I have been looking into lowering options for Gen III Prii. In doing so, I have tried to document the different options and specs for each as well as some of the comments I have read from forum members. Let me know if you have other options you would like added or missing specs and I can update the table. Lowering Options Sorry - I have tried embedding the table from google docs but haven't had success yet. You can click on the link above or download the attachment.
Already been published in this thread for most of the springs TRD Lowering Springs? | Page 2 | PriusChat
Been following that thread,but thought it would be helpful to have a more comprehensive list and specs so readers didn't have to read through multiple pages and search the net.
is the eibach prokit the most performance oriented amongst the non coilover setup? would i need to replace the oem shocks too if i go eibach or lower?
If I were to go springs, I would go either H&R or Eibach. It isn't necessary to replace the OEM struts/shocks. Just be aware that the struts/shock life will likely be reduced somewhat. However, the spring rates on these aren't too extreme, so the life and ride of the OEM struts/shocks shouldn't be impacted too much by that. I haven't checked in awhile, but there really are no "performance" strut/shock upgrades. All of the replacements will be OEM like in spec. In theory, just lowering the car will cause a little more wear and tear on the suspension so be prepared.
If what you are saying is true, does that mean the TRD Springs on the Prius Plus Package have upgraded oem strut/shocks than a regular prius? Why would toyota sell the TRD Springs knowing that it will degrade the life of the oem strut/shocks?
As far as I know, the TRD springs use the same struts as the standard. My guess is that the impact to life will be minimal or not noticeable. I wouldn't worry too much about, as long as you are aware of the trade-off's.
The increased wear is due to the increased spring rate. Since the travel is reduced due to shorter spring, the spring rate must be increased and this has an impact on the struts and shocks. I've lowered a lot of cars I've owned in the past and from my experience, the TRD springs are quite tame and match up with the stock struts and shocks well. The handling is definitely improved. Just for reference about strut and shock wear, I've owned numerous BMW's with stock sports suspenions that feel worn out at 30k miles...
