By some accounts, the Scion tC just doesn't cut it. Like the scrawny new kid on the block, Project tC doesn't fit in with the powerhouses that fill the Sport Compact Car garage. It could be better in virtually every performance category. Its power-to-weight ratio, handling and braking all leave room for improvement.
Perhaps the bar has been set too high, though. To be fair, look around and you'll be hard-pressed to find anything else that will outperform the tC and carry its $16K price tag. For that, along with the fact that the tC is equipped with a 160-hp, 2AZ-FE VVT-i powerplant, we give this econobox a thumbs-up.
It's clear there's room for improvement. Give the tC too much throttle rounding that on-ramp and its Bridgestone Potenzas break loose in a pavement-gripping struggle that they'll ultimately lose. Regain control, hammer it around the next twist and feel the body roll like a ship at sea.
To help rid the tC of these handling habits and enhance its cornering prowess, we signed on Hotchkis Tuning and The Progress Group. A Hotchkis Tuning front strut tower brace stiffens the chassis while the company's front and rear anti-roll bars virtually eliminate body roll. Progress Group coil-overs lower the ride height and increase the spring and damping rates. Hotchkis Tuning rear camber links allow rear camber adjustment. Eventually, we'd like to see a set of camber plates on the front of the tC, but as of our press time, none were available.
The coil-overs' spring rates are 250 lb/in. up front and 350 lb/in. out back. Those are 80
PROGRESS GROUP COIL-OVERS
Progress coil-overs feature threaded struts with on-car height adjustability. Height can be adjusted between 1 and 3 inches lower than stock. Compression and rebound and damping rates are preset internally. The bodies of the coil-overs are shortened to achieve added compression height and are nickel-plated to reduce corrosion.
In the front, the stock strut's upper mount must be removed and swapped onto the coil-overs before installation. Provisions for the ABS wire and the brake line are provided and both use the OEM hardware.
Out back, the shocks' upper mount nuts are located behind the rear seats. Some rear interior panels will need to be removed to access them. The spare tire cover and trunk carpeting must be unclipped and pulled out of the way, and the dust cover along with the upper mounting plate from the rear damper assembly must be transferred to the coil-over. The threaded collar can then be adjusted to the desired ride height.
Progress Group set up Project tC with a 1.38-inch total drop. This ride height creates equal cross weights that provide symmetrical handling in both directions.
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Installing coil-overs and the strut tower brace at the same time will save some labor. The
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Hotchkis Tuning recommends zip-tying the mass air sensor wires out of the way when using i
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Everything on the tC is a tight fit. The strut tower brace is no exception. To install the
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Two plastic clips on each side of the cowl must be removed in order to gain access to the
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Unbolt the brake line bracket and unclip the ABS wire from the strut. The two bolts connec
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The stock upper mount must be reinstalled on the Progress coil-over. Everything else is in
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Like the front, the rear coil-overs use the mounting plates from the old shocks. Slide it
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The original rear dust covers won't slide over the coil-overs unless they're trimmed. Cut
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Before installing the rear coil-overs, rotate their upper mounting plates in proper orient
By Aaron Bonk
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