GR Yaris Softer suspension?

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grydoc

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In the real world on UK roads relatively soft but good suspension gets you places quickly. My wife used to have a Mini Cooper (not the S) and once it got going you could make rapid progress on bumpy roads.

I still love my unmodified GR 3.5y into ownership and don't plan on changing anything at the moment. One thing I'd consider though would be some quality dampers but with slightly softer springs. In my mind, on the bumpy roads around here I could imagine it as a killer combination. Lower and firmer I would never consider.

Just wondering out of interest if anyone had gone down this route and what the experience has been?
 
I agree with you a hundred percent.
Softer springs, more wheel travel, OE ride height and top quality damping is the way to go with this car for B-Road fun blasting.
I have TRactive suspension, really like it, progressive springs, OE ride height between +10 to -30mm, multiple remote damper force adjustments, a really very good piece of kit, but I would have liked even more suspension travel.

Up till recently, there wasn't much offer for this type of oriented demand, because we are very few to want this. Most people want to track the car, so obviously it is easy to find harder sprung, lowering suspension kits out there.

And just recently SAMSONAS https://samsonas.com/dampers/25/ came out with a Tarmac rally kit which appears to tick all the boxes. RAlly 2 inspired, just look at the tamac rally cars setup nowadays compared to 20 years ago where they were low and bouncing all over the place. Today the chassis hardly moves while the wheel travel for a tarmac set-up is quite impressive. That is what you were referring to grydoc ?

According to AJP Piras, have a look at his videos, or go to his website, he has installed the kit and seems to be very satisfied with it.

 
Yeah, like I've said many times before on here, I would just like that little bit more wheel control when things get busy, but no less travel and certainly not any firmer.

I like the fact the car pitches and rolls as much as it does, and I like being able to blat about over just about any surface, speed bumps etc. and knowing that the car can deal with it without costing me a sump or something.

Lowering/stiffening it much would lose what is for me a key part of the car's appeal.
 
grydoc said:
Thanks Duke and micsub. It’s not just me then!
Active suspension sounds phenomenal especially with the adjustability you mention.

Time to ponder…..
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If I had waited a year more, and hadn't bought the Tractive kit, I would really be looking closely at this Samsonas kit, although the price tag stings, it's really the only item the GRY is missing !
 
grydoc said:
In the real world on UK roads relatively soft but good suspension gets you places quickly. My wife used to have a Mini Cooper (not the S) and once it got going you could make rapid progress on bumpy roads.

I still love my unmodified GR 3.5y into ownership and don't plan on changing anything at the moment. One thing I'd consider though would be some quality dampers but with slightly softer springs. In my mind, on the bumpy roads around here I could imagine it as a killer combination. Lower and firmer I would never consider.

Just wondering out of interest if anyone had gone down this route and what the experience has been?
Click to expand...
I too found that the standard circuit pack suspension was unpleasant to drive on UK B roads, and my "better half" also told me that she preferred the ride quality in my Caterham, the GRY being more "crashy" over the bumps, which surely wasn't right!
So I did a little research and liked the description and price of String Theory tuned AST 4100 suspension kit see here on there web site https://stringtheorygarage.com/products/ast-4100-coilovers-toyota-gr-awd-yaris

So having had an in-depth and constructive conversation with Ben at String Theory, who really just know his stuff, I took the plunge and had the kit fitted, by Ben and his team, who set the car up to my requirements.
My partner noticed the difference without being told what had been done, so boxed ticked and money well spent.
The ride on motorway and B roads is vastly improved, with the added advantage that if required I can give it a few clicks to make it firmer, if required, for a track day! Perfect for me.
 
Ringo said:
I too found that the standard circuit pack suspension was unpleasant to drive on UK B roads, and my "better half" also told me that she preferred the ride quality in my Caterham, the GRY being more "crashy" over the bumps, which surely wasn't right!
So I did a little research and liked the description and price of String Theory tuned AST 4100 suspension kit see here on there web site https://stringtheorygarage.com/products/ast-4100-coilovers-toyota-gr-awd-yaris

So having had an in-depth and constructive conversation with Ben at String Theory, who really just know his stuff, I took the plunge and had the kit fitted, by Ben and his team, who set the car up to my requirements.
My partner noticed the difference without being told what had been done, so boxed ticked and money well spent.
The ride on motorway and B roads is vastly improved, with the added advantage that if required I can give it a few clicks to make it firmer, if required, for a track day! Perfect for me.
Click to expand...
Wow, that sounds like exactly what I was imagining.
Food for thought.
 
grydoc said:
Wow, that sounds like exactly what I was imagining.
Food for thought.
Click to expand...
Suspension can be very subjective. I was speaking to someone who had done a decent amount of miles on AST including on track and they weren’t a fan. Although they said better than their nitrons they had.
 
Ecsrobin said:
Suspension can be very subjective. I was speaking to someone who had done a decent amount of miles on AST including on track and they weren’t a fan. Although they said better than their nitrons they had.
Click to expand...
Ecsrobin said:
Suspension can be very subjective. I was speaking to someone who had done a decent amount of miles on AST including on track and they weren’t a fan. Although they said better than their nitrons they had.
Click to expand...
Yes Suspension is subjective and for track there are multiple options, but grydoc didnt ask for track focused suspension, they asked for softer.
This particular AST set up is "softer" and primarily for roads with "sensible spring rates to allow stunning British B road performance", to quote Ben @ ST
 
I do 50-60 miles a day on uk A / B roads and the circuit pack suspension is almost perfect, I’ve often thought a little bit softer would be the sweet spot.
Has anyone tried the convenience pack springs on the circuit pack dampers?
I’m currently on around 2.25 neg up front and I’ve recently been told that’s way too much for road use, the same guy has done alignments on a lot of high end cars for road and track. He definitely comes over like he knows his stuff and has done quite a few GR Yaris, he was almost suggesting the higher you go on camber the more you’re scrubbing off the natural grip and drivability of the car.

I’m going to him in January for alignment so I’ll see what he comes up with and see how the car behaves after he’s worked his magic.

I almost went down the route of Eibach springs and spacers because I love how it looks but I eventually gave my head a wobble.
 
Ringo said:
Yes Suspension is subjective and for track there are multiple options, but grydoc didnt ask for track focused suspension, they asked for softer.
This particular AST set up is "softer" and primarily for roads with "sensible spring rates to allow stunning British B road performance", to quote Ben @ ST
Click to expand...
Do you know what the spring rate was set to at all? Under 8k?
 
Just to update on my new alignment.

Matt at Spires Technologies in Warwick has got the car back where I wanted it.
When I had the car I went for a fast road set up with 3 dot bolts top and bottom to achieve around 2.5 up front with a bit of toe in, rear was around 2.0 with a bit of toe out.

The above resulted in 2 sets of tyres wearing quite quickly on the inside. (Fronts)

So I’ve had a bit of a reset, all the original bolts are back in and I’m now 1.5 up front with 0.08 toe out each side. Rear is 2.0 and 0.10 toe out each side.

And it feels lovely, it’s early days but it just feels so much better now.
Car seems to flow better, feels flatter and turns quicker.

Each to their own and we all know how subjective suspension settings are but for me more camber sort of ruins the car.

Just to add, my car will never go on track but does 50-60 miles a day on a & b roads.


IMG_3265.webp
 
4FGR said:
Just to update on my new alignment.

Matt at Spires Technologies in Warwick has got the car back where I wanted it.
When I had the car I went for a fast road set up with 3 dot bolts top and bottom to achieve around 2.5 up front with a bit of toe in, rear was around 2.0 with a bit of toe out.

The above resulted in 2 sets of tyres wearing quite quickly on the inside. (Fronts)

So I’ve had a bit of a reset, all the original bolts are back in and I’m now 1.5 up front with 0.08 toe out each side. Rear is 2.0 and 0.10 toe out each side.

And it feels lovely, it’s early days but it just feels so much better now.
Car seems to flow better, feels flatter and turns quicker.

Each to their own and we all know how subjective suspension settings are but for me more camber sort of ruins the car.

Just to add, my car will never go on track but does 50-60 miles a day on a & b roads.


View attachment 39421
Click to expand...

Looking to replicate this setup so good to hear, I miss the more compliant but darty and lighter steering of OEM alignment personally.

Is there any benefit to running a little toe out on rear? Always thought a little toe in or neutral is the way to go
 
Jones86 said:
Looking to replicate this setup so good to hear, I miss the more compliant but darty and lighter steering of OEM alignment personally.

Is there any benefit to running a little toe out on rear? Always thought a little toe in or neutral is the way to go
Click to expand...

The slight rear toe out just makes it a bit more playful and easier to rotate.

The steering is definitely loads lighter and it just feels more fun to drive.
 
I Just wanted to re visit this as I didn’t want to put any misleading information out there.

My settings are correct for camber, my front and rear toe are toe in and not toe out as suggested above.
I just have a tweak to the rear toe in to give a more rear wheel drive feel.

👍🏻
 
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Ringo said:
I too found that the standard circuit pack suspension was unpleasant to drive on UK B roads, and my "better half" also told me that she preferred the ride quality in my Caterham, the GRY being more "crashy" over the bumps, which surely wasn't right!
So I did a little research and liked the description and price of String Theory tuned AST 4100 suspension kit see here on there web site https://stringtheorygarage.com/products/ast-4100-coilovers-toyota-gr-awd-yaris

So having had an in-depth and constructive conversation with Ben at String Theory, who really just know his stuff, I took the plunge and had the kit fitted, by Ben and his team, who set the car up to my requirements.
My partner noticed the difference without being told what had been done, so boxed ticked and money well spent.
The ride on motorway and B roads is vastly improved, with the added advantage that if required I can give it a few clicks to make it firmer, if required, for a track day! Perfect for me.
Click to expand...
I assume you drive on full soft daily? Im quite interested in these
 
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