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Annex Suspension Coilovers

16K views 44 replies 23 participants last post by  JimsGarageToys  
#1 ·
Annex Suspension has begun development on Fastroad Pro Coilovers for the GR Corolla.
They're using my car for development. They gave me permission to post this on here, they want to see what you guys think and they want to gauge the demand.
I can't share too much yet.

Here is more information on their website. Feel free to contact them for more information or any questions here.

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Here are some of the improvements I've noticed over the OEM suspension:
  • Improved handling and braking feel.
  • Better turn in response.
  • Reduced understeer and body roll.
  • These coilovers are much more comfortable and compliant on the road than the OEM twin tubes.
  • Slightly lighter and smoother steering feel from the spring perch bearings.

My thoughts and opinions:
  • The OEM twin tube suspension is definitely a limiting factor for the car. It holds back so much potential this car is capable of and my theory to that is the GRC has a dual purpose, like the WRX; Rallying and street/track driving but not focused on either. I know the Morizo improves upon this, but how many people on here have been in one or own one here? 3?
  • IMO, the OEM suspension is misleading because the ride harshness can be mistaken for suspension stiffness, but it is actually on the soft side. As we all know, this car has a lot of body roll and understeer.
- Stock, the car still handles well but to bring it another level like the CTR or better, you will need coilovers.
  • We learned that the rear sway bars are quite soft because the car still has some push in the rear.
  • I would SKIP getting springs, they're not even worth the money. 1.) OEM twin tubes are not great 2.) You'll end up wanting to get better shocks for them and they're not adjustable.

Hopefully I can convince Grant, the owner of Annex, to answer questions.

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#5 ·
I put about 100 miles on it so far.
The CUSCO electronic control system sounds just like TEIN's system. If anything, this falls back on the same issue again twin tube shocks.
I don't think Cusco ever mention what type of shock their coilovers are and i'm certain they are twin tubes.
 
#6 ·
I feel like I am qualified to give feedback. I was one of the first people to get their hands on the Fastroad Pros for the 2nd gen MY22 Brz. These coils where great I had them spec'd for more street driving then track as I had only planned on tracking once or twice a year. Unfortunately I was unable to track due to Oil consumption issues so I cannot speak to the coilovers track performance but can say they where amazing for street spirited driving. I went with the Swift spring upgrade and even my mechanic was very suprised of the quality and thoughtfulness they put into the design of the coilover itself. They gave me no issues in the 8 month I had them before trading it in for my GRC and would get another set for my GRC if it wasnt for me trying to go for more of a rally build then a track car this time. If this helps anyone I went with a 4/5k spring rate if memory serves me right and I dont have the spec sheet anymore for the valving. I liked that they do a brief consulation before finalizing the build to make sure they custom tailor your coils to your needs. I highly recommend them if you are looking for your first coilover setup. Ill post a picture of my old car and the coils below.
 

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#7 ·
Big +1 for Annex. They've done a lot for the AE86 world and even though they are Taiwan supplied like all the other mid-range coils they do a lot more local R&D and driver feedback sessions to specify what they actually want. So many of these other companies phone it in like for example BCs IMO feel great on S chassis but are trash on ae86. A lot of companies just repackage what they they think will work for other chassis and send it. Annex does the homework to match the right components to the chassis. Probably my favorite of the mid-range offerings, they also have really well though out Swift spring options.
 
#8 ·
Annex Suspension has begun development on Fastroad Pro Coilovers for the GR Corolla.
They're using my car for development. They gave me permission to post this on here, they want to see what you guys think and they want to gauge the demand.
I can't share too much yet.

Here is more information on their website. Feel free to contact them for more information or any questions here.

View attachment 15309

Here are some of the improvements I've noticed over the OEM suspension:
  • Improved handling and braking feel.
  • Better turn in response.
  • Reduced understeer and body roll.
  • These coilovers are much more comfortable and compliant on the road than the OEM twin tubes.
  • Slightly lighter and smoother steering feel from the spring perch bearings.

My thoughts and opinions:
  • The OEM twin tube suspension is definitely a limiting factor for the car. It holds back so much potential this car is capable of and my theory to that is the GRC has a dual purpose, like the WRX; Rallying and street/track driving but not focused on either. I know the Morizo improves upon this, but how many people on here have been in one or own one here? 3?
  • IMO, the OEM suspension is misleading because the ride harshness can be mistaken for suspension stiffness, but it is actually on the soft side. As we all know, this car has a lot of body roll and understeer.
- Stock, the car still handles well but to bring it another level like the CTR or better, you will need coilovers.
  • We learned that the rear sway bars are quite soft because the car still has some push in the rear.
  • I would SKIP getting springs, they're not even worth the money. 1.) OEM twin tubes are not great 2.) You'll end up wanting to get better shocks for them and they're not adjustable.

Hopefully I can convince Grant, the owner of Annex, to answer questions.

View attachment 15316
View attachment 15317
The stance on this looks good. Any additional spacers or anything on this? Def looking into coil overs as a first mod for the grc. Curious how these compare to the fortune auto coil overs.
 
#10 ·
Thank you, there are no spacers on my car except for the factory 10 mm in the rear.
Annex is looking to release these coilovers in October of this year.

There are more details to come later but what I can mention is that Annex is designing the coilover to be slightly different from what is currently offered on the market.
As a result, it will be easier to adjust dampening and the coilover will be more robust by nature of the design.

One thing I really like is that Annex will have you complete a quick online questionnaire to determine what you prefer and what you're looking for out of a coilover.
This will help Annex build your coilover with custom valving and spring rates that suits you (swift springs are avaliable).

I can't say much about THOSE coilovers you're asking about, but they're fine. You can DM me if you want to know a lil more.

Feel free to message Annex directly.
 
#12 ·
Thank you, there are no spacers on my car except for the factory 10 mm in the rear.
Annex is looking to release these coilovers in October of this year.

There are more details to come later but what I can mention is that Annex is designing the coilover to be slightly different from what is currently offered on the market.
As a result, it will be easier to adjust dampening and the coilover will be more robust by nature of the design.

One thing I really like is that Annex will have you complete a quick online questionnaire to determine what you prefer and what you're looking for out of a coilover.
This will help Annex build your coilover with custom valving and spring rates that suits you (swift springs are avaliable).

I can't say much about THOSE coilovers you're asking about, but they're fine. You can DM me if you want to know a lil more.

Feel free to message Annex directly.
Any updates on the release of these?
 
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#13 ·
This is the latest update, all new camber plates:


Hi!,

I should have posted updates of the development but I was just playing it safe because I do not work for Annex Suspension.

Speed Academy have already received their Clubspec Pros for the Morizo, and we have received praise from them already. I am not sure when that video is coming out though.

The delay has been for good reason as Annex decided to progress more of the coilover design and I would say it has gone through an evolution.
  1. The layout has been changed to an inverted style shock which has a multitude of benefits such as, durability and longevity.
  2. Dampening can be adjusted on the bottom of the shock , thus you do not have to take off the cowl to do any adjustments, have any adjusters protruding from the cowl, and or drill/cutting of the cowl.
  3. This is an all new exclusive design that does not share any components from existing Corolla coilovers. This means that everything is specific to this car such as, valving, shock stroke and travel, fitment, etc.
    • I want to make a comment, many (not all) of the coilovers on the market you see right now are reusing existing Corolla coilovers and doing whatever to make them fit for the GRC.
    • Other small improvements have been made to allow for smoother shock operation.
  4. New camber plate/top hat - It is a new upside down design that allows camber adjustment from the bottom/inside the wheel well. Again, you do not need to remove the cowl for this.


For the release date, it maybe Q1 2024, I will update if this isn't correct or I have a more accurate date.
 
#15 ·
Update!

I was told that the Fastroad Pros coilovers are set to be released in January 2024. Annex is now taking pre-orders!

As some of you know, Annex Suspension GRC coilovers were featured on Speed Academy. I am just going to leave this video here as it belongs here even though it is in another thread.

 
#19 ·
They can be set at stock ride height or even a bit higher, but not by much. Rallycross suspension may or may not be in development, we will see.
Height is fully adjustable, so you can slam the car if you want. These coilovers will come with a basic setting sheet that is based on my car's setup. The drop right now is exactly where Swift springs are at.
 
#27 ·
They're available now but there will be a few weeks of lead time as they have many on going projects. They are currently making a kit for SavageGeese's GRC, it's pretty exciting stuff.
There are few people I can name on instagram who are running this kit. Mattcheww is one of them and he approves of the kit.

The first thing that was achieved for this kit was fitment, dialing in suspension geometry and performance. After that ride quality was dialed in after. The final version/production version felt like having your slice of cake and eating it too. You get even better handling and good ride quality (for a sports car). You no longer get jolted by bumps and small pot holes anymore.
The Fastroad Pro's are an excellent dual purpose coilover very good street manners and can handle some track use. It suits you if your car lives mostly on the road. If you're a track rat and/or building your GRC to be a time attack race car, then the ClubSpec Pro's will be for you at the cost of some NVH. All kits are custom valved based on your spring rate consultation preferences.

I really want to say something about [insert major brand name here] but I cannot get into specifics. 🍿 I'm enjoying some popcorn watching everything going on; it's almost like dramatic irony.

One final thing I need to clear up is that Annex's coilovers are not built in Taiwan or China LOL. They're built here, valved here, shock dyno'ed here, and designed here in the USA. "Designed here in the USA" = Made for (shitty) American roads.
 
#30 ·
I have driven about 350ish miles since installing the Annex Club Spec Pro coilovers with 6k/9k spring rates. I still need to dial in damping but here are my thoughts so far with the dampers set to 6 clicks (+) all around.
1. Overall the ride is more firm, body roll has been reduced
2. Larger bumps/road imperfections at speed are much more tolerable, but “sharp” imperfections still hurt
3. A bit more road noise vs. OEM
4. CSP’s are more complicated to set up with the bump stop height setting stuff - once you get this figured out for your wheel/tire set up, don’t mess with it!
5. Annex customer support has been very helpful in terms of getting these things set up correctly and answering my questions during and after business hours

Initially, I was a bit disappointed with how long these were delayed, and some small final QC issues (extra spring spacer on the rear and a loose damper adjustment knob on the front) but so far I am happy with the customer service, and the way the car rides. I will report back as I drive the car more, and hopefully get a track day or two in.

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#31 ·
Mini update, Annex is working on options for rubber top hats to reduce some additional NVH that the coilovers could induce.

Personally, I like the aluminum top hats because of the bearing that is in it. It helps with steering response and smoothness.


KT, have you tried softening the dampening? You should try 8-10 clicks from full stiff.
 
#35 ·
Annex is having the 4th of July sale. Couple things I noticed, their Fast Road Pro prices went up quite a bit, just makes the decision a bit more difficult between the two options. Also I added their Club Spec Pro to cart and noticed in the cart it says they come with hyperco springs, not swift springs. Maybe it’s just a typo, I was pretty set to order the Fast Road Pro’s until I noticed the two options are only $300 apart now.
 
#39 ·
I’ve done about 5k miles and 3 track days on them now. Overall, I am happy with the club spec pro set up minus the small QC issues I ran into when I first got them. When Annex first started marketing these coilovers, they really made it seem like they would be coming with inverted camber plates that can be adjusted from the wheel well which turned out to not be the case, this felt a little bait and switchy tbh but I got over it and chalked it up to me not reading the fine print (if it existed).

Once I got the bump stops set correctly and dialed in damping, ride quality improved significantly compared to stock. They soak up bumps/dips nicely and I was very surprised with how stable and confident the car feels around corners. If I didn’t daily the car, I would have opted for higher spring rates, but I’m happy with the 6k/9k set up for my use case. I will admit, sharp imperfections are still rough and crashy, NVH is increased as compared to stock but it’s still livable on the crappy Bay Area roads. Just every now and then I hit a sharp dip/transition and it feels like the car is gonna fall apart. Maybe this aspect is a little worse than stock suspension but overall the pros outweigh the cons.

I’m unable to comment on the differences in ride quality/handling between fast road pro, club spec and ohlins as I have not ridden in or driven a GRC with the other options equipped.

If I wasn’t local to Annex, and all the current coilover options were available when I bought these, I probably would have opted for something else. That being said, I don’t regret my choice, not much was available back in late 2023-early 2024 and these have done their job for what I need.