My scion TC 08 (stock) ride pretty rough. What can I do to make it ride smoother? When i say rough, I mean it's really bumpy (shake a lot) while driving on the freeway. The road on the freeway isn't that great either.

 

If you think it's rough stock, there isn't much you can do. The tC is known for its rattles and creeks. I'd say go with the basic shocks/struts and springs set up, but that really won't make it much smoother.

 

if the road is bad, the ride will be rough, tC has low profile tires and a fairly short wheelbase. only thing you could really do is put on some smaller wheels with tires that have more sidewall. and can absorb bumps alittle better.

 

tokico shocks/struts, H&R sport springs is a start.

 

Yeah I used to have a 93 civic with 13" wheel and the ride is a lot smoother than the tc. I got used to riding in an audi and that was smooth as ____.

Putting anything less than 17 on the TC will probably make the car look ugly as ____

 

get some nice coilovers that have adjustable dampening and set them to the softest settings (like me )

 

if you don't care about the stock rims, you could get the 16" steelies from the Spec... they have a thicker tire which rides better for comfort, but at the sacrifice of handling.

 

the only thing i could suggest like someone else has already is to the ditch the low-profile tires

low profile tires = less sidewall (less absorption of bumps in the roads), wider contact patch (better handling)

regular tires a.k.a. "balloons" (lol) = more sidewall (more absorption of bumps), narrow contact patch (less grip with the road - sacrifice some handling)

 

If better tires work, I'm think about getting some. Any recommendation?

Also I don't want to sacrefice handling, the TC already handle poor compare to my old civic (too much body roll).

I'm thinking of getting some spring, shocks, and rear sway bar for handling. But yeah the rough ride is kind of giving me a headache when I get off the car.

 

comfort and handling, pick one or the other, you really can't have it both ways in this car.

 

Also remember, we're top heavy. Damn all glass roof.

Springs, shocks, and rear sway bar will make the ride more rough. So you'll definitely want smaller wheels and bigger tires.

 

i have hotchkis springs and the trd rear sway. when it came time to get new tires i went with a 225/45-17 instead of the 215/45-17. the tires are just slightly wider and talled and it made a good difference in the ride quality. not a HUGE difference but a noticeable difference.

i really like the way my tc rides and handles with the springs, sway bar, and the new tires.

 

yup! and get more quiet tires too.. just get the trd swaybar to improve some handling.. done get lowering spring or coilovers though if comfort is what you're looking for

 

get a taller tire. the stock tires are 215/45/17. i used to run stock Toyota Matrix wheels, which had factory 215/50/17 Yokohama YK tires. despite being lowered 2 inches, it made a significant different in the ride quality.

 

according to trd spring discritpion n trdsparks.

 

Yah, they really should add "smooth, comfortable ride compared to XXXX brand". I just got lowered on TRDs w/ Tokicos and while the ride isn't harsh at all, it wasn't as comfortable as stock (as expected).

 

If your not going to go with a smaller diameter rim, I would and did got with Yokohama (sp?) Avid H4s tires and they do have a softer side wall and give a slightly softer ride. I bought them for the 80K rating and the winter traction. They had the best winter rating I could find. They are a hell of a lot quieter than my worn out origanals, as you would expect.

I think this is your most sensable option. You could always run them a "tad" low on pressure. It will hurt your mpg but should help with the ride, if you have secent roads to drive on.

Dave