I am going to be purchasing a shock/spring setup for my car within the next month or so and I am about 90 percent sure I want to go with the d-spec kit, I hear it lowers the car about 1.25 inches and preserves ride quality. as I was researching this kit htouhg I came across the hts series which is about 200 bucks less and sounds like it does the same thing. Can anyone shed some light on this situation? I searched for tokico d-spec and it sounds like people seem to like the kit although I cannot find any pictures. Does anyone have the hts? Do you guys like the setup. Is it soft as stock or does it rattle your brains?

 

heres an interesting tidbit of info. Tokicos website was down last night but it is working today. according to their website the HTS is the same as the D-spec kit but it is painted red instead of greay or black like the d specs. I cant believe that the color of the setup is worth an extra 200 bucks???

 

I have not heard of the HTS, but I do know that you can buy just D-Spec shocks (which I have) and then provide your own springs, and I also know that Tokico just recently started selling the D-Spec "Kit" (DSK) which includes Tokico springs. This may be the $200 difference you are seeing shocks vs. shock/spring kit.

 

that is what I originally thought but after researching it some more both dspec and hts are availible in just shoks or as a whole suspension kit raceinspired.com has the kits if you care to look at them. I think I will be ordering the hts here pretty soon if it really is just the paint that seperates them from the dspecs

 

where did you buy the shocks from? i noticed you're from Oregon and i usually buy parts from horsepowerfreaks, but the photo they have showed springs, too. i want to get springs separate.

 

the d specs are adjustable..

beers

 

The HTS are adjustable as well arrording to tokicos website. Both the dspecs and HTS are 15 way adjustable according to tokico. I am really having trouble believing the only difference is paint?????

 

I ordered mine through forum vendor DPE, they were having a special on D-Specs / Tein spring combo. Great price, and received them in like 4 days.

 

which Tein srprings do you have? is the car at least noticeably firmer with your setup?

 

Hopefully this will help...I'm runnin' the D-specs and S-techs on my car. The car rides firmer, handles better and I like the way the S-techs even out the car a bit. I found my comfort zone to be about 2 3/4 turns counter clockwise from full firm on the front and 3 1/2 on the rear tire pressure is about 38 I think. Here are the pics

 

i think that has not settled yet.. when it settles, give 34 to 35 lbs air.. and from full tight.. aka all the way in.. 4 turns front and three in the back..

beers

 

thanks for the feedback. i'm looking for the firmest ride i can get short of genuine coilovers. i have no intentions of racing my 8, but my tastes are born (and developed) out of my 7s, so i'm hoping the S-Techs will give me what i want and not ad-gimmickery.

 

If you want very firm, Koni shocks are probably better than Tokicos for you. The S-techs give the best drop aesthetically IMO, but just adding springs to the stock shocks isn't going to give you that much firmer of a ride.

A good read:
https://www.rx8club.com/driven-performance-equipment-98/koni-vs-tokico-chapter-1-a-105408/

 

Thanks for the advice, I put this on about 1200 miles ago. How long does it take to settle?. I like the look of the car now and I don't want it to look slammed. You know I found that If I go softer in front the car still leans a bit during enthusiastic driving in the twisties. I'll keep playing with it though. Thanks again.

 

it is settled..

and you are welcome.

beers

 

My setup with tokico d-spec shocks and H&R springs drop the car 2" and the ride can be set way stiffer than you could ever manage on the road... Most springs are too soft for me, but the H&R's are wicked. Adjusting the d-specs give you the ability to make the ride either managable or back breaking. The H&R's provide a good amount of preload before adjusting the shocks compression.

Some springs (like Tein) lower the front more than the back (or is it the other way around?). Don't really understand this because the H&R's drop 2" evenly at all corners... and it looks killer.

 

Pics? Location? and what's the spring rate on the H&R's? If you notice, a lot of stock 8's are higher in the front and lower in the rear. If I remember right the drop on the Tein S-techs is .7 in the rear and 1.5 on the front. It evens it out.