Looks great. .

 

Looks nice... I really hope I get can score a set of those soon.

 

Damn nice drop. Looks hot.

 

sweet!!! FINALLY a decent view of these springs... i really think Hotchkis got it right by lowering the rear a bit more than the front to even the car out.. I'm so buying these. Do the 18's rub at all? Does the car feel "too low"- like it's slammed? It doesn't look super low.. just really, really nice but I know how things can look a lot lower in person.

 

in person, it looks low but not slammed. No rubbing whatsoever. Not even over big bumps or speed bumps.

As for the ride:
First, the ride is exactly what I'd hoped for and a bit more. I have not been in any other lowered tCs, so I can only comment on my ride in comparison with stock. The car is more planted and less apt to pogo and hunt over bumps. The car now stays very flat through corners without any understeer.

The day I installed the springs I also installed the rear anti-roll bar, setting it to the middle to complement the stock front. The difference was dramatic enough to cause me to wonder whether I would need the Hotchkis front bar. Yesterday, I installed the front (a real PITA as has been stated), and it was definitely worth it.

With the Hotchkis rear and factory front, the understeer was gone, but the front would still pogo and wander a bit, though less than it did with the stock springs. Now, with the Hotchkis front and rear, the car is locked down and sticks like glue (the 225 40 18 Pirelli P-Zero Neros now work like they should).

The ride is better than stock; it's not bumpy or bouncy; it's surefooted. Certainly, it's also a little less cushy, but no less smooth.

IMO, Hotchkis is right on the money with this combination of stiffer, shorter, linear springs, and lighter weght, much stiffer anti-roll bars. At each stage, the car got better. I would be shocked if skid-pad performance has not improved by at least .1 g.

Finally, after testing the car with all three rear settings while maintaining the race setting in the front, I have concluded that the best results are obtained by setting both bars on the stiffest setting and (for those with 18s and the Pirellis) adding 3-4 PSI to the rear tires.

Highly recommended.

Install notes: (1) it's been mentioned before, but I'll say it again: the slotted bushing brackets must be installed on the rear bar. (2) The front bar install requires a lot of patience, time and is best done by two people or with the aid of a good jack. I don't care how good you are, allocate 3-5 hrs or more for the front bar. (3) The instructions are vague, so call Wes at Hotchkis if your not sure.

 

word. i was thinking of just getting the Hotchkis Stage 1 TVS system.. that comes with the springs and both sway bars. would you know by any chance if the springs that come with that setup are the same drop say if you just bought the Hotchkis springs by themselves?

edit: by the way thanks for that insightful writeup; you've pretty much convinced me to go Hotchkis all the way

 

here's the funny thing: Hotchkis only makes one type of spring set for the tC, but it seems that some dealers don't know it. That's why some sell the spring/anti-roll bar package for

 

continued--got cut off for some reason

...price. So, the Stage 1 TVS is identical to the bars and springs. Just get the combination that works out to be the least expensive. For me, it was the springs and bars seperately from Sparks, because they had free shipping on the springs. Besides, Ken is nice, helpful and extremely reliable.

When you get them, let me know. I'll be happy to help you with any questions that might come up during install.

Greg

 

Greg,

Thanks for the nice write up.

 

My pleasure. Thanks for the help with the brackets. And, let me know when/if you guys come up with anything else for the tC.

 

Damn, I knew I should have just gone with the full set instead of just getting the sways. That ish looks TIGHT! Oh well. I'm going to wait till after I get some 18s on. By the time I can afford them (after exhaust, intake, audio... ), if I dont' like the way the TRDs look with the 18s, I'll probably need new springs anyway!

 

that's a good idea... were you able to get them all for less than $429? i saw the TVS kit for $429 at Mcgeorgeparts... seemed like a pretty decent price to me. just asking to get a feel for whether or not i should shop around heh heh.

 

I got them for something like $419 plus shipping (I think). Though, it could've been $429. Be sure to check the shipping charges and whether the stuff is in stock before ordering. When I checked, McGeorge did not have them in stock and HopUp Racing said they had them for a ridiculously low price ($375, I think). But, they wanted to charge $66 to ship, and I did not get the feeling that they really had them. Anyway, I went with Sparks for fair shipping charges and Ken's reliability.

 

I checked the sites. www.trdsparks.com has something called the Hotchkis Sway Bars and Lowering Springs Special for $419 plus shipping. Call ken and remind him that they also have the springs on special with free shipping. Then ask that he sell you the $419 special above, but only charge you for shipping on the anti-roll bars. You should get out for around $445 shipped that way.

 

well done

 

is it feel bouncy??? or nothing change.... what can u tell??

 

Not bouncy at all; more solid and settled. Take a look at my write-up on the first page of this post.

G

 

does hotchkis work the same as TRD? can i buy it through toyota and they price installation into it? and if my shocks blow since toyota sells it does it keep them under warranty?

 

oh that was the other thing i meant to ask.. do you still have your stock shocks on there? or did you go aftermarket? i wondered if TRD shocks would work with the Hotchkis springs.. i know the new Koni's coming out won't because I read you're not supposed to use them with springs that drop the car more than 1.5 inches..

 

I'm still using the stock shocks and struts. They seem to work very well. If/when I have a problem, I'll probably switch them for the TRDs/Konis or some other better shock.

As far as the Koni spec, I wouldn't worry about it too much. First, the drop with the Hotchkis springs is only +.2'' over spec on the front and +.4'' on the rear, which really isn't a lot, especially because the manufacturers of the springs and shocks must design for a certain amount of variation/slop. Also, unlike the TRD or Eibach (don't know about Tein), the Hotchkis springs are linear--they really shouldn't put anywhere near as much stress on the shocks/struts as progressive springs.