Lowering springs on stock shocks? 1 inch?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by BennyLava

Not gonna harm the shocks or the ride any? I was trying to make sure I avoid messing up the shocks/struts.

Originally Posted by BennyLava

All this does is change the height, right? Do I need to get an alignment afterwards? Have toe/camber adjusted? Again trying to do only the 1 inch.

Any lowering spring will alter the ride quality as they're stiffer springs compared to the OEM springs. Also, any lowering springs will reduce the lifespan of the dampers (shocks). So if your car already has some higher mileage to them, you'll have to pull out the suspension twice (once for installing the springs, and another to replace the dampers when they blow).

Any adjustment to the ride height will require an alignment afterwards. Only the front of the Yaris is adjustable. The rear are not unless you use shims.

If all you're looking for is an inch drop and you have higher miles on the car (means most likely the dampers are nearing the end of their life), I would suggest getting some basic coilovers like the Tein Basis Z. They're basic coilovers in that they don't have dampening adjustment, but at least the dampers are valved/paired correctly for the spring rate. And you can dial in just how much lowering you want (within the range it provides, which is a little under an inch min to a little under 2 inches max).