MK2 Setups Thread & FAQ

[EL PAALO]

Everybody chime in with what's working (or not working) on your car.
If you've tried something that doesn't work that's just as valuable (if not more) as something that does work because it helps establish boundaries.

EVEN if you're on stock wheels, please list and evaluate your setup, you at least don't have the factory tires. If you have any mods besides changing the factory tires, post pics.

Please list:

• Year of car
• Springs and Struts or Coilovers (brand and model names)
  if you want to include other suspension items like sways and stb's, go for it
• Wheel brand & model, diameter - width - offset
• Tire brand & model & size
• Rolled or cut fenders?
• Alignment numbers? these are awesome if you have them.

PLEASE POST PICS of your setup. Upload them to the board or use a host that won't disappear so the pics aren't lost.

Then add useful information.[list][*] Did you rub anywhere?[*] Do you like the tires? what other tires have you used?[*] Clearance from suspension?[*] Do you have something insane like flares (list brand or whatever origin) or did you modify suspension mounting points (equally insane and done by Brad Bedell to clear 235/40 17 up front)?

If you evaluate flushness between the wheel or tire and fender, please be precise.

Standards for flush up front are
7 +23, 7.5 +29, and 8 +35.

Standards for flush in back are
8 +23, 8.5 +29, 9 +35, and 9.5 +41.

(If you go thinner with an aftermarket setup, I'll crack on you anyway. )

As you can see, 6mm is the approximate amount of change per half inch in width difference so you can gauge anything different easily. Those numbers can also change slightly depending on alignment. more camber = less flush.

stock wheels/tires are:
5x114.3 is the pcd or lug pattern. 12x1.5 is the lugnut size. Front lugnuts are shorter and rear lugnuts are longer, but they can be interchanged besides appearance.

90-92:
14x6 +45 with 195/60 14 front and 14x7 +45 with 205/60 14 rear.


93-98:
15x6 +45 with 195/55 15 front and 15x7 +45 with 225/50 15 rear.
205/50 15 is a commonly used tire size up front with 93+ wheels.

These were also available chromed as a dealer option, afaik. Also offered in a polished finish in 97, iirc.

98 wheels are different in appearance but have all the other characteristics of 93-97 wheels.


No, celica and spyder wheels that look very similar do not fit the mkii. They are different bolt patterns.

[EL PAALO]

I'll start with a partial. I'll edit this to be a "complete" setup post when I get home from school.

My first setup (yes, I knew this would look like crap, but had to find out how terrible)
1. 91 MR2 Turbo
2. factory suspension
3. Stern Aguzze S07-R (originally gold with polished lip, but I had the centers powdercoated black)
17x7.5 +47 on all 4 corners.
4. 215/40 17 Yokohama A520 on all 4 corners.
5. stock fenders
6. factory alignment probably?

Slight rub on the suspension up front. This helped me establish a boundry because it was right on the edge. There are folks that clear with the same effictive numbers, but it's just barely. If I wasn't a perfectionist I might have just gotten some spacers and 225/45's for the back. This setup not only rubbed, but it looked like crap to me. It did perform better (even with the slight rub) than the stock 14's with junk wal-mart tires. A520's are discontinued now, but I liked them. Many complained about them being noisy but I didn't think so (put 20k on them on a prelude in 205/55 15 and 215/40 17).
no pics for this setup - I only left them on for a few hours.

My second setup:

1. 91 MR2 Turbo (same car after revitalization of the suspension and many mechanicals)
2. front springs unknown and tall (f'd over by some guy in the NE on oc), rear springs prokit, tokico illumina all around. I thought the front springs just needed to settle, but they never did! Front ST swaybar also added.
3. ATS Planet
17x7 +42 front and 17x8 +38 rear
4. Yokohama A520 front in 215/40 17 and Yokohama AVS-i (Intermediate) in back.
5. factory fenders
6. good factory alignment

I was very happy with the performance and looks of this setup besides the front being a little floaty (probably due to the unknown springs). The mismatched tires actually worked well and probably gave less understeer than the factory setup ....... intentional oversteer was very controllable anyway. When I replaced the springs/struts I also replaced the strut bodies, swaybar endlinks, tie rod ends (just the outers since it's a non power steering car), ball joints and some random other misc items as well so the car was a different animal. The ST swaybar up front ripped out from the mounting points with the next owner. I also noticed the weight on these wheels. Iirc, they're in the neighborhood of 21 and 24 lbs front and rear .... definitely more bumpsteer.

Here's celebdae's car with them on (prokits and agx):



I'll also get some pics of these wheels on another car owned by a Dallas area guy that bought them from the next owner. He has a proper looking suspension (no 4x4 mode up front).

[GReddySetGO]

1. '91 MR2 turbo
2. Tein FLEX coilovers w/EDFC, Rotora BBK (front)
3. 5 Zigen FN01R-C, 17x7 +35 / 17x9 +43
4. Falken GRB FK-451, 215/45/17 & 255/45/17
5. Fenders are uncut/rolled

Very happy with this setup. I experienced no rubbing at all. It also cleared my brakes which was nice. The front sit pretty flush with the fender, and the rear was a little tucked, but it allowed me to use a bigger tire w/o rubbing so it was ok.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. '91 MR2 turbo
2. Tein FLEX coilovers w/EDFC, Rotora BBK (front), Suspension Techniques sway bars
3. SSR Professor SP1, 18x7.5 +43 / 18x9.0 +37
4. Falken GRB FK-451, 215/35/18 & 245/35/18
5. Fenders are uncut/rolled

This setup has not been road tested yet. But it does fit and clear the big brakes, just barely though. I wanted a lower offset for the front, but this was all that was availible. A higher offset in the rear would have provided more room for a larger tire.

[RePete]

1st setup:

1. 91 MR2 Turbo
2. OEM factory '91 suspension
3. Voxx MGRs 17x7f (21lbs), 17x8r (@24lbs) ET40
4. 215/40-17f, 245/40-17r Yokohama AVS-ES100 on all 4 corners.
5. stock fenders
6. stock alignment

Problem free setup, no rubbing issues at all, fronts under an inch or so from flush, rears a bit more so but still looks good. '91 suspension a bit too tall with some body lean issues. Wheels felt heavy with stock shocks, a bit too bumpy on bad roads but otherwise excellent ride, dive average, squat too much, tracking so-so, occasional bump-steer on tar strips in medium speed cornering situations, better after stock alignment. Understeer is similar to stock.



2nd setup:

1. 91 MR2 Turbo (same car as above)
2. OEM '93 springs/shocks/bumpstops
3. Kosei K1, 15x7f (13.5lbs), 16x8.5r (15.5lbs) ET37 all around, added 3mm spacer in rear for ET34
4. 225/50-15f, 245/45-16r, Yokohama AVS-ES100 on all 4 corners.
5. factory fenders
6. stock alignment

No rubbing except when backing up at full turning circle, front driver's side. Much better setup in all ways, ride compliance is more composed, cornering is quicker, bump absorption is faster, tracking excellent, dive low, squat average, ride height optimum, body lean reduced but will be more acceptable once TRD sways are installed. Suspension appears to be responding faster to road conditions. Front tire is flush though front rim is not due to overhang, rear is < 1/4" close to flush. Noticeable front grip increase from above setup, much less understeer, tail easier to kick out which I find an improvement in 'tossability'. Tires now weakest link, need stickier, possibly wider rears but at maximum street tire width already in 16". Best fit for handling and looks in this 15/16 combo would probably be 225/45-15f, 265/40-16 rears, these are currently only available in racing tires.

[mr2slow4you]

1. 1991, with 1993 rear suspension
2. kyb agx and tein stech springs
3. 93 rx-7 oem wheels
4. sumitomo something, 245/45/16 rear and 225/45/16 front, 15mm spacer in the front, I could barely fit my finger b/t the tire and the shock housing on the rear.
5. no fender adj.

http://www.themachsays.com/mr2slow4u/mr21.jpg
http://www.themachsays.com/mr2slow4u/mr22.jpg
http://www.themachsays.com/mr2slow4u/mr23.jpg

I can't upload, so if someone could upload from those links that would be great.

[Raising Arizona]

93 MR2 turbo

RIMS: ASA AR1 in silver
17 x 7 +38mm w/ tires: RT-615 Azenis 215-40
17 x 9 +40mm w/ tires: RT-615 Azenis 245-40

suspension: KYB-AGX w/ H&R springs.

Fender mods: none. It doesn't touch anything so far.

[Gairloch]

1. '91 NA
2. RSR Race springs, KYB AGX dampers
3. Racing Sparco NT-R 17x7 +42 F/17x8 +45 R
4. Hankook RS-2 215/40-17 F / 235/40-17 R
5. rolled or cut fenders? No
6. Front:
Caster +5
Camber -2
Toe 0

Rear:
Camber -2
Toe 0

I love my RSR Race springs, they do a fantastic job of managing weight transfer. Thanks to them I will not need to use anything other than a stock sway bar.

I'm not so hot on the KYB AGX dampers. The valving is slow so they end up being very non-compliant on compromised surfaces. In hard cornering this has lead to unpredicable behavior and rough road is very uncomfortable to ride over. On smooth surfaces they are acceptable.

I just put 300 track miles on the tires this last weekend. I am very very happy with their performance. They communicate very well when reaching the traction threshold and let go in a very predictable manner. They did tend to pick up a lot of klag which needs to be scrubbed off to protect the balance of the wheel (learned this one the hard way). Overall the corner speeds they carried was impressive and wear was acceptable.

The cars handling is mostly neutral with a slight tendancy to oversteer. The steering is extremely responsive (manual rack). I intend to try adding 1/8th total toe in the rear next time I have the car aligned to address the oversteer.

[slo-two]

A work in progress, mostly inspired by advice from all you guys on the forum. Began with a stock 91T which had been through various 14" tires, the most successful of which were the now unavailable Dunlop D60M2's. Updates can be expected as the modifications proceed...

1. 91T
2. Stock springs, KYB AGX dampers
3. Front: wheels 15x6 +46 used from Diamante (temporary), tires Hankook RS2 205/50 15
4. Rear: wheels 16x8 +48 Slipstream, tires Hankook RS2 245/45 16
Alignment data coming soon, I hope.

Performance is significantly improved over stock. The AGX dampers don't absorb small bumps comfortably or well...though they handle larger motions (body roll and pitch) capably. The tires seem just great on average 2-lane roads in the usual condition of slight deterioration. Still messing with tire pressures and balance. Haven't pushed the limits yet but up to about 0.8g lateral acceleration (measured) everything is pretty solid. Not quite Just Right yet, but getting there.

[jjjxlr8]

A street set-up that works...
1. 1993 Turbo
2. Tein SS coilovers w/pillowball uppermounts
3. SSR Comp. wheels 17"x7.5"(+42mm)front, 17x8.5(+42mm) rear
4. Cooper Zeon 2XS tires 215/40R17 front, 235/40R17 rear
5. No cutting, no rolling, no rubbing
6. camber -1.9 deg. front (upper mounts), -1.7 deg. rear
zero toe front and rear
caster 3.7 deg.

For autocross...
3. OE 1993 wheels
4. Avon Tech Ra tires 205/50R15 front, 225/45R15 rear
The front tires barely rub the springs under hard cornering. The Tech Ra's have a semi-cantilevered sidewall so the tire is much wider than a typical 205/50R15 tire.

[RePete]

1. 91 MR2 hardtop turbo
2. Stock '95 springs/struts
3. SSR Integral A2 16x7 ET38 (15.8lbs), 17x9 ET45 (17.8lbs)
4. 225/45-16, 265/40-17 Toyo T1-Rs on all 4 corners.
5. stock fenders
6. stock alignment

No fender rolls required! No rubbing front or rear despite the 265s out back, appropriate offsets make all the difference. The T1-Rs are grippy and quiet.

*** Edit ***

I've been testing them the last week or so on high speed bumps, large dips and aggressive cornering, no fender or suspension rubbing anywhere - they look & feel awesome.

[Saint]

First off, man this is a seriously good idea, especially the part that asks where you measure flushness. every car club seems to have their own "flush" definition, not to mention every enthusiast group and clique, so it's a good idea to put this in too.

setup 1:
5zigen GN+ 17x7.5 +35 215/40 tire front -/- 17x8.5 +38 245/40 tire rear
JIC coilovers
needed a couple more mm clearance in the front away from the suspension
i ran a few different tire brands

was an ok fitment, needed to roll fronts, rears were ok. wasn't flush in the rear.


setup 2:
AME Circlar RS 17x7 +35 front 17x9 +38 rear same tire setup as above
went through a few different suspensions with this one, ended up with the zeals at the end
good fitment, not perfectly flush, but very good for hard driving. no rubbing issues with rolled fenders, didn't try it before roll


setup 3:
AME Circlar SpecR 17x9 +10 front with 235/40 -/- 18x10 +30 rear with 275/30
kumho tires didn't get to drive on it per say, only test fit purposes
same mods were done as below, again, didn't really get to "drive" on them, but did not rub on u-turns, bumps etc that i saw.


setup 4:
1. 1992 Mk2 Turbo
2. Zeal Function X 5k front 10k rear/harder damping w/ cusco camber/upper mounts
3. AME Shallen CX - 18x8.5 +10 front, 19x10 +25 rear
4. Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 - 225/35 18 front / 265/30 19 rear
5. rolled fenders, pulled about 20mm in front, 15mm rear, reshaped front inner fender well, removed liners, flattened seam welds, removed washer and hood release lines, and front firewall tubbed about 1"
6. 2.6 degrees of camber up front and 2.2 rear, 3 degrees of caster up front, stock toe.
no rubbing due to the work done on the body, the tires are excellent, best street tires i've used really. as a low buck replacement, i ran Federal SS in the winter because the michelins weren't so hot in the rain.

i have a few mm to spare between the wheel and suspension on all corners.

as far as insane mods, nothing really "insane", just a lot of time spent fitting these wheels and doing measurements. i think rishie at autornd let me try on something like 8 or so sets of wheels for measurement and mount/dismount 4 - 5 sizes/brands of tires to do more measuring to get things perfect. a lot of taking off, adjusting, and putting back on, putting it back on the ground, eyeing it, feeling it etc.

i evaluate flush by the part where the tire and wheel meet, just inside of the wheel's outer lip/edge. i guess that's about where the tire actually beads(sp?)?

[the blue hammer]

1. 91 turbo
2. stock suspension
3. Work Equip DDC 17x7.5 +41 front 17x8.5 +41 rear
4. Toyo Proxes T1R 215/40/17 front 255/40/17 rear
5. no rolls and no rubbing

[Ben]

Anyone have 17 inch wheels (front and rear) with TRD springs on a MKII? I was wondering if it would clear the fender.

[Ando]

I do... I think they fit nice. There is some slight rubbing issues on the fronts when your are turning close to lock. (I think I'm hitting the fender liner.)

Anyway my specs are.
1.) 91T
2.) TRD springs/Koni struts
3.) Wheels: Team Sparco? 01R 17x7 +38? F&R
4.) BFG g-force sport F: 215/40ZR17 R: 235/40ZR17
5.) No rolling needed

[pinoy_dorifto]

WOW!!! that's what it looks like with TRD's??? very nice!!!

[pinoy_dorifto]

i found this springs:

Espelir GT



Front:35mm drop Rear:25mm drop

Rate: Front:2.9k Rear:5.2k

[url=http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8296/nopicbigel4.jpg[/url]

Swift Sport Mach



Front:25mm drop Rear:20mm drop

Rate: Front 3.0k Rear 4.5k

A SPEC PRODUCTS

anybody using it??? thy're both great brands'''

[prodigal son]

Your setup looks awesome, Ando.