Wheels/Tires/Coilovers installed.....SHRILL SQUEALING!!!

Well, I finally got my tires, wheels, and coilovers installed yesterday (can u believe the wheels and coilovers have sat in my garage for 9 months??). I was there for 6 hours, unbelievably. And (I told them you guys would get a kick out of this) they came out to where I was waiting and told me it was gonna be another $500 in labor, because Mitchell, or Mitchell's, says that the rear seats have to be removed in order to do the rear coilovers. First, I was shocked at the price ($900 total if I paid that extra $500), then I was shocked that this website told them that they were going to have to remove the rear seats. I ended up going out into the work area and taking the panels out of the back of the car so they could see how easily it was for them to access it ---- WITHOUT removing any seats! And they agreed there was no need for any additional charges now... Anyhow, I was there 10 minutes after they had closed, finishing up paying. Only me and the cashier were still there, so nobody was there to provide any assistance with them, if they happened to fall off as I was pulling out of their parking lot. Well, I proceeded back home, with the accompaniment of an incredibly loud, shrill squealing sound......like metal scraping against metal. I ended up slowly creeping all the way back home, driving on the shoulder of the highway, driving a few feet, stopping, driving a few feet, stopping.... Anyway, I finally got home. When I got there yesterday, it occurred to me that the wheels had different offsets (50 front, 42 rear)....but I couldn't remember at that time which was the front and which was the rear. Well, they said that 98% of the time the larger offset goes on the rear, but that they should be able to see which way was correct after checking them out on the car. When I got home last night, I checked first thing on my computer to see which way the offsets were supposed to be mounted and saw the 50-front, 42-rear. I called back this morning and asked which way they did it, and they said they were installed the other way around... I still have to take it to be aligned, but there was no time left yesterday to do that. SO, would this constant, shrill, squealing sound that happens when I am driving the car be the result of the offsets being backward, the coilovers being too low and causing something to be scraping together, or something else? It'll be a day or so before I am able to get back to the shop with it, so that is leaving me PLENTY of time for my mind to run wild over the whole thing! lol

 

If I could do that kind of thing, I would. However, (I've shared this unfortunate 'problem' before on the forum..) I have worn out my thumbs completely from years of professional piano playing, so don't have any grip to do something like that...which would obviously require a lot of grip. I'm already dreading my SLOW trek back to town to the shop to have it fixed. It sounds just like something metal is rubbing against something else metal, though.

 

Hopefully they'll cover any damage that might be caused, but I REALLY hope nothing is damaged!

 

That's what I was telling my family....What if I got out of the parking lot and a coilover dropped all the way and left my wheel well sitting directly on top of my tire or something. Unlikely, but u know what I mean. What is something totally serious happened as I was driving away in it. I guess they were just glad to be gone and away from this car they'd worked on all day.

 

Well, I took my car back yesterday, and they swapped around my tires/wheels from front to back and vice versa, then did the alignment... and I am noise-free... So that took care of whatever was screaming from under the car! lol! Well, now I have a big question --- Why would the manufacturer make 50mm offset for the front, and 42mm for the rear? Why would they not be identical? or at least closer in size? My front wheels are totally flush to the outside edge now....but the rear ones are maybe 1/2" from the INSIDE edge. So, why the heck would you PURPOSEFULLY make them for the car (Fledermaus wheels to go with the Fledermaus kit) and have them not sit the same offset-wise? Carson Toyota, who I bought the stuff through, said to email a bunch of pictures to them (to Carson)and that we'd push for replacements. I'm not totally opposed to that idea, as they sent me the wrong wheels to begin with (it even says the other wheel model on my receipt that came with everything). The wheels I bought:



the ones they sent:



(the same, except they don't have the little rivets on the wheels....which I kinda liked). We have been emailing Fledermaus about it for months now....with a recent reply that they'd give me a $150 refund for the mix-up ($150? seriously?). So, doing a replacement might ultimately result in me getting the correct wheels, and hopefully ones that have the right offset. (Do you ever reach a point where you just want the whole darn thing to be OVER WITH?! lol! I swear this feels like it has been going on for 5 years! lol). Anyhow, is there some logical reason why they would have the front wheels sit flush, but the rear ones to NOT sit flush? Thanks!

 

thanks! I got the 18". I knew I was dropping it between 3" to 3 1/2", so was afraid the 19" would DEFINITELY rub being that low.

 

So, why do they do the different size offset on the Prius in Japan? The pictures of the kit, with those very wheels installed, are flush. What's different about their cars that they would be flush on theirs but not on ours? I bought about 8 Japanese magazines beforehand, when I was shopping, but I never noticed in the pictures that they have their front tires flush and their back tires sunk in. That makes no sense to me....why would they WANT the rear wheels/tires sunken in?

 

wow, I can't believe people would actually do that. All I ever hear here is "are your wheels flush?" "are your wheels flush?".....so that's the only "look" I could see a person going with. Doesn't leave your wheels looking like you have the same size on your car.

 

I guess maybe the Prius sinks down more than I expected. Hopefully my coilovers will prevent too much of that. I do know it's like riding in a sports car again, so it's a nice feeling compared to the stock Prius ride.