goobee
09-01-08, 08:40 PM
I've been vacillating on whether or not to put lowering springs on. My main concern was losing the comfortable ride. A couple weeks back, I got a hair up my butt and said the hell with it and had TRD springs installed.
After having them for two weeks, here are my impressions:
Stiffness: The TRD springs are indeed stiffer than OEM. This translates into feeling more of the road, that is bumps, cracks, uneven surfaces.
Spring rate: Over dips and speed bumps, the springs have a tendency to (for lack of a better term) "spring" the car up as you drive over them. It's not bad, the OEM struts are strong enough to keep it to one bounce so that you don't go up and down like a pogo stick.
Dampening: The OEM struts do a decent enough job.
Performance: No comment. I do not do spirited driving so I can't say whether or not there is any improvement in this area.
Installation: Not including the cost of the springs, I paid the dealer $355 labor inclusive of a 4 wheel alignment to install the springs. Outside, spring installation goes for about $150 and and $89 for the wheel alignment. To me, paying $116 extra to the dealer to avoid warranty hassles is well worth the cost.
Summary: If you are looking for a modest drop to lose the wheel gap but don't want a harsh ride, the TRD springs are a good compromise. You will feel more bumps and vibration, but it's not too bad. Hopefully my observations will help others who are on the fence about getting springs installed.
Here are a few shots of the car:
http://goobee.info/pics/camry/modded/side.jpg
http://goobee.info/pics/camry/modded/rear.jpg
http://goobee.info/pics/camry/modded/front.jpg
After having them for two weeks, here are my impressions:
Stiffness: The TRD springs are indeed stiffer than OEM. This translates into feeling more of the road, that is bumps, cracks, uneven surfaces.
Spring rate: Over dips and speed bumps, the springs have a tendency to (for lack of a better term) "spring" the car up as you drive over them. It's not bad, the OEM struts are strong enough to keep it to one bounce so that you don't go up and down like a pogo stick.
Dampening: The OEM struts do a decent enough job.
Performance: No comment. I do not do spirited driving so I can't say whether or not there is any improvement in this area.
Installation: Not including the cost of the springs, I paid the dealer $355 labor inclusive of a 4 wheel alignment to install the springs. Outside, spring installation goes for about $150 and and $89 for the wheel alignment. To me, paying $116 extra to the dealer to avoid warranty hassles is well worth the cost.
Summary: If you are looking for a modest drop to lose the wheel gap but don't want a harsh ride, the TRD springs are a good compromise. You will feel more bumps and vibration, but it's not too bad. Hopefully my observations will help others who are on the fence about getting springs installed.
Here are a few shots of the car:
http://goobee.info/pics/camry/modded/side.jpg
http://goobee.info/pics/camry/modded/rear.jpg
http://goobee.info/pics/camry/modded/front.jpg