08 "S" Liftback: TRD swaybar/shocks/springs

[brody9981]

I have an 08 S LB. I am considering putting on the TRD swaybar/shocks/springs. I am running stock wheels and tires (the 15" alloys), and have no plans to upgrade from that. However, I have a few concerns. First one, if I do this, how much is ride quality affected? I use this car as my daily driver and I enjoy a comfy ride. Will I feel bumps more? I have searched this topic and havn't found anything that really eases my mind. My second concern, since I have an S, will I have any scrubbing or other issues like bottoming out or damaging my body kit? The reviews I found on these parts are all positive, and I hope somebody on here can help talk me into the upgrades! BUT I want to hear the plus side and negative sides! Thanks guys!

[HTM Yaris]

You will be fine (no rubbing) Comfy is a relative term You will feel a little more connected to the road , which is good in my opinion

[1NZYaris1]

i am currently only running the sway bar , but would love to go the whole hog shocks and springs , but $ dictate that i have too wait
ride is a little stiffer but holds the road a lot better.

[Ed_]

Will the sway bar reduce side wind effects?

[detroiter]

The sway bar will definately reduce some of the wind effects. I only have the rear sway bar on my LB right now, but I'm getting ready to throw on my TRD springs and Tokico shocks. Should be REAL fun after that :)

[llimonce]

sway bar !!! the best of the best ..!!!

[frownonfun]

Originally Posted by brody9981

I have an 08 S LB. I am considering putting on the TRD swaybar/shocks/springs. I am running stock wheels and tires (the 15" alloys), and have no plans to upgrade from that. However, I have a few concerns. First one, if I do this, how much is ride quality affected? I use this car as my daily driver and I enjoy a comfy ride. Will I feel bumps more? I have searched this topic and havn't found anything that really eases my mind. My second concern, since I have an S, will I have any scrubbing or other issues like bottoming out or damaging my body kit? The reviews I found on these parts are all positive, and I hope somebody on here can help talk me into the upgrades! BUT I want to hear the plus side and negative sides! Thanks guys!

from what i've read the TRD shocks and springs are gonna be the closest thing to stock in terms of comfort but still a little better in the performance department. i don't know about the sway bar. i'm now officially out of "yaris" money so i haven't had a chance to put one on. i'd definitely put one on my daily driver though.

[regal]

Some people like me prefer a sharp snappy ride vs the slow rebounding stock ride. I can get car sick with the stock suspension, but had no problem with an aggressive Koni suspension on my old Honda Civic.

Extreme example : Stock = at sea with 3 ft rollers, Modified = go Kart. Stock is easier on your ass but harder on your stomach.

[jdinrc]

I have the TRD springs and swaybar and stock shocks, running aftermarked 15" wheels and stock tires. No issues with rubbing or anything. The ride is less bouncy than when I first got the car, better road feedback.

As for the wind, I found that it was more the driver than the car. The steering is very sensitive on the Yaris, and when the wind hits, it is easy to overcorrect and makes the car seem like it handles crappy in the wind. Once I got the steering under control, the wind was a minor inconvenience instead of a rollercoaster ride.

[frownonfun]

Originally Posted by jdinrc

As for the wind, I found that it was more the driver than the car. The steering is very sensitive on the Yaris, and when the wind hits, it is easy to overcorrect and makes the car seem like it handles crappy in the wind. Once I got the steering under control, the wind was a minor inconvenience instead of a rollercoaster ride.

idk i think when you are driving along and you catch a 50mph gust from the side and find yourself on the shoulder in the blink of an eye it has little to do with how you were steering. of course i live in west texas. maybe the winds don't get up all that high in your part of cali. idk. but i do know wind is no minor inconvenience for me. i've nearly been blown right into oncoming vehicles. so i'm looking forward to seeing if the sway bar helps but that'll have to wait. which i doubt it will too much because the yaris is just too light. when it becomes hard to steer with a crewmax tundra i suppose maybe i've no business driving the yaris with or without a sway bar.

[jdinrc]

Originally Posted by frownonfun

idk i think when you are driving along and you catch a 50mph gust from the side and find yourself on the shoulder in the blink of an eye it has little to do with how you were steering. of course i live in west texas. maybe the winds don't get up all that high in your part of cali. idk. but i do know wind is no minor inconvenience for me. i've nearly been blown right into oncoming vehicles.

Here in SoCal we have Santa Anna winds that come out of the canyons sustained at 60+mph that often gust past 100 mph, and I grew up in Texas so I understand what you're talking about. I'm just relating my recent experiences. First few times I got caught and was pushed pretty good. After putting on the TRD springs and sway bar I still got pushed, but not as badly, and when I learned not to oversteer the Yaris then I had a much easier time in the wind. Maybe you have a higher differential between the sustained winds and the gusts than we experience here. I do know that the winds seems to effect me much less than they did at first.

[brody9981]

Thanks guys.....I think you just sold me! I'm probably going to order from Sparks. If I bring them to my toyo dealer, think they will install for me? Anybody know cost?

[supmet]

Originally Posted by brody9981

Thanks guys.....I think you just sold me! I'm probably going to order from Sparks. If I bring them to my toyo dealer, think they will install for me? Anybody know cost?

I'm not sure if they'll put them on for you. They're usually pretty strict about that - if you damage something bringing it to them, and they install it, they'll be liable.

As for the price, go somewhere else man. They wanted 100 bucks to put on just the sway bar and I laughed in the service managers face. If you're at all mechanically inclined you could do it all yourself, just rent a spring compressor.

[brody9981]

I'm not all that inclined (mechanically), plus time is an issue for me. Maybe I will see what my stealership will charge for parts and install. THNKX!

[frownonfun]

Originally Posted by brody9981

I'm not all that inclined (mechanically), plus time is an issue for me. Maybe I will see what my stealership will charge for parts and install. THNKX!

the accessory install rate at my local toyota is, i think, $75. and, i think, the install time for the struts and springs is about 2 or 3 hours. don't know about the sway bar but that's between $150-$225 already. still if you have the money to pay the dealership then it's good in a way because the install will be under warranty. where as if you do it yourself, you are on your own if something is incorrectly installed.

on the other hand, i ended up putting my own struts and springs on and i'm also not all that mechanically inclined. it took waay longer than it would have taken the toyota mechanic but it was a good learning experience.

[detroiter]

Under the magnuson-moss act though, the dealership would have to prove first that his wrong doing caused any problems, if he did in fact screw it up, before denying him warranty work.

I think that you could do the spring, shocks and springs install yourself bud. Just follow the DIY on this site, make sure to allow plenty of extra time for the install (no matter how much someone thinks they will work on a car and complete it in the time it should take, it never works out that way lol) and have fun learning a new skill. I'm going to be throwing on my TRD springs and Tokicos later this week.

[brody9981]

Thanks detroiter....let me know how your install goes! I still need to contact my stealer, maybe tommarow. I'll let you all know what they say. Guess after that, I will decide which route to go.

[brody9981]

Detroiter, just caught what your ride is under your name....NICE RIDE! Send me a pic or two after you install.....