• Since 1970, SuperPro has been innovating with polyurethane, offering components to maintain steering geometry and enhance handling characteristics.
• The Australian company manufactures solutions for even the most unlikely of applications: a lifted 2008 Toyota XP90 (2nd generation) Yaris.
• Polyurethane bushings and improved ball joints that SuperPro uses as standard complement any application.
• All of the work was entrusted to our preferred local speed shop, R/T Tuning, in Montgomeryville, PA.

After securing my driver’s license, a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo was bestowed upon me. My dad chose this tank because of the sheer amount of metal it would encase me in and the indestructible 4.0-liter straight-six driving all four wheels. I can’t say the Jeep bug bit me then, but it must’ve taken a nibble because here I am, over a decade later, hunting for ground clearance on my daily driver: a 2008 Toyota Yaris. 100 horsepower, three pedals, two-wheel-drive, and an open differential might not sound like a great recipe for off-road capability, but the same short wheelbase that made this car a blast to drive in the twisties on lowering springs could lend itself to some decent “off-the-beaten-path” adventures. When I noticed my 60-mile-per-day commute had taken its toll—a weeping rear strut—the perfect opportunity arose to take this econobox in a new direction: up.

TURN TO THE PROS

I reached out to Chris Goldhill, the Eastern USA Sales Manager for SuperPro, with my plans. He was stoked, and all-in to assist with my odd endeavor. He and I shopped the SuperPro catalog for Yaris components and put together quite the package including front lower control arms (TRC1100), adjustable front sway bar end links (TRC12265), and camber-adjustment bolts (SPF4351-15K). For good measure, we threw in an adjustable rear sway bar (BTR86Z) from SuperPro’s sister company, Whiteline Performance, to offset the roly-poly activity resulting from the higher center of gravity.

MAINTAINING CONTROL

While SuperPro didn’t explicitly design its Toyota Yaris front lower control arms with a 1.5” lift in mind, the technologies that it uses as standard offer a myriad of benefits. Firstly, the premium polyurethane bushings that the company is world-famous for inherently combat the negative effects of excessive flex and extension. Unlike the OE rubber, polyurethane bushings do not bind. The collar freely pivots within the polyurethane, meaning the added droop doesn’t cause excessive wear to the control arm bushings or contribute to uneven tire wear. A benefit of this trait during installation is that the control arm bolts can be tightened before setting the car back on the ground.

Additionally, SuperPro employs improved ball joints with a 15° range of motion, offering an increase over the factory components.

The provided control arms are corrosion-resistant stamped steel units with SuperPro’s bushings and ball joints pre-installed. This complete package makes installation a breeze for do-it-yourselfers tackling this job in their driveway without the tools to remove and press-in bushings. SuperPro offers these complete kits for a variety of applications, providing an easy-to-install, all-in-one solution.

LEAN WITH IT

With a taller center of gravity comes exaggerated body roll. Since this Yaris will resume its daily driver duties after the transformation, those effects must be kept at bay. Up front, SuperPro’s adjustable sway bar end links keep the geometry more closely in line with the stock-height setup. Typically, these adjustable end links are used on lowered applications. However, the maximum extended length of 265mm is 5mm longer than the (well-worn) factory end links. When installing adjustable aftermarket replacements, it’s recommended to first adjust them to the same length as the original components. Then, install them on the vehicle with the desired ride height set. Finally, if the end links or sway bar come in contact with other parts of the suspension, lengthen or shorten them for clearance. Fortunately, the Yaris didn’t experience clearance issues, but SuperPro’s corrosion-resistant anodizing and improved ball joints are welcome improvements over the OE units.

The Yaris’ (Yaris’s? Yarises’?) torsion beam rear suspension doesn’t use a sway bar from the factory. Believe it or not, this 100-horsepower nugget wasn’t built for performance. Since the torsion beam will already limit off-road flex, I decided to add a sway bar to improve on-road handling. Fortunately, Whiteline offers a rear sway bar that solves my self-inflicted body roll problems. It’s even adjustable, with two mounting options. I opted for the softer setting to start, with the intent to make adjustments if needed. Whiteline provides all installation hardware, including the longer bolts needed to mount the sway bar end links to the struts’ lower mounting point.

GETTING A GRIP

This whole time you may have been wondering, “Why is this guy lifting his Yaris?” That’s a great question, and there is no practical answer. Ultimately, I got the itch to explore a new driving experience, and it’s cheaper to modify the Yaris in my driveway than to buy a whole new project. With a 2002 Miata already filling the “fun street car” role in my lineup, the Yaris could be reshaped into an “unlikely soft-roader.” So, with suspension sorted, I moved onto wheels and tires to accompany the effort. I dug a set of 15” alloys from my previous Yaris S—yes, I’ve owned two 2008 Yaris hatchbacks—out of my storage unit and sought out upsized tires. Trying to stay under a 25” total diameter, I landed on the Falken Aklimate, 195/65R15. While this gave me the increased diameter I desired, the aggressive, off-road character just wasn’t there.

I shared the “after” photos with Chris at SuperPro, and he agreed. He pointed me in the right direction for some aggressive rubber, a 195/75R14 Goodyear Wrangler A/T. This was perfect, but now I needed to source 14” wheels! Luckily, a fellow Miata enthusiast at the office was willing to part with a set of NA 7-spokes which were just the right size. With the second set of wheels and tires equipped, the SuperPro-equipped Yaris now looks the part.

EVERYTHING’S SUPER

Since the installation, I’ve put about 1,000 miles on the “build.” First and foremost, I feel it’s my duty to address the NVH concerns that surround polyurethane. Many people warned me that I would ruin my daily driver by switching to poly, because the squeaking would drive me crazy. I’ll admit, even with the SuperPro team reassuring me, I was afraid of that possibility. Well, I can proudly say, SuperPro’s polyurethane bushings have made zero additional noises. The ride isn’t harsh, and I’m confident in my alignment. With the added sidewall, I’ve been pointing my tires at the most treacherous Pennsylvania potholes, and while my dash cam sensor thinks I’ve been in an accident, my alignment remains unfazed.

Traveling my familiar twisty backroad commute, the lifted Yaris’ body roll feels nearly identical to its lowered variant due to the Whiteline rear sway bar. This shocked me, because I expected the return to OE springs to cause a more wallow-y sensation. Speaking of shock, the KYB Excel-G struts are a perfect companion to the original springs combined with the 1.5” spacer lift. Just to see what these new legs can do, I’ve navigated over a curb here or through a ditch there, and the Yaris has overcome those obstacles in stride. However, I don’t think I’ll be hitting any whoops at speed or taking it off any sick jumps soon. But hey, at least I don’t need a jack for oil changes anymore!

Thank you, Chris and the SuperPro team for humoring me with this ludicrous idea. What other company would get as excited as me about lifting a Toyota Yaris!? I’m excited to have learned the way of polyurethane, and I can’t wait to get my hands on kits for the rest of my vehicles.

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