I'm debating on getting Tein S-techs or Hotchkis springs. Right now I'm on TRDs and I'm so sick of the wheel gap.

I'm looking for a fairly even drop which is why Hotchkis was my first option... but I'm not sure if it'll be low enough. I have an RS1 lip in the front and I occasionally come across speed bumps so I don't want to screw anything up. I don't mind scraping the lip a little cause I know thats going to happen occasionally.

If you have hotchkis and s-tech springs could you please post up a SIDE VIEW so I can get a better idea of what might suit me. I'm aware of the search button and we've been friends for the past 3 hours now.. but I cant seem to find a good pic.

Only post if you have 17" rims... 18's and 19's wont help. Lol. Personal input on the springs would be nice too. If you could take a pic at a speedbump that will REALLY help.

S-techs FTW!!! I cant post pics from my fone but check my profile for side pics...

Yes, but s-techs on 18x7.5 +45 = no rub? or rub.

No it shouldn't rub. Maybe on hard bumps

S-techs FTW!!! I cant post pics from my fone but check my profile for side pics...

That helps, do you have issues with speed bumps?

No issues or rubbing on anything and very rarely with a full car. I can try n take pics of mine on speed bumps 2moro after work @ 7pm if my camera is workin, if that will help you decide.

No issues or rubbing on anything and very rarely with a full car. I can try n take pics of mine on speed bumps 2moro after work @ 7pm if my camera is workin, if that will help you decide.

Please if you dont mind. That'll help alot. If you could get a shot just behind the front and rear wheels that'd be great. I have mudflaps and an HKS fart can to look out for. LOLz

http://i54.tinypic.com/ehdeg8.jpg

Whooa. Thats sexy :D i'm sold on Teins. Lol

don't do Hotchkis, I loved my drop but rust was an issue. I'm on Tanabe DF210's right now and I love the drop. I don't have any pics of my car on the Tanabe drop, but heres what it looked like on the Hotchkis drop.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/smoothlander2472/tails1.jpg
Tanabe is basically the same. I think the back might be a smidge lower but not much.
I don't like the look of the S-Tech drop, back seems too low, but different strokes for the different folks.

Be careful after getting a drop tho, this was me pulling in/out of my driveway afterwords.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/smoothlander2472/low2.jpg
Especially down in FLA, we got those stupid rain gutters down there, leavin my house down there my car was about half a cm off the ground goin through the gutters.

don't do Hotchkis, I loved my drop but rust was an issue.

Oh, thanks for warning me about that. I'll check out the Tanabe springs too. In the picture that Philip-tc posted it doesn't look all that low in the front so I'm hoping I'll be fine. I like the back low but I just have to be careful with clearing my HKS exhaust. Its already pretty low :/

Does your tC look similar to this 'a_german_named_hans'?

Tanabes look pretty good too if thats the case. I might just get these. LOL You people keep making me change my mind. I appreciate the suggestions though. :D

http://ssuperstore.com/images/DF210tC001.jpg

Sorry I couldn't get any speed bump pics.. it got dark fast and I don't live by any speed bumps at all. So I went to my boys neighborhood and his speed bumps are like "A cups" lol so there isn't much 2 show. I can run over those thing @ like 10mph.lol but ima post pics of me runnin up my driveway soon.

I've had both, and I like the Hotchkis drop more. S-Techs were lower in the front (raked look), Hotchkis is very even. S-Techs are lower overall. The Hotchkis will handle better too (but still not great).

Sorry I couldn't get any speed bump pics.. it got dark fast and I don't live by any speed bumps at all. So I went to my boys neighborhood and his speed bumps are like "A cups" lol so there isn't much 2 show. I can run over those thing @ like 10mph.lol but ima post pics of me runnin up my driveway soon.

LOL Its cool, I understand. I'm leaning towards the Tanabe springs. Not sure if I'm too crazy about the "raked" look cause I dont want to lose my RS1 lip.

Yea that is probaly the best bet.. I love s techs but when I took pics of me goin up my driveway straight I scraped lmao And I have no lip. I just got used to driving with them and what and how I can go over stuff.lol My driveway you'll scuff up your Rs1 and put some battle scars on that HKS... They are great for me but for you, tanabe or H techs IMO.. Good luck man.

loved my hotchkis springs... great drop and handled very well. not rust issues at all for me.

yeah mine looks like that, slight tuck in the rear and almost tuck in the front. The rust issue is hit or miss. Three of my springs weren't that bad. one was pretty bad tho. Here's what it looked like after 2 years.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/smoothlander2472/DSC04206.jpg

^^ dang I would hate to see those if you had em on for another couple years. Lol

yeah no crap. I blew my struts and shocks and managed to score a killer Tokico and Tanabe DF210 deal off someone on here. Only reason I had a spare set of springs layin around. I woulda been pist to find that with-out having another set of springs.

^Geez! My Hotchkis have been on almost a couple years, and they're not rusted at all. Maybe a couple minor surface rust spots.

Oh wow. Yeh. Hotchkis can keep their springs. LOL I agree the drop looks good but I dont have the luck to play the "hit or miss" game. haha. I'm probably going to end up with the Tanabe springs and Tokico shocks as well. I dont know for sure when I'll get them but they'll be on the car by November 22nd. Thats when my school break is over. lol. I'll post pics once I have them on.

I'd like to see a couple of pics of tC's with tanabe... so if you got it... show it off. :D

Thanks for helping me make my decision guys and gals!

To me the Tanabes look like they have a bit of a reverse rake, that kept me from those.

Honestly the Tanabe's are very similar to the Hotchkis drop. Maybe like half an inch lower in the back but that's about it. I'm trying to see if I have any pictures of my car on the Tanabe's but I don't think I do. I can't get pics either cuz I'm in Ireland for another 2 months. I'll post pics if I find something.

Where in Florida are you? Most of the year I live in Florida. I'll be back there in the beginning of January, if ur close to me I'll gladly help you install them if you need.

Where in Florida are you? Most of the year I live in Florida. I'll be back there in the beginning of January, if ur close to me I'll gladly help you install them if you need.

Im In Central Florida. Eastern Polk county. I'd like to have everything installed by November 22nd so January may not work. LOL. I really do appreciate it though. I might just take it to the Midas shop down the road from me. They installed my TRD springs and several exhausts for me so it'll all work out. Thanks again! :biggrin:

ah aright. Yeah I don't blame you. I get antsy with my mods too. I threw my VRDs at night in the snow once cuz I didn't wanna wait.:lol:

Hahaha yeh I would've done that too. I don't ever buy anything for myself anymore, all of my money goes to my car. LOL. I keep an eye out for that UPS truck!

Update: Got the shocks in today and the springs came in a few days ago. I'm getting them installed this weekend so I'll take pics once they're on.

i woulda gotten stechs but thats just me

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4914489125_9d73f564fd_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5027456106_03651dbf55_z.jpg

also people you should mention what kind of shocks/struts your riding on with your springs as well because they also make the height different on springs.

Update: Got the shocks in today and the springs came in a few days ago. I'm getting them installed this weekend so I'll take pics once they're on.

I thought you were going to get Coilovers??

Eibach Sportlines were the best I found for my xA & if I wanted an appearance drop on the tC, I would have used those. Maybe Hotchkis, just because they were great to deal with when I bought my rear sway bar.
If you want to make your tC handle better, I strongly recommend Hotchkis rear sway bar on full-stiff!

flintmica2005, how low did you go? I'm looking to order some tokicos to go with my stechs and want an even drop.

flintmica2005, how low did you go? I'm looking to order some tokicos to go with my stechs and want an even drop.
Had S-Techs with Tokicos and it wasn't an even drop at all. Front was lower than the rear. I don't like raked stances much, so switched to Hotchkis/Tokico, and it's very even.

yeah if you want an even drop anything Tein wont be for you (htechs or stechs)

my stechs are 2.4" front and 2.0" back but i have the earlier production models and they drop alot lower then the current line up of stechs.

im also on stock struts. 20k miles on these struts and there still good

Ah ok, I got the stechs for free from a friend so I just decided to order some tokicos to go with them. I'm not sure if his stechs are of the earlier models, but I'll try to max them out and see how low they go, and thanks for the reply pinoy and flint.

yeah if you want an even drop anything Tein wont be for you (htechs or stechs)

my stechs are 2.4" front and 2.0" back but i have the earlier production models and they drop alot lower then the current line up of stechs.

im also on stock struts. 20k miles on these struts and there still good

is that really true about the new s-techs? i have yet to find a credible source saying so.