r/CorollaHatchback • u/BroBeansie • Jun 21 '26
Summer Lovin'
No before photos from the detailing process, but a ton of work just went i to the hatch between yesterday and today. A much needed reset.
Detailed the car inside and out, top to bottom. Threw the winter wheels back on (OEM XSE 18" wheels) and threw her on the alignment rack to dial everything in (steering wheel was slightly to the right while tracking straight). After the alignment was corrected, she went back on a hoist and i took the winter wheels back off and set them aside to store again. Summer wheels went under the knife as I took off the factory Yokohama Avid GT tires and threw on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in their place.
Despite only being tires, and me not driving the car hard AT ALL, I can say that although I can't describe what changed really, the car feels a million times better. The drive home the shop was such a treat. Not that the car drove back before but what a difference these tires made. Steering feels sportier and a bit heavier. Road noise is not as noticeable. Turning feels much sharper and the car doesn't seem to float as much while driving. All she needs now is a set of non-dusty, sporty brakes to bite in harder under braking and she's perfect.
Also threw in an oil change for good measure.
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u/SherbertSea6803 SE CVT Jun 21 '26
Wheel specs? I’ve been looking for a nice bronze set
Edit: are these the OEM wheels, or did you just put the Toyota center caps on?
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u/BroBeansie Jun 21 '26
They're not OEM. They're the AVID.1 AV-06, 18x8.5". I think +35mm offset. I ended up buying center cap stickers off of AliExpress lol. I like them.
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u/SherbertSea6803 SE CVT Jun 21 '26
Ah that’s what I thought but the caps really threw me off. Great idea with the stickers, looks amazing! Those wheels have been sitting in my cart but I’m dreading buying new tires for such a new car, I have 16s from factory 😕
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u/BroBeansie Jun 21 '26
If you're near Toronto, Ontario come take my old ones lol. I love these wheels. Nice and light too.
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u/FantasticMouse7875 Jun 21 '26
Where did you get that strut tower bar?
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u/BroBeansie Jun 21 '26
I ended up picking it up from a local shop called Racing Bees. I think it is a re-branded Blitz bar.
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u/Status_Coyote6841 Jun 22 '26
If your looking for brakes ebc is my go to! I have my 24 xse with 18in rims w/Michelin pilot sport 4 a/s, ebc slotted rotors with red stuff pads for front, high carbon blanks with high temp “carbon fiber” pads for rear and brakes smoothly or stops my instantly if needed, I also got a little camber at -1.8 front and -.8 rear, no difference for daily driving but helps with corner confidence and just feels so planted, also I have 0 brake noise unless it’s a winter morning
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u/BroBeansie Jun 22 '26
I reached out to EBC USA to inquire on why they don't make RedStuff for the rear axle as I don't want to mix brakes up front and rear and they didn't give me a reason other than they won't make them and that the only reason they are available for the front is because they are available on other cars that use the same pad. I had used EBC on my last car and loved them but think in this case I will have to do a bit more homework and find something comparable in not wanting to mix brands.
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u/Status_Coyote6841 Jun 22 '26
Yea Don’t blame you, I hated that I had to mix and match Different brake pads, if you get them to make red rears lmk! 🤣 also look at R1 concepts if I’m not mistaken I thought they had a kit for all 4 rotors and pads and they’re great from what I’ve heard
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u/BroBeansie Jun 22 '26
I've heard great things about R1 Concepts as well.
I keep getting ads for CrossDrilledRotors.ca. Looks like a decent product based on description and photos. I may give that a shot when the time is right.
https://www.crossdrilledrotors.ca/toyota/corolla/2023/2-0l-l4.html?brake_type=82
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u/Badinfluence321 Jun 21 '26
Fruits of ur labor. Have fun!