^^How do they handle?

 

the springs andle great, the smoothest ride, no discomfort at all. improved ride also

 

Agh cant decide between hotchkis and TRD springs!! Hotchkis look so much better, but are lower and will scrape possibly...also hotchkis are more comfortable. TRD well only + with those is I wont scrape.....Anyways where would u guys recommend getting these installed. Looking for somewhere cheap (I dont wanna do it myself).

 

that's odd, i thought the trds would have been more comfortable, whatever.

 

Ya, I believe the TRD's have the closest to stock ride comfort.

 

Well, if you go with the TRDs, you may end up like me and switch later.
And I guess it depends on what you find comfortable, but I wouldn't exactly say the Hotchkis are more comfortable then the TRDs.
Don't get me wrong, the Hothckis aren't uncomfortable at all on smooth roads, but they are a bit stiffer.
I've had stock, TRD, and Hotchkis and the TRDs are really close to stock ride quality.
Personally, I didn't like the stock ride, so I prefer the Hotchkis, but I don't think I would call it more comfortable.

Anyway, I barely scrape with the Hotchkis, and it's only the front plastic splash guard under the bumper. No big deal. It depends on where your driving. I havent' gotten hung up on any speed bumps yet.
Go with Hotchkis

 

Definitely HOTCHKIS, hands down. TRD's don't make it look like it's even lowered. A min 2" drop is a must if you're getting it lowered IMO.

To me, the ride quality felt almost the same, though it isn't as "pillowy" as stock. Stock felt like I was riding on air because it was sitting so high.

As far as scraping, just take your time over speedbumps and dips like you would if you had stock springs and you'll be fine. Don't go like 50 mph over bumps and dips, then you'll def scrape. I only have a few small scrapes and that's because the parking blocks were taller than the clearance on my front bumper. (Damn, it's hard to estimate how close you are to the curb when you're pulling in.)

 

All true!
I have tein s-techs and I love them

 

Hotchkis drop
Fully settled.

 

Hotchkis it is for sure then....after those pics! I thot it was lower so was worried but from the pics it doenst look as low as i once thought...ty for pic russian btw nice tC!!! also are ur tails vinyl or sprayed?

 

thanks.

Hotchkis def. is a way to! rear looks a little higher tho then i expected, but its still great

tail are vynal. i figured what would u do if u decide to sell the car or not passing inspection.

 

1 Day After H-Techs

 

thaTS one dam ugly scion...

 

Here's mine as of today!

 

OK, I finally got my car back from the shop, and while it was there, I had them do an allignment. Here are the comparison shots of stock vs. TRD vs. Hotchkis:

Stock Front


TRD Front


Hotchkis Front


Stock Rear


TRD Rear


Hotchkis Rear


Stock Driver Side


TRD Driver Side


Hotchkis Driver Side


TRD Front 3 fingers


Hotchkis Front 1 finger


TRD Rear 2 fingers


Hotchkis Rear 1.5 fingers

 

mr_meaty, had i seen your post when I was deciding on springs, i would have definitely have gone hotchkis. One thing though, I can barely fit 2 fingers on my front wheel gap with my trds, how do you fit 3?

 

Wow.. today I was just thinking that I should switch to Hotchkis springs from my TRDs and these pictures really help a lot. Thanks mr_meaty!

 

Glad to have helped your decision. I'm gonna have more pics on my cardomain site soon.

Yeah, I dont' know about the TRD 3 finger gap. That struck me as odd too. But the dealership put those in, and I never got an allignemnt. I put on the hotchkis and I didnt' notice if the TRDs weren't set right. I thought they just hadn't settled, but after a year, I couldn't stand it, so I had to switch.

Are you TRDs an even drop in the front and th back? I mean, I know they are an even drop, but since the rear wheel well is shallower then the front wheel well, it makes the gap different. Can you fit the same number of fingers in the front as in the back? (no dirty thoughts people)

 

I think there is a difference between the front and the back. I'll check tomorrow if i remember.

 

the new look....




a little updated from the pics of my car posted on the first page of this post.....