If you checked out my last thread, I recently had a problem with my T1R shock breaking. AJR is replacing it free of charge, so soon it'll be up and running like new again.
However, this has raised some concerns with me. I daily drive my S2K, and most of it's highway, but the last little bit is on some pretty bumpy roads. No potholes/speedbumps, but periodic cracks/bubbles here and there. The ride harshness doesn't bother me in the least, it's just that I'm worried about what it's doing to my shocks now that one has messed up (although since it was a weird malfunction with the adjustment knob breaking off, I'm hoping it was a freak occurrence).

Nevertheless, can anyone tell me about their experience with a harsh suspension and daily driving, meaning how long it lasted and any problems that can occurr. The T1R's are on 10k springs, so would that make them go out sooner than other shocks? Does lowering the car more lessen the shocks' life?
I'm not looking for some miracle shock, I'd just like my T1R's to last me at least 50k miles without having to send them back to get replaced every 10k miles.

Thanks in advance.

 

If you run them at their stiffest, their lifespan will fall drastically. Most coilovers are designed to be used on a nice flat surface (a track) not on a crappy city road. If possible, soften them up when you are riding around town so they dont have to absorb all the shock. Let the springs do some work.

 

I've been running them on the second softest setting. So running them softer will increase their life? I searched but couldn't find any info on that, I'll put them on the softest setting if that's the case.

 

and if you can adjust height, lowering or raising them too much will also cause unnecessary strain.

My only experience on a beefed up suspension was on my old Subaru 2.5 RS. I have a set of Prodrive/Bilstein struts and springs and those lasted 50k easily. They were a matched pair, though, and non-adjustable.

 

10k springs are much higher than stock, but still not bad at all (some bay area people are on 12k, two of them are on 19k!). Many people on the board have run Tein Flex,RA,RS, Buddy Club RS coilovers (all have 10k spring rates)... 50k on those coilovers are simple.

My concern would not be with the damper itself, but if you have a pillowball top mount. If you are on bumpy roads, I see those needing to be replaced more frequently... but not 10k frequently.

 

Thats good to know, i've got some bilsteins and was wondering the same thing

 

T1R B-maxR don't have pillowball upper mount, so no problem there at least