Suspension upgrade/tyres

[donnot]

Hi all,

Recently installed the UR Front strut bar and rear sway bar and I'm really impressed - but it's left me wanting more. I suspect that my shocks are quite worn at 160k (they feel sloppy compared to my brother's at 120k). 

What would you guys recommend/what are you running? Looked at BC coilovers but there are a few types (and not completely sold on the brand). Also worried about the ride being too stiff - happy with a harder ride than currently but not too crazy. Was also looking at just installing new struts - KYB seemed to be the way to go. Saw these which seemed reasonably priced (but worried about them being counterfeits). 

Thanks!

 

**EDIT: Note: added "tyres" to title as it's somewhat related to the discussion and to save creating a new thread - discussion of tyres starts on Page 5.**

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by donnot

[campbeam]

I have upgraded my rear sway bar and this has greatly reduced the body sway. Maybe I am apexing the corners better.

In June 2020, I bought both front and rear SACHS struts and standard height KING springs. I did consider the KYB Excel G struts but decided to stick with a known product from past experience. I have yet to fit them to my Aurion so cannot give a definite recommendation.

It will probably be a while before I do fit them because after a recent road trip, existing struts got a good workout and I rather like a smooth ride. 

[donnot]

13 hours ago, campbeam said:

In June 2020, I bought both front and rear SACHS struts and standard height KING springs. I did consider the KYB Excel G struts but decided to stick with a known product from past experience. I have yet to fit them to my Aurion so cannot give a definite recommendation.

Thank you! Didn't even think about Sachs - very reasonably priced from a genuine dealer so I'll put them at the top of my list 

Edited September 10, 2020 by donnot

[Tony Prodigy]

13 hours ago, donnot said:

Recently installed the UR Front strut bar

Love to see it. Any pics you can upload ? I was looking to install one but haven't decided on which one suits my fancy. Then there's the price too.

[donnot]

21 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Love to see it. Any pics you can upload ? I was looking to install one but haven't decided on which one suits my fancy. Then there's the price too.

Here's mine: https://imgur.com/a/AeRKWHe

[donnot]

May be holding off on the suspension upgrade...transmission has been starting to regularly flare (slightly - but noticeable) over the past few days (occasionally 1-2 shift, often 3-4) :'(. Had it flushed by Toyota a couple of months back (preventative at 150000km). Probably need to start planning for the worst case ☹️

[campbeam]

3 hours ago, donnot said:

May be holding off on the suspension upgrade...transmission has been starting to regularly flare (slightly - but noticeable) over the past few days (occasionally 1-2 shift, often 3-4) :'(. Had it flushed by Toyota a couple of months back (preventative at 150000km). Probably need to start planning for the worst case ☹️

Sounds to me that the ATF level could potentially be slightly low, needs to be checked and approx. 200ml of ATF added. 

Also more than a transmission flush should have been done. The transmission pan should have been removed and cleaned. Amazing how much sludge would have accumulated on the bottom of the pan by 150,000km. 

https://mdhmotors.com/transmission-flush-when-and-when-not-to-flush-transmission/ 

 

[donnot]

20 minutes ago, campbeam said:

Sounds to me that the ATF level could potentially be slightly low, needs to be checked and approx. 200ml of ATF added. 

Also more than a transmission flush should have been done. The transmission pan should have been removed and cleaned. Amazing how much sludge would have accumulated on the bottom of the pan by 150,000km. 

I'll see how it goes. If it gets much worse, I'll send it back to the dealer to check if the fluid is low (don't really want to mess with it, paid $300 for a flush). Gear changes are still extremely smooth, especially under load (I did notice heavier shifting in 3-4 when not under much load though). 

They went through 12L for the full flush, so I'd assume that would have picked up most of the crap. 

Edited September 11, 2020 by donnot

[campbeam]

11 minutes ago, donnot said:

They went through 12L for the full flush, so I'd assume that would have picked up most of the crap. 

12L is enough to flush out the old ATF and be fully replaced by new ATF. I fully expect that any accumulated sludge will still be there on the bottom of the pan. This sludge is not rinsed away, it has to be scrapped and wiped away.

When I dropped the transmission pan on my Oct 2006 Aurion with 165K on the odometer, I was very surprised at just how much sludge was there and it was probably 4mm thick. In contrast, for my Dec. 2008 Aurion with 109K on the odometer, the sludge was not so bad and just needed to be wiped away.

[Tony Prodigy]

11 hours ago, campbeam said:

Also more than a transmission flush should have been done. The transmission pan should have been removed and cleaned.

Luke, you need to find out if this was actually done. If not, then it should be looked at promptly. 

Ashley also pointing to the fluid level is another thing to keep in mind before you suspect anything more is going on.

[donnot]

11 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Luke, you need to find out if this was actually done. If not, then it should be looked at promptly. 

Ashley also pointing to the fluid level is another thing to keep in mind before you suspect anything more is going on.

Thanks, will investigate but it's unlikely they dropped the pan. Followed whatever Toyota suggested for flushing it so I don't really want to pull it apart myself :/. 

Could be a coincidence, but the shift issues started around when I put the first tank of 91 in last week (for comparison). Have always used 98 since I bought it in Jan up until then and not a single flare... Unlikely, but the ECU could be adjusting to this lower octane and that could be affecting the shifting points? I'd be very surprised if that was the case though.

Will be going back to 98 for the next fill and disconnect the battery to try and reset everything. 

[Tony Prodigy]

Fuel has nothing to do with how the transmission shifts. I know many of you love the idea of using 98 as opposed to 91 and can I just say, it's really a waste of money the 98. I've been using E10 and 91 for years and my car runs just fine. I've recently had the fuel filter assembly out and there was no indication that either the E10 or 91 has been contributing to any contamination that would make me think either were bad. You have to remember, The Aurion was optimized for E10, so it could be either E10, 91 or even 95. You choose. 98 is really overkill for this car unless the manufacturer specifies this. For example, my BMW M3 is a 98 octane only car and it's the only fuel I put in that because it's optimized to use 98.

 Occasionally we use 95 and it's all good. If you must use premium, stick with 95 as the ECU can't adjust that far up to accommodate the 98.

There was some discussion about this somewhere here.  Can't recall where. Maybe someone else can link it.

[KAA]

Totally agree with you Tony, fuel questions have been on here lately and as i said at the time I have used E10 only once on here when I was running out and all that was available was E10 in a small remote Victorian town..I normally use 91 as we are not moving around much in last 7 months..when normal life was with us.. I every few months put 95 in when it was lower in price..I have never used 98..it is always way overpriced for our driving style which these days is cruising in comfort.

My suspicion with shift change issues is that the flush didn't get all the build up out of the transmission and in fact may have shifted some build up which is now causing surges in changes as I have always read on here to drop the pan and change the filters when doing any trans service

KAA

[donnot]

Yeah, definitely don't expect it to be the cause but willing to be surprised. Agreed that on the highway, 98 isn't likely to make a difference but I do mainly city driving and can notice the difference in responsiveness. Definitely don't see an improvement of fuel economy equal to the increase in cost, but will stick to 95/98 while fuel is reasonably cheap.  

Went for a long trip yesterday (~200km round trip) and I haven't noticed any flaring today... Very unusual.

[campbeam]

1 hour ago, donnot said:

Went for a long trip yesterday (~200km round trip) and I haven't noticed any flaring today... Very unusual.

With a long trip, the ATF has got up to full operational temperature and the ATF pump has had a good workout circulating the ATF throughout the transmission particularly through the valve body. This has hopefully given the valve body a good cleanse.

If you notice any flaring when the ATF is cold then that is a definite sign that the ATF level is low.

[donnot]

47 minutes ago, campbeam said:

With a long trip, the ATF has got up to full operational temperature and the ATF pump has had a good workout circulating the ATF throughout the transmission particularly through the valve body. This has hopefully given the valve body a good cleanse.

If you notice any flaring when the ATF is cold then that is a definite sign that the ATF level is low.

I did have a couple of very long trips (~250km each way) right after the fluid was changed but there weren't any issues then. Don't notice any flaring when cold (other than it hanging on to 2nd/3rd gear longer as it always has).

[ZZT86]

I'm guessing Toyota dealer would have a proper machine to flush & refill to save time, I suspect something maybe went wrong with refill & the checking/difference of oil levels when cold & hot ?

Sachs are good, KYB is equally OEM good & at the above linked price should be genuine, can get better price if you wait although eBay are tight-****s now 😕

[donnot]

Update: back to 98 and have disconnected the battery (installing front + rear dash-cam and sub) and I can barely notice any flaring - maybe still between 3-4 but only if I'm really looking for it and on reasonably light throttle 😀.

Was looking at the Sachs suspension and wondering if it's worth just replacing the front struts at around $140 per side? Since the front has all the weight (occupants, motor etc) in it, I'd assume they'd be a lot more worn than the rears (car has barely ever had any rear passengers). Also saves a lot of money and it's much easier to install the fronts myself.

EDIT: As an aside, does anyone know any places I'd be able to find KYB/Sachs suspension in Perth (that serve the public)?

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by donnot

[campbeam]

4 hours ago, donnot said:

Update: back to 98 and have disconnected the battery (installing front + rear dash-cam and sub) and I can barely notice any flaring - maybe still between 3-4 but only if I'm really looking for it and on reasonably light throttle 😀.

Was looking at the Sachs suspension and wondering if it's worth just replacing the front struts at around $140 per side? Since the front has all the weight (occupants, motor etc) in it, I'd assume they'd be a lot more worn than the rears (car has barely ever had any rear passengers). Also saves a lot of money and it's much easier to install the fronts myself.

EDIT: As an aside, does anyone know any places I'd be able to find KYB/Sachs suspension in Perth (that serve the public)?

 

There should not be any flaring. Best to make the effort and have the Toyota dealer check the fluid level, at least. 

It is usually the front passenger strut that gets the most wear and damage. Your choice as to just replace the front struts. 

I sourced my front Sachs struts from this eBay seller in June 2020 and had quick delivery and no issues. I also contacted the seller and got combined postage.  

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SACHS-RIGHT-FRONT-SHOCK-ABSORBER-314674/223336102233?hash=item33ffde7959:g:20IAAOSwd0BfKR7V 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SACHS-LEFT-FRONT-SHOCK-ABSORBER-314673/223336102099?hash=item33ffde78d3:g:fdAAAOSwLbNfKR7T&frcectupt=true 

[donnot]

Thanks, Sparesbox has them at around $146 so might go down that route. Does anyone have the exact torquing specs (want to be as exact as possible) - I can't find much. 

Flaring is so barely noticeable + inconsistent at the moment that I'm worried they won't even pick it up and it'll be a waste of time :/. 

[ZZT86]

When you accelerate weight transfers from front to rear & also when you corner the rear suspension does a lot of work. I would suggest replacing all 4 struts for safety's sack. 😉

[donnot]

Very tempted...I guess it would save me from needing a second wheel alignment down the track if I had to do the rears separately. But looks like a bit of a PITA to install. 

[campbeam]

4 hours ago, donnot said:

Very tempted...I guess it would save me from needing a second wheel alignment down the track if I had to do the rears separately. But looks like a bit of a PITA to install. 

This YouTube video makes the replacement of the rear struts look very straight forward when complete replacement struts are available. Unfortunately, we will have to disassemble the strut assembly and then reassemble. 

 

[donnot]

Thanks @campbeam! Not too keen on disassembling/reassembling the assembly after looking at the videos (spring compressors scare me), so might just buy the parts and pay for fitment (a few hours of labour?). 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by donnot

[Bigmike62]

Hi guys...

Does anyone have an idea of how many hours labour is involved with replacing the front struts on a 40 series Aurion ??

Thinking of getting it done, my mechanic is not a rip off merchant, but Im just curious how long it would take..