The suspension package is over $1000 so if you think the stock suspension is cool let me know. How much gap is the stock height and does it annoy you?

 

stock height on stock wheels has a large gap... after i put on my motegi 17s the gap was alot better although the car standed a little higher, i have bought a set of goldline lowering springs that ive been putting off installing them, but they should do it, the wheels will fill the wheel well perfectly... if your talking dealership suspension package stay away from it after market is much cheaper... if you just want it to ride lower buy a set of springs - i bought my goldlines used for $110 with shipping... and they should drop me about 2in all around... if money isnt an issue then get coil overs of get an air ride system...

 

I'm still looking for a way to get about 3"+ of lift. I dont like it low.
Does anybody know if RAV4 springs will fit?

Scott

 

a 3in raise might throw off the weight distrubution, its a narrow car id be nervous of tipping if it was raised that high... anyway youd have to have accurate specs of the rav4 springs, if they are too soft it could create a dangerous situation.... the lower the car the better it performs... whyd you buy a box if you dont like its ground clearance?

 

First off, upgrading to 17 inch wheels do nothing about the wheelwell gaps. Mostly because the overall tire height should be exactly the same as the stockers. That said, he is right about avoiding the dealer installed suspension stuff. Way too much mark-up. Research what amount of drop you want and ride quality. Then buy the springs on-line and pay someone to install them. Stock shocks work for drops up to 2 inches so there is no need to change them. If you want it to handle better you could get heavier swaybars and have them installed when you do the springs. Just shop around and research what you really want so you'll be happy with your new parts. Check out the xB suspension forum because they have a complete spring section sticky with info to help you decide on what parts you may want. Good luck with what you choose and do your homework first before you sprnd the money.

 

no

 

ditto.

 

i'm sorry, I dont mean to sound like an @sshole, but I just CANNOT understand why people would actually PAY to get springs and shocks installed. With the right tools, patience, and instructions (plenty are afloat on Scion Life) you could do it just as good as a shop would. I can understand ahving a shop do a turbo or supercharger....but springs? shocks? intakes? A mechanically retarded person can do those with good instructions and tools!! If you're going to do the whole car tuning thing and call yourself a "tuner"...at LEAST do 3/4 of the work. Not to mention it will save you lots and lots of money, and waiting time for the shop to do a measly 1 hour project. No offense but I think that people that can't do simple bolt-ons themselves are as bad as the people that actually pay tire centers to rotate their tires

 

the days of the "big-check" tuners is here more than ever
more and more cars you see in magazines and advertisements are built that way

"here's the car..please buy and install EVERYthing available
...no no.. i don't worry that much about the look'
just make sure it's expensive... thanks."

i think it goes like that...??

 

STOCK JUST WILL NOT DO
do it your self and get this for about $1500

 

which suspension is 1,000? coilovers or air bags. anything else will be significantly cheaper.

 

sigh....thats the best part of tuning a car. working on it yourself and learning about your stuff!!

 

^^ i like the way he thinks!!

 

i would of been fine with my stock height, but every body was complaining that i need to lower my car badly so i did

 

It totally depends on you. Me personally, the stock springs were killing my lower back. I did a switch with my Neon at the time and noticed that when i was in the box any longer then a 1/2 hour i started to feel pain. Long trips and i was a cripple.

That being said i was one of the first to have the Tein H-Techs installed. It helped with the ride quality and only dropped it an inch. Then the GF had the Goldlines installed, and i fell in love with the drop, but not the ride. Goldlines are way too rigid. Someone turned me on to the Progress line of suspension and thats what i ended up going with. That and the rear sway. I swear that the ride is the best that i have been in, and ive been for a ride in a few boxes.

FYI ... for my summer wheels i run a 17X7.5 with a 215/45R17. I recently bought a set of Scion Twisties which are a stock 15" wheel and tire. I did not have a problem getting the jack under to get the 17s off, but once i finished i couldnt get the jack back out with the 15s on it. So.. 1 having a 17 can fill some of the wheel gap & 2 now i sit lower then my GF with her GoldLines.

 

What you have is a set of 15s with incorrectly sized tires, or a set of 17s with improperly "plus sized" tires. If both wheel and tire combinations were chosen correctly you would be virtually the same height with either wheel and tire combination. The only way you would be able to tell a difference is with a tape measure.

Your 17s are only slightly larger than the JDM spec stock tires, so that leads me to believe you probably have some undersized tires on your 15s.

 

for 215's you should have 40 series. 205 's get 45 series.

 

I decided to get the 215/45 series cause 1 they are easier to get and 2 they give a slightly bigger sidewall. These roads here in the NorthEast will chew up tires in big rims.

The tires on the Scion twists are stock tires. The same POS tires from GoodYear. 195/60R15

This just in .. if you go to this site .. http://gs.tolan-hoechst.com/tirecalc.htm and plug in the OEM info vs. my 17" info you will see that the difference is only 0.205 in the ride height. I knew there was a reason i went with the 45 series tire vs. a 40 series. I havent been here in a while, can you tell?