mitch808
10-22-2001, 09:28 PM
The idea of spending over 1200 dollars for a set of coilovers just doesn't appeal to me and I'm sure many of you can side with me. I know it's just a matter of time before Koni or KYB makes a set of good AFFORDABLE struts that will mate up with some aftermarket springs.
This review/comments on the Whitleine springs is going to be very brief and quick. Reason being I installed them after I put my car into a ditch and the alignment is really bad and I have a cracked rim. So I didn't do any hard driving to see what kind of difference I would get with them. On top of that, there were two other reviews on them by Scooby Don't (http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=92856&highlight=whiteline) and TurboWRXImpreza. (http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=96702&highlight=whiteline) You can also see pictures at both of these links.
So lets get on with the installation. Oh just a tip incase your springs weren't labeled like mine were. The longer ones go in the rear.
I have never torn apart my car to actually see whats under all the seats carpet etc. So installing the rear was a bit of a pain. But thanks to Danny I was good to go with his help over the phone :) The rear was interesting as in most cars you open the trunk and you will find the tops of the shock towers under the carpet on the top sides of the wheel wells. But in the case of the WRX, it's behnd the rear seat. There are 6 12mm bolts holding down the seats.
The one problem I had was on the rear struts. When trying to loosen the nut to remove the top hat on the strut, the piston kept spinning. I had to either hold it with my hand or use a rag and a visegrip(to prevent scratching the piston). To prevent your car from bottoming out I suggest cutting off one "section" of the bumpstops. I don't know if this is needed. But I just did it as one of the earlier reviews complained of hitting his bumpstops. It's best that you have a friend to help you. Not only to make things easier but to be safe too incase something happens.
The front is very straight forward. Loosen the center nut only and unbolt the lower half and your set. On the lower bolts holding the struts to the axles. The top blot is the camber bolt. You can eyeball the camber after you lower the car to the ground. There are tiny tick marks on the head to help you adjust the camber.
Ride quality...
The car feels better on the road. I get better feedback now and going over bumps/dips is no longer a "cushy" experience. It's in no way bouncy or harsh as some others make it out to be. But it's no cadillac. Turn in is improved a bit and roll has been reduced slightly. Keep in mind that I never went over 60 on a straight or over 25 on a turn so far as my car isn't safe in anyway. I have a terrible alignment problem from an accident that I have to take care of before I can do any subjective testing.
The looks of the car are great. I can't wait to get some tires on my new 17" rims. The car is lowered 1.5" in the front and 1" in the rear. The rear does look lower, but that is only because the fenders are shaped differently to make it appear that way. It's also not low so that you have to go into a driveway sideways. It's a perfect balance between performance and looks I think.
I've been told that the H&R springs are a bit stiffer. So be prepared to baby your car until you get some real struts with those. Although Koni does make inserts for the stock struts. But at that price, I would rather wait for the real deal. With the whiteline's, I see no immediate plans to get new struts until I get into some serious racing.
This review/comments on the Whitleine springs is going to be very brief and quick. Reason being I installed them after I put my car into a ditch and the alignment is really bad and I have a cracked rim. So I didn't do any hard driving to see what kind of difference I would get with them. On top of that, there were two other reviews on them by Scooby Don't (http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=92856&highlight=whiteline) and TurboWRXImpreza. (http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=96702&highlight=whiteline) You can also see pictures at both of these links.
So lets get on with the installation. Oh just a tip incase your springs weren't labeled like mine were. The longer ones go in the rear.
I have never torn apart my car to actually see whats under all the seats carpet etc. So installing the rear was a bit of a pain. But thanks to Danny I was good to go with his help over the phone :) The rear was interesting as in most cars you open the trunk and you will find the tops of the shock towers under the carpet on the top sides of the wheel wells. But in the case of the WRX, it's behnd the rear seat. There are 6 12mm bolts holding down the seats.
The one problem I had was on the rear struts. When trying to loosen the nut to remove the top hat on the strut, the piston kept spinning. I had to either hold it with my hand or use a rag and a visegrip(to prevent scratching the piston). To prevent your car from bottoming out I suggest cutting off one "section" of the bumpstops. I don't know if this is needed. But I just did it as one of the earlier reviews complained of hitting his bumpstops. It's best that you have a friend to help you. Not only to make things easier but to be safe too incase something happens.
The front is very straight forward. Loosen the center nut only and unbolt the lower half and your set. On the lower bolts holding the struts to the axles. The top blot is the camber bolt. You can eyeball the camber after you lower the car to the ground. There are tiny tick marks on the head to help you adjust the camber.
Ride quality...
The car feels better on the road. I get better feedback now and going over bumps/dips is no longer a "cushy" experience. It's in no way bouncy or harsh as some others make it out to be. But it's no cadillac. Turn in is improved a bit and roll has been reduced slightly. Keep in mind that I never went over 60 on a straight or over 25 on a turn so far as my car isn't safe in anyway. I have a terrible alignment problem from an accident that I have to take care of before I can do any subjective testing.
The looks of the car are great. I can't wait to get some tires on my new 17" rims. The car is lowered 1.5" in the front and 1" in the rear. The rear does look lower, but that is only because the fenders are shaped differently to make it appear that way. It's also not low so that you have to go into a driveway sideways. It's a perfect balance between performance and looks I think.
I've been told that the H&R springs are a bit stiffer. So be prepared to baby your car until you get some real struts with those. Although Koni does make inserts for the stock struts. But at that price, I would rather wait for the real deal. With the whiteline's, I see no immediate plans to get new struts until I get into some serious racing.