Hi, I've got an 06 toyota solara, 134k moles 4 cly, I love it, but it doesn't handle that great, my uncle used to lend me his second car camry xse 2017 and it handles good especially taking curves, what mods can I add to my solara to improve handling, so when I take curves at 30-40 it doesn't make me feel like it's going flip over lol, it rides smooth on bumps going straight though. 👍
Also it has some lag when I want to accelerate, I seems to think for some seconds before moving, not all the time but most of the time, is there anything I can do to improve that as well.
Was looking to replace her with a lexus Gs 3rd or 4th gen but the prices are not favorable right now, so I want to try to improve my solara instead
I know it's a vanity question, but still will appreciate your insights and thank you for Taking the time to respond.
Happy Holidays
is/are they any you'll recommend for me 2006 toyota solara se 4 cylinder, handling tires as well,
Probably any Michelin tire will give you good handling, though they have different models with different tradeoffs. There are other good tires out there as well. You might want to check out reviews at online tire retailers such as tirerack.com for tires your size since people will frequently comment on things like handling, comfort, noise, and wear.
I use General Altimax RT43 tires on my own daily driver and for my purposes they handle quite well and also ride well. It really depends on what you want and how much you want to spend.
This is all very subjective. You could even go nuts and go for low-profile tires but then you're looking at replacing wheels as well and that kind of tire and wheel combination is very susceptible to damage from potholes and other road hazards. Also will whack your kidneys on every bump.
Will like the best there is that could fit my solara, also do i need to change the springs or and shock absorbers or is that thesame?
Springs and shocks are different items, though with strut-type suspension (which you probably have at least in front) they are bolted together as a single unit. Avoid "quick struts" that are sold with springs and shocks together because they are usually poor quality. KYB is probably the site favorite here and they are excellent shocks. Bilstein is also quite good as are Koni. (I'd stick with KYB myself, they pretty much have the best bang for the buck.)
It boils down to how much you want to spend and how much ride comfort you want to sacrifice.
Thank you will do some research.
I'll try the kyb excel G series, reviews say it improves handling, reduces body roll while preserving smooth ride quality.
Thank you again @chucktobias @kaizen
I'll work on getting new tires next.
Oh lastly, how do I know which will fit my car, or is there just 9ne excel G that would fit all cars?
They are definitely not universal fit. Find a vendor that sells those shocks and look up the ones that fit your car. A lot of sites let you specify your vehicle and will show the appropriate parts for it.
It sounds like you will probably be having a shop install these for you. Bear in mind that most will not want to install customer-supplied parts.
Oh sheesh, meaning I'll have to price around. Thank you
Also seems my car uses struts all 4 tires, wish they used shocks instead easier to replace, and with the quick-strut no longer an option, I definitely can't do it by myself
Thank you again all
@chucktobias could I get this off Amazon, or Walmart, I'm seeing great deals on there for a set of 4.
Be careful, there are a lot of counterfeit parts out there. If it's actually Amazon or WalMart selling them you should be pretty safe, but both companies have a lot of sketchy little vendors selling through them.
@chucktobias please could you advise on a trustworthy site I could order this from apparently I can't order it from kyb directly.
Install a good set of KYB or Bilstein shock absorbers. Your originals must be at least a bit worn after 17 years. Also a set of good-handling Michelin tires.
Thanks @chucktobias, is/are they any you'll recommend for me 2006 toyota solara se 4 cylinder, handling tires as well,
I don't want to get it wrong I'm not that car savvy
Many thanks
Will like the best there is that could fit my solara, also do i need to change the springs or and shock absorbers or is that thesame? 😅
could you advise on a trustworthy site I could order this from
Here you go -
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2006,solara,2.4l+l4,1434122,suspension,strut,7584
Thank you very much @itwt
@itwt please do you know what the numbers mean
For example I see Front right; 6/2006 G Excel and front right; 7/2006 G Excel
Not sure what the 6 and 7 mean, the 6's are slightly more expensive than the 7's
They have different part numbers. And from the product description, it seems like something changed on the vehicles from 7/2006. Decide your vehicle’s VIN to reveal which is the matching part number for your vehicle. (Before June or after July 2006).
It would appear so. I'm seeing the same thing at tirerack.com, different parts from that date. (A very reliable source but more expensive than rockauto.com. Their listings may be a bit clearer.)
Thank you sir's
+1 for KYB shocks.
FWIW, I recently swapped out the rear shocks to my 2004 Prius. It was wobbling on curves at higher speeds. After the swap, it felt solid. Pretty crazy how that works.
Thank you for your insight @kaizen
06 toyota solara, (...) it doesn't handle that great (...) curves at 30-40
Wasn't even tested for small overlap...
By the sounds of things, what you really need is life insurance.
But in case you're adamant about taking curves at a higher speed in a structurally compromised camry:
You want to inspect the suspension, probably get decent rear shocks, possibly an anti-roll bar, and sporty tires.
@dan 😆 anti-roll bar
unsure what's funny about the anti-roll bar.
Feel free to read about it on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-roll_bar
https://trdshop.carlocktoyotaoftupelo.com/oem-parts/toyota-trd-rear-sway-bar-ptr020604101
@dan Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know it was a part I thought you were joking
Just read about it, thank you sir
It comes on pretty much every modern car, prevents body roll - but from the factory they’re thin and quite soft.
To make a car lean less in turns, often people replace their anti-roll bars with stiffer ones but if you go with one that’s too stiff, it may introduce understeer/oversteer and other unwanted effects.
@dan Okay, noted
Thank you again
Are these also called sway bars, or is there a difference?
Same thing.
Okay, thank you all emersely for the help and tolerating my ignorance. 🙂
Hi, I've got an 06 toyota solara 4 cylinder 135k miles, looking to add anti roll bars, a moderator on here graciously provided me a link for the rear anti roll bars https://trdshop.carlocktoyotaoftupelo.com/oem-parts/toyota-trd-rear-sway-bar-ptr020604101 ,
Is there a trd front anti roll bar for my solara as well, can't seem to find it.
Hoping to improve handling
Thank you for your insights and responses
- Well unfortunately I've never seen one. But you might check online at hemmings online. Guess I'll just about everything on that side. Used to be a big old book but everything's online now
Thank you Scotty
Also please do I need anything else apart from the bar above to install this?