This question is for anyone that is lowered on springs. Instead of asking which spring to go with, I decided to ask these questions instead...

• If you have NF210/TRD/H-techs, etc, do you wish you would have gone lower?
• If you have DF210/Hotchkis/Sportlines/S-tech, do you wish that you wouldn't have gone quite so low?

I really want to slam the car, but I drive it everyday and have racked up over 20,000 miles since last May when I bought it. I don't want to regret going too low, but I also don't want to leave too much fender gap.

Why is this so difficult a decision to make? LOL

 

I lowered my car on Dec 09 with Sportlines, three months after purchasing my car.... I drive it every day and it currently has about 21k on it... I dont regret going that low at all... yeah I have scraped and stuff on driveways but that is the price you pay for being lowered... never got stuck or broke anything just drive with care and you will be ok.... veer for potholes and watch your every move.... this may be tedious for some and if thats the case then they have no biz lowering the car...just saying lol

In fact when I got the money and can afford to burn the extra cash I wanna bag it to go lower and higher whenever I want...lol

but this is my opinion....I am sure others will chime in soon enuff

 

Im lowered on TRD springs, i dont think they've fully settled yet but i wish the rear was a hair lower. but i dont want to go crazy, i had my last truck 1 1/2" static and got tired of scraping and not being able to go certain places. Im trying to avoid that with this car.

 

I've driven lowered vehicles since about 1996, so I'm no stranger to lowered vehicles, and I don't mind driving differently because it's lowered (I'm used to that.)

I just didn't want a horrible, bouncy ride, or to scrape constantly.

 

Im happy with the ride quality in the TRD springs, i do wish the rear went a little lower but im happy with it because the same thing i dont want to scrape on everything.

 

I hear ya Scream and from my opinion- going on 2yrs with the car lowered I have no ride complaints with the sportlines not bouncy at all...smooth ride and I have scraped due to misjudgements on the driveways I have been on but its not constant and all the local speed bumps I can actually clear them with no problem I am not all that low with sportlines Hotchkins are way lower lol

Here is my car on 17"s with sportlines...

 

It looks good. Are you still on stock shocks?

 

Thanks man!

surprisingly yea... my car has always been serviced by the dealer since day one and every time I go I have them check my wheel bearings, tires for uneven wear of cupping, and any leaks from my strut/shock combo and everytime they come back and tell me it looks good under there... I am shocked that my stock strut/shocks are still holding up and riding as smooth as it did almost 2 yrs ago lol....

 

I'm go tres since I bought the car back in 05. Love them and they have settled nicely.

 

that's another thing I was worried about. I got a 50k mile maintenance deal because the dealership screwed up my deal. I didn't want to risk going too low and them not being able to service it. But, if you haven't had any issues with your drop, that makes me feel a little better.

 

Yea I have 0 issues when it comes to my dealer servicing the car... they to date have never came back to me and told me " Because you did this..this got messed up" On the contrary they know its lowered and I have HID's and other products on there that are not Toyota recommended and they still give it the once over for me...and to date like I mentioned everything has been ok with the car... no issues I have been quite happy both with the products I have installed and the dealer I have been going to!

but again this is me!!!

Oh and I know what you mean I purchased the 7yr/100k bumper to bumper warranty so my car will be going to them until I reach that...and fwiw the dealer themselves told me that as long as any of the after market parts I install are not a reason the car is in for service there is no reason my warranty should be voided!!! this is coming from a dealer lol

 

I have TRD Springs and I do wish that they did go a little lower in the back, just makes the car look a little uneven..... but I cant really complain about anything else. The ride is great and for where I have to drive (dirt roads & incomplete roads sometimes in the hills haha) I never scrape (before my kit came along that is).

 

I used to rock Eibach Sportlines. The reason I went with this is because it looked really good on 18s and virtually eliminated the wheel gap.
Pros:
- Aesthetics (hardly any wheel gap)
- Handling (Sporty handling, hardly any body roll, able to take turns at about 50 miles without much body lean)

Cons:
- Jolts (speed bumps hurt going over)
- Comfort (considerably firm, transmits more bumps into the cabin)


I then switched to Tanabe NF210s and have been really satisfied. I love the extra ride comfort as the old springs started to hurt my back (I have back problems). The only thing I don't like is there is more wheel gap, but honestly, it still looks really good and you can still tell that it is lowered.
Pros:
- Comfort (these springs ride amazing, very soft, barely feel any road bumps and can handle speed bumps with little difficulty)

Cons: when compared to my old Sportlines
- Aesthetics (the ride is a little higher and could potentially look stock, however, for us xB owners, you can tell it is NOT stock)
- Handling (the ride is still planted, but I can't handle sharp turns and cornering nearly as well. I can take turns at 40-45 mph with body lean present)

To eliminate any handling issues, that's what my Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars will be for once I put them on my xB.

Summary:
- Eibach: Great handling, virtually no wheel gap, less ride comfort
- NF210: Decent handling, some wheel gap, exceptional ride comfort

Good luck with your decision! Hope my testimonial helps!

 

That's good to hear, so how about your CV boots and axles? Has it leaked yet or do you hear any clicking? I know some people who roll slammed and these are the first components to crap out on them. This is the only reason why I'm not dropped yet.

 

For Me?

Not yet... I went a few weeks ago for an oil change and had them check all the components regarding suspension and so far so good... I mean I am sure in the near future things will occur I mean its wear and tear but nothing as of yet...

 

I was more worried about them being able to get it on the rack. LOL My service plan is just oil changes.

 

ive been dropped for 2 yrs now on the hotchkis springs and stock shocks running 235/40/18's on all 4 wheels

luv the drop luv the look the ride is stiffer but not too stiff

hotchkis springs ride close to a factory ride till they load up (hit a decent size bump)

then they load really quick to keep the tire from rubbing

there is virtuallly the thickness of one finger between the tire and the fender well front and back

sits real level

i to have to be carefull in driveways and speed bumps but as before mentioned thats the price you pay to ride lower

i can only say ive had 1 tire rub my fender in the front from being in a right hand turn at 50mph turning into an incline but had no damage to my fender

i do not have sway bars on this car and have very little tilt

i drive pretty aggressive

i have no axle issues,no alignment issues, and no problems from the dealer with 55000 miles clocked 39000 with the springs

just another input on a different type of spring my personal experience

 

Ah ok

You should be ok with getting it on a rack for the most part..... For me sportlines are the lowest I would go on a spring setup.... now if it was air... I would go frame to the floor if I could....LMAO

 

Don't know whether it really matters considering the subject of the post, but I'm going to be running 18X7.5 +42 wheels with 225/40-18 tires.

 

It does matter because it will determine your flushness or tuckness and rubbing... but everyone know Cionide is the one to ask about that... but it all depends on what drop you want to go with but with a 7.5 wide wheel and 42mm offset you should be ok with the 40 series profile tire as far as rubbing goes...

But its prob best to decide what springs you want then ask the guru himself... Cionide has personally helped me a hellluvalot!!!