Toyota Corolla DIY

1) Q) “Will lowering springs affect the ride quality?”
. A) Yes! Altering the stock suspension in any way will always change the way it feels. There are two different ways to lower your corolla: Springs and coil overs.
. Springs: Most lowering spring for the 09+ corolla (Eibach, Tein, TRD, etc) will only make the car visually lower; the ride will still be close to stock (or some say even better). Most companies such as Tein and Eibach try to maintain the factory ride quality as much as possible while providing a more aggressive stance for the vehicle. The only performance gain from a set of lowering springs will be the lower center of gravity of the car. The lower center of gravity will increase handling, but not to the extent that coil overs will. See below for more information on a specific spring.
. Coil overs: Coil overs are supposed to adjustable to dial in for any ride you want (hard/soft) in order to improve performance. The ride height can be adjusted up and down and the spring dampening can be adjusted to either hard or soft. If performance is what you are after, then coil overs are the way to go. However, coil overs are much more expensive than springs.

2) Q) “How hard is it to install the springs myself/how long does it take?”
. A) If you have any mechanical knowledge, it’s not hard at all. There are instructions here: http://www.trdsparks.com/install/PTR40-02080inst.pdf
From what most people are saying, the general time it takes is about one hour per corner. Me personally, it took me 2 hours for the front corner (to learn how everything went) and 30 minutes for the other side. Same for the rear. You will need a jack, stands, spring compressor, and numerous sockets (22mm, 12mm, etc) and extensions.

3) Q) “What if I feel like I can’t do the install myself?”
. A) Any mechanic should be able to knock it out for you in a few hours, for a price of course. Shop around for the best deal.

4) Q) “I can’t find any Tein springs for 09+, what’s up with that?”
. A) The Tein springs made for 03-08 corollas will fit 09+. The two cars below with tein springs are equipped with springs made for the 03-08 model corolla.

If there are any other common questions, post them and I will add them here.

Here is what the different drops look like:

Tein H-techs:
Drop: about three fingers all around (about 2″)
Height above top of tire: 1/2″ front, 3/4″ rear
Tires used: 235/45/17
Front:

Rear:

Overall:

Tein S-techs:
Height above top of tire: 1/2″ front, 1/4″ rear
Tires used: 225/40/18
Front:


Rear:

Eibach Pro Kit:
Height above top of tire: 1″ front, 3/4″ rear
Tires used: 225/40/18
Front:

Rear:

Overall:


Pop Can Test: about 1/4 in from top of pepsi can

K-Sport:
Height above top of tire: 3/4″ front, 1″ rear
Tires used: 225/40/18
Front:

Rear:

Overall:

Pop Can test:

Megan Racing Coilovers:
Height above top of tire: Varyies on whatever you want (The tire appears to be tucked (fender extends below the top of the tire) in the picture)
Tires used: 195/60/15
Front:

Rear: