MKIV Supra Suspension Parts: The Complete Guide to Upgrading Your Supra's Handling

The Toyota Supra MKIV is a legendary sports car, but its factory suspension is nearly three decades old. Whether you’re chasing lap times, building a show car, or just wanting a more engaging drive, upgrading the suspension is one of the best investments you can make. This guide covers all the essential MKIV Supra suspension parts, from coilovers to bushings, helping you choose the right components for your goals and budget.

Why Upgrade Your MKIV Supra Suspension?

Stock MKIV Supra suspension was designed for a comfortable grand tourer—not a track weapon. After 25+ years, bushings are worn, dampers are soft, and the ride height sits high. Upgrading improves:

• Handling: Reduced body roll, sharper turn-in, and better grip.
• Adjustability: Lower ride height, adjustable damping, and corner balancing.
• Durability: Higher-quality components that withstand track use and high horsepower.
• Aesthetics: A lower, more aggressive stance.

Coilovers: The Foundation of Your Setup

Coilover kits are the most popular suspension upgrade for the MKIV Supra. They replace the entire strut assembly, offering ride height adjustment and often adjustable damping.

Street vs. Track Coilovers

• Street-oriented coilovers like KW V1 or HKS Hipermax S provide a comfortable ride with moderate damping adjustment. Good for daily driving and occasional spirited driving.
• Track-focused setups such as KW Club Sport or JRZ RS Two have stiffer springs, high-quality dampers, and more adjustment. They can be harsh on rough roads but deliver serious performance on track.
• Coilover with external reservoirs (e.g., Ohlins TTX, Penske) offer the highest level of damping control and heat dissipation, but are overkill for most street cars.

Spring Rates

Common spring rates for MKIV Supras range from 10 kg/mm to 20 kg/mm front and rear. Street cars typically run 10-14 kg/mm; track cars often run 16-20 kg/mm. Softer springs provide better ride comfort but more body roll. Stiffer springs improve grip but can unsettle the car on bumpy surfaces.

Adjustability Features

• Ride height: Independent front/rear adjustment allows you to dial in stance and center of gravity.
• Rebound damping: Controls how quickly the spring returns after compression. More rebound reduces bouncing but can make the ride feel harsh.
• Compression damping: Manages how the damper resists compression. High compression damping improves stability under hard braking and cornering.
• Camber plates: Many coilovers include camber-adjustable top mounts, essential for aligning your Supra after lowering.

Lowering Springs: A Budget-Friendly Option

If you’re on a budget and don’t need full adjustability, lowering springs are a cost-effective upgrade. They pair with your stock shocks (or upgraded shocks like Koni Yellows).

• Eibach Pro-Kit drops the car about 1.3 inches while maintaining a decent ride quality.
• H&R Sport Springs offer a more aggressive drop (1.5 inches) and slightly stiffer rates.
• Tein S.Tech springs are popular for street use, with a 1.5-inch drop.

Important: Lowering springs on stock shocks will cause premature wear. After 20k-30k miles, the shocks may leak or lose damping force. Consider pairing with performance shocks.

Sway Bars: Controlling Body Roll

Upgraded sway bars (anti-roll bars) reduce body roll without significantly stiffening the ride. On the MKIV Supra, thicker bars front and rear tighten up the chassis.

• Whiteline offers adjustable 28mm front and 18mm rear bars, with multiple hole positions for fine-tuning.
• Eibach also makes high-quality sway bars for the Supra.
• Stiffer rear bar can induce more oversteer; a stiffer front bar reduces understeer. Most street setups benefit from a moderate increase in both.

Don’t forget to upgrade end links and bushings when installing sway bars. Polyurethane or spherical end links eliminate slop and improve bar effectiveness.

Bushings: The Unsung Heroes

Rubber bushings in the control arms, subframe, and differential degrade over time, causing vague handling and wheel hop. Upgrading to polyurethane or solid bushings tightens everything up.

• Polyurethane bushings (e.g., Whiteline, SuperPro) are a good street compromise – stiffer than stock but still allow some compliance to prevent NVH (noise, vibration, harshness).
• Solid bushings (e.g., spherical bearings or aluminum) are for track-only cars. They transmit every road imperfection and increase noise, but offer the ultimate control.
• Key areas: Front lower control arm, rear trailing arms, subframe (especially the differential mount).

Pro tip: Replacing all suspension bushings at once is labor-intensive but saves alignment costs and ensures consistent handling.

Control Arms and Toe Links

When lowering your MKIV Supra more than 1.5 inches, the suspension geometry changes significantly. Adjustable control arms allow you to correct camber, caster, and toe.

• Front upper control arms (e.g., SPL, Battle Version) provide camber and caster adjustment.
• Rear upper control arms adjust camber; rear toe links adjust toe. The Supra’s rear suspension can develop excessive negative camber when lowered; adjustable links solve that.
• SPL Parts and Driftworks are respected brands for adjustable arms.

Alignment after any suspension work is critical. A proper alignment with correct specs prevents uneven tire wear and ensures predictable handling.

Subframe Upgrades

A weak point in the MKIV Supra is the rear subframe – it flexes under power, causing wheel hop and inaccurate suspension geometry. Subframe reinforcements or solid mounts help.

• Solid subframe bushings (e.g., HST Parts, Supreme Power) eliminate movement entirely.
• Subframe brace (like TRD or custom) ties the subframe to the chassis, reducing flex.
• Street Note: Solid mounts increase NVH; polyurethane inserts are a good middle ground.

Final Recommendation: Building a Balanced Setup

For most MKIV Supra owners, a balanced street/track setup looks like this:

1. Coilovers: Choose a reputable brand like KW V2 or Tein Flex Z with 10-12 kg/mm springs for street, or 14-16 kg/mm for track days.
2. Sway bars: Whiteline 28mm front and 18mm rear, set to middle hole position.
3. Bushings: Replace all control arm and subframe bushings with polyurethane.
4. Adjustable arms: Rear upper control arms and toe links if lowering more than 1.5 inches.
5. Alignment: Set front camber to -1.5 to -2.0 degrees, rear camber to -1.5 degrees, with 0 toe front and slight toe-in rear for stability.

If budget is tight, start with lowering springs + Koni shocks and a rear sway bar. Then upgrade bushings as funds allow. Avoid cheap coilovers; they ride poorly and fail quickly.

Remember, suspension is a system – each part works together. A good rule is to invest at least 10-15% of the car’s value in suspension. With the right parts, your MKIV Supra will handle like a modern sports car and reward you every time you drive it.