Tein Lowering for Prius C - test vehicles needed in CA

Anything from the 2nd and 3rd gen Yaris and Scion xD fit the Prius c, however there'll be slight tuning differences due to the heavier rear weight bias of the Prius c's battery back. That said, there are coilover options out there from at the very least: Megan, Kido, Cusco, Tanabe, Tein, H&R, KW, and Silk Road. Not all are good, but the options are there.

I have KW Variant 3's [which have adjustable compression and rebound] on mine, which I posted about --->here<---

Lowering springs are not a smart idea on the Prius c, as there is very limited front free compression travel. A lowering spring that drops the ride height more than 0.35" will be literally riding on the bumpstops, which will ruin the ride quality and create horrendous understeer.

 

They KW Variant 3's are quite a bit out of my price range, do you know which of the ones you listed would be best and in the $900-$1000 price range?

 

It depends what you're looking for. Just lowering, just handling, or both. $1k coilovers are a tough market segment, and you likely won't get both lowered and good handling for a $1k setup. They usually end up compromising total stroke, which usually gives up ride quality smoothness since you need stiffer spring rates to keep from bottoming out. Also, the damper curves and the materials in general are a compromise. The Megan and Tein will get the job done if you simply want to go low and you like or don't mind a noticeably rougher ride.

Unfortunately you can't [or more accurately, shouldn't] use lowering springs from the Yaris/xD because since the Prius c is heavier in back the car will sag in back and look ridiculous. This is why Tein is trying to design Prius c-specific lowering springs. Hopefully they don't go overboard, any more than 3/8" drop in front would be foolish.

 

Thanks to this tip I called TEIN and emailed them about the R&D for the Prius C, well one week after..

 

Are you riding on stock dampers and bumpstops? If so, that's insanely low. How does it ride? I'm guessing the ride quality from the rear axle is much better than how the front end now kinda skips and smashes over big bumps now.

 

Ill be taking more pictures since this one was taken in an indoor garage you cant see the space between the tire and the fender.
Ryephile - the lead R&D was off when i picked the car up so not much info since friday, but i will call him about the installation details
I will be posting all the new info on the other thread so it wont be confusing to others lol