Avensis 2004 coilovers?

[Fifet25project]

Hi all new on this been trying looking on google for a answer to my question so thought I would try here...

 

so I’m looking at the coilovers that are available for the celica same year chassis as the avensis I’m thinking it looks very similar to  bolt up would it be a case of me just swapping round for the original top mounts on the new coilovers or will it bolt straight up as is any help is appreciated

thanks kev 

[Norbertb204]

On 2/16/2021 at 12:56 PM, Fifet25project said:

Hi all new on this been trying looking on google for a answer to my question so thought I would try here...

 

so I’m looking at the coilovers that are available for the celica same year chassis as the avensis I’m thinking it looks very similar to  bolt up would it be a case of me just swapping round for the original top mounts on the new coilovers or will it bolt straight up as is any help is appreciated

thanks kev 

How did you get on with it?

[fastbob72]

I highly doubt they'll be interchangeable. I've had, got 2002 T22 Avensis and bought a 2001 Celica VVTL-i to break for the engine, box and electrics. The suspension was different too the Avensis which I had already fitted coilovers too. The Celica looked to be generally older and less compotent than the Avensis and despite having OEM Toyota 17 inch alloys aswell as uprated springs never mind the fact it is designed to be a sports car if I had to choose between the Celica on low profiles and performance springs or my Avensis with it's coilovers and factory 15 inch alloys with 195/60 rubber all round to blast hard into a tight country road corner like the ones I use for half my driving  just as a huge bloody stag jumped into my path. I'd want to be behind the wheel of the Avensis as the coilovers once dialled in fully complemented that car making it infinitely controllable in a way you just would never believe an Avensis capable of after driving a typical model, even the SR.

I'm not criticising the Celica although I imagine there will be many out there who think I'm talking out of one of my less visible orifices lol but I'm not nor was that particular Celica badly modified or the springs totally wrong for the car. It handled well, quite nicely in fact that's for sure but I've been modifying cars like Cavaliers Escorts Sierras and now T22s for many years now i.e setting out to greatly improve normal types of cars as opposed to sports cars already designed to drive and handle well.

I also spent a lot of time in setting up and dialling in the overall suspension system and alignment step by step changing one setting at a time and seeing how it improved or made the whole car handles worse over perhaps 1000 miles at least before working out what to adjust next. It took me 2 years to get it just how I wanted, afterall I work 50 to 60 hourd a week most the year so don't always have the energy to fiddle with my settings night after night lol.

In other words, in my opinion, you'd be far better off getting the coilovers meant for your car as they will be far better in ever way than adapting coilovers from a Celica onto an Avensis. The only thing I did use were Celica rear drop links as the ones for the Avensis were twice the length of the whatwas needed once the car was lowered.  Running standard links meant my rear antiroll bar was under a heavy amount of torsion when the car was just sitting still. The distance from the rollbar to the mounts on the coilovers had been reduced by half at least so the only way I could fit them as I only had new but standard rear links initially was to use my 4 foot breaking bar on the end of the rollbar and pushing down with all my strength with my foot to push the bar down away from it's normal parked loading position to a point where it was under the most tension I could force upon it just to make the link fit.

 

Obviously that had a negative effect on the handling at the rear but it only became noticable right on the limit when it became somewhat unpredictable, not good - not good at all. I looked under the back of the Celica and saw the links were almost half the length so I bought a pair from eBay. Fitted them which instantly returned the rollbar to it's natural position and the effect was dramatic and instant. So there's no 100% right and 100% wrong way when it comes to modifying especially the likes of suspension, wheels, tyres and brakes but as a general 99% relevent rule of thumb go with the uprated kit for your car unless you truly know both the Avensis and Celica very ,very well aswell as having an indepth knowledge of suspension systems and how they work.

You could adapt the Celica set up but unless there was a huge upgrade in the 7th gen Celica between 2001 and 2004 (which there may well have been but without fact checking I'd assume they both had a similar set up throughout the mark 7s lifetime. The 2001 looked old school even crude next to the T22 so compared to the 2004 T25 I would imagine the difference is even more stark. It works for the Celica but it would be a downgrade if the same set up was fitted to an Avensis. Even the brakes looked out of date on the Celica when compared to my Avensis which was less than 12 months newer.

I know this is a long reply and probably long past the point where the reply mattered anymore, I hope not though and I hope my opinion and my own experience at least gives you something to think about before you decide which way to go.

 

Personally, I tend to make my own mind up and then try to think my way through all the potential benifits and compromises that may be involved because with every and all modifications you gain in some area but loose in another. In my case it restricted me to an absolute crawl goimg over anything but the slightest speed bumps or humps in the road. I mean right down to 5mph or less just so I didn't take my floor or the bottom of my sills or front wings off the hump or the road once I cleared the obstacle. Also I often found I had to use the original hand cranked scissors jack to lift it enough so I could get my trolley jack under it whenever I had to remove a wheel whereas a flat front tyre became a nasty challenge as the jacking point would be closer to the ground then even the manual jack would go below. I'd have to lift the back end to gain a little front end clearance to get the hand jack in to lift it enough for the trolley jack. Believe me that gets very old fast.

 

Also until my tracking and alignment was just right and the fact the OE steering angles and castor where all right out of whack so the stated settings didn't suit it anymore. Until I dialled that in by trial and error it ate tyres at a rate you would not credit. It steered, gripped and most importantly handled unlike your typical 5 door family car could normally managed. As I said, if I had to take sudden avoiding action and then recover it right on a hard corner with the car near it's limit I would choose my T22 once it was finely and finally set up over the Celica every time which ebven now surprises and amuses me as I'd have thought no modification could have such a dramatic difference changing a staid yet compotent, safe car into a dynamic and precise handler but it shows that the actual basis from which the Shell is created from and overall design  the Avensis in general is a very good one that makes both a highly dependable, safe family transport you can believe in but like some other standard every day family cars like the Sierra or Cavalier it has the potential to be so much more if you wish to try and make something more with it.

 

The only thing that works against the Avensis is the general look and style along with the typical perception of the car both in the public and in the motoring press. Very few people look at it and think there's the base for a very interesting and different car there that will make a few people double take or stare in disbelief at an Avensis doing more than the family shopping run or the mini cab duties it's become associated with.

 

Have fun modifying that T25 😉