Suspension Replacement, Your Experience?

I like my new KYB on my Gen 3 2010 Prius. . I ordered them complete from spring and shock in one unit. In January I found right front first as a new but "open box" item and lurked on amazon for 2 months until March when left front new but "open box " strut became available.
I remember saving about 40% from usual Rockauto price for two NEW units in but these were in two beat up KYB boxes. The new strut comes with new spring and top bearing or hat . I repeat these were all new but had box damaged or had been returned by someone. Install was easy but a Texas Prius does not rust up nuts

 

What's the miles?

 

I replaced my full suspension twice and changed my springs out twice. I had Tein Endurapro Plus Sp Kit which is like stock sport struts and then lowering springs and now I’m on Tein Flex Z coilovers. I changed out my CV axles, control arms, put in a sway bar from a scion xb/ rav4 that is 1mm thicker that prius, new sway bar bushings, new end links, ball joints, inner and outer tie rods. Even the rear trailing beam bushing but I took that to a machine shop to press out/in the bushing What questions do you have. I would replace the struts, front and rear strut mounts and ball joints, end links and sway bar bushings if not control arms too depending on mileage.

 

I would not do the rear trailing beam bushing unless you want a stiffer ride in the back it’s likely still good. If you have any questions let me know.

 

Flex Z is stiff. I have it set all the way low, not sure how high they go. The endurapro strut kit was much smoother than the coilovers and stiffer than stock struts but not low. I would just go oem shocks and springs if you are worried about comfort at all. The OEM KYB excel G are much better than you would think. If you don’t want to change ride height I would not get coilovers as the adjustment is a chore. Sport suspension sacrifices comfort for handling so you can’t expect comfort with a sport suspension kit but I drove over 350 miles in a day on the flex z and it is stiff but they don’t make my back hurt after driving. They’re comfortable enough for daily driving with the 4k spring rates. The tein struts are a lot more comfortable than the coilovers and the kyb is the comfiest as it is the softest. I would get the koni struts or the tein struts if you want sporty. If you want comfort but some sportiness i would go oem kyb excel g front struts and bilstein b4 rear shocks. You can find those on rock auto. Run the oem springs if you want the same ride height. If you want lower get coilovers.

The rav4 front sway bar is good, you have to get the sway bar bushings from a rav4 too but it’s not really that noticeable or worth the hassle unless you really drive the car hard and you have to take one control arm out to get the front sway bar out so it is a chore unless you’re replacing the control arms like I was. Some people even remove their front sway bar.

The rear sway bar is great and I would recommend you get that asap as it really upgrades the car. I also shimmed my rear wheels with ez shims to get -2.5 rear camber and that really improved my cornering.

This is as low as the flex z goes and comparisons of both the flex z coilovers and the endurapro plus sp shock and spring kit with a stock ride height prius.

 

TRD rear sway bar.