what to look out for when installing lowering springs

[songa]

hey guys, im interested in lowering my car someday for the looks, but im a little confused as to what kinds of issues could arise as a result of the lowering. first of all, assuming everything on the car is stock, if I install lowering springs, how necessary will it be to install a sway bar, or new shocks? will lowering the car drastically increase the damage done to my shocks or should they be fine as stock? how much will a sway bar help?

is lowering the car as simple as buying and installing lowering springs? no need for changes to the suspension, etc?

thanks guys

[songa]

oh and also, what lowering springs do you recommend, how much do they drop your car (i dont want to lower it too much as i dont want to bottom out at all), and how much did they cost to buy and install?

[slvryaris]

I have the Tanabe NF210's on my sedan and I think it still rides great. I have about 45,000 miles on the springs and 65,000 miles total, and I dont see any change in the shocks. Obviously the lower you go the more wear your shocks will feel because they are compressed further down then before, but I wouldnt worry about it. The Tanabe DF210's lower the car further then the NF's. I believe the NF springs lower the car about 1.2 inches and the DF's are around 2 inches I believe. YOu can see the pics in my garage of the car with the NF's.

Not for sure on the price of the Tanabes but I gurantee we have a vendor on here ready to sell a pair to ya. Chris07lb has a great Do it yourself for installing the springs. I followed it word for word with a friend and we had it done in less then 2 hrs. the rear is cake.

[songa]

ive heard the tanabe nf210's are good for lowering the yaris sedan under stock suspension. can anyone confirm this?

[songa]

hahah u beat me to it. thansk alot man! now my only concern is driving in the snow and not bottoming out. whats your experience with bottoming out in the nf210s? is it easy to avoid if you drive careful? or is it unavoidable in many cases?

[songa]

damn u have a nice car man! i dont have the S kit, so im hoping that will help with the bottoming out. i like how u kept that car clean and simple. i plan on keeping it clean and simple too. so far i just debadged my car and painted the chrome garnish on the trunk to match the black sand pearl exterior. i plan on tinting the windows, getting new 15" rims and lowering the car in the near future. after that, i may install power locks and maybe fog lights and sway bar futher down the road!

[cali yaris]

The NF210 is a great, mild drop without worrying about "slamming" the car and having rubbing issues with wheels and tires.

The sedan uses the same springs as the liftback, but more drop occurs because the car is heavier.

[IllusionX]

the sedan is actually not heavier than the LB. at least, not on paper for 2007.

[Chupacabra]

I did DF210's and am VERY happy. Used the stock shocks...no issues and no where near bottoming out anywhere. Installation was a BREEZE.

[MadMax]

Chris07lb has a great Do it yourself for installing the springs. I followed it word for word with a friend and we had it done in less then 2 hrs. the rear is cake.

Got a link?

Cheers! M2

[songa]

hey chupacabra - the DF210's give a pretty large drop, isnt it about a 2" drop? i think thats very good news that you havent had any issues with suspension or with bottoming out, as those are both big concerns for me. but i always thought, especially with these horrible boston roads, that a 2" drop would definitely have me bottoming out alot, also esp with stock suspension. thats why ive been more interested in the NF210's.

how is driving in the winter? i see you live in CT..im in MA so we both endure the same weather...thats another one of my big concerns.

[Nexus1155]

Hey Songa, we have the DF210s on the HB Yaris here in Dorchester. They are fine on the Boston roads as long as you do not hit HUGE potholes.

What i feel is that the car might hit a little harder in regular bumps, but for what it does handling rides if you take corners quick or whip around makes it all worth it...

I have done this install in my backyard in a couple of hours and it is simple...if you are going to attempt it(WHERE GLOVES!)

[songa]

thanks nexus. it seems pretty easy but i am relaly clueless when it comes to car work. i know ill probably have to jack the car up...but what other major tools will i need?

[Chupacabra]

Hey Songa, we have the DF210s on the HB Yaris here in Dorchester. They are fine on the Boston roads as long as you do not hit HUGE potholes.

What i feel is that the car might hit a little harder in regular bumps, but for what it does handling rides if you take corners quick or whip around makes it all worth it...

I have done this install in my backyard in a couple of hours and it is simple...if you are going to attempt it(WHERE GLOVES!)


Don't need glove if you take out the cowl and all the good stuff. Takes and extra 20 minutes but is worth it IMHO. It gives you plenty of room to work and the removal of that stuff is super elementary.:thumbsup:

[mikenacarato]

+1 made it so much easier to take the cowl out.

[RagnaCaT]

I got NF's on my SD and it looks great and the ride is perfect my wife actually loves it on the HB went with DF's more of a drop but I really like the SD's NF's more also I tend to bottom out on my HB..

[Nexus1155]

i took the cowl out but slashed my hand on the metal cowl holding plate near the struts....damned car almost got to the bone....

10mm 12mm 16-19mm, spring compressors, allen keys, breaker bar... should be basic tools other than the spring compressors, but i didnt even need them....just move your face from the bolt while removing it

[Chupacabra]

i took the cowl out but slashed my hand on the metal cowl holding plate near the struts....damned car almost got to the bone....

10mm 12mm 16-19mm, spring compressors, allen keys, breaker bar... should be basic tools other than the spring compressors, but i didnt even need them....just move your face from the bolt while removing it

That's what I mean...you need to remove that. Remove the cowl, wiper motor and metal lower cowl. Only takes an extra 20 mins but is all the difference in the world. You can work free and clear.:w00t:

[Nexus1155]

i didnt know that came off too :(

[Chupacabra]

i didnt know that came off too :(


Yep....unbolts easily (10mm head). I believe that there are 9 or 10 to remove.:drinking:

[Nexus1155]

9 or 10!!! i'll take the lifelong scar thank you very much!!

[songa]

hey guys, are the DF210's ok to use on stock shocks? i am a little interested in the 2" drop from the DF's but i like the idea of riding stock suspension on the NF's. hmm cant decide!

[Nexus1155]

I've had them on the stock shocks for 10k miles now, you will be more impressed by the DF210's...

[Chupacabra]

9 or 10!!! i'll take the lifelong scar thank you very much!!


Fine with me...I didn't tell you that you had to. It's not my fault your a lazy bastard.:wink:

[Nexus1155]

got that right ;)

[songa]

thanks for that info. do you think the shocks will last me the whole lifetime of the car? i plan on using this car as a daily driver too. should i really consider new shocks? if so, which ones would work best iwth the df210s?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

You don't need to replace the shocks, but if you do, one of the sponsors here is selling the Tokicos (blue, I believe) for a few hundred dollars.

Also, getting to the rear shocks is a b*tch. El Jefe and I had a hard time accessing them.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

As you can see with the specs on paper, the S.Techs have a greater drop for the LB (would be even lower for the sedan, as I mentioned yesterday), so I would think the S.Techs should land you more than 2" of a drop.

http://www.tanabe-usa.com/springs/spring_applications.asp?id=1

http://www.tein.com/price/toyota.html

HOWEVER, we drove my car to my professors house, and she has a long gravel road. For some reason (probably from so many cars slipping), a mound was form in the middle (the space in between where the tires drive over). With a total of four people in my car and a sub in the trunk, I pretty much shoveled that mound all the way to where her drive way began. On the bright side, not once did I bottom out on the little dips/pot holes in that gravel road. Minor scratches on the exhaust pipe and muffler (my muffler hangs pretty low, as you can see from my pics).

[WRBlue]

how necessary will it be to install a sway bar

Not necessary at all

or new shocks? will lowering the car drastically increase the damage done to my shocks or should they be fine as stock?

Your shocks will die sooner with lowering springs. That's just the way stuff happens. Depending on how you drive, etc. you should get at least 30k miles out of the OEM shocks and lowering springs.

how much will a sway bar help?

None at all.
A new sway bar will do nothing in relation to the shocks and springs.

is lowering the car as simple as buying and installing lowering springs?

Yes.

no need for changes to the suspension, etc?

Lowering will probably change the geometry, so you'll need an alignment done

[slvryaris]

The alignment on mine felt like it didnt need to be done when I first had it lowered but dont let that fool you. You will need to do the alignment. Just make sure you have the right spring in the right place.....front in front and back in back.....I also cut my bump stops. I have been told in the past that if you lower a car-truck you need to cut the bump stop as much as you lowered it. If you lower it an inch then cut an inch off the bumpstop.

I have experienced when you dont cut them you run the chance of hitting them when hitting a big bump. It just allows more travel before it reaches the bumpstop.

[bzinn 1]

DF210s can work fine on stock shocks,depending on your driving conditions is how to determine the life of your struts.bumpy potholed roads will lessen the life of them.not slowing for speedbumps will greatly lessen the life........

My rule of thumb is if my car is gonna bottom out in the snow I am calling in sick.....I do no tmake enough to afford repairs.

I have 10000 on my DFs now with 17s and they ride great,look great,and my struts are still looking very good.

As for installing the springs you need a spring compressor,rent it from Autozone or parts store..really cheap

You need an offset 17mm round head wrench for the top nuts on the fronts and a n allen wrench set.

Floor jack and stands

A friend to help and double check your work.

Torque wrench

Garage and a couple of cold ones helps too.

[06silveryaris]

9 or 10!!! i'll take the lifelong scar thank you very much!!

I just installed my lowering springs and I removed the upper cover and wiper motor. The risk of stripping that 6 mm allen from the strut can make for a really long afternoon.

[BennyLava]

I have the Tanabe NF210's on my sedan and I think it still rides great. I have about 45,000 miles on the springs and 65,000 miles total, and I dont see any change in the shocks. Obviously the lower you go the more wear your shocks will feel because they are compressed further down then before, but I wouldnt worry about it. The Tanabe DF210's lower the car further then the NF's. I believe the NF springs lower the car about 1.2 inches and the DF's are around 2 inches I believe. YOu can see the pics in my garage of the car with the NF's.

Not for sure on the price of the Tanabes but I gurantee we have a vendor on here ready to sell a pair to ya. Chris07lb has a great Do it yourself for installing the springs. I followed it word for word with a friend and we had it done in less then 2 hrs. the rear is cake.

Is that what you have on the car in your avatar? Could I see a couple of bigger pics? Trying to figure out what to put on my sedan.

[ilikerice]

DAAAMN! 4 year later

[BennyLava]

LOL. Well the site recommended this thread to me over on the side, so I blame the site.


Your names derrick


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZcGKHC0Rh8