im lookin for before and after or atleast after pics of an xA with teh TRD lowering springs installed or atleast pics of cars with about a one inch drop and no mor ethan 1.15 inch drop thanks!!!! im trying to decide if i want to drop it an inch and if its even worth it or if i sh ould get teh TRD CAI

 

it is definitely worth it (and easy)

stock springs
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...29370e8f7810cf

dropped with TRD springs
https://www.scionlife.com/gallery/?photo=28203

 

I have to admit that it looks better an inch lower. I had never really thought about lowering a car, but alot of people on this site recommend it.

In general, I don't like lowered cars, but when I think of a lowered car, I think of the extreme case where the car can barely make it over a speedbump.

How easy is the install? Are we talking an hour of work or an all day event?

Also, is the ride harsher or softer? I actually like to feel the bumps in the road.

Finally, do you have any issues with the car bottoming out coming out of driveways?

 

the TRD springs are about as mild of a drop as can be performed on the xA. in my opinion, the ride did not significantly change. just a bit stiffer than stock. ground clearance has not been an issue for me. the install is quite simple. patience is the key. having a inexpensive spring compressor on hand is a good idea. i found a step by step walk through on the internet. total install time for all four should take about three hours. you don't have to disconnect the brakes to do it and there is no need to get a front end allignment afterward

 

Alignment after new springs is highly recommended. There's no safety issue with not getting one done, but you run the risk of killing your tires. If you're not going to get one, then make sure you keep an eye on the wear pattern of your tires about every week for the first month or so and then maybe every two weeks following that. You might get lucky and not have to touch it, but if your tires are showing uneven wear, then you deffinitely need it.

 

on my xA i have 6000 miles and no uneven tire wear with the TRD lowering springs. Toyota specifically states that the TRD lowering springs do not change the suspension geometry. none of the alignment adjustments were loosened during the install.

 

Geometry is different from alignment. If you had springs installed, then the front struts were removed and one of the points that are adjusted during an alignment are the two bolts on the lower part of the strut. So those were deffinitely taken loose.

 

i'm wondering, how far to drop to get best handling.

 

the two bolts that attach the bottom end of the strut to the control arm are not adjustable.

 

BozzMan, please take a look at this link...pdf file, so it might take a minute to open.

http://www.trdsparks.com/install/xAF...nmentSpecs.pdf


Those two bolts are part of adjusting the camber on the front.


edit...........it's on page three of the pdf file.

 

so if a larger diameter bolt is placed in the top hole then that adds positive camber and if a larger diameter bolt is placed in the bottom hole then that adds negative camber

but if i were to just remove those bolts and then reinstall them my alignment shouldn't be effected because i didn't change anything.

if i install new oem struts and springs the alignment shouldn't be affected either because i am not changing the camber geometry. thus Toyota's note that geometry is not changed by installing the TRD springs means that the camber should not change thus reinstalling the same two bolts shouldn't alter the original camber.

 

what drop will have the lower control arms parralel to the ground.

 

i'm not sure that a lower ride height always means you'll have better handling. i do know that a couple of years back Sport Compact Car Magazine did comparison testing on a road course with a car that they fitted with 14", 15" an 16" wheels and tires and the 14" wheels and tires had the fasted lap times.

 

I would have assumed that a comparison of 14 inch, 15 inch, and 16 inch wheels would all have the same ride height. I would assume they just use different tires and maintained about the same overall diameter of the tire and wheel. 14 inch wheels would probably give you the best lap times because they are lighter.

 

heres mine on tanabes NF210's same drop as the trds for about 10 bucks more...

don't mind the truck behind my car haha

 

Hey hornet... i sent you a pm.. .but what size are your tires? They 15's?

 

heres mine with TRD and 17s... I personaly hate how small the drop is and I am switching to tanabe df210sc soon.

 

I'm possitive that lower ride hight does not ALWAYS improve handling...that's why I'm asking about how far the drop is to make the lower control arms parallel with the ground.

A "drop" can improve handling, "Slamming" your car will reduce handling

 

now that's what I call an SUV. i wonder what something like that costs? i bet it gets great mileage!

i think i prefer the little more of a drop that the tanabe springs give the xA. the stock xA springs don't really look stock, they look like the car is jacked up. the trd springs actually make the car look like what should be the stock ride height. the car actually needs a minimum of a 1.5 to 2 inch drop to actually look lowered. to me, leaving the stock springs and stock wheels and tires was not even a consideration. i replaced them before i had 500 miles on the car. in hindsight, i wish i had gone with tanabe's and 17's.

 

I have the TRD springs on stock shocks and the handling improved a lot. After a year I added the TRD rear sway bar and that made a very noticable improvement as well. Since my xA is a RS1 it came with 17" rims with 205/40/17 Yoko Avus tires.

If you haven't done wheels and tires then start there.

BTW, I'd take the rear sway bar for $145 over any CAI that only give a 2 hp gain that you'll never feel.