's not as perfect as having your headlights sent out for a professional conversion to another car's OEM HID system and projector hardware but it's good enough, affordable and very adequate without causing issues for other oncoming drivers since you are starting from an existing factory SC projector type lighting system.
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07-18-19, 06:02 AM
#8
I only skimmed, but I don't think it was covered... To add to Kahn's comments, plan around the LS400 caliper upgrade whether or not you actually do it. 1) It'll give you that option in the future, without having to buy another set of wheels, and 2) the SC looks better with the wheels flush to the fenders, which is along the lines of what that necessary offset will give you.
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Slackful (07-21-19)
07-18-19, 02:58 PM
#9
After that, an aftermarket HID 4200-4300K plug and play conversion will be a night and day difference in visibility and safety.
^^ I agree with t2d2. Regardless of whether or not you do an LS400 brake caliper conversion right off the bat or not if you're going to invest in larger aftermarket wheels you should make sure they are capable of taking those calipers now or later.
I'm a fan of "normal" sidewall rubber on 17" rims but 18" rims are very common today. It's subjective but larger than 17 or 18 I think is a big too big on an SC. Where I think you do want more rim is in width. Stock SC rims are pretty narrow given the size of the car. 8"-9" wide rims in front and at 9.5-10" or 11" in the rear are more ideal. Or you can split some difference and go with a square setup but I think staggered is better for SC's. The most narrow tire width I'd put on the rear is 255mm but 265-275mm can be closer to ideal.
FYI, 235/45-17 front and 255/40-17 rear are the factory stock sizes on a Supra Twin Turbo which is essentially the same chassis. Giving the car close to a Supra Turbo "Lance" alignment helps even out the handling a bit more once you've done wheels, tires, suspension, sway bars and especially an LSD.
I've had experience with a DIY coilover suspension in my SC: the build it yourself "Gixxer-Drew" Bilstein AK shock and Hypercoil linear spring suspension. However there are some specifics that were changed on the AK1242 and AK1243 shocks that were changed at Bilstein some years back which makes a perfect install a little more complicated today.
Most owners will buy an off the shelf coilover suspension for MKIV's/SC's but your mileage will vary in terms of price vs quality and characteristics. The Gixxer suspension is good because while mostly non adjustable the quality and durability is basically OEM for not too much money. But you do all the assembly work yourself to set it up. I've read from others that KW V3 coilovers are top notch as well as Fortune Auto coilovers. Some Tein models are good but not the lower end offerings.
I know there are several other good brands but others would have to chime in here. I'm not up on the latest and greatest coilover offerings for MKIV's and SC's.
Take your process with this car step by step and learn all you can at each stage
...
Also, do check into the health of your front lower control arms: the ball joints (which are 100% non serviceable) and the rubber bushings in them. If they are out of spec and worn out, buy OEM front lower control arms for a 93-96 Supra MKIV and install those. And if there is steering rack play, replace the rack bushings with Daizen or Figs Engineering polyurethane units. Those two things also are major parts of your suspension and help with overall vehicle control and stability and the two most common things to go out suspension wise other than old worn out stock shocks.
Addressing both of those areas, IF there are issues found, will renew steering feel and remove any front end "shimmy" at speed.
Last edited by KahnBB6; 07-18-19 at 03:03 PM.
07-19-19, 08:44 AM
#12
235/45-17 front = 25.3"
255/40-17 rear = 25.0"
225/55-16 stock = 25.7"
I went 245/45-17 front and 275/40-17 rear, both of which match the stock 25.7". It's bizarre to make the compromise of going a little bit narrower (Supra spec) on both, only to mess up the diameters.
07-19-19, 12:12 PM
#13
I would probably do suspension first. Its most likely worn from its age. Then LS brakes and lines all around. Last wheels. Just my opinion.
07-19-19, 02:31 PM
#14
I think someone at Toyota was asleep at the wheel when it came time to spec tires, and everyone has been blindly following the Supra's lead without checking diameters...
235/45-17 front = 25.3"
255/40-17 rear = 25.0"
225/55-16 stock = 25.7"
I went 245/45-17 front and 275/40-17 rear, both of which match the stock 25.7". It's bizarre to make the compromise of going a little bit narrower (Supra spec) on both, only to mess up the diameters.
235/45-17 front = 25.3"
255/40-17 rear = 25.0"
225/55-16 stock = 25.7"
I went 245/45-17 front and 275/40-17 rear, both of which match the stock 25.7". It's bizarre to make the compromise of going a little bit narrower (Supra spec) on both, only to mess up the diameters.
I think they knew all too well that owners would put wider tires on their halo performance model *and* crank up the boost. They just didn't set it up that way from the factory.
I first ran 235/45-17's and 275/40-17's on those rims. Then I switched to 255/40-17 in the rear to maximize NA acceleration with only 225hp. Now I'm back to 275's in the rear which I feel is close to ideal until you need much more tire to deal with high power. I might try 245's up front for once though just to see how the difference feels.
Last edited by KahnBB6; 07-19-19 at 02:36 PM.
07-20-19, 08:02 AM
#15
I've never heard of varying the tire diameter relations to affect handling -- I can't even find any info on it, as everything pertains to wheel diameter or tire width -- but I suppose it's plausible, as my first thought was it would mess up performance. If you're potentially messing it up, you're messing with it ... so there could be an unexpected improvement in there. But, I doubt those gains would apply to the SC unless precisely copying every Supra suspension and weight distribution element, then reprogramming the speedo and ABS, etc.
I never tried 235s in front, but going from 225 to 245 was a remarkable difference in handling. It went from very light and floaty to super stable; not heavy but it'll follow ruts in the road and takes intentional inputs to steer.
I never tried 235s in front, but going from 225 to 245 was a remarkable difference in handling. It went from very light and floaty to super stable; not heavy but it'll follow ruts in the road and takes intentional inputs to steer.