Sagging rear...

[Spades]

Just as the title implies, the tail end of my yaris is sagging. its not quite 3 years old yet, and it went from sitting a inch taller in the rear than the front, to where now the front has 1 more inch of wheel to fender gap than the rear.

the car isnt lowered and is riding on stock springs and struts. for a long time I had a coupe hundred pounds of subwoofers and audio junk that perched the load far into my sedans trunk. I recently removed that box and built a lighter weight one. the custom box moved the weight forwards and over the axle instead of part of the weight behind the axle. the new set up is about 90lbs, old was somewhere around 200lbs.

even with the new box, the car continues to sag. when new the car had insane amounts of body roll and handled like crap. I assumed it was because it was a cheap econo box. I know it isn't my imagination, because now the exhaust I installed is hitting on the bar linking the dependant suspension together.

i cant load any groceries or anything in the trunk, even 50 pounds will drop the car another inch.

has anyone else had this problem? the shocks arent leaking, so I am guessing springs at this point. I highly doubt toyota would offer to replace them under warranty, citing that normal wear and tear would have caused it.

I was fine with body roll and crappy handling, but the sagging is making me wonder if the car had a issue with springs or shocks all along. anyone else with this problem?

[fuji]

I had a similar experience with NF210 springs in the rear with my 50lb subwoofer setup. I was amazed how much lower the rear was than the front. I ended up keeping the NF front springs and the stock rear springs.

Is the height in the rear equal left and right? They are probably both not defective if the height is equal. I wonder if you could find either a stiffer stock spring(some racing website with springs at different lengths and poundages), get a spring spacer(1" rubber spacer - fits inbetween the coils) or a set of coilovers.

[yarstar]

I got some Monroe Air Shocks on mine so when I carry a load, I can adjust the height. Really easy to add or take out air. It stiffened the rear suspension too. PM me if you want me to find out exactly what model shock I used. This will fix your problem for @ $75.00.

[gwasabi]

I assume your shocks are blown. Either that or lost some gas or theres a leak. The shocks probably took a beating with that 200lb sub. I used to have a celica with 150lb sub box and after about a year the rear end kinda sagged 1/2 - and inch lower than when I first got the car. Loss in gas in the shocks if anything.

plus our car isn't supposed to handle like million+ extra weight in it...........In the case your passengers are super fat and your lugging your pose around everywhere, then I'd say get a SUV or something lol

[Spades]

heh, well, i will have to get my tape out and measure to see if they are equal, but it looks like the same amount of fender gap on both sides.

and actually, the thing that pisses me off, is i am about 160lbs, no one else in the car, and i never haul people in it really...ussually by myself, sometimes i have my 40lbs daughter in the back seat.

i didnt see any signs of leakage...either way, the shop i work at gets wholesale price on KYB's....not sure if GR2s would be enough tho, wondering if i can find a overload shock for it. there is a place in portland my shop does bussiness with that can make custom springs on the spot, but its about $150 for a pair...I can get a whole set of GR2's and install the front and rears for less,lol.

I am kind of hoping that the heavy box in the back caused the shocks to slowly leak and that is the current problem...because the shocks are a cheap fix and I dont have that kind of weight anymore.

p.s. I don't drive pick ups and SUV's...I look retarded in them...I am too small...would need to double my weight to be seen in one. and yeah, I dont expect the car to handle great, its a cheap econobox, which is why I never worried about the slight sag and sloppy handling to begin with.

[gwasabi]

yea probably just gas leaked over time i'd say replace the shocks and you should be fine

[eTiMaGo]

hmmmmm the shocks themselves have nothing to do with ride height, they are just for damping the motion of the suspension? Sounds to me more like the springs are just getting old, and yeah, the constant weight of the subs would not have helped matters.

What I'd suggest, look for someone nearby with a lowered suspension who wants to sell their stock springs cheap. and ta-dah, cheap and easy fix

[regal]

I wore out a set of Koni springs in my Civic with a 80 lb sub in the trunk, I think this is a common problem. It would be best to keep the sub box foward of the rear axel so the load is shared with the front springs.

[Spades]

Well, shocks can change the ride height by a inch or two, but this seemed rather extreme. I will probable replace the shocks first, then if I have to, I will look at springs.

there isnt a differance in height passenger side VS drivers side, they both are sagging the same amount.

as far as the subwoofer set up, the heavy box is gone and custom set up is back there now that shed over 100lbs and moved the weight over the axle.

I was kind of wanting peoples opinions...because on a previous car I had, the same thing happened(compact car with the exact same subwoofer box), and i replaced the stocks shocks and struts with kyb GR2's and the whole car sat about a inch lower, and it went back to the front being lower than the rear.

anyway, it just seemed odd that shocks could have such a big effect on ride hieght, sagging, and handling, so i figured i would ask here and see what everyone thought.

[MUSKOKA800]

Lot's of members have dropped their sedans and are tripping over those stock parts.
Put a feeler out from some slightly used OEM rear springs, add a TRD swaybar, and you'll be good as gold.

You could replace the springs then add the swaybar in well under an hour if you have a few simple hand tools.

[Spades]

I will, even if I go with new, I found a dealer that will sell them for 30 bucks each...I figure I will order them, a set of kyb GR2s, and either fab or buy a sway bar and just do the whole thing at once. I don't want to lower the car, but I would like a little less gravitational pull on the car,lol.

thanks for the tips folks!