GR86 GR86 - TRD Door stabilizer Kit

AndyRC

AndyRC

Totally Hooked
Dec 28, 2021
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East Yorkshire
Anyone planning on getting one of these ? Apparently makes things more rigid 🤔

www.fensport.co.uk

TRD GR Door Stabilizer - GR86

TRD GR Door Stabilizer Fills the gap in the door striker area using a spacer. This provides quicker steering response by cutting down the delay from when the steering wheel is turned. Note: Recommended to use with GR Member Brace.
www.fensport.co.uk www.fensport.co.uk




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I thought Toyota had already made the GR86 much more rigid anyway compared to the GT86?

I can understand it on a soft top MX5 where these are popular, but I doubt they're really needed in an already stiff little coupe.
 
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Remembering my GT86 I know that I could sense the existence of the stabilizers combined with a strut bar. Even in a rigid structure it will be noticable (at least for sensible people). Sooner or later I'll add them.

Bye for now Fred
 
Fitted on mine for a while now, over 1000 miles with it on

MAYBE the first few degrees of steering is more reactive but didn't made the front end super pointy like a strut brace on my S660 did

At least it looks cool for now, I would rather address issues like alignment, throttle pedal height for heel toe and brake pads/fluild first, before this particular mod
 
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Just a quick note on this. I fitted a set this weekend and initial impressions are positive.

It's very hard to put my finger on what's improved. The car definitely feels different, and in a good way, just hard to pin point. From initial observations, gear changes feel smoother. Initial turn in response feels a little sharper, and maybe most noticably, the rattling in the door when listening to bassy music appears to me majorly reduced.

Now for context, my car has quite a bit done already, so I can't comment on their impact to a stock car, or a car without the same levels of mods as mine, but for the sake of £100 or so, I'm pretty pleased.

They have definitely made a more noticeable change than a strut brace did.
 
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Nice one Ross, thanks for the mini review. Definitely on the list for me, they are sitting in a basket along with the TRD strut dampers.
 
S18RSG said:
Just a quick note on this. I fitted a set this weekend and initial impressions are positive.

It's very hard to put my finger on what's improved. The car definitely feels different, and in a good way, just hard to pin point. From initial observations, gear changes feel smoother. Initial turn in response feels a little sharper, and maybe most noticably, the rattling in the door when listening to bassy music appears to me majorly reduced.

Now for context, my car has quite a bit done already, so I can't comment on their impact to a stock car, or a car without the same levels of mods as mine, but for the sake of £100 or so, I'm pretty pleased.

They have definitely made a more noticeable change than a strut brace did.
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A caveat to this, when I tried to fit mine, for some reason it messed up door alignment. I reverted back to stock pins to find the driver door was out. Had to get dealer to realign pin position. May give them to the dealer come service time to fit. That way they can resolve any alignment then. The strut brace for me with the brake stopper I felt quite a difference. Ordered a rear to match it.
 
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Had mine fitted for a while now - got them from Blackhawk - I 'think' I can feel a little difference - but just as easy to be placebo effect...

Also helped the door sound less tinny when it shuts (got even better with the sound deadening)
 
KobayashiMaru86 said:
A caveat to this, when I tried to fit mine, for some reason it messed up door alignment. I reverted back to stock pins to find the driver door was out. Had to get dealer to realign pin position. May give them to the dealer come service time to fit. That way they can resolve any alignment then. The strut brace for me with the brake stopper I felt quite a difference. Ordered a rear to match it.
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Strut brace arguably made less difference on mine thanks to the stiffer dampers/springs, additional track width, some underbody bracing I've fitted etc. so any advantages are likely being masked somewhat.

And again, maybe that's why I feel a difference, and perhaps a bigger difference than many, with these. My car is already fairly stiff front and back, so any flex caused by the door opening will be exagerrated. This little mod seems to do the trick. Car feels very sorted afterwards.

Going to try some fender braces next, really stiffen up the front for better turn in response.

Interesting you noticed door alignment issues, I'll keep a look out. I didn't spot anything to begin with, all fitted fairly smoothly and door opens and closes with a reassuring thud.
 
S18RSG said:
Strut brace arguably made less difference on mine thanks to the stiffer dampers/springs, additional track width, some underbody bracing I've fitted etc. so any advantages are likely being masked somewhat.

And again, maybe that's why I feel a difference, and perhaps a bigger difference than many, with these. My car is already fairly stiff front and back, so any flex caused by the door opening will be exagerrated. This little mod seems to do the trick. Car feels very sorted afterwards.

Going to try some fender braces next, really stiffen up the front for better turn in response.

Interesting you noticed door alignment issues, I'll keep a look out. I didn't spot anything to begin with, all fitted fairly smoothly and door opens and closes with a reassuring thud.
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This is the journey I'm on now. Looking at ways to make it stiffer to do all I can to help turn in and handling. Got the rear one on order but do want to revisit these as when they were on, they did feel they made a difference. Driver door in particular was as if the door pin was too high and the door had to lift. Passenger was OK. May give it another go but slowly and tighten it all by hand, stay away from the Impact driver. What underbody braces did you get? And what you thinking for fender braces? Was toying with the idea of the SARD dampers to remove some NVH the stiffening causes. They fit on the end of the chassis legs on the front and in the top of the boot and tailgate at the rear.
 
KobayashiMaru86 said:
This is the journey I'm on now. Looking at ways to make it stiffer to do all I can to help turn in and handling. Got the rear one on order but do want to revisit these as when they were on, they did feel they made a difference. Driver door in particular was as if the door pin was too high and the door had to lift. Passenger was OK. May give it another go but slowly and tighten it all by hand, stay away from the Impact driver. What underbody braces did you get? And what you thinking for fender braces? Was toying with the idea of the SARD dampers to remove some NVH the stiffening causes. They fit on the end of the chassis legs on the front and in the top of the boot and tailgate at the rear.
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Just picked up some Cusco bits, couldn't even tell you all together what's been fitted, just had a good deal on a bunch of bits so bought a few. I think from memory it was 3 additional cross braces, 2 front and 1 rear.

The Sard dampers have been on my list for a while, they do interest me. Unfortunately, while I've read some good things, most reviews I've read have been quite clear that the difference is quite subtle, and spending £1k on a subtle improvement is a tough one to get my head around, especially when you could get a BBK, or a remap, or a bunch of other more impactful mods for around the same price.

I would be interested to try them though.

Also, yes, stay away from the impact driver. I had screwed in the bolts for mine. The metal they screw into feels quite flexible, so that might be why yours had an issue.
 
S18RSG said:
Just picked up some Cusco bits, couldn't even tell you all together what's been fitted, just had a good deal on a bunch of bits so bought a few. I think from memory it was 3 additional cross braces, 2 front and 1 rear.

The Sard dampers have been on my list for a while, they do interest me. Unfortunately, while I've read some good things, most reviews I've read have been quite clear that the difference is quite subtle, and spending £1k on a subtle improvement is a tough one to get my head around, especially when you could get a BBK, or a remap, or a bunch of other more impactful mods for around the same price.

I would be interested to try them though.

Also, yes, stay away from the impact driver. I had screwed in the bolts for mine. The metal they screw into feels quite flexible, so that might be why yours had an issue.
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And this is why I'm cautious of getting them. Lot of cash for a marginal gain. Where you been getting the rest of them bits from? Done a mix of BlackHawk and Japan parts so far. The front brace I have is Cusco and it's good. Going Kansei Service for the rear but only because it lets me retain the well for a spare in future.
 
KobayashiMaru86 said:
And this is why I'm cautious of getting them. Lot of cash for a marginal gain. Where you been getting the rest of them bits from? Done a mix of BlackHawk and Japan parts so far. The front brace I have is Cusco and it's good. Going Kansei Service for the rear but only because it lets me retain the well for a spare in future.
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RHD Japan is my go to. Have ordered from them for years, have a great relationship with them and loads of reward points, so I get decent deals now and again.

It's a rabbit hole though their site, far too much temptation. You've been warned.
 
S18RSG said:
RHD Japan is my go to. Have ordered from them for years, have a great relationship with them and loads of reward points, so I get decent deals now and again.

It's a rabbit hole though their site, far too much temptation. You've been warned.
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Used to use them on my brothers 86. Used Japanparts and Blackhawk so far. I'll start a list. Need axle stands too since I don't have anyone local I'd trust to do it.
 
Are the black bits plastic or some sort of hard rubber?

I assume they interfere when the door shuts to give the stiffness?
I like the idea, but my OCD brain says if they rub they might look scruffy after a while?
 
TorqueOfTheDevil said:
Are the black bits plastic or some sort of hard rubber?

I assume they interfere when the door shuts to give the stiffness?
I like the idea, but my OCD brain says if they rub they might look scruffy after a while?
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The black bits on both the door and the chassis are plastic, the bits on the chassis are sprung so when you close the plastics make contact and the spring tension keeps them from moving I suppose. I have these fitted and I'm a bit skeptical on how such a small contact area and light force would actually do anything, but these have won a design award back in 2012 and are fitted to many cars where people say they make a noticeable difference. I can't tell how much of an impact they made on their own as I added the performance dampers at the same time (strut/brace dampers).
 
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