Tigger

iTrader: (1)

What are your thoughts on the KYB GR-2? Do you feel the Illuminas are really worth the extra $200. I am just trying to get the car back to a solid feel and stop the bottoming out of the rear.

Thanx,
Brian

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

I have GR2s on my stock GLE springs and love the ride. They are much firmer than the OEM struts (which were probably really worn out to make matters worse). If you just want a smooth ride and aren't into constant tweaking, etc. get the GR2s. If you want something adjustable, get the Illuminas.

I have read that GR2s don't last too long - mine are about 30k old right now and still ride great.. so we'll see.

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

THey suck in cold weather.

Spend a few more bucks and get the Tokico HP struts.

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

I've had no problems or driveability issues so far through 2 Chicago winter's. Curious what you mean by "suck" (so I know what to look out for!) ..

Haibert88

He's right I have the GR2s on my I30t and for some time now I keep hearing that the Touring edition had stiffer suspension, but it's another thing because when I leave to work in the morning the first mile I feel like the car is so stiff over the smallest bumps...it was like this on the stock struts too so I don't know what's to blame but in reply to your thread I like the KYB struts even if they are considered stiff struts...I'll be getting my FSTB tommorrow so that should make it handle better too (because the handling is not good enough for the stiffness of the ride)

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

They are very tight and stiff in the winter versus their warm-weather performance. The stiffer suspension can reduce the ability of the vehicle to maintain tire contact with the road and reduce traction- which is not what you want to have happen in the winter.

On top of that, they ride downright harsh on bad roads in the winter.

Tigger

iTrader: (1)

Temps in the winter rarely drop below 60 here in San Diego. But I do want a good ride.

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

In that case, not as big of a deal. But I would still drop the extra $ on the HPs.

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

Thanks! Since I'm in suburbia and mainly take the highways during my daily drives, I don't go over too many bumpy roads.. but I'll keep my senses alert this winter and see how the car feels...

Haibert88

The stiffness of the struts won't mess up other suspension components in the car will it?

falconey

iTrader: (2)

It's possible. Depending on the type of roads you drive on and how hard you drive your car. Of course that's true for many parts on a car.

CreativeDesignz

iTrader: (3)

i have AGX's and eibach pro-kit and last winter they werent bad at all even here in jersey. you can definetly tell the difference in ride quality when its cold out tho so just set it on the softest and be good to go

jams

I've had them on my old Camry (granted, it's a different car, but the struts are the same) and was quite pleased. I lived in western Mass. at the time and the winters there are fierce, but I didn't notice any difference in cold weather performance.

Tigger

iTrader: (1)

I ended up ordering the Illuminas. I really hope that solves the problem.

maxgtr2000

iTrader: (29)

They will!! Most likely your rears are blown and you are riding on the bumpstops. Illuminas are a smooth ride.

Mayhem King

iTrader: (1)

Illuminas are ajustable. You are paying for something that you don't need.

GR-2's are only 15% stiffer than OEM. They will not cause any kind of suspension damage. They were designed to be OEM replacements. The purpose of a strut/shock is to dampen the oscillation of the coil spring. You hit a bump, the spring compresses absorbing the energy from the bump and then rebounds. The struts/shocks resist the spring's up and down movement. Over-dampening is not going to cause damage, just a stiffer ride. 15% stiffer is going to feel a bit sportier.

In cold temperatures struts/shocks can feel a little stiff. This is normal. This will never be an issue in San Diego.

The reason why so many GR-2's fail early is because they are mismatched with too aggressive an aftermarket spring. The higher the spring rate, the more energy the strut/shock has to dampen. Springs that are 50% stiffer than stock are going to cause an OEM replacement shock/strut such as the GR-2 to wear and fail pretty quickly. The GR-2 was not designed for springs with a spring rate 15% greater than stock. That's where the ajustables come in.