Can I hotwire the electronic shocks?

pdudley42 · 06-05-2009, 01:59 AM

I'm running an 1986 1/2 Supra in the 24 hours of lemons and our car has the stepper motor-controlled shocks but the switch controlling them is gone. Is there any information out there on how to hotwire them. Basically I'll just put them in their stiffest setting and leave them there. I'm pretty crafty with wiring and willing to be creative, but I figured one of you guys had run into this problem before.
As an alternative I'm considering installing some conventional dampers. Can anyone recommend a good value on a damper that works well for a $500 Supra?
Thanks, Paul

Kevin · 06-05-2009, 02:46 AM

are you talking about the button under the shifter?
heres a link to all wiring. http://cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/TEWD/MK3/

mirage83 · 06-05-2009, 03:00 AM

Don't need to rewire them. Pull the TEMS motors off the top of the shocks and you'll see the shock adjustment shaft. It'll have a slot in the top for the adjustments and you'll probably see settings 1-5. Use a standard screwdriver and turn the slot on all your shocks to "5", and just don't put the TEMS motors back on. That's the stiffest setting for your suspension.

That's all there is to it. GL.

pdudley42 · 06-09-2009, 01:53 AM

Thanks GL. That's the answer I was hoping existed. Full-stiff it is. As an added bonus we get to take the little motors out as well...less weight (insert smiley).
We are going to shake down the car at an autocross next weekend at Stowe mountain resort in Vermont; it snowed at the last one. The radiator we got from car-parts dotcom turned out to be a leaker under pressure so I've got to play the whole "used radiator crapshoot game" again, but I'm very optimistic about the car as a whole and my team is extremely excited to run it in the Lemons race. I custom-fit a twin-fan from an air-conditioned Nissan Altima to the radiator that will work perfect in the event of a long red-flag period where we'll want to avoid shutting the car off.
Oh by the way, any good advice on brake pads?

mirage83 · 06-09-2009, 02:49 AM

Given what you've got planned for it I don't personally think the brake pads are gonna matter much.

Seriously though, I'm far from an expert on the best kind of pad for your purposes. Maybe someone with more experience on what you'll need for the race will chime in.

pdudley42 · 06-11-2009, 01:33 PM

I think we're going with Porterfields. The other choice is EBC Yellowstuff.

06-05-2009, 01:59 AM	#1
pdudley42 Stock Join Date: May 2009 Location: Waitsfield, Vt Posts: 8	Can I hotwire the electronic shocks? I'm running an 1986 1/2 Supra in the 24 hours of lemons and our car has the stepper motor-controlled shocks but the switch controlling them is gone. Is there any information out there on how to hotwire them. Basically I'll just put them in their stiffest setting and leave them there. I'm pretty crafty with wiring and willing to be creative, but I figured one of you guys had run into this problem before. As an alternative I'm considering installing some conventional dampers. Can anyone recommend a good value on a damper that works well for a $500 Supra? Thanks, Paul

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06-05-2009, 02:46 AM	#2
Kevin 3" Exhaust Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 194	are you talking about the button under the shifter? heres a link to all wiring. http://cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/TEWD/MK3/

06-05-2009, 03:00 AM	#3
mirage83 12psi boost Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 359	Don't need to rewire them. Pull the TEMS motors off the top of the shocks and you'll see the shock adjustment shaft. It'll have a slot in the top for the adjustments and you'll probably see settings 1-5. Use a standard screwdriver and turn the slot on all your shocks to "5", and just don't put the TEMS motors back on. That's the stiffest setting for your suspension. That's all there is to it. GL.

06-09-2009, 01:53 AM	#4
pdudley42 Stock Join Date: May 2009 Location: Waitsfield, Vt Posts: 8	Thanks GL. That's the answer I was hoping existed. Full-stiff it is. As an added bonus we get to take the little motors out as well...less weight (insert smiley). We are going to shake down the car at an autocross next weekend at Stowe mountain resort in Vermont; it snowed at the last one. The radiator we got from car-parts dotcom turned out to be a leaker under pressure so I've got to play the whole "used radiator crapshoot game" again, but I'm very optimistic about the car as a whole and my team is extremely excited to run it in the Lemons race. I custom-fit a twin-fan from an air-conditioned Nissan Altima to the radiator that will work perfect in the event of a long red-flag period where we'll want to avoid shutting the car off. Oh by the way, any good advice on brake pads?

06-09-2009, 02:49 AM	#5
mirage83 12psi boost Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 359	Given what you've got planned for it I don't personally think the brake pads are gonna matter much. Seriously though, I'm far from an expert on the best kind of pad for your purposes. Maybe someone with more experience on what you'll need for the race will chime in.

06-11-2009, 01:33 PM	#6
pdudley42 Stock Join Date: May 2009 Location: Waitsfield, Vt Posts: 8	I think we're going with Porterfields. The other choice is EBC Yellowstuff.