Mechanic's Lowering Warning.

[Mossy]

I was told by my mechanic.

"You will not like your car dropped, it will be very stiff and the bumps in the road will be felt like your riding in a car with a solid suspension, no smoothing of the road. Your tires will wear unevenly and you will never be happy, you will just switch back to stock. It will never make you happy. I will install everything you want, you pick the parts and bring them to me, but I will not pick them because I don't want to be blamed"

Basically. I have read on this forum that non of this is true. Is anyone on here having issues with their ride quality?

Tein Lowering Springs S-Tech & Tokico HP Struts would his statement be true?

My mechanic sees alot of cars that have been altered improperly he told me, he does not want to see my Solara go down that path.

I want people's feedback on lowered cars in general, any issues or worries. I know about driveways and big steep inclines, but I mean more specific.

[hskrsolara]

My tein+tokico setup rides very smooth! Of course, I am also riding on 18x8 rims, which make it a bit more stiff in town, but I am very pleased with the result.

The only thing I may have changed if I was to do it again is leaving the stock rear springs in. I like to haul passengers around and it tends to bottom out in the rear with a lot of weight, since it has been lowered.

Go for it, then tell your mechanic to go for a ride with you and change his mind! This is what I did, but I did the install myself so the persuasion was pretty easy.

[Jon11582]

I was told by my mechanic.

"You will not like your car dropped, it will be very stiff and the bumps in the road will be felt like your riding in a car with a solid suspension, no smoothing of the road. Your tires will wear unevenly and you will never be happy, you will just switch back to stock. It will never make you happy. I will install everything you want, you pick the parts and bring them to me, but I will not pick them because I don't want to be blamed"

Consider it a disclaimer. Yes, it will make your ride stiffer. Yes, you will feel every bump. Yes, you may even want to switch back to stock after a while.

If you get aligned after, you wheels will still wear evenly. (Usually, when you drop a car, you start having camber issues unless its corrected, but as far as I know, Tien's drop does not upset the camber. Eibachs might, but not 100% sure on that.)

Its still your decision, but everything he said does hold water.

[bassthrive]

It is true that tein/tokico will ride hard compared to stock. But the solara suspension is super loose and boaty to begin with. Add some plus one or plus two rims and you do feel more of the road. When my springs finally settled I loved the look and the handling but hated the ride comfort. Since then I have found out the front of the car was resting on the bumpstops because the mechanic didnt cut them in half like the instructions said. She rides real smooth now, but you cant drive like you're in a jacked up 4x4. I think this sums up my feelings on the T&T combo best...

pros
greatly minimize squat/dive on accelerating and braking
less body roll in the turns
lowered, stealthy good looks

cons
feel road imperfections a little more
use caution with potholes, speedbumps, RR tracks and driveway aprons

[Mossy]

Hmm....

I don't drive off-road really. I live in a city where everything is paved and smooth for the most part.

Would there be an issue hitting a pothole or some rough road. Would it break anything. I mean in normal driving condition, maybe 35 miles an hour a mild pot hole. I have hit huge ones going @ 60 miles per hour and it was a large clunk. I assume it would be the same way with this set up. The bump stops I will have to remember.

I rode in a Camry that has struts that were shot, it will not be as bad as that will it? I mean we were bottoming out and every pothole seems like it was coming through the under carriage.

[toy4x4boy]

Just do it. You won't regret it. You won't break anything hitting a pothole. It won't ride like a car with blown out struts, not even close. It's just easier to hit the bumpstops, since it's lowered. Mine is lowered with the same setup as you want with the front bumpstops cut 1" and its WONDERFUL, rides and drives sooo much sportier. It's a controlled ride, not harsh at all. Car is sooo much more responsive with this setup and 18's. It's worth every penny.

[DatSRBoi]

Ever see track racers driving their cars on stock suspensions? Or exotic cars on bouncy struts and high off the ground? Or have you ever been to a car show and see a prize car have stock suspensions? I rest my case

I will choose handling and sacrifice luxury comfort anyday. Look at BMW and Mecedez. Their suspensions are at lower stance and are stiffer then our cars. Sexy cars...

[Mossy]

I think I might go with it in the spring. I dont want to drop the car then go directly into winter. It would be no fun. Thanks for all the info guys, and keep it coming.

[SleeperSolara]

Yeah drop it man.
All mechanics are like that.
The guy that fixed my car, said that the Supra brake master cylinder for my car, would not be neccsary.
He said that the Supra Brake Master Cylinder is for "race use" only.
Most mechanics are like that, never updated wit the lastest stuff.

[ThatVietGuy]

Since I don't want to make another topic and this is here: Where do you cut the bumpstops? I remember someone posting a picture somewhere that illustrated how much you're supposed to cut off.

[DatSRBoi]

I dont cut mine... Too risky IMO

[Jon11582]

You cut them down the middle for Teins (cut off the thinner half). Might be different for the others. And your supposted to cut them with aftermarket springs..thats what it says in the instructions that the tiens come with.

[Mossy]

My mechanic does the work for a local motorshop All shop trucks and cars. Exhaust and all that. He is just a firm believer in suspension from the factory is the best. He complains alot about everything but when projects are finished he always make sure to tell everyone that he worked on the car. So I will bring the information I gathered to him and see what he thinks now. In the end he will do what I pay for. So we shall se..

[Jon11582]

MHe is just a firm believer in suspension from the factory is the best.

He's kind of right. Stock suspension is best for what the manufacturer thinks is the common passenger/driver.

We mod our suspension because we aren't hauling groceries and two kids in the back in our Solara's.

[Mole]

stock suspension rocks...