rear axle motion ratio

yup! came in as first supply already when i requested it as a custom order from one of the distributors here.

great effort on coming up with the unsprung weights and the estimates are very reasonable. did u take into account half the weight of the connecting arms from the chassis?

thanks for calculating my NFs! its good to have this comparison and il continue to give feedback on this setup. coming from a slightly aggressive H&R setup, my tuner said 6/5 can still be liveable which confirmed my thinking. i still cringe whenever i run over some unfamiliar potholes and bumps though. but in my daily route, i already know how to approach them. some are avoidable, some are not. just have to live with that. but i know the car can take it. my H&R and stock struts have survived 35,000 miles and still looks strong even if i have no need to replace it. : )

i have a 2 minor issues to resolve first. first is to get shorter sway bar links because the steering arm started to rub on the sway bar at close to full lock. the 2nd is the -2.0 camber. the previous vales were -1.20 which i think is just right for even tire wear at 42 psi. i dont want to sacrifice uneven tire wear for better cornering speed on a daily driver. no need for extreme angles here. i also didnt notice any decrease in glides. in fact it might have increased it because of the slight decrease in conatct patch on a straight line at -2.0 camber.

 

Mine are 62.220.006 and 62.180.005. The fronts are cylindrical and the rear barrel. So the rears look progressive a bit.

 

Before selecting BC Coilovers did any of you consider other brands of coilovers, like Megan? why did you select BC?

See this link to Megan coilovers: 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Coilover Damper Kit Street Series : Megan Racing Performance

 

Dave, I've also considered Megan when i was canvassing, but settled for the BC as it looks to have more of a following over here than Megan.

Solar Element, I know what you're talking about. I started hearing the faint knocking on both rears about a month ago. I think it's just the rubber sleeves on the upper coil thinning out. I'm going to have it checked by my installer hopefully within the week and have them adjust the rear dampers 2-5 clicks stiffer. If it is, then i'm sure it can easily be remedied. Currently, i just turn the radio a tad higher to drown out the noise. lol!

 

Do you guys know if there is a way to cut a small 'flap' in the interior panels to allow access to the rear struts? It would be so nice not spending 1/2 a day disassembling the trunk aka "boot" interior to access the rear struts.

 

Cutting a hole through the panels is easy. However, the metal panels are still in the way unless you completely take them out. Besides, the strut adjustment knobs are still a fair way inside. You'd still need really long damper adjustment extension cables.

 

It really sucks that there's no easy way to get to the rear struts...

 

Oh, i forgot to mention, the right rear has the battery cooling duct getting in the way. I had a go at it again today, taking out the interior panels. Adjustments can be done on the left without taking the metal plate out if you have long slender hands (i have small hands). I had to look for the right position using my right hand to get a grip on the knob in order for it to turn. The right rear is easier and quite exposed for adjustment if you take out battery cooling duct which is very easy.

With regards to the knocking sound, all bolts are tight including the top hat nut. My mechanic thinks it might be the swing arm rubber bushing where he saw a slight tear (both left and right) and feeling a bit of play in it. That's one possible area to check, Solar Element.

If that's the cause then I can probably live with it for a while till it gets really worse and annoying. It will be a big job for sure to replace the big bushing with polyurethane ones. Can't complain much because it still does its job quite well.

 

Awesome post with lots of impressive information! Im trying to figure out the motion ratio of the front and rear suspension on my prius and was hoping you might still have those measurements?