... and I was wondering two things. Are all the performance upgrades worth it? The lowering springs,... do they lower the car considerably over the an xA without them? Now, most importantly,... what is the average size after rim used to upgrade these cars? I want the largest but safest size possible. I am thinking 17's. I dont want to have to dodge EVERY pot hole out there. You know what I mean? Would I be able to fit 17's with factory lowering springs without modification to the car? I saw pics of guyz with 18's and 20's but hardly of any with 17's. Do you know where I could find pics of some xA's with 17's? Thanks guyz!

 

Lowering the xA will greatly improve the looks and handling of the car. The stock height of the xA's are just toooo high, it looks like a mini off road car haha. I used tanabe DF210 springs which lower the xA 2". 17" wheels will be fine when used with the trd springs ( 1" drop).

 

I went with 17s after heavy consideration and thought. This size does not affect the speedometer and mileage as much as ++sized wheels... Lowering does improve handling if you choose the right springs... Stiffer springs like the TRDs will probably be best for more aggressive driving, others like Tanabe DFs are more for looks with improvements in handling coming in second... Any lowering, in my opinion, will improve the ride on your XA since its stock height makes it a bit squirrely in tight situations... I am still on the fence about adding a rear sway bar stiffener to tighten up the rear end, but will probably try it out since it is so easy to install...

good luck...

 

So the TRD springs only lower the car by 1"??? I dont reall want to void the warrenty. I know that runnign 17's might do this but I doubt it. Thats why I want the 17's. I know that a car that has been lowered with stiff springs handles better. I just wanted to now if the TRD lowering springs upgrades are worth it see that they only drop the car by 1" Do you know where I could find pics of xA with different configs? Coffee I just checked your prfile and your car is pretty much what I am looking for!!! Your car is hot dude!! What suspenesion did you go with???

 

i ran 17's with 215 45 17 (+42mm offset) no rubbing, and a 2.5" drop. the options for wheels and drop are limitless on the xA, tons of wheelwell space..

i suggest dropping more than 1".. trust me, your warranty will be voided unless you let the dealer rip you off to install them. most reputable individuals will lower an xA/B for $60-$80 (i lower xA/B for $60, guaranteed labor) .

the xA is a beautiful car with the proper mods.. u lucky dog, you'll be getting the sweet 2006 with painted sideskirts, sportier bumper lol..

 

Damn, so the warrenty will be voided? That sucks. Well,... is the whole warrenty voided or just for certain things? I mean engine and tranny isn't efected by suspension so I dont know why that would be voided. So 60 - 80? Is that labor only? I havent really looked into this yet but I want some stiff springs for handling. I just dont want looks. What do good stiff lowering springs usually run? If I buy the lowering springs and have the dealer install them, will it still void warrenty even if they lower more then 1"?

 

what voids is failure of the product causing damage to your vehicle. they have to prove that it was the aftermarket parts failure that caused the issue.

 

Really!!! Well, I'm cool with that. Just have to make sure your upgrades dont break the car Now, say I get my own springs for the car,... and the springs lower the car by 2". Will the TRD shocks and struts work with those springs or should I get those myself?

 

Geeez,... whats better, getting springs, shocks and struts or coilovers? I know coilovers are adjustable but are they worth the extra several hundred? I'm thinking no. I'm thinking I'll get springs, shocks and struts, and sway bars. All that would cost about what it would for a set of coilovers. Right?

 

Is the xA considered a sports car?

 

its considered a sedan only get coilovers if your really serious about taking it to a track or course to race on. otherwise i would get some kind of spring and shorter shock/strut package.

 

Oh, no track time for me. Im just going to go with everything individually. How do I know what shocks and struts to get for say a set of springs that lower about 2"? The TRD shocks and struts, would they work ok with such springs?

 

if you go lowering springs (non trd) on trd struts and you blow the trd struts, there is no warranty on the struts..

just something to think about.. which is why i went full coilovers..

 

So how do I know what springs will work with what struts and shocks?

 

I have the TRD struts on Tanabe DF210 springs and they make for a good combination. I recently was running the DF210's on the stock struts with no problems. Also, there have been other members on ScionLife that run springs with similar lowering rates on stock shocks and struts with no major problems.


The TRD and Tanabe DF210 combo will give you a bit of a bumpy ride. The shocks are considerably stiffer. The sitffer shocks and struts make for awesome handling while sacrificing some of the ride comfort. I do find myself dodging some potholes but it's fun to do with a good handling car.

If you want a sporty ride without sacrificing comfort try the Koni adjustable gas shocks. They are a bit pricey but several people have found them to be very good in ride and build quality.

 

I dont mind a stiff ride actually. So those tanabe's dropped your car about 2" right? And they worked with the TRD shocks and struts? I guess that would mean that any set of springs that lower about 2" would work with them correct? The Koni's,.... YUM. They are a bit expensive. I used to own a porche 944s and in the world of porche, Konis and very much talked about.

 

That's correct. The DF210's give about 2.1" of drop. I have had the TRD Struts on for five days now and I have been pushing the car to the limits on the turns to see what they are capable of. I'm very, very impressed. Of course this is may also be due in fact to the Progress 22MM rear sway as well.

The only thing limiting the vehicle now is the tires. I need a good set of summer tires now instead of these crappy Bridgestones.

 

I plan on picking up sway bars with the shock and springs. This is why I dont want to get coilovers. I get more for more buck this way. So have you seen the TRDs under your car? There plenty of travel left? No worries about bottoming them out? I think this is the way I will go. I will hopefully have my xA within 2 - 2.5 months. I have to sell my R6 first which I am about done doing anyways. I am going to trade my tacoma 4cyl. 4x4 in for this car. I need the mpg! I drive 45 mintutes to an hour to get to work, one way. Anyways,... becareful pushing your car dude. Would hate to see you wreck it

 

Does anyone have 17" wheels with a 2" lower and had problems carrying say 3 passengers? So that would be f4 people totalt including yourself. This one guy said he didnt lower his car more then 1" because he has alot of speed bumps in his area and he often had a car load of people. Anyone with the setup stated above have problems carrying 3 passengers? I am thinking that it wouldnt be a good idea to go over any speed bumps with a full load of people.

 

So,... I had all my questions answered just the other day. I was heading over the Rita's to get a Gelatti, if thats how you spell, it when I decided to pull into this taco bell. I know there are these two scions that are usually there. The owners eithe rwork there or just go there to hang out, I dont know. I just wanted to look at them to see what they have going on. Well,... the owners were there so I asked them and they told me everythijng I needed to know. Thanks guyz! I am going to go with TRD springs, shocks, and struts with 18" wheels. The only thing I want to know is exactly how off will the speedo be and I do alot of highway driving, how much MPG will I lose? About?