Tokico Springs - Blues or Illuminas?
 

Hey guys - my mind is in a debate right now and I need some help sorting it out.

In my research for suspension for my 84 GS I've found that the Tokico struts are the most commonly used for FB's - or so I've seen.

Racing Beat RX7 1975-1985 Tokico Blue Front - $86.00 ea
Racing Beat RX7 1975-1985 Tokico Blue Rear - $59.00 ea

Racing Beat RX7 1975-1985 Tokico Illumina Front - $143.00 ea
Racing Beat RX7 1975-1985 Tokico Illumina Rear - $125.00 ea

My questions are these:
1. What would be the best choice for a poor college student over the life of an RX-7?
2. I plan on auto-x-ing the car next summer after upgrading the suspension - does that affect the choice?
3. Which set have you used or bought and liked the best?

Thanks again guys, appreciate it.

Blues are good, Illuminas are better because they're adjustable.

Here's a fantastic deal on a set of low mileage Tokico Illuminas and RB springs on ebay that I noticed earlier today.

If I hadn't just bought a set of blues and eibach springs for my current project I'd have snatched the up already.

I'll bet they don't last til sundown, so if you want them better act fast:

MAZDA RX7 1981-85 TOKICO ILLUMINA SET OF STRUTS/SHOCKS & Racing Beat springs | eBay

Ended at 3:04p.m. Central time here - about an hour ago :(

Good deal too, Ray, thanks for the heads up! I'll have to watch eBay now, I'm on there constantly for other stuff but not RX items. Thanks for the idea...:egrin:

I found my lightly used tokico blue rear shocks on ebay for $42 shipped and my uninstalled tokico blue front shocks ($100 shipped) and the slightly used eibach springs ($40 picked up) on the RX-7club 1st gen classified section.

A little patience and watching can save you a lot of bucks.

But I sure wish I'd seen those illuminas and RB springs first, what a deal.

I've learned that patience point that you refer to. I get too antsy and buy new when slightly used is half price and probably just as good.

That was a really good deal, I wish I would have been on earlier. There may have had to have been a sacrifice of something to get those - super good deal. Ah well, live and learn.

I'll make sure to keep an eye on the classifieds and eBay for a set, I'm all about saving the moneys.

So you think the Illuminas would be the better choice?? I really want them, but I have a feeling that they will be harder to find for a decent deal. I'd be fine with blues, but better is....well, better :nod:

i personally think the blues are too stiff, i prefer the illuminas.

however there is a gotcha, there are two illuminas. there is the FB valved one, which will work fine for stock or RB or eibach drop in springs. then there is a "race" illumina, actually from an MR2, and this one has stiffer valving and is used for the stiffer springs that the racers use, 250-450lbs-in.

so you kind of need to decide how far you're gonna go with the racing thing. if its 90% a street car, and you go have fun a couple weekends a year, buy the RB springs and Rx7 shocks, and enjoy.

I've always gotten good service from Tokico struts.

From Tokico itself, though, not so much - - they recently refused to honor their 'lifetime' warranty on my blue SA front struts because 'lifetime means only so long as we are still making the part.' I'd asked for 81-85 front struts instead (not hard to retrofit) and they refused. Even though I still had the receipt and everything.

Also keep in mind that even if they do still make the part, you have to remove and return the failed strut for their inspection - - only after they determine it has not been damaged or abused will they replace it. So you need to be willing to wait with your car apart to get warranty replacement.

So, caveat emptor on their warranty - - if they decide one day to stop making FB struts (as they did with the SA struts) the warranty is so much waste paper.

Good struts, though.

I have a bunch of original stock front and rear shocks, all working fine when removed from their 20-25 year old cars.

With performance like that, who need's a warranty?

Maybe this Tokico mythology is not backed up by their product?

Maybe the original stock Mazda shocks Rule?

my oe shocks seem fine... the bushings on the other hand do a "self weight reduction" every day I drive it. :lol:


I want poly bushings :(

Well, I did... :blush: My stock struts failed in 1997. I bought the Tokico Blues to replace them. They subsequently failed in 2011.

So did you just get another set of blues after he first set failed? Just curious.

I thought the MR2 struts have a narrower shaft, requiring a bushing to make it fit in the stock strut top.

They are only about$150. One of the best cheap mods I ever did to my FB. Made the whole car tighter.

Just curious, where did you get your set(s)?? I'm needing a set of polys as well.

Nope. Went to Koni for the fronts (blues on the back were bought before this came up). I'm not in the habit of sending money to companies who don't keep their committments.

Ironic thing, the wording on their NEW warranty cards specifically says it's good only until they discontinue the part. My old warranty cards had no such disclaimer.

Tokiko blues a little harsh for me.
 

This spring I went Tokico blues all around on a 185K 1985 GSL-SE. Right now it's a daily driver on Pennsylvania backroads to and from work. The car is fun to drive but now the ride over some stretches of road is a little harsh for me. Not teeth rattling but could be softer for a daily driver.

My wife has some back problems and will go places with me in the RX but really doesn't enjoy the experience. Looking back, OEM would have been a better choice for me. Which brings me to a question on orion84gsl's comment.

orion84gsl, did you notice the poly made the ride harsher as well as tighter? I'm thinking of replacing bushings and not sure if I want poly or OEM. Comments appreciated.

Same here, I like the way the tokicos corner but the ride is too harsh for my old bones. So I bought new oem shocks, struts, and springs. Don't really like the height but she rides like a new se.

Interesting ideas here. I'm considering the Illuminas now - so I can adjust them for a comfortable ride around town then up the settings for an auto-x. But then there's the money factor...
Possibly interested in OEM shocks now with Racing Beat springs, any ideas??

Careful there! Just because the Illuminas are adjustable doesn't mean they will be "comfortable" around town. They are still rather stiff even when on the softest setting. I have an 85 with the Illuminas and an 83 with the blues. The blues are about even to the 2 setting (5 being the stiffest if I recall correctly) on the Illuminas.
I guess it all comes down to your definition of "comfortable"!

Thanks for that! Exactly what I was wondering.

So maybe it's the OEM shocks with RB springs would be best for a budget car with mostly street use in regards of ride with good enough performance to be competitive at an auto-x?

Some used front Blues just came up on ebay:

81 85 RX 7 RX7 2 Front Tokico Standard Strut Cartridge HZ1069 | eBay

And if you want to get really fancy:

Re Speed Front Coil Over Conversion RX7 RX 7 79 85 | eBay

Awesome deals! I'm watching a set of the rears already, maybe I can snatch up a whole set of blues for cheap!

I got the bushings from RE-Speed, but they are Energy Suspension bushings which mean any shop that can get ES bushings can get them. In my opinion and experience it didn't make the NVH any worse. In fact if I remember correctly (I did the upgrade a couple years ago before the RE-Speed suspension overhaul) it made the car nicer to drive. Makes sense since it was running on 25+ year old factory rubber bushings. When I first put them on I was running RB springs and sways with Tokico Blues and staggered sized Sumitomo HTR 200's. Car was a bit more flickable afterwards but I think that had more to do with the staggered tires and sudden reduction in suspension compliance. Like I said, it tightened everything up and allowed the suspension components to do their job. If your car is a daily cruiser and your not looking for something the wife would scoff at riding in, stick with RB springs, full poly and factory valves dampers. If I were to upgrade an otherwise stock first gen after what I've done with this one that's the route I would take. It is no longer a comfy ride, but it's low and handles well.

I got the bushings from RE-Speed, but they are Energy Suspension bushings which mean any shop that can get ES bushings can get them. In my opinion and experience it didn't make the NVH any worse. In fact if I remember correctly (I did the upgrade a couple years ago before the RE-Speed suspension overhaul) it made the car nicer to drive. Makes sense since it was running on 25+ year old factory rubber bushings. When I first put them on I was running RB springs and sways with Tokico Blues and staggered sized Sumitomo HTR 200's. Car was a bit more flickable afterwards but I think that had more to do with the staggered tires and sudden reduction in suspension compliance. Like I said, it tightened everything up and allowed the suspension components to do their job. If your car is a daily cruiser and your not looking for something the wife would scoff at riding in, stick with RB springs, full poly and factory valved dampers. If I were to upgrade an otherwise stock first gen after what I've done with this one that's the route I would take. It is no longer a comfy ride, but it's low and handles well.