how to improve the handling of a prius c? need some advice!

I too am looking for similar upgrades. Which sway bar did you get and do you plan to upgrade the front one also? I've seen a lot of other kinds of suspension mods offered but am not familiar with what they are and what they do. I can say that my 2013 Prius C handles much better than the 2005 Rav4 that it replaced esp on corners and ramps.

 

Lowering springs will lower the center of gravity as well as firm up the ride a bit. Larger diameter rims with lower profile tires will improve handling and steering response as well, but you will lose some mpg.

SCH-I535

 

I'm probably just going to stick with augmenting/improving the sway bars for now - as much as I would love larger rims and low profile tires I value the mpg and turning radius more atm. My 2002 Firebird drove like it was glued to rails with such a setup but I don't pretend my Prius C will ever be like that.

 

I use the Whiteline sway bar. It's 22mm with two settings. I also have the Tanabe front sway bar. Then there is springs and/or coilovers if you want to get really stiff and flat.

 

Since you already have a mid brace and rear sway, next step would definitely be coilovers and wheels/tires. Night and day once you add those on.

 

best bang for the buck would be better tires.

 

My end setup on the C was coil overs + whiteline rear sway + midbrace + 15x7 +41 wheels on the stock tires + a good alignment. Without affecting MPG, the car handled very well compared to stock. Night and day difference.

 

As mpg is a high priority will probably go with front and rear sways along with a strut tower brace. Added one of those to my 2002 Firebird Formula which was already pretty flat riding and was surprised how much it did add just by itself to handling. To its credit I think the Prius C already handles fairly well for what it is - better than the 2005 Rav4 it replaced.

 

Think about it this way, what is the one thing connecting your car to the road?

Lets say you have a super stiff chassis, sway bar that neutralizes any understeer and coilovers that really keep the car composed in hard cornering, whats all that worth if your tires don't give you the traction you need or are so soft they roll over and your car still has body roll?

Coilovers = $1,500-2000
Sway Bar = $200?
strut tower bar = $150? (little or no gains)

Good tires = $450-500; better steering response, more traction, better handling

 

I plan to change for better tires but either on the stock steel rims or a 15" set of alloys - losing turning radius by adding either 16's or 17's to me is more of a trade off as I'm not looking to drive/make the Prius C handle like my Firebird did - just make it feel more secure in corners etc.

 

You don't mention air pressure, simply airing up to 44-42 will make a night and day difference as you've got the mid brace and sway bar already.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, going to 16 or 17 inch wheels will not change your turning radius appreciably. Toyota increased the turn radius of the cars equipped with with 16s, but that has something to do with an altered steering rack or bumpstops (I'm not sure about the proper term here). I haven't heard any reports of changing from 15" to larger affecting the turn radius.

 

Some of the online reviews mention the difference in the turning radius between the 15" rims and the 16" as being due to the wider tires on the 16 having to be kept from rubbing by making some changes to the steering mechanism resulting in the 36' turning radius for the larger rims vs the 31.4' radius with the 15's.

 

Again, Toyota made those changes to the vehicle though, the wider wheel itself doesn't prevent the turning. Plenty of people have put on wider tires than the ones that come stock on the 16s and I don't think I have ever once heard a report of rubbing - Toyota seems to be a bit determined to have plenty of extra (read as 'unnecessary') clearance for the wheels.

 

Biggest difference is rear sway and then ditching the 175 tires.

Right now I've got;
TRD rear sway
Ultra Racing Front strut bar
Ultra Racing Rear chassis brace
Ultra Racing Front subframe brace
No name mid chassis brace

Rear sway and tire pressure help the most. Just waiting to decide on 16's or 17's...

 

That doesn't affect turning radius. I run 17" wheels with a 205 width tire and my turning radius is unchanged.

 

For me just changing out the front and rear sways along with a better set of tires on the 15" stock size rims will probably be enough-maybe a strut tower brace to finish it all off. I remember changing my Firebird from the stock 16" rims to 17's with low profile tires-40's I believe. The change in handling was not worth the trade-off in ride quality for me so I don't see an advantage in lower profile tires for my C since its the car I take everywhere and have no desire to continue to exacerbate an already bad lower back.

 

Exactly, the higher air pressure gives a harsher ride which equates to performance.