newbie introduction & questions - Corolland: the Toyota Corolla Forums

Guest ecotopian

As a newbie to this forum, I would like to introduce myself and state my interest. I am the original owner of a 96 Corolla Standard Model with a 1.6 4A-FE engine at173K kms (108K miles). It’s equipped with air, 5-spd and I recently added AR 15” alloys and 195/50/R15 Toyo Proxes T1-S tires. I kept the car dealer maintained through 156K.

I use the car in my work and recently questioned whether I should trade it in or not. I decided to keep the car and up-graded the wheels and tires. The difference is fantastic! I feel like I’ve got a brand new ride. I should add that the only major repair I’ve had to do outside of the brakes and timing belt is a water pump replacement at 150K (where the timing belt was replaced since there was no additional labor involved).

Now I am interested in restoring the vehicle as normal things such as shocks and exhaust wear out. My only real complaint with the car was handling and the new tires/wheels have taken care of a lot of that but it still has a bit too much body roll for my taste. And of course, I would not mind a bit more power.

My question for the forum, if you could be so kind; is when can I expect the shocks/struts to wear out and how long is the exhaust system likely to hold up?

Also, what would be your suggestions to improve handling and power? I have already searched the forum for these questions and I should add that I’m not into racing or extreme looks.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions. Jim

Welcome,

You are not alone in the pursuit of more power / handling from a 1.6L Corolla. You have already seen the increased braking and cornering performance with just upgrading to higher quality tire with lower profile and bigger wheels.

As far as shocks/struts and exhaust system's usable lifespan - it really depends on driving conditions, upkeep and maintenance. For the exhaust system - might be good for some time - my '96 Camry (180K) has a stainless exhaust system - looks good as new. But the struts and springs were only good for about 100K, used as a people and luggage hauler, at least 2 people in at any time, many times four people at a time. You may see different lifespans depending on your particular conditions.

But since you are looking to improve your ride - upgrading to new shocks/struts may give you better damping, but remember it is the springs that really hold up the car. Going with a good aftermarket springs and anti-roll bars coupled with frame stiffeners and a strut tower brace can really tighten up your car's handling. This can be had without aggressively lowering your car - so you don't have that "racer" look.

For power gains - look to improving the intake system and exhaust - many available cold-air / ram-air intakes are out on the market, make sure that it is specifically made for your vehicle. Some people save a couple of bucks to find out that the cheaper intake is missing holes or knockouts for mass Airflow sensors, temperature sensors, vacuum lines, etc. Matched up with a higher flowing exhaust (not necessarily the ones that look like bazooka) and you can see a realistic 3-5 wheel HP. For more you have to go either the NOS route, forced induction like turbos or supercharger, or a good port and polishing and blueprinting of your existing block. For the money can't beat NOS - but it can be a pain getting the bottle refilled all the time. Engine swaps are possible - since your car could be had wth the 1.6L 4A-FE or the 1.8L 7A-FE motor. But then you're talking big $$$ and lots of labor. Weight reduction and reducing unsprung mass can help as well - so people go as far as battery relocation for weight distribution. Lots of choices - just depends on the amount of effort and money you want to expend.

Good luck

Guest ecotopian

Thanks Fishexpo, that's helpful. I can live with the power and have no desire to replace the exhaust before necesaary. I do want a better ride though and with 108K miles on it, it might be reasonable & economical to go ahead with the suspension upgrade.

Any suggestions re. specific spring/shock combos that I could look into without getting into serious suspension geometry problems?

Regards, Jim