Another rear spring option! Honda Fit springs!!

[kngrsll]

Hey guys,

I found out that Honda Fit rear springs will fit our car!

So here is the story, i am heading up to University of Michigan to do a rotation for 2 months. Thus i have my entire apartment in my car (with DF210's front and rear.) Well after the car was filled up, the back end sagged down really low. It looked awkward and scraped the exhaust.

When i got home, i helped my dad rotate his tires on his Honda Fit. Well looking at the rear suspension, it looked identical to our set up. So i measured the spring length on the car under the weight of the car and it was 9". From the other spring thread, we found that the car with DF210s had a spring length on the car of about 8.25". So if you were to use the stock Honda Fit spring, the car should sit about an inch too high in the rear. Now if you used a Fit lowering spring that lowers the car around an inch, it should sit at the same height as the Tanabe spring on the Yaris.

So another friend of mine with a Honda Fit let me borrow his stock rear springs (he has coilovers.) I installed them this afternoon. So before the rear was sagging about an inch, and now with the Fit springs, it sits a little higher than it did when it was unloaded!! :D Another advantage to the stock Fit rear spring is that the spring rate is 150 lbs vs 123 for the Tanabe.

So now, if i unload the car, you can assume that the rear springs will sit too high, by about an inch or so. So if you use the Fit lowering springs, the ride height should be just about the same. I left in both the upper and lower rubber insulators as well, so they can be removed to lower the car. Also, one can add a rubber coil spacer to raise the height if need be. But the important thing is the spring rate!! The rear spring rates for aftermarket Fit springs are great!! They run from 200-350 lbs!! http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-suspension-brakes/20269-spring-comparision.html

I have a friend who is close to the guys at Skunk2, and i know another guy who has contacts with A & J Racing. I may try to get both, but i will try to get one or the other and see how it turns out. But right now, the stock springs fit great! If i were to pull both the rubber insulators out, it may sit just about how it was with the DF210's after the car is unloaded. We will see sunday after i get to Michigan.

Anyways, hope this helps someone! It would be nice to see if we can get Skunk2 to sell us rear spring sets so we can use them as an optional rear spring upgrade! As for the front springs, the front Fit springs are very similar in rates to the Yaris springs, so it doesnt really matter to use them, but judging from their design, they would not fit, but someone else feel free to try!

[mrbond]

This is amazing, truly. I can't imagine what the ride would be like with a spring rate double that of the DFs!

[PETERPOOP]

great info.nice discovery.

[detroiter]

Hey I live about 20 mins from U of M and I'm always in AA. Maybe I'll see you crusing around your car sometime :D

[kngrsll]

Yeah! Ill be around! Btw, the car drives great!

[toad]

this is good information. i do have a question though. i've got df's right now and i love the stance, but unfortunately i sometimes have to carry a lot of weight in the back(similar to you having your entire apartment in the back). does this mean a fit rear spring set would give me similar stance(i'm willing to give up a LITTLE drop in the back), but allow me to carry much more weight without saggin too low? i know from some of your previous posts you're looking at this as a performance upgrade, but i personally just want something that looks good and allows me to load up the back(ie. having my cake and eating it too!). if it helps in the handling department that's just gravy!

[kngrsll]

Exactly!! This would help you too! Hopefully I will find out soon how well the aftermarket Fit springs help!!

[lilredrocket]

If you wanted to raise the spring rate even more might look at getting springs off a coilover kit with the perches. I'm pretty sure companies sell "replacement" parts individually

[cali yaris]

the rear part of a coilover on the Yaris is a spring + a shock anyway; it's not really a coilover. I bet I can get rear sets from any of the coilover companies.

how about a height-adjustable rear spring kit?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

hmmm, that might be a good selling point, Garm. A lot of people probably want to be able to adjust their rear height due to hauling stuff, and having a stiffer rear spring rate would be better. hehehe.

[lilredrocket]

Garm ultragd3 (fit owner on your forum) has 10k springs in the rear that would be sweet to have!!!

[hafeez]

i fit civic springs in the rear of my sedan

[kngrsll]

If you wanted to raise the spring rate even more might look at getting springs off a coilover kit with the perches. I'm pretty sure companies sell "replacement" parts individually

i have looked into that, and couldnt work out a proper solution myself. The problem with that is that coilover springs are typically pretty short in length. If using coilovers with short shock bodies, this is not a problem. If using an OEM style shock (ie Tokico's) then this is bad bc if the suspension unloads, then the spring can fall out. Does that make sense? If you can come up with a solution, let us know for sure! That would make all of this a moot point.

the rear part of a coilover on the Yaris is a spring + a shock anyway; it's not really a coilover. I bet I can get rear sets from any of the coilover companies.

how about a height-adjustable rear spring kit?

yeah, that would be ideal, you just have to deal with the same issues as above.

Garm ultragd3 (fit owner on your forum) has 10k springs in the rear that would be sweet to have!!!

lol, thats a little heavy. The car has been pretty damn good at the track thus far, i am interested to see how the springs change the handling. I unloaded my car tonight and took it for a drive, the extra 25 lbs of spring rate was already quite noticeable!! If you use the 350 lb springs from Skunk2 or T1R, thats nearly 3x the rear spring rate :eek:

i fit civic springs in the rear of my sedan

cool, anymore info? type of spring, how it fit, what the rates were?

[kngrsll]

So an update: I got to Ann Arbor and unloaded my car, so the rear sits higher than it did when it was loaded. I didnt measure, but it looks about an inch to an inch and a half higher in the rear compared to the front. I am going to pull the rubber insulators out to even it out.

I dont have a ton of money to blow but i do want to do some testing, so i am going to call my contact at Skunk2 and see if i can get a rear set of springs. A friend of mine knows the owner at A&J Racing, so ill see if i can get a set of the T1R's. I would really like a set of the rear Tanabes too for testing. Then, we can test rear springs back to back at a track event. The rear springs are so easy to swap out, it can be easily done between sessions. So the T1R and Skunk2 are nearly the same, so i may only need one of the other, they are about 350 lbs. The next spring would be the Tanabe at around 280 lbs, while the softest would be the progress at 200 lbs. That is quite a nice variation, so quick suspension tuning can be done for autox, track, and so on!! I imagine the stiffest woudl be best at autox, but i dont think the same holds true for the track. I think the 200 or 280 may be better, or perhaps even the stock Fit spring at 150 lbs.

OH! i forgot, that front sway bar upgrade may not be a bad idea if you are using the 350 lbs springs btw... So the total set up would be: Tokico HTS (or blues), Tanabe/Tigertec Front springs (3/4kg), Skunk2 rear springs (6kg), front sway bar, UR 23 mm Rear sway bar. I dunno, that might be getting too complicated, but its a thought.

Anways, cool stuff :D

[markitect]

We have autocrosses on Sep 20th, and Oct 4th, 17th and 25th in Detroit, and an OTD at Waterford Hills on Sep 26th. They are all on myautoevents.com It'll be nice to see another Yaris out there.

[hafeez]

they are stock springs from a 2000 civic i believe. they drop the car pretty nice. fender right above the tire. i'm not sure what the spring rates are but they are stiffer than my megan springs i have and they fit nice in the perch.

[kngrsll]

We have autocrosses on Sep 20th, and Oct 4th, 17th and 25th in Detroit, and an OTD at Waterford Hills on Sep 26th. They are all on myautoevents.com It'll be nice to see another Yaris out there.

seriously?! awesome :D

[kngrsll]

i got my Fit springs in today from A&J racing. I am using the T1R spring (about 350lbs or 6kg, twice the front rate) I am still using the Tanabe front spring. They fit on the car great! the car looks nearly the same as it did with the Tanabe DF's front and rear. The rear seemed to sit a little lower that the front with the Tanabes, but with my current set up, the rear may sit just slightly higher. Ill get a pic here eventually.

Also, took it for a quick drive. Quite pleased :) I may have an all new suspension set up coming soon though thanks to Garm and MicroImage. Stay tuned :)

[lilredrocket]

Did you put back on your rubbers for the springs? What was the cost?

[kngrsll]

Did you put back on your rubbers for the springs? What was the cost?

i paid $107 for the entire spring kit plus $20 to ship. They have used sets of springs on there all the time for $80 on FitFreak.net. I think there is a set of Tanabes right now, they are 280 lbs, so not quite as stiff, but they are lower. They may look slightly better, but i really wanted the heavier rate.

[regal]

Be careful folks, the shocks available for the Yaris can't handle high spring rates. Look for blow-outs unless you spurge for the $700 Tokicos.

[AlexNet0]

yeah, thats why there are These (http://shop.microimageonline.com/product.sc?productId=145&categoryId=4)

[kngrsll]

Be careful folks, the shocks available for the Yaris can't handle high spring rates. Look for blow-outs unless you spurge for the $700 Tokicos.

or, you can run higher rate dampers. i havent tried it myself yet, but i am going to see if Fit dampers will fit on the yaris. We have two sets of stock suspension sitting at the shop, my old stock suspension and my buddies Fit suspension. they are remarkable very similar. the rear shocks and springs look identical, which is what started us down this path in the 1st place. The rear springs work perfect. The dampers look like they may be the same story. I will get around to fitting them when i am done with my medical rotation here in michigan so we can konw for sure. then, if you run higher rate springs, you can run the higher rate dampers to go alone with it. if not, the rear shock is about as basic a design as you can get so it will be very easy to find a substitute design. if this doesnt work, you can use the xD rear shocks, which will allow for higher rates. 350 lb springs are really not that heavy anyways, especially with all the shock travel we have in the back. when i spoke to the technical team at tokico, they said that the HTS shocks will easily handle spring rates over 500 lbs. at 350, we are not even pushing their limit. if you dont have a ton of cash, you could only upgrade the rears and use blues in the front. or you can use blues all around and use xD rear shocks. someone should check and see that they have different part #'s first rather than assuming they are different. also, using the old shock dyno i posted, you may be able to assertain what the max rear spring rate is by comparing the dampening of the blue and HTS since the dyno plots those two variables along with the stock shock.


anyways, lots of options if your mind is open. beware, more innovation and creative ideas are coming ;)

[JTDBT903]

Any updates?

Pictures of this set-up would would be even better!
I would like to see the stock Honda Fit spring set-up.
I have a '09 Honda Fit Sport that I want to drop and it would be cool to only have to buy one set of springs!

[randode]

put airbags on the rear in place of springs, and carry as much weight as you want.

[lilredrocket]

Ummm. Springs are better for racing I believe.... If I'm worng someone please correct me

[Tamago]

put airbags on the rear in place of springs, and carry as much weight as you want.

show before go. always.


welcome to the world of typical scion owners. didn't you specialize in LED's and cathode tubes for the xB's ?

:laugh::rolleyes:

[ROCKLAND TOYOTA]

show before go. always.


welcome to the world of typical scion owners. didn't you specialize in LED's and cathode tubes for the xB's ?

:laugh::rolleyes:

see link in his signature.....

[Tamago]

see link in his signature.....

ah my boyfriend is here !!!!

thanks capt obvious, i would have never thought to click links in his signature..

[cali yaris]

the shocks available for the Yaris can't handle high spring rates. Look for blow-outs unless you spurge for the $700 Tokicos.

if you mean the new adjustable HTS "reds", they are less than $600 in my store. Shipped.

:thumbsup: