TRD Sportivo shocks and springs

Wow.. it felt like Christmas when I got home today. My sister said the UPS guy came by and dropped off 2 big packages. I let out a resounding, "YES!" since I knew it was my suspension arriving finally. I happily ripped open the box to find my new, shiny TRD springs and shocks. I want to install them now, but I'll have to wait till Monday to bring it into the performance shop for my appointment. Here's a pic:



I'll post the results in handling difference after I take it for a ride on Monday afternoon. I am pretty darn stoked to see how these affect the handling characteristics. I should be getting Tom's front, upper and lower brace sometime next week, so maybe it'll be Christmas again next Friday

Props to Carson Toyota for their excellent service!

UPDATE: Before and after picture (i tried to find the closest angle)

 

Cairo,

I can't guarantee that i'll get a side by side shot of the TRD and stock shocks and springs, but I can at least get another shot of the TRD equipment with a ruler next to it for scale, and then take another shot of the stock equipment with the same scale. It'll depend on the shop, if they'll let me take some of their time to do this.

The springs and shocks were $990 USD from Carson Toyota (http://www.newtoyotaparts.com), and it took about 7 or 8 weeks to get here since they had to be shipped from Japan. That was a grueling 7 weeks hehe. I was going to get this installed at the dealership, but they wanted $700 CDN for the install. Instead, i'm taking it to a highly rated, local import performance shop which will install it for $150 CDN. Not sure if I'll need an alignment, but that shouldn't be too much more. I'm glad the rest of the suspension pieces are coming a bit later. That should give me time to just see what the TRD shocks and springs do to my handling.

Less than 24 hours to go until my install appointment. I have the day off tommorow, so I'll take the car up to the mountain and see how it handles the switchbacks. Can't wait!

 

Sportivo installed!

The car is a little lower, but not much. Most importantly, though, is the car handles noticebly better. Body roll has been cut down even further. The car feels alot more neutral in turns and all 4 corners are firmly on the ground throughout the turn. It is definitely more grippy on the sharp turns i usually take on my commute. The bumps are more noticeable due to the increased stiffness, but it's not uncomfortably bumpy.

For cheap handling upgrade, I woud go with the BT Stiffenning plate as that gives an immediate, quick improvement. The Sportivo is a significant upgrade both in price and effect, but it's characteristics are more subtle. If you like hard corners, then the Sportivo is definitely for you.

I took some pics, but I can't post em now as I'm at work. I wasn't able to get side by side shot comparisons, but looking at my stock shocks and springs they look the same.

 

I would've done it myself, but i don't have the tools available for a shock/spring changing session. I'll be able to do the Tom's stuff myself since that mostly seems like a bolt-on job.

The TRD kit came with it's own bolts. I'm not sure if it needs an alignment. There's no detectable camber and the steering doesn't feel any diferent and there is no tracking. I'm going back to the shop again in a few days, so i'll ask them about an alignment.

 

My stock Goodyear tires are at the end of their life. They are pretty shredded after 40,000km. I'll see about getting a package deal for new tires and an alignment. There's no Tires Plus around here so no lifetime alignment for me.

Today was my first commute to and from work with the new suspension. The difference is very noticeable now. The road that I was familiar with announced it's subtle terrain of ruts and grooves, meanwhile, the car didn't wander or get sucked into any deep grooves. The way the Prius stayed firmly planted around turns was awesome. I can hear my tires cry out for mercy.

 

Before and After pics added!

 

Thanks! I am still looking forward to the Tom's front suspension braces so I only have the BT Stiffening plate and the Sportivo. Bang for the buck, the BT stiffening plate is the first step to go. It was $160 well spent. The difference in the car's curve handling capability was instantly realized. The Sportivo took it to the next level. If you're a handling freak, it is worth the $1000 investment.

Tideland, it hasn't rained since Monday so the roads were extra slick. However, once the roads get rained on some more, I should be able to get better traction. My tires are toast, though. Next on the todo list are tires and alignment!

 

The back IS a bit lower than the front. I'm pretty sure it's my 75 pounds of stereo equipment as the back was noticebly lower than the front even before the Sportivo. The extra bit of lowering in the front helps to even it out a bit. It was wet on the roads today and other than the slippage from balding tires, it was a good ride. No matter the turn, the Sportivo upgrade shines through each time.

 

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No problems with any bumps. The suspension is stiffer and it takes some effort to scrape the bottom of the car. The usual speedbump that I take out of the parking lot at work would usually cause me to bottom-out if I go over to quickly. Sportivo won't even scrape a bit when I go a bit faster off that bump.

Road handling has improved. The bumps in the road are more noticeable, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. The stock suspension felt somewhat disconnected, like there was a response delay to what was happening and what you felt. Like Talont's recommends, though, get new tires if you're still rolling on tock. The sidewalls of the GoodYear's are weaksauce. All the usual turns that I am familiar with have undergone a night/day difference with the Sportivos.

I'm sure the shop I went to has done many shock/spring installations, but I still gave them the instructions that came with the set in case they needed some specs.

Going on a roadtrip to Whistler this weekend, can't wait to hit those sharp mountain roads