01-02 experience with 16/17" set ups

[urbandork]

easy questions:

16" or 17" rims?
What size tire?
Drop or no drop?
If yes how much drop and with what? i.e. springs, coil overs
Pro or con about set up? i.e. tire rub, uncomfortable ride, ect

We all know the affects of lowering and low pros inrelations to ride and such. This thread is specifically for infomation about 01-02 corollas with 16/17" rims and the set up that acompanies the rims to help those considering a similar set up.

[falnfenix]

16" give a nicer ride...the boyfriend's had both sizes, and he's rather happy he downsized.

drop - yes...at least an inch. get rid of the nasty wheel gap of doom.

springs give a nicer road ride than coilovers(depending on the spring rate of the coilovers)...avoid progressive springs, because they'll get progressively lower over time. the majority of people i've talked to with progressives end up hating them.

if you get 17" rims and have more than an inch and a half drop, you can almost expect the tires to rub...i know many people have rolled their fenders to avoid this. there's a diy on Vamp's homepage (http://vamp.darkravers.net/DIYRollingFenders.cfm) that's pretty detailed with photos.

if you lower the car at all, it WILL have a rougher ride. it's recommended to get new struts if you plan on lowering the car...otherwise, over time, your ride will get more and more bouncy. best bet? get the struts first, get used to feeling the road more, THEN lower. also DO NOT SKIMP OUT ON PRICE! get name brand stuff, or you will regret it.

as a preferential thing...i'd avoid KYB's struts...they tend to blow much easier than the tokicos. they do, however, give a smoother ride than the tokicos do...they're closer to the stock struts.

frankly - this is my ideal setup...in the works. Tokico blues, Apex springs(if they'd ever send me the right size ), 16" rims...ideally TRD if i can get them. unsure about the tire...but that's got less to do with suspension. once i get the springs in i'll be able to give a better review of the setup.

[Chris Corolla S]

That's the first I've heard of progressive springs getting lower over time.

Both TRD springs and the Eibach Prokit springs (almost the same thing) are progressive and I have talked to a ton of people who have those with no complaints.

[urbandork]

i know this is off topic but whats the diffrence i would imagine that progressive springs lower over time?? a link would be nice thanks a bunch. N e way back to topic.

Any other 01-02 rolling with 16/17" rims and suspensionm set up?

[silverstreakin]

i had 17's on mine, with trd springs. i liked the setup. really nice ride and handling. i used the stock struts though. i could imagine it would be a little better with performance struts

[falnfenix]

about the progressive springs...that's what i've heard from a couple of people...i won't get them, because i don't want to deal with that meself.

[urbandork]

silverstreakin what size tires do u have on those 17" and what kind of rub if any do u have. Also the trd springs give a drop of 1.25" drop rite?

[Chris Corolla S]

Progressive wound means that the last coils are a bit smaller so that the ride is softer at first but gets stiffer the more they compress. They are billed as a good choice for a street car which is why TRD uses them.

silverstreakin: How long did you have the TRD springs on your car, and did you notice any sag over time?

"about the progressive springs...that's what i've heard from a couple of people...i won't get them, because i don't want to deal with that meself."

Maybe the springs were from an inferior manufacturer and it had nothing to do with the fact that they are progressive?

[falnfenix]

no idea...the brand wasn't revealed to me.

[urbandork]

Thanks for the info on progressive springs.
ChrisCorollaS you seem like u have a good wealth of info. Just out of curiousity what do u have running on ur rolla suspenssion and rim wise???

any others with 16/17" rims are also welcomed to put their set ups and the out come.

[pureimport]

IVe got 16's on mine w/ 205/45/16 tires.
No problems w/ rubbing.

I also dropped the car w/ trd springs and kyb-gr-2 struts to get rid of that nasty gap

17's are too big imo for that year, alright if u had the 03's

[falnfenix]

Originally posted by pureimport
17's are too big imo for that year, alright if u had the 03's

agreed...but if it's show, the bigger the rim, for many people, the better it looks. i don't see it.

[pureimport]

Originally posted by falnfenix
agreed...but if it's show, the bigger the rim, for many people, the better it looks. i don't see it.

Ya i don't get it either thats why u compliment it w/ a nice drop

[falnfenix]

meh...can still drop it with 16" and have it look good.

[urbandork]

pureimport whats the offset of the rim??

And thanks to all for contributing information