Newbie mod advice

[supmet]

Originally Posted by yarswiss

See, this is why I asked So other than TRD sparks, any other places to shop at?

Thank you for the advice, Loren. I'm not looking for a way to turn this car into a semblance of sportiness, just better handling and comfort. As far as tires go, I'll wait until I have enough to invest in some good ones, but my Bridgestone Potenzas aren't too bad for regular driving.

I agree 90% with Loren, and the other 10% is only because I think our definitions of chucking are slightly different. I agree the rear sway bar is probably a much better investment than the front. I only have the rear, so I can't really speak for the front, but the rear sway bar is the best 150 bucks I've spent in my life, cars or not. The only part I disagree with Loren on is I can't imagine a single situation where I wouldn't want my sway bar. Whether its on a turn or changing lanes like a mad man, it always makes me feel more planted, even when jerking the wheel. Before when I jerked the wheel the car would rock back and forth, now the tires just chirp If you have a habit of jerking the wheel 180 degrees or more, then you'll probably be worse off.

Also, if you read around the forum, pretty much EVERYONE hates the bridgestones. You might not notice too much with socal weather(I really didn't) but once I changed I could definitely tell how bad the bridgestones were. TRD sway bar and then tires and wheels are your "most bang for the buck" handling mods, in my opinion.

[Loren]

Originally Posted by supmet

Before when I jerked the wheel the car would rock back and forth, now the tires just chirp

Take a moment and think about that. Really think about it.

Is the tires chirping when you make a lane change a GOOD thing?

I'm not saying the rear swaybar is a bad mod at all... but the Yaris is already known for its tendency to oversteer and snap spin in certain situations with certain (wrong) inputs. Adding the rear swaybar makes that tendency WORSE, not better.

The rear swaybar improves steering response and weight transfer to the inside front tire in a turn (the tire that is normally unloaded and spins when you try to accelerate through a turn). All of the weight that it puts ON the inside front, it removes from the outside rear. That's the way it works, guys.

If you're a good driver and drive SMOOTHLY, the rear swaybar is fantastic! If you drive like a moron and overdrive the car, it's going to get you into trouble eventually. (of course, you're going to find that trouble with or without it)

The whole problem here (and the reason I responded) isn't the rear swaybar... it's the "jerking" of the wheel. Guys, go find yourself an autocross and learn something about REAL performance driving before you kill somebody playing silly games on the street.

[TOUGEghost]

Does the rear swaybar actually attach to the chassis? If not, it really seems to be more of a "brace" then a true swaybar since the rear wheels are already connected by an axle beam. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not saying the extra siffening doesn't help, though. I actually feel like the car handles remarkably well for a cheap fwd vehicle.