Recently purchased my 95 Prizm. The car has 190k on it and runs like a top but the suspesion seems a bit saggy to me. Not sure if the struts / springs have ever been replaced, plus, the suspension seems a little low to me. Before I invested in new springs I wanted to check to see what the ride height should be in the front and back measured from the ground to the top of the wheel wells / fenders. I'd like something to compare mine to if there is someone out there whos suspension is in good shape or who has recently installed new springs. Trying to determine how much sag I have, if any I have, or if the shocks are just worn out. I'd ultimately like to be able to haul a couple of bikes around on my receiver hitch without the suspesion compressing almost fully...Thanks in advanced for any input / measurements..
one way to know if your shocks are worn, standing at the corners of the car, pushed down on the trunk or hood....let go..if car bounces up and down, then your shocks are worn LOL... if shocks are good it's difficult to push down, and then it will just come up but stay up.
Im reasonably certain the shocks are gone or at least on their way out. What Im trying to ascertain is whether I need springs too. I'd also like to know what stock or close to stock ride height is so I can see how much sag, if any, I do have. Thanks for the input. Hopefully someone can post some measurements for me I can use as a comparison...
I don't have any measurements unfortunately, but this is what the ride height of my Corolla used to be before I lowered it. I'm pretty sure it had new springs put in before I bought it because it was like stepping into a monster truck . I see a lot of Corollas on the roads that low quite low but just have sagged springs.
Anyway, here's the pics of what it looked like at stock ride height:
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If it has 190k on the clock you can be assured that ANY suspension part you replace will make an improvement. I have yet to see a any Japanese car have a broken spring, but have replaced MANY on US cars. Springs, like anything else get "aged" and need replacement even if they arent broken. Ferrous metals get harder and harder as they get stressed so the ride gets harsher as the miles roll up.
Look things over carefully. I'm sure tie rods and ball joints should be on the replacement list too.
Those do look like Monroe Quick Struts. I'd get Monroe Quick Struts before getting those but that's just me. Well, I'd get Tokico Blues and some lowering springs actually ahha
The price is right, they look decent and the seller has great feedback. Monroe makes one just like it for $100 more.
Thanks,
Red
Yep, those are low profile tires (205/40/17). The size of the tire/wheel was the same circumference as the size of my stock 14" wheels however, so the height and wheel gap remained unchanged, until I lowered it of course . I don't have any experience with those particular struts in that link, but I have Monroe GT Reflex shocks in mine and they're excellent.
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Another sign of worn struts is the steering wheel getting excessively jerky as you go over bumps. On the springs, I believe the test for PA inspection is to push down on the corner of the car you want to test. If they are worn out, I think more than 3 rebounds from the initial push is a "fail". Just comes down to knowing the car really. Fwiw, didn't KYB make the OEM struts on American cars?
Last edited by cipher93; 08-20-2010 at 10:27 PM.
Reason: KYB, not Koni
KYB is OEM on many Asian cars but I have never seen any on US cars other than my own van!
Hey, as far as Fleabay goes.. you get what you pay for....typically crap! While there are some good deals to be found there is usually a reason for that part being much cheaper, and it will haunt you!
I just did this job to my 95 Prizm a couple of months ago. When cornering, if my Prizm hit a bump, it would try to jump off the road, a little disconcerting, to say the least!
I decided to save a couple of hundred dollars and buy the springs/struts separately.
Rockauto sent everything for $500. Monroe struts/ Husky springs.
The new springs were at least an inch taller than the old ones uncompressed, and raised my car over an inch also. The new front springs may not look like your old ones (4 coils as opposed to 6 on the new ones), but they work the same.
One of these is not like the rest. I bet your glad to see the last of these rims.
Haha, I was very glad to see those rims gone. They came with the car, and believe it or not, they're actually genuine Toyota rims . I've never seen another Corolla with them so far (3 guesses why). I almost felt sorry for the person who bought them
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If you tow stuff , id say save some more money for springs/struts, prolly be less of a headache installing them.Yea kiwi those rims were kinda ugly. Nice progress on the car, do you have a lip kit?
If you tow stuff , id say save some more money for springs/struts, prolly be less of a headache installing them.Yea kiwi those rims were kinda ugly. Nice progress on the car, do you have a lip kit?
Nope, no lip kit. I just painted the factory lower lips of the bumpers . They were black originally which made them virtually impossible to see. It was essentially like getting a free front and rear lip once they were painted . Thanks for the kind words.
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1993 Toyota Corolla
. I see a lot of Corollas on the roads that low quite low but just have sagged springs.
. I don't have any experience with those particular struts in that link, but I have Monroe GT Reflex shocks in mine and they're excellent.
. I've never seen another Corolla with them so far (3 guesses why). I almost felt sorry for the person who bought them 
. They were black originally which made them virtually impossible to see. It was essentially like getting a free front and rear lip once they were painted 
. Thanks for the kind words.
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