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No, the actual rate of the stock springs doesn't matter much. I was just curious for accuracy's sake where those numbers came from. I'm quite happy with 415lb/in front (Tokiko) and 225 in the rear (Hyperco). Given the rough roads 'round my parts, and nicely valved Koni's, the car rides nicely...

My $0.05: At first it seemed to me that the STB improved handling. After a few weeks, I decided that didn't. However, it does make the car feel stiffer. That perception is important because it gives me a slightly better feel for what's going on with the tires. The two reasons why mine is...

My jug o' Toyota red juice calls out organic acid salts as one of the ingredients... Asterix

It is quite possible they are. It just doesn't seem right. I've not dealt with the stock springs for many years, so I certainly could be misremembering how they seemed off the car compared to the TRD springs. I have measurements for the TRD springs at 443lb/in. My notes also say the TRD...

I'm having a hard time believing the stock front springs are 461lb/in. This is not the first place I've seen this number. Does anyone know where it came from? Has anyone actually tested a stock spring? The way I've tested (or watched being tested) springs is with a tape measure, a press...

If your parking brake used to work but doesn't now, you should pull off the rotor/drum and take a look. Mine did that and the problem was one of the shoes lost its lining. The lining was thick enough, but it doesn't really do any good if it's not attached to the shoe. If the shoes are still...

Nope. Neither nylon nor delrin is up to the task. There are dozens of choices, but the best bang for the buck is polyu. 316 is a better choice than 304 for the tubes. Ball bearings are bad because of all the impact force your suspension sees. The front lower arms see large forces from braking...

2nd followup: Over my last tank of gas I got 21.7mpg, mixed highway/city. I'd say my engine is fine... Asterix

www.McMaster.com for all your fastener needs. They have every assortment you could possibly think of, and more... Real cadmium-plated bolts are getting hard to find since cadmium is toxic, so it's being phased out. Asterix

Earl's has sold these for years to wannabees. From Summit Racing's description I always thought them goofy. drjonez knows them... At least they cover the end of the braid... Asterix

I'm no expert and can offer only my limited experience. Is there anything anyone would like me to look for beyond how the car runs? I did recently do a compression check, but that's not quite the same as compression while running. When I peered into the chambers through the spark plug holes it...

My head lost 0.030" when it got rebuilt maybe 10.000 miles ago because of warpage. My memory of my compression ratio calculation is certainly wrong, so I'd have to do it again. It runs quite well on mid-grade gas once the cold-start injector quits. The car has never seen a dyno, so I couldn't...

It's usually the steering stop cover, but... If the bolts that hold the caliper bracket to the spindle are too long they'll touch the rotor and make a nasty noise. If they're just the right length, you'll hear nothing except at large steering angles or going fast around a corner. That one...

I can't say much about the rears, but the fronts I have (and don't use anymore) are linear. I measured them (with a scale and a press) at 443 +/- 7 lb/in, ie one was 436 and one was 450 lb/in. My notes say the rears were 180lb/in, but that's probably wrong. The rears, as I recall, are also...

Stock at 225/50. Dunlop has recommended wheel widths for all their tires. I doubt they'd suggest 255 on an 7" rim, but take a look. Asterix

Followup: I put it back together Saturday even though I didn't rerun the compression test with more oil in #2. When I refilled the coolant, I jacked the front up a ways and opened the heater valve with my vacuum pump to get the air out. It warmed up fine and the heat did come on. I drove it...

My favorite is the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 tires. Best value for year 'round driving. Asterix

I was perusing the Washington Post's Thursday Fairfax Extra and saw this. Here's a very sad photo of a white '87 turbo, plateless and behind a fence because the 18-year-old driver did something very stupid: racing with a cop watching. Just thought I'd share. Asterix

The one JC Whitney has been selling for maybe 20 years looks like it does that. Here Asterix

I just bought a new one for about $17. It has a t-handle with "Engine Oil" prominently displayed on it. It's not quite as easy to read as my original yellow-handled one. However, my old one doesn't hold in the tube worth beans any more due to the rubber bit being all hard and squished from 20+...