I was thinking about dropping my tC but was worried about how the drive would be afterwords. I want to keep the ride as smooth as it is currently or better. My question is how is the ride comfort after you have dropped the tC? Which springs did you use? Also if you have pics of your car please post! Thanks guys

From what I HEARD, the TRD Suspension has the best ride after the Drop..

moved .....

well, mine's bouncy as hell on rough roads and wasn't half as bouncy as it was stock - I have to admit though, these roads out here in the boonies aren't the most friendly, lots of traffic and lots of repairs - I have the TRD shocks, springs and rear sway bar combo that I got on sale in Nov. for $480 and have the sway set on "race"

I'd like to get a better set of springs, the drop is great for me, looks great and it's never rubbed or hit, even over some massive speed bumps and I drive my car pretty rough. It's still the best mod I've ever done to my car... period. I take turns with 0 body roll, the back end is SO tight it's like night and day from stock.

I attempted some high speed runs on straightaways on the stock suspension setup and it was too scary past 85, the car just didn't like even minor adjustments at those speeds, after the suspension setup I'm still trying to hit the limiter and be safe about it.... got it up to 120 before I ran out of room, the car pulls incredibly from 70-110 probably because it's at the sweet spot in torque and slows down from 110 to 120+. BTW these were done on closed roads, please don't be stupid and do something like that on the streets, it would suck to get killed, but it would suck even more to kill somebody else... just remember how the stories end, the driver usually lives.

All in all, I'd get the TRD setup, the shocks and sway are great, any stiffer in the sway and you're asking for too much oversteer from what I can tell when I went autocrossing, and get a set of progressive rate springs when you have a lot of options to chose from in the future www.trdsparks.com has the combo for $500 - jump on it quick, the shocks retail for $525 alone.

Oh, and you're specifically wanting to have the ride as smooth as it is now or better really can't happen with just a spring and shock upgrade, you have to give something up and it's usually how bouncy it is. You could go for a custom modifyable coilover setup, but that'll cost almost a grand... too rich for my blood.

i would have to agree, i just got the TRD struts and springs put on today, and i really cant tell a difference in ride quality unless i am driving over crappy roads. i would reccomend the upgrade, and it looks 100x better than stock

The only springs I would recommend out right now are the TRD and H&R. Anything else with a lower drop is just calling for trouble.

Of course if you're looking for a smooth ride, stock is the best. Anything else besides stock makes the car stiffer. The TRD would probably be next in comfortability, then the H&R. If you get the TRD springs, I would recommend you get the TRD struts to go with them since they go hand and hand.

The sway bar I would definitely recommend. Makes the car takes corners better.

I purchased the whole TRD set (springs, struts, and sway) and it was definitly worth it.

If you're going autocrossing, that's a whole different story.

completly disagree i have the tein stechs and the ride is very smooth feel better than stock, i still can go over speed bumps at the same speed but have to be careful with leaving parking lots, i have the stock shocks i will upgrade later but fine now, i have had the last 3 vehicles of mine all droped and this one feels the best,

The tein springs are better than stock and lower the car? Anyone else support this claim? Just out of curiosity on my part. I find it hard to believe.
If it is true, it is great except that my TRD's are gonna be here monday.

YOU HAVE AN AP, JUST LOOK AT THE PHOTOS IN MY SIG, THE LAST ONE, YOURS WILL LOOK THE SAME, I CAM CLOSE TO GETTING THE TRD'S BUT I WANTED LOWER, ya i know im yelling sorry!
tcav8r if you want i can show you in person im close by. i work in newport at fletcher jones motorcars,

The tein springs are better than stock and lower the car? Anyone else support this claim? Just out of curiosity on my part. I find it hard to believe.
If it is true, it is great except that my TRD's are gonna be here monday.

I will definately support his claim. They ride SOOO smooth its unbelievable.
8) Sorry but you shoulda gone with the S-Techs :wink:

there are no SPRINGS out there that are made to work with the STOCK shocks.


go ahead and flame me whoever but i dont want to be the one to be saying i told you so.


stock shocks should stay with stock springs. lowering springs will work your shocks more because of the stiffness and the height of the spring is a lil lower.

i highly recommend not gettin springs until you have performance shocks/struts. and the only struts i know of are the one's from TRD and the TEIN DAMPERS

I'd like to support the H&R/TRD shock/rear sway setup. I like the tein s-techs, but the drop is too extreme for me. H&R gives it a nice, noticeable drop, even over the TRD springs- but not so much that you look like you may be hiding hydraulics on your car.

You are right about the shocks, but that doesn't mean the ride is not a good one. When shocks, other then TRD are available I will replace them.

The tein springs are better than stock and lower the car? Anyone else support this claim? Just out of curiosity on my part. I find it hard to believe.
If it is true, it is great except that my TRD's are gonna be here monday.

Want to sell them? :lol:

completly disagree i have the tein stechs and the ride is very smooth feel better than stock

If you're talking about comfortability and smoothness like a Lexus, , it is impossible for any aftermarkets to feel that way, especially the teins. Teins and other aftermarkets are aggressive suspension for performance, to withstand the high demands of the race track, and other performance activities. No one has ever heard of a racing vehicle feeling like a Lexus on the road. And they're completely two setups, one for racing, and one for daily driver.

Now if you're talking about "feel," that's different and dependable on the person. Most people think a better "feel" is feeling the road since the tC could be considered a "sports car." But people have different ideas of how much they want to feel. I can agree that Teins "feel" better because they will feel the road a lot more and the cornering will be better because of the drop in center of gravity. But you'll be feeling a lot of the road, smooth or bumpy, whether you like it or not.

But in conclusion:
Smallest drop, least cornering, least feel, most smooth: TRD
Middle looks, middle cornering, middle feel, middle smooth: H&R
Bigger drop, most cornering, most feel, least smooth: TEINS

You basically make a sacrifice between feel and smooth.

I went with the TRD's because it wouldn't be low enough to cause too much trouble and I'm using the car as a daily driver so I didn't want it rough on other passengers and myself. But the H&R could be another good option. And the TEINS are personal preference.
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just a quicky question..
Do you have to report your springs to th Insurance Company?...
Someone told me they did and that their quote went up like an extra 50-100
per month...
right now im on my own at 17.. and paying over 2800 a year...
and i cant really afford any more increases..
otherwise ill have to quit all sports... work 2 more days for a total of 6 dyas a week.
and if worse comes to worse.. .sell my tC :(..... and buy something cheaper...
like a civic,... lol!!! nooo

i just put on my tein stechs on TRD struts and ride is pretty aweseome for that big a drop. its hard to tell that the car is dropped while driving or riding in it...feels good, not bouncy

I purchased an installed H&R springs on my tC and love them.

Car rides great, but handles much better. The only delay in handling I have experienced is caused by the cheaper OEM tires included with the car.

The next mod I'm doing is the Progress sway bars.

I sell H&R, Tein, and Progress (springs and coilovers). If you need anything feel free to PM me.

i have seen this twice here... and i can;t see any reason why you can not use aftermarket springs with factory struts/shocks... the function of the strut/shock is one things and the function of the springs is another..

i will give you that replacing both together is complimentary.. but using TRD springs with the factory struts/shock should produce absolutely no adverse affects... shocks/struts are made to work over a certain "range" of movement.. NOW....... having said that.. if you said to me that because you lowered the car 2 inches you would bottom out the strut/shock under regular use then i will concede that YES.. if the aftermarket strut/shock was made to work over this reduced range.. then you would need to use the aftermarket strut/shock.. but as long as you stay within the working range of the strut.. the stiffness of the spring has absolutly no bearing on whether your strut/shock will last or not..

now.. if im wrong.. please enlighten me on the reasoning behind the statement that you "need" to run the aftermarket struts/shocks if you run the aftermarket springs.

no offense meant by this maybe strong worded post..

just a quicky question..
Do you have to report your springs to th Insurance Company?...
Someone told me they did and that their quote went up like an extra 50-100
per month...
right now im on my own at 17.. and paying over 2800 a year...
and i cant really afford any more increases..
otherwise ill have to quit all sports... work 2 more days for a total of 6 dyas a week.
and if worse comes to worse.. .sell my tC :(..... and buy something cheaper...
like a civic,... lol!!! nooo

I cant stress this more, dont tell your insurance company sh**. (Are we allowed to say that word? I dont know which ones we are and are not suppost to write.) Anyways, if they really want to know what you have on your car make them come out and look at it. Dont make it easy on them to increase your insurance.

John

I have the TRD springs/shocks and sway bar on my tc and I have to say the handling was greatly improved. Better response and felt much more confident taking turns at a higher speed. Still very smooth but you do tend to feel the road more. Here are some pics of my FM. http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=728754

Ranthese my ride is smooth. Very smooth. Yes the feel is better as well but I think it is smoother then stock. You shouldn't post claims unless you have driven a tC with each type of spring, cause you don't know.

I'm not saying any one brand is better, I am just telling my experience and opinion.

running stock shocks with drop springs will fry them after a while due to the higher spring rate. maybe a year or two. generates more heat in the shock.

running stock shocks with drop springs will fry them after a while due to the higher spring rate. maybe a year or two. generates more heat in the shock.

Yeah, I did that by putting aftermarket springs on my MR2 with the stock shocks. Won't do that again. I'd rather just do the job once, not twice.

Anyone sporting the Tein Basics? I was thinking of going with those instead of the TRD shock/spring combo.

I had doubts about the claims going around regarding the S.Tech's, but after having them on my ride for a little while now, I can give them nothing but praise. After having ridden on H&R, Neuspeed, & Eibach on previous rides, I'm a believer. The ride really is very similar to stock.

Hi everyone, this will be my first post in this forum and I will like to get a set of spring in my tc but to be honest I’m not sure about the TRD springs. I have heard many miss feelings about the TRD springs ride and handling. I have had many cars in the past and have try many spring and the best ones so far for me are the Eibach , I use them in my Supra, 300zx, and in the RX-7. Yes I have had my share of cars and I just want to try this tc and turbocharged to see what it can do. However, the Eibach is in my opinion e a better spring all around, better performance and better handling than any TRD spring I have tried.. TRD do not make their own springs or shocks, c’mon guys just look at the price!! You can get a set of TRD spring and TRD sway bar fro $195.00 You pay for what you get, sure it will be better that stock but I’m sure it can get better….. I know that Eibach is a bit pricy but you can get them for about $209.00 I know some of you will disagree on this one but I am just giving my honest of what I have tested in the past. Some of you may be happy with your TRD spring but I think Eibach is a better spring.
Im still looking for a good set of shocks…I know that TRD uses Bilstein shocks for some of their applications
http://www.usatoyotaparts.com/Products/part_detail_40_651.html
http://www.usatoyotaparts.com/Products/part_detail_40_622.html

if they use the Bilstein for the tc I will get them for sure, Im still looking.

i dont know if they still do, but a few years ago TRD springs were produced by eibach for the applications i was interested in... and exactly the same as what eibach offered. so saying TRD springs are inferior to eibach is silly if that's still true.

You are correct TRD had use some Eibach springs in the past for some applications just like they may still use Eibach today. TRD is also known to use KYB, Bilstein shock among others, unfortunate TRD is not using Eibach for the scion tc. To avoid the confusion I just got the real thing “Eibach,” just like Steve Millen only uses Eibach on all his streetcars projects. And yes TRD springs are inferior to Eibach in the scion tc.

i'm thinking about getting H&R with the TRD struts and the TRD sway bar. does anyone here have that and can say how much that feels compared to stock? no offense to the tien people, i just don't want that much of a drop. i'm just debating over getting H&R for springs, and getting TRD or Hotchkiss for sway bar. also, how much low is the drop with eibach and how does it feel?

im still not convinsed about the lowered springs and needing an aftermarket strut/shock ...

more heat..? in what way does the strut/shock generate heat..? i am very familiar with the inner workings of a strut/shock.. and for the life of me cannot see any thing in the strut that generates heat.. other than the seal in the valving.. and that is the only friction you have.. using a lower stiffer spring reduced the overall travel of the strut. given this.. you have less movement in the shock.. less movement means less heat generated by friction of the seal...

i wiill buy that the stock strut will blow out sooner because of the more aggressive driving you do once you have lowered it.. BUT that is just the valving wearing out because of the more agressive driving.. NOT because of anything the spring is doing to it.. a aftermarket performace strut/shock has better valving design and or components made for aggressive driving and hense will last longer...

if im off base.. please point me to something that says you NEED to do this... i understand many say that they have expirienced this failure.. but is it trully directly related to the springs.. or to the driving you are doing because of the springs...

this is from a shock manufacturers website, so take it w/ a grain of salt i guess

Q. Can I use sport lowering springs with my original shocks?
A. Very few original shocks have the damping necessary to properly control sport lowering springs. Even if they work reasonably well when first installed, the higher rate springs will cause the factory shocks to wear much faster.

http://www.tokicogasshocks.com/faq.html

my own feelings:

i think it depends on the car. we've all seen the honda bouncing up and down because the shocks couldn't take the higher spring rate of their lowering springs, then there are also cars like the MR2, MINI, and Miata, that all have pretty stiff shocks from the factory. they don't seem to suffer the "porpoising" problem that economy cars do if lowered on factory shocks. i think if you have a brand new scion with less than 30k miles, and don't excessively lower it, you should be fine. that said, there is a huge "driving feel improvement" to the addition of shocks IMHO.

thank you codemunkee..!!! yes the grain of salt is needed when reading shock manufacturers comments.. but this make alittle more sense than a heat related failure.....

i will agree 100% that changing the springs and struts together will give an improved driving expirience..

im still not convinsed about the lowered springs and needing an aftermarket strut/shock ...

more heat..? in what way does the strut/shock generate heat..? using a lower stiffer spring reduced the overall travel of the strut. given this.. you have less movement in the shock.. less movement means less heat generated by friction of the seal...

if im off base.. please point me to something that says you NEED to do this... i understand many say that they have expirienced this failure.. but is it trully directly related to the springs.. or to the driving you are doing because of the springs...

as pointed out, it is due to the higher spring rate. the shock is there to dampen the motion of the spring so the car doesn't bounce uncontrollably down the road. it turns motion into heat.

imagine a shock on the car, the piston moves in and out. now imagine moving it in and out repeatedly and quicky, albeit with less movement. that is what a stiffer spring will do to it. the piston rod on the stock shocks i pulled out of my civic after running pro kits for a while were actually burned from the heat buildup. nice rainbow color on the chrome :)

and prokits are progressive, ~1" drop springs. just imagine what a fixed rate, 2" drop spring would do to it.