Lowing Springs vs Coilovers

[WeeYari]

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[ern-diz]

[Leegamer]

Looks great. It's gonna look really awesome once you lower it a bit more.

[06YarisRS]

Stock vs Coilovers

I lowered the car a about another 1/2" in the back. Here is a comparison between stock (bottom) and coilovers (top). I'm thinking an additional 1/4" drop at all 4 corners would be perfect, but I'll wait until the springs settle in a bit. I can't begin to explain how well the car handles now. I thought that the stock suspension was good, but this is on a whole new level.

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by WeeYari

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Fackin' eh!

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by ern-diz

It rocks, Ernie! Thanks for the help, bro.

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by Leegamer

Looks great. It's gonna look really awesome once you lower it a bit more.

Thanks man! Check out the latest pics!

[06YarisRS]

So, I have a little confession to make. I snapped off one of the rear damper adjustment knobs. I blame it on my shitty vision and lack of good quality glasses. The threaded shaft of the coilover piston top had two little flattened spots for a wrench when tightening the top nut. On top of that is the adjuster valve. Oddly, it has a allen key hole. So, you can guess what I did. Doh! I also blame my neighbour from down the road as he was hanging around talking to me about nothing. He likes to hang around and talk about his recent vehicle acquisitions. He knows zip about cars, but doesn't know that himself. I don't function well when I can't focus on what I'm doing. As an aside, I once dumped 5L of fresh full synthetic on the floor of our shop when I forgot to install the pan drain bolt. One of the custodians at the school was talking at me. Haha. I'm actually a pretty nice, congenial guy, but like focus solely on the job at hand.

Anyway, I was sure I'd have to order a whole new rear damper. Again, blame my eyes! The little adjuster valve is removeable. The outfit I bought the coilovers from is sending me a pair, no charge, other than shipping.

[06YarisRS]

Rear dampers and springs

These pics are from before I did any adjustments. And, before I cleaned up all the anti-seize.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Sweet. But yes, a little more drop like you said would be perfect. However, can the car afford being any lower up there in Canada?

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Sweet. But yes, a little more drop like you said would be perfect. However, can the car afford being any lower up there in Canada?

Thanks. A little lower might be pushing it. That said, with the spring rate and reduced travel, I might be able to go down a wee bit more.

[WeeYari]

Just watch that rear left tire as you adjust your ride height. It will be the first to buzz the fender at the top of the wheel arch.

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by WeeYari

Just watch that rear left tire as you adjust your ride height. It will be the first to buzz the fender at the top of the wheel arch.

Right. I heard about that. Maybe it was you that mentioned it earlier. Axle is offset a bit, eh? So far no rubbing but I haven't driven it too hard yet.

[ern-diz]

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

Right. I heard about that. Maybe it was you that mentioned it earlier. Axle is offset a bit, eh? So far no rubbing but I haven't driven it too hard yet.

This is very interesting. Before installing the Bilsteins, which have almost eliminated all of the rub I had, I found that it was always my front wheels that would rub, never the rear.

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by ern-diz

This is very interesting. Before installing the Bilsteins, which have almost eliminated all of the rub I had, I found that it was always my front wheels that would rub, never the rear.

Well, I'm really glad I don't have any rubbing and I put it through a serious test earlier this evening. I found the bumpiest part of our road around here and tried to see if it would rub. I steered hard into bumps and dips in the road, loading each corner. I have no idea how close it comes to rubbing. The car is utterly transformed. It feels like it's on rails, without any jarring. I know if sounds absurd, but my car is both tighter and seemingly quieter than before. I can't explain it. I expected plastic rattling, dashboard and trim rattling...nothing.

I'm going to let the springs settle in. If the car doesn't come down a tiny bit, I may lower another 1/4" or so. I think I have the perfect balance (height and shock damping) for our road conditions.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Those dampers are probably doing a better job of absorbing impacts, so that's probably why you're getting a quieter ride. I'd go a little lower, but like you said earlier, you might be pushing the limit for your local road conditions.

Do you have any chassis bracing by chance? Oddly enough, it made my ride smoother. I think someone told me it deals with frequency balance or something like that. lol

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Those dampers are probably doing a better job of absorbing impacts, so that's probably why you're getting a quieter ride. I'd go a little lower, but like you said earlier, you might be pushing the limit for your local road conditions.

Do you have any chassis bracing by chance? Oddly enough, it made my ride smoother. I think someone told me it deals with frequency balance or something like that. lol

I believe they are doing a better job of dampening. When I had my exhaust done, I had added in a cylindrical straight through muffler. It was toward the back of the tunnel. The piping form there back to the axle is not exactly tucked up. Right now I have about 3" to the road at the lowest point of the exhaust. If I decided to lower, I might want to remove that cylindrical muffler and have the piping tucked up better. Right now, there are no issues with road contact, though.

I was out again this evening for a drive. All I can say is.. WOW! Even though I haven't gotten an alignment, the car is a sled on rails. Incredible difference!

[ern-diz]

So happy to hear about the improvement. Lower or not, it looks superb with the last adjustment you made. I'd personally go for a little more, but it's win-win either way.