Well today I had some brake work done (new rear rotors, pads, and steel lines and new front pads - I'll cover that in another thread) )and also had the Tom's rear 6 piece bracing kit installed.

For those not familiar with my car, it had a bunch of suspension mods before this 'final' addition:

- Tein Flex coilovers with EDFC
- TRD blue sway bars
- TRD lower chassis brace
- RMM front strut brace
- Tom's rear strut brace
- Tom's rear chassis brace

The Tom's kit replaces 2 existing thin metal braces and adds 4 more. With all the above already installed, I wasn't sure if I'd notice the Tom's 6 piece kit going on. I noticed it almost immediately.

The challenge with modifying the suspension and bracing the chassis to make it more rigid I've learned is that modifying one area puts more stress somewhere else and may lead to strange bumps, creaks, squeaks, etc. Before the Tom's 6 piece today, the rear of my car would creak sometimes when turning at low speed at an angle on an incline (like entering and exiting my darned garage EVERY TIME!). Before today, I'd still have a slight unsettled motion at the rear occasionally if pushing it hard. Both these issues seem to have been eliminated with this kit!!!!

So I'm *VERY* happy, to say the least.

Thanks again to the awesome Steve at Carson Toyota for getting the kit, and the awesome VVT-i at Hennessy Lexus in Gwinnett County (NE Atlanta) for doing the install. Thanks guys.

 

I know you will have a big smile when you drive your car, so I'm I....lol... .

I test drive your car after the installation and I have to said " Wow...". I got the L-tuned shocks, TRD sway, Tom's rear chassic brace, but with the Tom's 6 piece kit. I have to said it is a big improvement for the suspension upgrade.

The kit is well engineered and a perfect fitted without any problem to installed. The installation was a little tricky because the instruction is in Japanese, but the drawing is good enough. I just compared the drawing and go from there.

 

The 6-Link was the last suspension item I added as well. I also noticed a big difference under heavy throttle situations - the rear seems much more planted and everything just a tad more buttoned down. The rear links are banging against my Tanabe HM exhaust, though, so I have a TOM's exhaust on the way.

 

Well, thats good enough 4 me, hehe
added 2 the list!

 

Bit,

So the link has no issues with your L-Tuned exhaust?

Congrats on the upgrade.

 

Paul, I think you have the suspension covered by now

 

Just about I'd say.

So even though the difference is noticeable, it appears to be noticeable only in certain circumstances such as under heavy throttle or when pushing the car hard.

For us die hard suspension modders, every little bit counts!

Say for example you didn't know that this 6-piece kit was added to your car, would you have noticed the difference? Sometimes we tend to pay more attention to the car (trying to justify mods we have done) and we end up "exaggerating" the difference or improvement in our heads.

 

Well I would have noticed the creaking went away for sure since it happened every time I pulled out of my garage! As far as other circumstances, who knows if I would have noticed - I've only driven the car 15 miles or so since I had them put on, so not much to go on, but I've absolutely learned that every bit helps and this 6 piece kit is a significant amount of bracing at the rear which as you know is quite flexy and jiggly in stock form, so I'm not surprised I noticed it being tighter now. I just really hate chassis flex, which is difficult to control on a larger car, but at this point I'm very happy.

 

damn this is nice bit, very good info! so i guess after all i still need to do it?!?! man, tom's front, and now the 6 links

but my primary problem is still the exhaust, that i will be hitting pretty bad

 

No, not sure how it could given that the L-Tuned mufflers are SO much smaller than stock. I think the problem for some mufflers is that they're round/cylindrical whereas stock and L-Tuned are oval, lower profile.

 

Six link has no problems with the Borlas you're considering Neo (at least on my car). I've had the six link for about two years now and IMO it made a pretty big difference in firming the car up overall, especially the wiggly rear end I noticed after I put on the rear brace.

Congrats on the new mod Bit! Now I've got to go look for something new to be one suspension mod ahead of you

 

Dave do you have the rear lower brace? If so does it clear the Borla okay?

 

Yes, I've got the Tom's open variety that has no problems clearing. The closed one I think would unless you have Tom's exhaust or one other brand.

 

the 6 piece links are essential to correct the twisiting and flexing within the subframe and needs to be used with the lower control brace to further prevent the subframe from moving around which is what creates that rear end walk/jiggle

bit , try going into the apex of a curve or on/oof ramp late and see how the rear end behaves now or do some real fast lane changes .. you will be grinning

rom, i have the hks hipers and my links do not touch whatsover

 

Good to know. So now we know L-Tuned, Borla, HKS Hiper, Tom's and Carson Tuned will work with the 6-link. Nice.

We also know that it will hit the RMM, A'PEXi WS, and Tanabe HM.