UPDATED UPDATED!!!! (9/23/09)

i just wanted to post here some info that had been circulating that never got a real answer.

i called up king motorsports AND tokico themselves, and both of the folks i spoke to confirmed that the HP series has NEVER been an oem replacement shock, they do NOT market it as such, and it DOES in fact have additional valving/dampening over the stock underdamped honda shocks.

both representatives told me that a notice in ride quality and handling would be felt, even if i kept stock springs, and its no secret that even a stock fit could benefit from better shocks.

so if you dont feel like blowing money on coilovers or expensive shocks/dampers and already have springs, do yourself a favor and grab these puppies. you can get them from kings website for 300 bucks.

hope this helps some folks!



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but i used the search function, and while it brought up some threads on the subject, i could not get a real clear answer.



WHY are tokico blues no better than stock? who has confirmed that the dampening rates are the same? or are they at least different enough to merit using them instead of brand new honda shocks if you have some mild springs to throw on? surely they would at least be a litte better?

just looking for a real why as oppossed to 'this is how it is and accept it' with no real explanation.

look at the note on the fit application:
HONDA: Tokico Performance Shocks

it says .5-3'' inch drop. i dont think that honda claims that such a drop would be compatiable with their shocks...so couldnt you at least replace stockers with these and throw springs on their WITHOUT the risk of them wearing out prematurely?

i know coilovers and a performance shock would be best, but my thing is that folks go on and on about how much more stable, better looking and most importantly, better handling their fit is with JUST springs on stock shocks. even if it offers no additional dampening, would a shock BUILT to handle the extra lowering with no ill effects STILL be more commendable than springs on stock shocks?

 

22 views and nada? come on guys!

raredclipse only ever said that it ended up being 'the same as stock' with no real explanation as to why, and he only used the fronts, and had a massive amount of speaker equipment in his backseat and used a totally different set up back there.(just in case someone wanted to refer me to that thread.)


come on suspension guru's where are you?

 

tokico usually markets the blues as stock replacements so i think that's why people kind of speculate it will suck. you want to get the adjustable shocks from Tokico if they ever released the D-specs or HTS or watever it was called.

otherwise, just do it right and get some EnduraTechs the first time (if GD).

 

lol i knew you were going to suggest that ken!

i kinda want to stay away from coilovers. not because of the harshness, but mostly price.( i know et's are not harsh.)

tokico did make the d specs, but they are EXPENSIVE and for that i might as well go with coils.

i'm not really seeing where it is that they market them as just an oem replacement. i have been in many a honda forum where blues were only harped on because they didn't 'lower' enough.

its still does not explain why on their site they state that the blues support up to a three inch drop...this is where my confusion is coming in. just because people do it, doesnt' mean that the stock shock can deal with up to a 3inch drop...but these can? surely that means that they are more than just a replacement oe shock...

 

Why don't you get T1R adjustable shocks? They're not too expensive.

Also - do you know if the blues have are a shorter shock than stock? A big part of the stock shocks wearing out or providing a rough ride is that they are being compressed more than normal when the car is lowered, leaving little stroke to dampen to their potential. They are valved to a certain spec, but if you give them much less stroke, the valving doesn't match the stroke.
A lot of after market shocks are designed with a shorter stroke with a valving that will match and are suitable for lowered vehicles.

 

So basically the Tokico Blue dampers are meant to replace your stock shocks once you get lowering springs to allow for the reduced travel...right?

 

I believe member "radar eclipse" wrote a review after he installed these on his Fit. He seemed pretty disappointed. Can't find his review, but he is the only member I can think of right now that bought them, installed them, and said they were no better than stock. Anyways, hope this helps...

 

thanks to all who responded:

type100: i dunno, still trying to figure it out.

tofuman: no i dunoo if they are or not. but per the link i posted, one of the notes next to the shocks for the fit stated something that seemed like they are suitable for applications that would be lowered up to 3 inches past stock. so i'm assuming that they are? tokico blues have been used by a lot of honda guys....but the fits application is the first time i have ever heard them being a simple o.e. replacement. i like the tr1's...but they are not exactly cheap. the tokicos can be had for 300 bucks or less, which would allow me to get some springs of my choice (swift). sure i could use the tr1 springs, but i have my heart set on swifts for the lowering and spring rates.

avocodo: i found his review it was basically a thread talking about how tokico came out with shocks for our cars....and a bunch of speculative posts. the VERY end of thread consists of him saying he got the shocks, and would post a review. his 'review' literally said, 'turns out they are o.e. replacements. i'm dissapointed'. and thats it. no reason as to why or anything. no elaborations, nothing. he carried a bunch of stereo equipment and had some time of air suspension out back and was only using the tok's in front.

 

Hmmm, seems to me like these Tokico shocks do need a revisit of some kind. Frankly I think that wasn't valid feedback on radareclipse's part...

You eyeing them Eldaino?

 

my thoughts exactly!

and yes i am eyeing them. i talked to a buddy of mine who ran them on his d.a. integra and he had nothing but good things to say about them. but he warned that they were not for large drops, just about an inch/inch and a half.

they are the most cost effective shock available as of now.

 

I'm about to jump on these as well but I'm still torn between these and T1R's. One major deciding factor for me would be that I can buy Tokicos locally so it will be easy to deal with any warranty claims in the future. With T1R's it would pose a potential hazard.

I use my car every day for work and not having a set of wheels means 0 production for me so I have to consider possible future downtimes into my decision. But the unexplained bad wrap of the Blues is keeping me from making my decision easier.

My next option for local purchase are the Skunk2 Pro-C's wich I can get locally at around $1,000.

 

the pro c's are stiff as hell compared to any other setup.

blues dont really have a bad rap. like i said, there was never really an explanation on why that user didnt like them and he is running a ton of sound equipment in the rear of his car, a factor someone like me will never deal with.

some stories on t1r's stuff is making me a little nervous as of late.

 

i may be of some help lol but you can decide for yourself.

the stock shocks and tokico blue shocks are very very different. for one, the tokicos ARE indeed SHORTER by 2-3 inches, what this does is complement shorter springs. Stock shocks blow out quickly when one changes their stock springs to lowering springs, why? because the stock shocks are taller and not made to be compressed all the time.

Tokico Blues ARE NOT replacement shocks for stock shocks and springs. They are only for aftermarket lowering springs. Tokicos also have a stiffer and harder compression rate because the amount of travel for the shock has decreased. This goes for springs as well. How do lowering springs lower your car? Simple, they're just shorter than stock. BUT because the amount of travel the springs gets is smaller, they have increased spring rates, thus the harsher ride.

i guess to back my ^claims up is that i own a set of Tokico Blue's on my 2007 Scion tC. A lot of tC owners would just switch their springs out and stay on their stock shocks and ultimately their shocks blow at around 10k. Also I didnt want to take any short cuts so I shelled out the money for Progress Lowering springs and Tokico Blues all at once and installed it all at once.

You can definetley tell the difference with the Tokicos, they ride almost as smoothly as stock BUT when you're around in the mountains or taking ramps, the stiffness of the shock "kicks in."

The claim that "oh just swapping my springs out, I can TOTALLY notice a difference in stiffness without swapping out my shocks" is a whole crap load of bologney in my opinion. Also I suppose another way to back up my claim is that I've been into the modifying scene for quite some time and did a complete overhaul on my 1989 CRX HF with a swapped H22A motor and tranny.

SORRY for the long ass post, but I really hate it when people just swap out springs and roll around in stock shocks.... it aint right maing.

-Jon-

 

great post jon, backs up what the tokico reps told me. bumping this up for update. (see original post.)

 

i dont think people at tokico or the store is going to tell you they are 'just replacements' as in like replacements sold at midas.

but the damping on blues are pretty soft. try it and see.

 

i asked them specifically if they were OEM replacements, and both places confirmed that they were not, they are a sport tuned shock, and out perform the regular shocks, with additional damping etc. even the guy at king told me that while they were not adjustable, they still were not for someone wanting to replicate their orginal factory ride...but for someone wanting to improve it.

 

yah, i think it's more in their marketing strategy. someone tried the blues already (I think it was on the GD) and he didn't like it.

from other forums there are some that like the blues but i am not sure if they know
what a good suspension feels like. so this is why i have to say... try it and see with
the spring of your choice. heck it might turn our nice...but im kinda skeptical.

 

we investigated that owners (radareclipse) claims, and he offered no real reason as to why he did not like them. just that they are oe replacements.

tokico/kingmotorsports advice=more weight with me over a fellow member who is running a large sound system set up in the back of his car.

i'm pairing it with awesome, but farily mild, springs, the usdm swifts.