better feel on the highway

[randeez]

just got a 2008 3dr base model, 5speed. wasn't planning on mods to it, being primarily my work vehicle, but it feels like it's all over the road at 70+mph. how far am i going to have to go to get this thing to feel nice n stable on the highway? was probably going to start with the rear swaybar then springs and shocks if needed.

[YAR1S]

lower it and put on a rear sway bar from micro image.

[mazilla]

Lower it, increase the width of your tires and add that rear stabilizer....for less than 1K you'll transform the Yaris into something that handles completely different.


Edit to add: I'm running 205/55/15's on 15x6.5 rims

[randeez]

sounds like a plan, any advantage to the 23mm for daily driving over the 19mm(swaybar)? and i guess the microimage springs are out of stock atm. but i'm wondering if i can get away with the eibach springs without upgrading shocks/struts right away. roads are pretty rough and i do have to go down some dirt/gravel access roads every now n then. ground clearance helps lol

[bzinn 1]

Stock struts can take quite a beating,mine hvae 60000 miles on Tanabe DFs and bad PNW roads and they are still in good working shape,you should be fine with the Eibachs.

To get car feeling more stable wider tires make a huge differance,but once it is lowered,sways on and wider tires it is night and day.

[Stove]

As Mazilla & Bzinn said, better wider tires.
The feel of my 5-door improved 1000% when I put 15x6 wheels on it with Falken Ziex ZE-512 tires. Any performance tire with a good sidewall should help a lot. Keep your tire pressure up to keep sidewall roll to a minimum.

[Viperoni]

Struts and alignment.

[randeez]

great...ol ladys gonna kill me lol, i can hide swaybars and she probably wouldnt notice it dropped, but new rims i think she'll pick up on. i just PMd Garm to see if he had any idea of when swaybars will be available.

[why?]

It depends on how windy it is in your area, but the sway bar could do everything you would want.

The 23mm would really only be beneficial if you are going to compete with the car at any point. I am pretty sure I've read people who know what they are talking about having said the bigger size only really helps at the limit. But don't quote me on that.

If you can try to install the springs yourself, then go for them, but I would wait for the Micro Images simply because of the price.

Also, what car are you coming from? That could also tell us why you think it is so bad. It could also just be the tires, check the pressure of them.

[UTVitz]

I have the same car-it is shifty in cross winds, but nothing that bothers me. May be your tires if they after market cheap ones. I've only had the Bridgestone Potenza RE92's that came on it and now Michelin Harmony's-no issues other than the Michelins like to follow grooved concrete. Time consuming, but you could always find a similar car like yours to test drive and see if you experience the same thing before investing in uncertain fixes.

[RedRide]

just got a 2008 3dr base model, 5speed. wasn't planning on mods to it, being primarily my work vehicle, but it feels like it's all over the road at 70+mph. how far am i going to have to go to get this thing to feel nice n stable on the highway? was probably going to start with the rear swaybar then springs and shocks if needed.


Just get a a rear sway bar! .... at least before you consider doing antything additional.
It's all one needs to do to acomplish what you want. It wiil make a dramatic difference in hyway stabilty and cornering.
It's the bigst bang for the buck of any suspension mod you can do...... bar non.

[randeez]

tires are yokohama yk250(i think?) i didn't pay much attention to it, stock size i guess i'll look into it more after work. last daily was a 2002 firebird, drive a 2010 mini cooper pretty regularly and even my old truck a 92 chevy 1500 with belltech 4/6, 255/50/17s, and rear sway bar feels a lot better goin down the road. it's not really alignment it'll run straight and tru, but it gets blown around and wants to follow the grooves in the road, if i get up behind a semi i really notice it swaying. i'll check tire pressure also if i get a chance.

definately going to order the rear sway bar... might hold off on the springs for a few weeks and order pulley and intake

[thebarber]

springs and a rim/tire combo with shorter sidewalls...even a mild drop with eibach prokits will take some of the slop out of highway driving. if you're base base, does that mean you have 14s? i know i find 14" rim/tires sloppy....even with r-comps

[vten]

Get a lowering spring , rear sway bar and an alignment ... That'll do .

I have a used set of tanabe df210 for sale by the way ..:)

[randeez]

well it's just money right ?? order placed for springs and rear bar ... i'll keep an eye out for some rims/tires, still not to sure style i want to put on it. from all the white yaris i've seen i think i like a color (black/gold) with a polished lip in a pretty simple spoke design
http://i578.photobucket.com/albums/ss222/idontcarehoe/IMAG0046-1.jpg

* getting tinted dark tomorrow and 5k HID should be here pretty soon

[randeez]

tires are yokohama avid trz 185/60 15s, look about brand new

[Viperoni]

springs and a rim/tire combo with shorter sidewalls...even a mild drop with eibach prokits will take some of the slop out of highway driving. if you're base base, does that mean you have 14s? i know i find 14" rim/tires sloppy....even with r-comps

You need to do a lap on my 13" slicks ;)

[cali yaris]

Container came into port today, expecting Ultra Racing shipment delivered on Wednesday. :thumbsup:

[randeez]

Good, I got time to order more before it all gets shipped

[MUSKOKA800]

just got a 2008 3dr base model, 5speed. wasn't planning on mods to it, being primarily my work vehicle, but it feels like it's all over the road at 70+mph. how far am i going to have to go to get this thing to feel nice n stable on the highway? was probably going to start with the rear swaybar then springs and shocks if needed.

Adding a rear anti-sway bar (before all the other mod's) made a world of improvement in highway stability when experiencing cross winds and truck wake. Make an anti-sway bar step one in your quest for relief.

[randeez]

yup thanks muskoka, i probably would have been good enough with just the sway bar- but garm's a hell of a salesman, i ordered the eibach springs also :biggrin:

[Shinare]

all this talk about a rear sway bar is really making me want to get one from garm as well. I'll have to keep my eye on his shop page. I'm finally going to install my nf210's (which is only an inch drop) on sunday. probably too late to get a sway here by then anyway. Maybe I'll ask Santa for a RSB. :)

[Altitude]

all this talk about a rear sway bar is really making me want to get one from garm as well.

You should. Every Yaris should get the rear sway bar - it's a shame it's not standard equipment.

[randeez]

Container came into port today, expecting Ultra Racing shipment delivered on Wednesday. :thumbsup:

btw....it's thursday :iono:

lol

[cali yaris]

^ and the shipment is "out for delivery" right now. :smile:

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

You should. Every Yaris should get the rear sway bar - it's a shame it's not standard equipment.

yup.

sway bar is absolutely step 1.

it changed my stock marshmallow into a decent lil buggy.

no need for lowering or springs for me now...they do help...

but a swaybar does -so- much, and of all things you can do... it is
the simplest to install, you just have to do it first. then see if you
want to do more mods.

[MUSKOKA800]

all this talk about a rear sway bar is really making me want to get one from garm as well. I'll have to keep my eye on his shop page. I'm finally going to install my nf210's (which is only an inch drop) on sunday. probably too late to get a sway here by then anyway. Maybe I'll ask Santa for a RSB. :)

It's much easier to install the rear springs without a swaybar restricting rear axle drop. But definitely add one later for full value handling.

[Hamster]

Aside from the rear sway bar correcting highway wander, I've noticed that when the highway curves, I no longer need to take my foot off the gas in order to slow down. I can drive at typical high speeds. That feeling that the car will tip over is pretty much gone. I bought the OEM rear sway bar from Sparks Toyota (by the way, the OEM rear sway bar is manufactured in the United States, which I think is fantastic). It's the only suspension mod on my car. The lowering springs sound tempting, and I can definitely afford it, but won't it greatly increase the chance of rock chips?

[randeez]

expecting some packages today/tomm... i knew i shoulda called in sick
thanks garm!:thumbsup:

[cali yaris]

I'm such a bad influence. :biggrin:

[randeez]

welp, didn't get home till kinda late, it was already dark. opened the box up checked it out. took a look at the diy section and saw how easy it was to install. went outside and threw it on in the dark lol. tires left on, didnt even jack it up- though it would have made it a lot easier. took me about 20 mins and that includes thinkin i put it on the wrong way. springs i gotta find/rent a spring compressor for the fronts.

[vten]

or you can buy those spring bolts compressor for about $3-40 and keep it for a future use :thumbsup:

[randeez]

yea i'll figure it out i think my brother may have a set i can borrow...

i guess i was a little skeptical about the rear sway bar, seeing as it doesnt really connect to the body to help body roll. kinda wishing i had done the thicker 23mm bar knowing that it just stiffens up the rear axle i think the thicker bar would do the same thing, just better. do notice more stability for sure though, haven't had the chance to throw it into some corners but seems to do as advertised

[cali yaris]

seeing as it doesnt really connect to the body to help body roll.

No sway bar does that, it's a suspension part. But -- the suspension connects to the frame, and the frame connects to the body. :smile:

It's function is to resist twisting, which transfers weight to the inside FRONT wheel, thereby reducing roll and increasing traction in corners.

[randeez]

good thing i have some springs also then

[TOUGEghost]

i guess i was a little skeptical about the rear sway bar, seeing as it doesnt really connect to the body to help body roll. kinda wishing i had done the thicker 23mm bar knowing that it just stiffens up the rear axle i think the thicker bar would do the same thing, just better. do notice more stability for sure though, haven't had the chance to throw it into some corners but seems to do as advertised

That's the same reason I wasn't ever interested in a rear sway bar for the Yaris; it doesn't attach directly to the chassis. I'm sure it does help by stiffening the rear torsion beam but it's not a true sway bar. I would rather save that money and put it towards a good set of coilovers.

No sway bar does that, it's a suspension part. But -- the suspension connects to the frame, and the frame connects to the body. :smile:


Normal sway bars do attach directly to the frame, or in the case of a unibody vehicle, the body. :wink:

[yaris 2sz]

Normal sway bars do attach directly to the frame, or in the case of a unibody vehicle, the body. :wink:

this is the half true.
yaris has axle back, so the sway bar fit there.

look for example the celica's suspension.
it's different. hasn't axle, so fit to chasis
http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/taratsa/TRDRear1.jpg