General Setup Tips

I have owned and autoxed a '94T, '91T, and '93NA, so I'll comment on what I
know.

The '91-92 cars tend to oversteer in stock form, and they have a lot of body
roll, so putting a bigger front swaybar tends to balance them out and has
the additional benefit of getting the rear to hookup when powering out of
corners -- works like a LSD. The '93+ cars are lower and the front springs
are stiffer, and they work well with the stock front bar. The problem with
these cars is getting the front end to bite, and some folks have even used
softer swaybar bushings (i.e. pipe insulation) to soften the front end a
bit.

For both the '91 and '93 cars I personally like front toe about zero,
although lots of folks like some toe-out to improve turn-in. I like rear
toe at 1/8" in for both, maybe a bit less (1/10") for the '93+ cars.

For shocks on the '93+ cars I like soft front/stiff rear. This helps get
the front end to bite and reduces understeer. As a matter of fact, when I
first put front Konis and rear Tokicos on my '94T I was spinning at every
turn and had to change my alignment back near the stock settings.

For the '93+ cars I recommend Koni front/Tokico rear because the Tokicos are
stiffer. I use the opposite setup on my '91T (Tokico front and Koni rear)
and like it. But any of the good shocks work well. You just have to
experiment with what works for you and your car. Some folks like soft
front, stiff rear on the '91s as well, and some of us like the opposite.

I believe the TRD front bar is 22mm, not 21 like in your FAQ. I use the TRD
bar on my '91T. I have an ST bar that I was going to modify and use because
I was getting some rear wheelspin, but I've now got the car dialed in pretty
well with the TRD bar for now.

GAB does make strut inserts to fit the MR2. They have their normal very
stiff ones, and they have a Gymkhana version which is ultra stiff. Even on
their lowest setting they are stiffer than Tokicos on #5. I think these
would work well on the '91-92 cars, but I haven't tried them.

As far as air filters, the stock paper element is thicker (taller pleats)
than the K&N, so even if the K&N media flows better the stock paper
element's larger surface area may make up for it. I think the difference in
performance is insignificant, if any, so I use the stock paper because I
think it filters better. I know one guy whose turbo compressor wheel was
worn, and he thought it was because he used a K&N filter.

Ignition systems
I use all stock, so I can't comment. On the turbo, just make sure that it
is all in good condition. Distributor caps seem to be the weak link.

Brake Pads
I recommend stock. I am currently using the Carbotech Kelate compound, and
they are more powerful, but they are more difficult to modulate and they
squeal, even with well gooped-up anti squeal shims installed.

Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Not really necessary. Might make the brakes too easy to lock up during
autocross. But I intend to try them. I have been waiting for the TRD lines
which still aren't ready. In the meantime I found a set of Russell lines
that I can get for $25 so I'm going to get them next month and try them out.

Hope this helps. It's hard to give hard advice since everyone has a
different driving style and every car is different. Last year I used front
Tokicos on #4 and the stock shocks at the rear on my '91T. Over the winter
I replaced the rear shocks with Konis and expected this to increase
oversteer, but the car understeered. I had to set the rear Konis full
stiff, turn the Tokicos down to #3 and lower the front tire pressures to get
the car to handle well again. However, I haven't gotten the car aligned
since I replaced the shocks so this might be part of the problem.

Brad Burns <BurnsJB1@central.SSD.JHUAPL.edu>
'91T hardtop, B-Stock
'93NA hardtop, SSB road racer