aftermarket Air Shocks, anyone try it?

You need to be looking at site like airbag.com as in shock absorber airbags not steering wheel SRS airbags they're a bunch of companies that make all kinds of air suspension add-ons for all kinds of vehicles not previous specific per se but I'm sure there is a way to skin that cat if anybody's done it to any other smaller car it would be very similar there's nothing special about the Prius now finding air shocks with the proper coils around them and the upper and lower mounts may be a stretch but can probably be fabbed up relatively easy from a base model air shock that meets the height and stroke requirements which shouldn't be too hard to source out then putting spring perches on said tubes is not an expensive proposition.

 

Arnot and KYB make things that look like they could be added to to make up such an assembly You're looking at like 12.6 to 16.8 extended eye to eye or mount to mount or however you want to look at it have approximately 6 in of travel in the factory strut apparently by looking at it in a couple different manufacturer sites Arnot and KYB make what looks like what could be made to work have to get some measurements . Mo rore alsomakes quite a lineup But none of this stuff would just bolt up to the car and you'd be off and running far from it actually look at your actual strut from the rear of your car and that's what you're looking to duplicate maybe with a smaller spring fitted around it air shock that would fit it so coilover springs in the 4-inch range might do or 5-in range.

 

Search priuschat for stiffer springs and etc

 

It had never crossed my mind before, but "modify a car so that it can carry more weight" doesn't find very many relevant answers in Google. The first hit says to put bigger springs in the back. Naively I would think that might be safe to do if only a couple of hundred extra pounds will be carried, but past that bigger tires are going to be needed, the brakes might not be adequate, and I fear the handling might be adversely affected (even when only a small load is being carried.) It would definitely make the ride even worse than it normally is.

The Prius isn't supposed to tow, but nevertheless people have done light trailers, and at least there when the trailer is not in use the car would be the same as it always was.

 

Yeah, you definitely want stiffer springs for that, maybe even a lift kit

 

Strawbrad knows his stuff

 

Yep Corolla vibe and Matrix mix .no air .just al lil more Uuumph.