FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Could we? Sure. Will we? No. Let me tell you why: Contrary to popular belief, a bigger lift will not allow you to fit a bigger tire (within reason). The limiting factor in how big of a tire you can fit is the lower spring retainer on the front struts. Over a certain diameter, the tire will contact the strut, regardless of how tall of a lift you install. There is no benefit to going bigger than 1.5" of lift. When we first set out to design a lift for the Prius we aimed for 2.5" of lift, and we quickly found out that the suspension, steering, and drivetrain components were all stressed well beyond factory tolerances. The ball joints, tie rods, CV axles, etc. demonstrated excessive stress making them subject to premature failure. This also provided a harsher ride which greatly detracted from the daily comfort of the Prius.  So we went back to the drawing board and stepped it down to 2" and were still unhappy with the angles and strain placed on the components. So we stepped it down again and found the sweet spot right at 1.5". This tends to give the most "bang for the buck" in regards to ride height, ride quality, and overall safety and longevity of all steering, suspension, and drivetrain components. It might not sound like much, but 1.5" makes a HUGE difference in drivability both on and off road. Typically when you think of lifted vehicles you think of trucks and SUVs that START with 8+ inches of ground clearance. Think...RATIOS. A 1.5" lift on a Prius is comparable to a 3"+ lift on a modern full size pickup. The goal is to get the most amount of useable lift without sacrificing reliability, handling characteristics, ride, or safety. While also keeping it subtle and tasteful. We have tried lift heights ranging from 1" to 3" and 1.5" really is the happy median for all of these things. We will not compromise these things in order to gain a little more height.  

There is no need to change your tire size and type as the lift is designed to work with your factory tires. However if you do choose to change tires, on average, add 2" diameter to the OEM tire size for the MAXIMUM that will fit after the lift is installed. The MAXIMUM tire size DOES NOT mean this is what we RECOMMEND. Bigger isn't always better and finding the right tire for your needs is paramount. Running the largest tire will also have the largest negative impact on fuel economy, handling, etc., and also leaves very little space for things like tire chains. Also, keep in mind that every tire manufacturer has a slightly different standard of measurement so a 215/70R15 might not be the same overall diameter between brands. Be sure to check your specific tire make/model for exact measurements and be prepared for the potential of minor trimming in order to get the MAXIMUM tire size to fit with some makes and models of tire. Personally we suggest shooting for a size somewhere in the middle of factory size and the maximum size. We like going with a tire that is between the OEM size and the maximum. This leaves room for things like tire chains if you ever need to run them while also minimizing the reduction to fuel economy and power over going with a larger tire. 

For the past 3+ years I've received phone calls almost daily asking the same exact question "What tires should I buy?" After countless hours on the phone, in emails, texts, instagram messages, facebook messages, youtube comments, etc. trying to help guide people on what tire might be right for them I realized there had to be a better way to navigate this. I was getting pulled away from manufacturing products, shipping orders, designing new parts, etc. all for something that wasn't putting any money in the businesses pocket and in fact doing the exact opposite by pulling me away from it. Or worse yet l would get that dreaded upset phone call from the person that I spent all that time guiding them on tire choice only to find out they were upset at me because their fuel mileage dropped more than they expected it to, or the tires were too loud on road, or didn't provide enough traction off road, or needed to fit snow chains and didn't leave enough room for them, or a myriad of other complaints. Needless to say it only added salt to an already sensitive wound. 

As much as I want to be able to help guide people on this question, everyones preferences are different and it isn't a way for us to stay in business. So I spent thousands of dollars hiring people much smarter than I am to design an app that could guide each customer through the tire gauntlet according to the exact requirements and preferences they might have. If you haven't tried it yet its at the top of our website under the "TIRES" tab. Regardless, it never fails that someone still reads through all the information we have to offer and still want's an exact answer for their specific setup. "What fuel mileage should I expect to see with XYZ tire in 123 size? Long answer short that no one wants to hear is "I don't know." Fact fo the matter is you could take two identical cars with the same setup of wheels, tires, lift, road conditions, wind direction, fuel quality, air temperature, battery life, etc. and two different drivers and yield entirely different results. Compound that with tire diameter, tire width, dread depth, tread pattern, rubber durometer, rolling resistance, etc. and the equation becomes that much more complex. What I do know is that the larger the tire the worse fuel economy, the wider the tire the worse fuel economy, the heavier the tire the worse economy, the more rolling resistance the... you get the point right? If you're concerned with fuel economy, DON'T SWITCH YOUR TIRES. If you still aren't satisfied with that answer and want a VERY ROUGH estimate plan on losing 1mpg off your current MPG for evert 1 pound of weight you add. Again, this is a very rough estimate but if i'm being cornered with a knife to my throat and have to give my best guess this is what I would say.

Personally I suggest that you install the lift first, use your stock tires until they are worn out, then decide if you want to change the size or type of tire. There are countless factors that determine the “right” tire: fuel economy, on/off road performance, road noise, diameter, width, and snow rating, just to name a few. A tire that does well off-road, is quiet and comfortable on-road, and delivers the best fuel economy DOES NOT EXIST. In other words, this is a tough decision!

To help you balance these tradeoffs, we’ve built the PriusOffroad interactive tire guide specifically for vehicles using our lift kits. This handy tool narrows your choices to a short list of specific models and sizes that are guaranteed to fit your car.

Backspacing, offset, diameter, width, weight, etc. Just like tires, the possibilities are endless and everyone's preferences and priorities are different. In our opinion, the OEM wheels that your Prius came with from the factory are hard to beat. Keep in mind that wheel size DOES NOT determine what size tire you can fit. A 27" tire will fit on a 15" wheel just as well as a 17" wheel, or 16" wheel. Finding an aftermarket wheel that is lighter, stronger, and with the correct backspacing/offset/width/diameter is next to impossible. If you are considering purchasing aftermarket wheels, 16” wheels tend to have more oversized tire options available while also balancing out the increase in tire diameter with tire sidewall when running an oversized tire, but once again, we suggest keeping your factory wheels and using those. PRIUS OFFROAD WILL NOT PROVIDE WHEEL SUGGESTIONS.

Contrary to popular belief, our lift does not reduce fuel economy. The majority of our customers have not seen a reduction to fuel economy with our lift alone or have stated if there was a reduction it wasn't noticeable (.5-1mpg) There have even been several “hyper-milers” that have seen a slight increase in fuel economy (.5-1mpg). Their belief is that with the increase in ground clearance they are forced to slow down for bumps and dips less often allowing them to maintain more momentum. However, this is not something that we have extensively tested or promote. Keep in mind that increasing tire size or changing tire type WILL often result in a reduction to fuel economy. We suggest after installing the lift to leave the factory tires on and enjoy the increase in ride height without a reduction in fuel economy prior to making a decision on which tires to buy.  

Installation costs vary GREATLY depending on where you're located, the type of shop, and how familiar they are with the Prius. Typical prices range from $350-$600 but we’ve seen shops quote upward of $1000 if they aren’t familiar with the process. Once again this can vary GREATLY. We suggest calling one of the recommended installers listed on our installation page or calling your local Prius specialist since they will be much more apt to handle the installation than an off-road shop that will most likely laugh at the thought of lifting a Prius. Installation is no different than a strut replacement so technically any auto repair or brake and alignment shop is capable of the install. If they are unable/unwilling to do the installation ask them if they have any recommendations on who might be able to handle the installation in your area. As a last ditch effort you could also look for a mobile mechanic.  If you plan on doing the installation yourself we have several detailed videos on our website outlining this process step-by-step as well as written instructions. 

If you're planning on installing our lift and have over 100k-150k miles on your struts AND are noticing poor driving/handling characteristics, now is an ideal time to consider replacing them since you will be removing them in order to install our lift. If you aren't noticing symptoms of worn out suspension we would suggest using your existing suspension until it NEEDS to be replaced. That being said, OEM parts directly from your Toyota dealer are going to be the highest quality as your vehicle was designed around them. However, doing this can be very time consuming, labor intensive, and expensive, therefore, if you are looking for a simpler and more cost efficient option we recommend KYB strut assemblies. *PLEASE SEE KYB FITMENT ISSUE NOTICE AT BOTTOM OF THE PAGE* These have been the closest thing to OEM we have been able to find while still being offered in a complete strut assembly. We do not sell shocks/struts, however www.amazon.com  www.ebay.com  www.shocksurplus.com www.tirerack.com are great options for purchasing.

POPULAR KYB  PART NUMBERS ARE LISTED BELOW:

2003-2009 PRIUS

FRONT RIGHT: SR4223 FRONT LEFT: SR4224 REAR RIGHT: SR4513 REAR LEFT: SR4514

2010-2015 PRIUS*

FRONT RIGHT: SR4245 FRONT LEFT: SR4246 REAR RIGHT/LEFT: 349035

2012-2017 PRIUS V*

FRONT RIGHT: SR4520 FRONT LEFT: SR4521 REAR RIGHT/LEFT: 349218 -or- Toyota Part # 48530-80696 (Only to be used on lifted applications.)

This is one question we don't have a definitive answer for. With thousands of our lift kits on the road and cumulatively millions of miles of testing we have yet to see any parts fail and need to be warrantied. We also have numerous dealerships installing our lifts on brand new vehicles before leaving the showroom floor so our gut says warranty shouldn't be an issue. In all honesty, we feel it would ultimately boil down to the dealership and the part in question. If you install the lift and your window motor fails no dealership in their right mind would refuse replacement. On the other hand if you damage a suspension component rallying your Prius at your local OHV park theres a good chance the dealership is going to have some serious questions. All in all it's a risk we're willing to take and so far so good. 

Little known fact: Due to offering more than one wheel/tire option from the factory, the speedometer in the Toyota Prius typically reads 1-2 MPH FASTER than your actual speed at 65mph in stock form. (Check it with an aftermarket GPS like Garmin, or GPS app like Waze next time you're on a trip). Increasing your tire size slightly typically tends to make the speedometer more accurate, and increasing the tire size again typically makes it 1-2 MPH SLOWER than your actual speed at 65 MPH. We have yet to find a way to calibrate the speedometer after larger tires have been installed. Although increasing your tire size will affect your speedometer, this is typically very minimal even going with the largest tire you can fit (ie: 2-3 mph off at 65 MPH). There are many online calculators that can calculate this for you like www.tiresize.com

There are three main components to alignment; camber, caster, and toe. Any time the ride height of a vehicle is adjusted, either up or down, the alignment needs to be corrected. The Prius does not come from the factory with a means to adjust camber or caster, which is why we have built in both camber and caster correction to our lift spacers. Toe on the other hand can only be adjusted physically through your tie rods. After your lift is installed an alignment will need to be preformed in order to get the toe back within factory spec. Typically this translates to .5 degrees of toe. Choosing to forgo an alignment will result in excessive tire wear to the inside edge of your tires.  

As with many things the past couple years, international shipping has experienced more than its fair share of delays. We do everything in our power to make sure that packages get delivered to mail carriers as quickly as possible, but once they are in their hands it is entirely out of our control. It is not uncommon for international shipments to take 30+ days to arrive, so please anticipate and expect there to be delays with international shipments and give yourself and your package extra time for it to arrive. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

If you break our lift kit and live to talk about it, just send it back and we'll replace it free of charge. Thats right! We've made sure to cut no corners, leave no stone unturned, and produce the best lift kit for the Toyota Prius on the face of planet earth. We're so confident in the quality of our lifts we offer a LIFETIME GUARANTEE. Defective/damaged parts must be returned to Prius Offroad LLC. Once returned we will replace the part with an exact duplicate, within a reasonable time frame. Hardware (bolts/nuts) provided have no warranty. Please Note: Products manufactured out of aluminum are prone to scratching with the slightest abrasion. These products will possibly come with minor scratching, dings, and imperfections from the manufacturing and shipping process. Being purely cosmetic, it does not affect the strength or durability of them and will not be considered defective or damaged. If you're unsatisfied with your purchase you can return the NEW and UNUSED item for a refund within 30 days. Buyer responsible for return shipping cost and 20% restocking fee.*