Cheap handling improvements

Cheap handling improvements

This should probably be listed in the DIY page, but I don't have a digital camera and this is not necessarily just install information.

Hey all, want to let you know about the mods I've done to my '04 Corolla.

1. Recently got a strut bar off of Ebay from Makoto Auto Trends. 99 cents + $23 shipping. I chose this particular one because of the mounting arrangement. If you want to prevent the strut mounts from flexing towards each other, then you want a bar that will go directly from the middle of one mount to the middle of the other mount. Most bars are offset a couple inches from the center of the mounts by their attachment bracket, which I don't think is a good design. You want the stoutest, most minimal bracket. I think an extended bracket will probably flex. When I got the bar, I was not happy, because the actual bar was a rather flimsy, hollow aluminum tube. The whole thing weighed less than 3 lbs. Some strut bars weigh 11 lbs. Whatever. If I had seen it in person before I bought it, I wouldn't have. When I installed the bar, I prestressed the strut mounts. With the strut brackets tightened to the strut mounts, I rotated the bar on the threaded ends (one end had a left-hand thread, the other a right-hand) to push the strut mounts away from each other. Bottom line: this bar rocks. I was expecting to get quicker steering, but I didn't get it. I got something better: reduced drive-wheel spin during cornering. I have noticeably more traction accelerating through turns now. $24 very well spent.

2. Today, I just installed camber adjustments on both the front and rear. Yes, you heard me right concerning the rear. spcperformance.com carries cam bolts for the front struts and shims for the rear axle carriers. Got everything from Nopi.com for $43 shipped (unfortunately they just raised the prices). The cam bolts (part 81270) replace the upper strut to axle carrier (or whatever you call it) bolt and allow you to change the angle at which the strut attaches to the axle carrier. Set mine at the max negative camber setting (supposedly -1.75 deg.) Used an electric impact wrench (Chicago Electric brand from harborfreight.com) to loosen these big-boy bolts. Piece of cake. The EZ Shim for the rear (part 75800) is a very innovative two-part shim that you can set for different toe and camber settings, and installs between the axle carriers and the rear beam axle. Set mine to no toe change/max negative camber (-1.50 deg.). Three points: ptuning.com carries and recommends the use of longer bolts to account for the spacers. I didn't get the bolts, because I had already ordered from Nopi. The stock bolts end up being about two threads too short, which didn't bother me. I did use Loc-Tite. Also, the inner diameter of the spacers needs to be hogged out for Corolla applications. This too, I found out after the fact. After a bunch of cursing and trying to find my brother's Dremel, I just scrunched the spacers onto the rear axle carriers and bolted them up, anyways. Worked fine. Also, the template sheet specifies which areas of the spacers to cut out to allow for the four mounting bolts. I found that the forward, lower bolt needed to have three sections, as opposed to two, cut out. Bottom line: another awesome investment for minimal $. This time my steering was quickened. With quicker steering also came less body roll, and thus more steering precision. My car now also seems to "sit straight." Before, steering was very neutral, meaning that it took little effort to turn the wheel, and when it was turned it wouldn't "snap" back to center. It was a slightly loose feeling. Now, it takes a little more effort to turn the wheel, and it wants to return to center more readily. This translates into better steering feedback. But, I'm mainly stoked about the thing tracking noticeably better. Another $43 well spent.