Hotchkis Springs PROBLEM...!!

[Pinchy]

Hey Guys,

I changed out the TRD springs with Hotchkis springs yesterday and having some height issues.

My current height right now is HIGHER than my TRD springs......!!

I think there is a spring settle period but are the springs going to SAG down later ??

because I am back to stock height in the front and TRD height in the
back....!!

Anyone with Hotchkis springs experience can help ??

Thanks

[recneps]

well from TRD to hotchkis springs the difference should only be 2/8" in the front hardle noticible and 6/8" in the rear. but let them settle a little.

[DopeCelicaGT]

You shouldn't have to let them settle at all. I know I didn't.

[Blue Bomber]

Are you sure they're installed properly? There are grooves on the spring mounts where the ends of the coils are supposed to fit into, and if they're not in place, the overall assembly will be taller.

[Swing Fixer]

yeah, make sure the bottom of the springs are settled into the notches in the struts

[Pinchy]

yea they are... we made sure that the springs are seated correctly........

we seated them like 4-5 times before tightening the bolts....

we double checked for the end of the bottom coil is at the dip....

so these springs wont sag dwon at all ???

I bought them brandnew from Hotchkis......

I just installed these yesterday.... and only driven about 40 miles....

oh and i noticed this when I installed this is that on the springs height,

The front sets of Hotchkis coil is TALLER than my TRD front and the Hotchkis rear springs are SHORTER than my TRD rear.....These are before compressing them and installing them on the struts....... unless my TRD drop more than 1.5 front and rear, I dont see why the front is higher and the rear is the same height....!!

[00celica00gt]

i think you are crazy and seeing things. lol. you cant really notice anything that much between TRD and Hotchkis. what made you change? and do you really need 2 threads about this? thats silly.

[Pinchy]

yes because my height right now is basicly an INCH higher than my TRD...!!

I am going crazy....!! :angry:

[00celica00gt]

well it looks fine on everybody else's car. so something must have went wrong with the install.

[DopeCelicaGT]

i think you are crazy and seeing things. lol. you cant really notice anything that much between TRD and Hotchkis. what made you change? and do you really need 2 threads about this? thats silly.



Actually, the rear drop of the Hotchkis springs is noticeable considering it is like over half an inch more of a drop in the rear vs. the TRD sprngs.

[Pinchy]

I just took some measurments on the car and here are the numbers of the fender and the center of the wheel.

Front -
R 13.85''
L 13.75"

Rear -
R 13.25''
L 13.25''

I am guessing the left side is lower coz of driver weight and it weighted down the springs a little........

I dont know what the problem is.......

I triple check the install and every thing is seated fine......the coils are not upside down else it wont even fit in the rubber boot on the bottom...(and top)

the height is exactly the same as my TRD....... if not a little higher...

My TRD has the right numbers because it only drops 1'' and 1.2'' in the rear but in my case, my TRD dropped 1.5'' rear. (I dont have anything in the trunk. (Junk, SUB, AMP, etc....nothign if anyone is wondering)

Anyone have any ideas ??

[DopeCelicaGT]

Did you cut and install new bumpstops??? I know when I first put my Hotchkis springs on the rear sat a little higher because I did not put the new bumpstops on.

[Pinchy]

LOL, yea I did use the new bump stop..... actually that was the other selling point of why I went Hotchkis over S-tech coz they come in with nice new poly stops........

The car is lowered but its at TRD height right now.....

I still havent driven the car yet but I will be soon so hopefully, hope that its a little higher because of the lack of driving the car and abusing the springs on the road..........

[DopeCelicaGT]

I dunno what to tell you then man, unless you got some bump springs LOL. I mean if you have double checked everything, made sure the springs were seated properly, did the bumpstops and whatnot then I have no clue as to what the deal is. Are you sure you cut the front bumpstops?? Ah I bet you I know what you might have down. You know there is different bumpstops for the front and rear, right?? If you put them in the wrong place then that would throw the height off I believe.

[tatming]

LOL, yea I did use the new bump stop..... actually that was the other selling point of why I went Hotchkis over S-tech coz they come in with nice new poly stops........

The car is lowered but its at TRD height right now.....

I still havent driven the car yet but I will be soon so hopefully, hope that its a little higher because of the lack of driving the car and abusing the springs on the road..........

just to let you know, my hotchkis drop is only slightly lower than TRD. barely noticeable in the front, and a bit lower in the rear.

[00celica00gt]

well the hotckis springs for the front are the same height or slightley higher. they are 1 3/8" and the TRD is 1.5". for all you math geeks...1.5" is more than 1 3/8". Therefore TRD is lower in the front. But the rear should be about a half in lower than TRD.

[Pinchy]

I dunno what to tell you then man, unless you got some bump springs LOL. I mean if you have double checked everything, made sure the springs were seated properly, did the bumpstops and whatnot then I have no clue as to what the deal is. Are you sure you cut the front bumpstops?? Ah I bet you I know what you might have down. You know there is different bumpstops for the front and rear, right?? If you put them in the wrong place then that would throw the height off I believe.

lol I double check that too, you know on the rear there is a washer plate thats like a cup ?? you put the rear one on there and it holds it in the cup and they become one piece. so I am sure they are right.... haha.. coz the other one (the front) is too LARGE to fit in the cup washer thing.....

Its pretty nice coz it comes in 4 bumpstops.... so no need to cut the front or the back = )

side note: I dont think the car should be sitting on the bump stop anyways coz then that means either my shocks are dead or the springs have no spring rate to hold up any weight.

[DopeCelicaGT]

I dunno what to tell you then man, unless you got some bump springs LOL. I mean if you have double checked everything, made sure the springs were seated properly, did the bumpstops and whatnot then I have no clue as to what the deal is. Are you sure you cut the front bumpstops?? Ah I bet you I know what you might have down. You know there is different bumpstops for the front and rear, right?? If you put them in the wrong place then that would throw the height off I believe.

lol I double check that too, you know on the rear there is a washer plate thats like a cup ?? you put the rear one on there and it holds it in the cup and they become one piece. so I am sure they are right.... haha.. coz the other one (the front) is too LARGE to fit in the cup washer thing.....

Its pretty nice coz it comes in 4 bumpstops.... so no need to cut the front or the back = )

side note: I dont think the car should be sitting on the bump stop anyways coz then that means either my shocks are dead or the springs have no spring rate to hold up any weight.


This is true. It has been so long since I have screwed with stock suspension crap that I have forgotten what the assembly in stock form looks like. I just thought I would throw it out there LOL.

well the hotckis springs for the front are the same height or slightley higher. they are 1 3/8" and the TRD is 1.5". for all you math geeks...1.5" is more than 1 3/8". Therefore TRD is lower in the front. But the rear should be about a half in lower than TRD.


I thought that the TRD drop wasn't even 1.25 inches! I am lost?? I was always under the assumption that the TRD springs barely dropped the car over an inch all the way around, so I am lost. If the TRD springs really did only drop the car an inch or so then the Hotchkis springs would be lower in the front (not much) but a little lower and then a lot lower in the rear.

[Swing Fixer]

The stock set up of the celica has the body sitting so that the nose of the car is lower than the rear......the front of the side skirts are lower than the rear of the side skirts. As far as I know, the TRD springs are made to keep this look. Hotchkis are made to level out the car. Thus, they drop the rear significantly more than they drop the front.....IE the front of the side skirt and the rear of the side skirt are now the same distance off hte ground (approximately).

Front drop on Hotchkis is 1 3/8 and rear drop is 1 7/8 if memory serves.

[Pinchy]

I got one question tho, did you guys measure the car when you have a FULL tank of gas?? or empty ??

I have about half tank and usually with my TRD, if I fill up to FULL tank, I get about 1/4'' lower in the back....

[DopeCelicaGT]

It didn't make any difference with ride height on my car whether the car had a full tank or not. Even if it did the difference would be negligible due to the stiff rate of the Hotchkis springs.

[SinSe]

Cheap price=cheap springs and drop. As people say you get what you pay for. I think you should've stay with the TRD.

[stein]

Cheap price=cheap springs and drop. As people say you get what you pay for. I think you should've stay with the TRD.


Hotchkis Springs are not cheap! They are priced about the same as TRD springs, maybe a little less.

[GTSDOHCVVTLi]

On your front shocks, did you make sure the alignment of the spring perch, rubber bellows, and spring are all aligned properly. The perch and dustcap need to be aligned just as they were before you swapped out the springs. It prob been a good idea if you marked each piece with a marker. If those components are properly aligned (they could be 180 degrees off, you just need to rotate them) the springs will settle on the highest part of the perch causeing it to settle higher. The alignment wont look look nearly as obvious when you put it back together.

[Pinchy]

On your front shocks, did you make sure the alignment of the spring perch, rubber bellows, and spring are all aligned properly. The perch and dustcap need to be aligned just as they were before you swapped out the springs. It prob been a good idea if you marked each piece with a marker. If those components are properly aligned (they could be 180 degrees off, you just need to rotate them) the springs will settle on the highest part of the perch causeing it to settle higher. The alignment wont look look nearly as obvious when you put it back together.

Very good point there..... there was a metal cap under then pillow mount. The center of that cap has a square that will only fit in one way on the strut. That plate is there to keep the center stud from moving while unbolting and bolting the center bolt on. And on that cap there is an Triangle pointing out. Went I took it off, the Triangle was pointing to the center of the two MAIN bolt that holds the struts to the car or treval arm.
Which is pointing OUT the car.

So basicly if I installed the plate wrong, it will move while I tighting the center bolt and if its on the wrong side, the Triangle pointing to the center of the two main strut bolts will be point to the INSIDE of the car.

Does anyone know where should that Triangle should point INSIDE the car or OUTSIDE the car ??

[GTSDOHCVVTLi]

his is all I could find http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/projectcars/0010scc_projcelica/index.html

Check the repair manual too

[00celica00gt]

Cheap price=cheap springs and drop. As people say you get what you pay for. I think you should've stay with the TRD.

thats kind of an ignorant comment. Hotchkis is among the best when it comes to suspension parts. i've seen hotchkis springs for like $250. and i also seen them for $130. it depends where you buy them. i got them for $130 at MWR. and they are great. i would chose hotchkis over TRD any day of the week.