TEIN S.Tech lowering springs - experiences?

[Ot_tO]

There are the TEIN S.Tech (http://www.tein.com/products/s_tech.html) lowering springs.
They say front and rear 1.9 inch (4.8 cm) lower - Yaris II 3/5 door.

Someone had installed this lowering springs?

How long has it been you installed them, how much miles (km) you drove?

Your experiences?

They are soft/hard, your car dropped the 1.9 inch (4.8 cm)?
The whole suspension fully retracted and struck, maybe if you drove over road ground waves (5 persons or/and too much speed)?

After some time (maybe one year or more) the car dropped more than the specified 1.9 inch (4.8 cm)?
They are rusty?

Thanks. :smile:

[Ot_tO]

If possible, it would be very nice if you could post pictures of your car (which tyres installed?)...

Thanks. :smile:

[CrankyOldMan]

Gruß! I had a set of S-Techs on my Yaris over the summer this year, mated to Tokico Blue shocks. I didn't keep track of my odometer, but I would guess around 16k km. My impression of them is that they are very stiff.

The drop was so low that I couldn't use an automatic car wash and frequently scraped the pavement on steep entrances/exits from parking lots. I bottomed out the front suspension once (HARD) on a pothole, and would regularly bottom out the rear springs going over a speed bump in my neighborhood with any passengers.

I'm seriously considering the MicroImage springs for next summer, because they are stiffer in front and softer in back, with a slightly smaller drop.

Here's a picture with them installed, during an Auto-X event: The tires are 205/50R15.

[detroiter]

I've had the s techs for a few years now and have had them with Tokico blues AND stock dampners...It really must be the Tokicos that are stiff because right now I have the stock ones on and it's almost like factory ride comfort. I havn't had any issues with the Tein springs and like crankyoldman (thanks for your service btw) said, you have to be careful how you drive. I'm not sure how Germany is but here in Michigan, the roads are almost comparable to that of a war zone. Automatic car washes are pretty much out of the question...there is one that I go to but you have to be careful how you go in and where the guide bar is under your car...the guide rail is all smooth metal but sometimes I'll hear it underneath on my car just gliding along with part of the frame. Not really hurting anything but it hurts your ears when you hear it

I think it gives the car a nice look and the slight performance upgrade isn't bad either.

[Thirty-Nine]

I have S-Techs and Tokico HPs on my Yaris. It's a good street/performance setup. Ride is stiffer than stock, but not as stiff as most coilover setups (I had the Megan Racing coilovers, and they were incredibly stiff, even on the full-soft setting).

I've got about 30,000 miles on mine, and love the setup. I also ran S-Techs on my Scion xB.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/Tekka_Maki/Yaris/IMG_5103.jpg

[monchito18]

Cut bumpstops for better ride quality

[DeathBeard]

I'm selling my stechs for 100 (shameless plug):biggrin:

[CrankyOldMan]

Cut bumpstops for better ride quality

I cut my bumpstops down 2" but I think I'm going to replace them with stock length. I hit a parking lot entrance a little too fast one day and bottomed out the front HARD. Sounded like the bump stops are too short.

[discomark10]

I've had myn for a week (mkI) , they changed the handling all together, from all floppy and floaty to half decent!
nice drop, not too low, not over stiff either.

[phaznet]

I've had mine on a couple of days. They are a bit firmer than stock, suspension definitely feels more sporty. I don't think the drop is too low, I've had no issues with speed bumps thus far.

[v10s]

S-tech springs are good if you are talking about ride quality. for me it is better than stock. the problem is, it's too soft. buttoms out easily. i used mine less than a year then changed to d2 coilovers.

[Ot_tO]

Thanks to all! :smile:

I was at the TÜV (technical surveillance association) and asked the examiner how low a car can be in Germany.

He said: 'Between the deepest point of the car and the street must be at least 10 cm (3.94 inch).'

The deepest point of my/our Yaris is the silencer of the exhaust system in the middle of the car (silencer before the muffler), or?

Someone which have the TEIN S.Tech lowering springs with stock dampers installed, how high is your middle silencer over the street? :smile:

Thanks! :smile:

[Ot_tO]

What about the black plastic before the rear tyres?

(It's well to see on the pics. Thanks!)

It's fixed on the body, before the tyres.

It's an aerodynamic thing?
Stone catcher?

If I looked correct, they are fixed with at least one screw.
I could uninstall this plastic?

Or then the Yaris could be out of control on the highway at end/full speed (because it's an aerodynamic thing)? :wink:
(Yes, we german can drive on ~ 50 % of our highways end/full speed :wink:)

Thanks! :smile:

[Ot_tO]

New informations... :wink:

I was at the TÜV again and talked this time with the station manager.

He said, a car in Germany (incl. driver)...
fixed components (e.g. exhaust system): at least 8 cm
plastic parts (e.g. bumper): at least 7 cm
...over the road.


What does mean the following at the springs?
'3k front / 3.5k rear'

In Germany we have max. axle loads:
835 kg front / 825 kg rear - my/the gasoline engine
895 kg front - have the diesel engine


Thanks. :smile:

[ezhacker1]

Are you asking what 3k and 3.5k means in terms of stiffness?

The spring compresses 1mm per 3kilograms of weight.

[SKurj]

Anyone with s.techs in snowy climates ran into issues with getting stuck in the snow?

I have s techs and tokico blues and I don't find the stiffer suspension to make a whole lot of difference, the lower ride height though can cause issues. The storm we got here a couple weeks back I almost got stuck, just because the snow was so deep the car was riding up on the snow lifting the wheels causing loss of traction.

[Ot_tO]

It looks like a lot driver use also the Tokico Blue shocks (http://shop.microimageonline.com/Tokico-Blue-shocks-struts-YARIS-TBSS-Y.htm) (e.g. there).

They are 'shorter' than the stock shocks?
Specially for lowering springs?

TEIN S.Tech with stock shocks are soft?
TEIN S.Tech with Tokico Blue shocks are stiff?

If the springs/shocks combi is soft, it mean that the car have more comfort?

How long would it go well TEIN S.Tech with stock shocks?
Maybe the stock shocks are too much compressed, because of this the life of them is much shorter?

Thanks. :smile:

[SKurj]

stock shocks with the tein s springs will likely result in blown shocks/struts... no idea how soon though...

Tokico blues with the tein s springs does end up with a more firm ride than stock! I have been running that setup for 70,000kms now and it feels as good as the day i installed them.