I have a 1" hitch on my prius and use a Thule bike rack. When I put our two bikes on the back of the car it tends to sag quite a bit. Is there a stiffer spring available to keep the back up when I haul the bikes?
Okay, I assume you mean a 1.25" hitch. How heavy are your bikes? I don't think it should sag like that. Are your shocks still good? (Lean on the back end of the car and bounce it up and down a couple times, then let go. It should return to a stopped position after one bounce.)
Coil overs would be the best way to handle it. If not you can get the air springs, something like this Air Lift Air Lift 1000 Adjustable Air Spring Sets - JCWhitney You do not have to have automatic leveling system/compressor, just pump them manually
The rear on 2004-2009 already has coilovers. An airbag solution is not possible. The problem is that the spring rate is too low. Unfortunately, the only commercially available stiffer springs that will fit also include a 1" drop typically. Thus, the solutions are custom springs or using rubber donuts in between the coils.
At 134k, my struts were weak and my springs were sagging. If you have high mileage then you may be in the same boat. I would suggest new struts and a custom rear spring set. You could get oem springs for the front or a used set off a low mileage salvage for cheap. The manufacturer of plug in EV kits usually have good contacts for custom spring manufactures.
I am at 142000 right now. The car does not bounce when I try to bounce it so the struts seem ok. I imagine the springs have lost some of their ability to "hold" the car after all of the miles. I don't want to lower it, just keep it stock. With coil overs aren't they springs and struts as one unit?
My car passed the "bounce test" but I could feel the loss of strut integrity when pulling out of a driveway. It would sink pretty hard and fast when going off the "curb" and it wouldn't rebound well. Usually struts are worn by 60k so I'd say yours are definitely worn, just not broken. I wouldn't recommend lowering it for your situation which is why I recommended looking for low mileage or new OEM front springs and customs for the rear. True coil-overs like Mac recommends are different than the OEM setup. They usually have a screw-based adjustment which allows you to customize your ride height. Unfortunately most of them also start off lower so those may not work in your situation. Have you looked for custom springs yet?
A little bit, tried the tire shop and they did not have any advice. Looked online a bit, but did not have much luck. I may check with my mechanic first.
Maybe place a call with 3ProngPower: 3Prong Power ~ Plug in Hybrid Conversions in Berkeley, California Or Luscious Garage: Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists
