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TRD Struts vs stock struts

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Old 11-28-2009 | 05:58 AM
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Default TRD Struts vs stock struts

So I decided I want to go with TRD springs and I have read that you can use your original struts with them. Would you recommend me getting TRD struts if I am going to get the TRD springs? Will there be a noticeable difference in performance with TRD springs and OEM struts vs TRD struts? Any help would be appreciated.
Old 11-28-2009 | 06:33 AM
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yeah, the trd struts are much stiffer than the OEM ones, the car will also be even lower with the trd struts, and the handling will be more responsive. they will however degrade ride comfort a bit.
Old 11-28-2009 | 09:49 AM
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I'm on the contrary drax, I agree with everything but ride comfort, to me it seems a little smoother overall, maybe in some areas yes, but overall I like it better.

I'd recommend going with both TRD struts/shocks and springs, especially since you can upgrade it all at once and not have to do a second job later to do the struts/shocks and it offers a really nice upgrade without going too low (like with Teins...etc).
Old 11-28-2009 | 10:26 AM
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That's exactly what I was thinking. Thank you for the replies =) I have been looking into this for a while and I feel this strut/spring combo is best for me because I'm not into the "slammed" look but more into a performance suspention set up. Mike do you have pics of your car on the trd strut/spring combo?
Old 11-28-2009 | 02:58 PM
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yea if you planning on doing the struts and shocks also might awell do it all at once....but with that combo along with the trd springs youll get a nice drop and comfty ride just little stiff but big difference
Old 11-28-2009 | 03:43 PM
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I can say after 50k with TRD springs and Stock struts(70k total), go with both if your even close to affording it. Things get bouncy after a while, springs start excessive wear on the shocks.
Old 11-28-2009 | 05:40 PM
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Yeah I was thinking if I'm going to replace one I might as well replace them both. I am also glad you replied about the bouncy because I would not be able to stand that at all. Now I'm pretty sure I'm going to get trd struts/springs. If the drop is lower when you have both, how much of a drop will I get?

Thanks in advance
Old 11-28-2009 | 06:51 PM
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I am willing to trade you my TRD springs on stock struts for your stock springs and struts, they give a decent drop and the ride is pretty smooth

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Old 11-30-2009 | 01:44 AM
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Thanks for the offer sex2k but there is a deal on trd sparks for $600 for both and it would be easier to get the springs and struts together and install them on the same day since I use this as daily driver. I may decide to sell my stock struts/springs after I get the trd ones if anyone is interested. I got my car used with 28,000 miles and now it has 31,000 so I'm assuming that's what the struts/springs have also.
Old 12-01-2009 | 10:17 PM
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well im on TRD shocks/struts and Tien H-techs. ride comfort for me has changed dramatically compared to stock. i dont have that bouncy heavy feeling anymore and going over small bumps are a lot smoother then before.
Old 12-01-2009 | 10:25 PM
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Originally Posted by xdejablu3x
well im on TRD shocks/struts and Tien H-techs. ride comfort for me has changed dramatically compared to stock. i dont have that bouncy heavy feeling anymore and going over small bumps are a lot smoother then before.
I'd agree with that. I have the same setup.

Also, since when did TRD struts lower the car?
Old 12-02-2009 | 01:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Kyleinator
Yeah I was thinking if I'm going to replace one I might as well replace them both. I am also glad you replied about the bouncy because I would not be able to stand that at all. Now I'm pretty sure I'm going to get trd struts/springs. If the drop is lower when you have both, how much of a drop will I get?
TRD springs with stock struts causes bouncing because the struts aren't valved appropriately to control the higher-rate (compared to stock) springs. Using the TRD struts resolves the issue, as they're designed to work optimally with the TRD springs.

The drop with TRD springs is around 1.25", but you can search or look on the product page at TRDSparks.com for the exact amount. There isn't any difference in the car's height when using the stock versus TRD struts, even though the latter are shorter. The spring is what suspends the car and determines the height, the struts are simply there to control the spring's motion.
Old 12-02-2009 | 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by nodsetse
There isn't any difference in the car's height when using the stock versus TRD struts, even though the latter are shorter. The spring is what suspends the car and determines the height, the struts are simply there to control the spring's motion.
That's what I thought. The TRD struts are shorter, but are stiffer to compensate. When you install them, you lift up the axle to bolt them on, but when you lower the car back down, the ride height remains the same.

Drax?
Old 12-02-2009 | 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by hydralover
That's what I thought. The TRD struts are shorter, but are stiffer to compensate. When you install them, you lift up the axle to bolt them on, but when you lower the car back down, the ride height remains the same.
Incorrect, the ride height does not remain the same. The TRD shocks definitely lowers the ride modestly when used in conjunction with TRD or another brand lowering springs. You cannot toss the TRD springs on the stock struts and expect the ride to be lower perhaps negligibly but not noticeably.
Old 12-04-2009 | 01:29 AM
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Does anyone have pics of their car on TRD struts/springs combo? Just wondering how it looks with the combo rather then just the lowering springs.
Old 12-04-2009 | 01:44 AM
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Not a huge rate change from stock to trd springs because of the smaller drop.. and running stock struts will not cause any sort of bouncy ride unless the struts are gone. I ran from 15k to 60k or so on trd springs and the stock struts.. including 2 years of autox, before I swapped mine out. Zero issues with bounce and they handled well. They were just starting to feel like they were getting weak when I changed them out for the ss-ps. But no where near bouncy.

Will you get a bit more performance running the trd struts with them? Most likely so, but the stock units do a pretty good job with them. Now, if you have 40k or something like that on the stock struts, you may as well get the trd struts when you put in the trd springs to save yourself work later on. My car was relatively new, so I got a lot of use out of them.
Old 12-04-2009 | 04:32 AM
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I have TRD struts/shocks and springs.

I dont have any side view ones though.
Old 12-04-2009 | 10:03 PM
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engifineer
Yeah I am debating because I have 32,000 miles so it might be worth it to just buy the combo now and save myself the trouble later on.

MikeRackhabit
Your car is looking good, thats how I imagine my car looking soon. Flint Mica FTW =)
Old 12-12-2009 | 02:20 AM
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upgrade the shock/struts and the springs at the same time, its worth it.
Old 12-12-2009 | 05:24 PM
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There is a lot of questionable info on this thread:

Originally Posted by ecko04
Incorrect, the ride height does not remain the same. The TRD shocks definitely lowers the ride modestly when used in conjunction with TRD or another brand lowering springs. You cannot toss the TRD springs on the stock struts and expect the ride to be lower perhaps negligibly but not noticeably.
Not sure if this a big typo .. but you are saying that the trd springs do not lower the car much on stock struts??? Completely untrue if that is what you are saying. The TRD springs lower the car approx 1.25 - 1.3 inches, period. It is a shorter spring.

And I have yet to see a difference in height running trd springs on stock struts or trd struts. Maybe if you took a measuring tape to it you would find a difference, but it is not a big difference, if it exists at all.

Like I mentioned before, things do not get bouncy running trd springs with stock struts unless the struts are shot. I drove it and autox'd with this setup for a long time and even when the struts started feeling weak towards the end, there were no bounce issues.


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