How can I improve my handling without lowering the car

[black2yaris]

OK Guy' & Gal's needed is your expert judgment !!

Here's what I want .. i want to improve my handeling with out lowering the car .( I commute 70 miles in Cali a day & there is way to much road debris I see every day ,let alone the San Francisco pot holes) Soo lowering is out ... I have the TRD rear sway bar now (it really felt great than just stock) , should i get the cross bracing mod (that 3 set ) blue metal bars ? I plan on installing the front strut sway bar once they are back in stock .Tenue I think it was . I like that one better than the TRD one as it supports the whole strut tower rather than just connecting to the top of the strut. I'm not looking to rough up my Yari with getting a teeth rattling ride , I just want a quick nimble support that keeps all the wheels on the ground as scoot thru traffic & not spill my Caffine in my lap on the bumps
Thanx in advance

[Thirty-Nine]

Get some better shocks.

[Astroman]

I am still using stock shocks & springs but have put on 17" wheels, a good set of rubber, the tanabe front strut bar and the mid & rear tie bars and have noticed a huge difference in handling and the ride quality is still good. I did loose a little bit of ride quality with the 17s over the stock 15s but it wasn't much.

[kimona]

Some stiffer shocks will certainly help, but stiffer shocks mean firmer ride.

[black2yaris]

Yeah i've heard real good things about the mid & rear tie bars (i think i'll do all three ) Seems to keep the frame from flexing ,puts all the work on to the sway bars & springs (did u install the tie bars yourself ?? ) & yes it's the Tanabe front strut bar that i want for sure . that TRD one looks crappy as it's a single bolt to the top of the strut .. i'm riding on Goodyear Eagle GT's 60 series with 15" , thin 7 spoke Toyota alloy's ,Soo i'm good on the wheels/tires till i wear out the GT's . there too many potholes around here for 17" or 18" wheels . i see those guys at the side of the road all the time with flats & busted wheels .... lowering is out for me with my local conditions of crappy roads & major construction on all parts of my commute ..... keep the comments coming I'm sure that this thread is helping others as well

[ChinoCharles]

Shocks shocks shocks shockity shock shock shockershock.

[Astroman]

Yeah i've heard real good things about the mid & rear tie bars (i think i'll do all three ) Seems to keep the frame from flexing ,puts all the work on to the sway bars & springs (did u install the tie bars yourself ?? ) & yes it's the Tanabe front strut bar that i want for sure . that TRD one looks crappy as it's a single bolt to the top of the strut ..

I held off on the front one because it's only a 2 point brace. There are 4 point braces available, but they are pretty spendy compared to the 2 point one. I did install them myself. They didn't come with any instructions but looking at the ebay pics I figured it out pretty easy. I just backed my car onto a couple ramps, set the e-brake and in about a half hour I had the two on. It took me a bit longer to figure out the rear bar (it uses existing bolts attached to the gas tank.) The Tanabe bar works great, and is quite cheaper than the TRD. I know what you mean about crappy roads & low profile tires. I had a dodge omni with 16s and when there was some road construction the asphalt had been cut off at a point and they used gravel. It wasn't even and I was going too fast and it ripped (pinched) my sidewall open. Wasn't too happy about that, nothing worse looking than a donut with 3 nice rims.