My MR2. Random AW11 content inside.

I hope it's a water based tire shine and not the other stuff that dries out the rubber. That would certainly suck.
 
I'm not too sure but I haven't noticed any damaging affects to anything. It usually gets washed off in the rain pretty quickly after I've put it on. Damn rain.
 
I really don't enjoy detailing very much. I didn't before and now that I work as a detailer of sorts I still don't like it.

This paycheck I have decided to purchase a set of Cusco strut bars for the MK2. Next paycheck I am thinking sway bars. I wish TRD parts were not so expensive but with them having been discontinued recently prices have gone up. I'll have to poke around and see what else is available. MK2s have an unfortunate tendency of ripping out front sway bar mounts if you upsize the bar to much.
 
Ya make sure you get the reinforcement plates @ Twos R Us. And don't get the ST swaybars, they are way too stiff.
 
Are the reinforcement plates really needed for any bar? I know the TRD bar is hollow and not as stiff as the other bars out there.

The ST bar is one of the stiffest bars out there at a solid 24mm but its also about $60 cheaper than the TRD bar. That means I could get the reinforcement plates to for the same cost as just the TRD bar by itself...

TRD

http://www.twosrus.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_32&products_id=596

ST

http://www.twosrus.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_32&products_id=141
 
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I don't know if the reinforcement plates are needed for every bar, but I've seen pictures with the original ones ripped off and these guys had stock swaybars. So it might be a wise thing to do anyway.

About the price difference between TRD & ST ; jeez.. I didn't see that coming haha.. TRD is so expensive with everything ! But if it were me, I'd still buy the TRD ones because I'd hate to drive a bouncy MR2.
 
A sway bar should have nothing to do with being bouncy. The idea of a sway bar is to reduce body roll without stiffening the springs and thus creating a bumpy ride. A sway bar only acts during cornering. That is my impression anyway.

I have also heard about stock bars being ripped out. I don't know if that is with hard track driving or high mileage cars or what. Its not a bad idea either way to get the plates i suppose. If I'm reading that link right the ST bar actually comes with the plates for that price to? That just might be the way to go to save some money. I'd like the TRD bar more but TRD always means $$$$$$.
 
Time_Attack
A sway bar should have nothing to do with being bouncy. The idea of a sway bar is to reduce body roll without stiffing the springs and thus creating a bumpy ride.
Click to expand...

Well you're very wrong :)

"A swaybar transfers load from the inside tire to the outside tire and thus reduce mechanical grip as they add spring rate."

http://www.mr2oc.com/showthread.php?t=298272&page=2&pp=30

Also interesting :

http://www.mr2oc.com/showpost.php?p=3126731&postcount=71

Much more interesting on suspension :

http://www.eviltwinmotorsports.com/?page_id=204
 
A stiffer front sway bar will lend itself to essentially increasing rear grip. Since the sway bar only acts during cornering it does not effect the ride quality during normal driving.
 
I received my strut bars today. They seem to have made a fairly noticeable difference in chassis stiffness. I wasn't expecting much to be honest.
 
I don't know yet. It rained most of the day. I'll see how it feels on the way into work tomorrow. I did take the car up and down several business drive ways and around a few corners and I no longer hear or feel the chassis flexing like it used to. My car being a sunroof car originally had a lot more chassis flex than a hard top car would have.

Also I should take a pic of the stock front strut bar. Its such a silly piece. It does actually connect to the firewall but its flat and so thin I have bent these things in half with my own two hands in the past.
 
I went to autocross today in my AW11. I must say I am disappoint. Setup was wrong at first and then by the end of my runs the tires were hot and my brakes were bad. I left a lot of time out there today.

Hopefully I can make tomorrows event also.
 
I've just sent payment for a set of replacement fenders for my MK2. Hopefully they arrive soon and are close enough in color. I don't think I can do any worse than what I have now anyway.
 
Front sway was for the SW20?


I'm currently getting a couple jobs done on my AW11. Have at least two oil leaks. One supposedly being the crank seal and the other the distributor. Taking care of the later, replacing all of its seals and replacing the cap and rotor while its apart. Then the brake master cylinder has an internal leak, I believe, so that's getting replaced and at the same time installing Goodridge braided brake lines (which I'm still waiting for).
 
I was wanting a sway for the MK2 but I've changed my mind. I think the cars handling is already pretty dang balanced. I would like to find a stock rear sway for my 86 though as it doesn't have one currently.

My AW11 has many small issues currently. Two bad tires with major flat spots, several oil leaks and cracked tension rod bushings just to name stuff off the top of my head. Maybe I'll get around to that stuff over the winter we'll see. I need to start saving money for a new winter car and at some point I'm thinking about getting a new ipod which means I probably won't replace the exhaust on the MK2 this year like I wanted to. Oh well maybe next spring lol.
 
I put an '85 factory rear sway on my '87. I completely understand why they removed them. Without good tires, its pretty sketchy. But on 195/55R15 Star Specs, it brought it back to a really neutral (slight oversteer still, as it should be) handling balance.

Switching back to the Chinese all seasons it came with...I'll have to use some restraint.
 
I have a 21mm ST front sway bar on it right now. HEAVY understeer to say the least. Just to give you an idea of how bad it is, at autocross I run 20psi in the front tires and 35 in the back just to get some grip back. The car handles very flatly and quickly but it just doesn't have the grip mid corner I'd like it to.
 
I've autocrossed mine twice. Once on said Chinese tires before I had my Koseis and Dunlops, and it was pretty neutral, it did what it was asked to do. Low grip levels, of course.

Second time was on the Star Specs, and I think I did have the sway bar on it. But it was in the rain and just slid all over the place. The alignment is weird. That's something else I need to have done. Star Specs aren't bad in the rain, so I'm attributing part of that to the alignment.


What kind of tires do you have? I just ran the Civic with low pressure for the first time and it was awful, people even told me they saw the sidewalls rolling over. And that was 30psi. I wouldn't do less than 30 on the front of the MR2. I'll probably start off with something like 34/38 F/R at this next one and see how the balance is. 35ish front and rear has been the sweet spot for the Civic. I've ran around 40 before but I see the center tread is wearing really badly because of it.
 
Approx 2 year old Hankook RS2 195/50/15. The alignment could be better on it for sure. I'll attribute a lot of the issue to a lack of appropriate camber.

I was seeing very elevated front tire pressure spikes at the last event. I can only assume the front tires had a lot of heat issues due to the numerous long 180 degree corners.

I'd like to try the star specs next year maybe. The RE-11s I hear a lot about also. Lastly I saw a lot of RS3s at the last event. I think the RS2 is a half decent street tire but really not something I'd buy yet again.
 
The RS3 only comes in a 225 width for 15", or else I would be using them. I've read they aren't stiff enough for a 7" wide wheel.
 
My advans are 15x6.5 I think. I'd love to run a 225 and I think an AW11 could fit them no problem but I know they wouldn't fit properly on my wheels either way.
 
The new fenders came in today. The color looks close enough and they're in pretty good shape. I'm not sure when I'll have the chance to put them on possibly this weekend.
 
I tried to replace my fenders today. I gave up in disgust after more than an hour of trying to get the driver side off. I broke several bolts and the last two behind the side reflector piece (which is now broken) would not stop spinning no matter what.


I seriously hate old cars sometimes. Why do new cars have to be so damn ugly? I'm stuck driving something that is a pain to work on or driving something that makes me want to kick my own ass.
 
If I could afford it and had the time, I would fly down there and buy that car and drive it home. Set it in the garage all winter. I would love to have an MR2, especially a super perfectly clean one like that.
 

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