On the weekend of Feb. 19th 2005, I had the privelage to install KYB GR2 struts & iON Performance Sport Spec springs on my wife's 2002 Legacy sedan.

Here is some info on the springs:

iON Performance Sport Spec lowering springs for the 2000-2004 USDM Subaru Legacy Sedan.

Spring Rates are as follows: (under compression)
(Front) @1" : 145lb/in @2" : 265lb/in
(Rear) @1" : 125lb/in @2" : 215lb/in

~+18% stiffer than stock Legacy L sedan springs.
~+14-15% stiffer than stock Legacy GT sedan springs.

These mount to the USDM stock front top hats (no need to swap to Impreza mounts like you do for other brand springs). The drop is rated at roughly 1.18" front, 1" rear on stock struts.

I highly suggest you contact iON Performance (http://www.ionperformance.com) if you're looking for the best lowering springs for a 3rd Generation BE Legacy. Jack is very helpful and timely in his resposnes. We've had great exprience with them in the past sourcing parts for our Legacy.

Here's some info on the struts:
KYB GR-2® Premium Shocks and Struts are specially designed to provide a smooth, secure ride with excellent control for drivers who are looking for ride comfort and improved handling. With its patented check valve, the GR-2® Premium Shocks and Struts always maintain excellent performance under even the roughest conditions. It also provides comfort and control that is often better than original equipment. GR-2® Premium Shocks and Struts are available for virtually all vehicles on the road today.

They are rated at a ~+10-15% dampening increase over stock.

Here's the results (pics turned out darker than I had hoped):


http://www.nebraska-subaru.com/interactive/albums/albup74/DSC00847.sized.jpg

http://www.nebraska-subaru.com/interactive/albums/albup74/DSC00849.sized.jpg

http://www.nebraska-subaru.com/interactive/albums/albup74/DSC00856.sized.jpg

For more & larger pics - Click Here (http://www.nebraska-subaru.com/interactive/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=albup74)

The drop measured after install and now last weekend 04/09/2005 was 1-1/8" front 1" rear drop.

The car also has a whiteline rear swaybar, we left it at the softest setting to feel what the suspension improved. The car handles very well. It still absorbs the bumps almost like stock yet corners much flatter and turn-in is much crisper.

My wife is rather picky and they got her vote of approval. She was concerned with comfort, but it is a non issue. These are almost deceptive as they handle so well, yet ride so nice. She couldn't be happier and that's good as it's her daily driver and all mods have been her own doing/choice.

We both highly recommend them to anyone considering a suspension upgrade for their Legacy. You honestly can't go wrong. They even work well without rubbing or any issue on her 15x7" winter wheels running oversized 215/60-16 snow tires.

*December 2005 update* Have mild rubbing issues this season with a loaded car with the 15x7" snow setup with oversized tires. Mainly due to the low offset winter wheels +43 (not ideal for subaru) would work fine with any proper offset wheel.

Other than that, things are going great. Car handles like a dream and still looks amazing. Going for wider summer tires in the spring and will post updated pics.

If you have any questions/comments feel free to ask away.

Thanks - Jon

hot hot hot!

hood == oem baja turbo or aftermarket?

baja oem.

baja oem.

word, thinking about this, but seems as if aftermarket carbonfiber/fiberglass is cheaper/same price...fibuz confused.

Good info, thanks. Perhaps they will have a lowering solution for the '05 Baja.

Wow, Omaha, that looks so sweet. Congrats, looks awesome.

Ben

Thanks for the compliments. I'll pass them along to my wife as everything this car is her own choice. I can only get credit for installation for most of the parts and for helping her get bit by the mod bug.

I'm redoing the seats in leather right now. Have everything done except the front seats. After that... we're hoping to do an engine swap. As to which engine, we're still debating. We're considering doing something a bit different.

Sweetness Omaha!!! I like the look a lot. How long did the install take you??

omaha,
great setup. I think i'm going for GR-2's as well.
did you get any install pics? did you reuse your top hats or buy new ones?

word, thinking about this, but seems as if aftermarket carbonfiber/fiberglass is cheaper/same price...fibuz confused.

fibuz: do you have any numbers on the subject? i thought the baja hood was ~$300+

fibuz: do you have any numbers on the subject? i thought the baja hood was ~$300+

300 for hood, 100 for 'hood scoop insert'....pretty much comes out to $380 shipped from subaruparts before paint/install.

i've found a couple CF/FG hoods for about the same price...but then again people say they have fitament issues with the aftermarket ones... :eek:

where do you find that? I'm looking on their site + can't locate it.

where do you find that? I'm looking on their site + can't locate it.

checking part numbers again, hold.

Suggested retail price is 339.95+106.53...but subaruparts offer it for $259.04+81.18

57220AE01A Hood Compl F $339.95 $259.04 $259.04
90821AE020NN Grille F Hood $106.53 $81.18 $81.18
Subtotal: $340.22
Shipping: $40.83
Total: $381.05

sorry to omaha for the thread hijack, but your hood is so sexy :banana:

edit: heres the link to the most complete source for aftermarket hoods that i've found: http://www.andysautosport.com/products.php?id=Su00Legacy&make=Subaru&mcat=Exterior&scat=Hoods

note the FG is $329, and the CF range from 450-650...

Lookin' good omaha. Lowered BE = win.

fibuz: I've had the same concerns about the Erebuni stuff. An aluminum B4 hood would be ideal, but they're hard to get. If i go carbon, it'll be a Seibon.

You can't get the hood from Subaruparts. Contact them and you'll see they don't ship big/hard parts. So you'll have to go to your local dealer. I get a discount as one of the local dealerships sponsors our local subaru club so the hood was about $260 and scoop was around $75. I went ahead and got the scoop backing plate too, but not the ducting.

Install was about 2.5 hours, but I do suspension work alot. I reused the stock top hats. For me the fronts are a cinche as they are just like all the Impreza's I've worked on, takes longer to compress the springs than it does to swap the parts out. Rears were new to me, the bottom bolts were a pain to break loose, but other than that it was pretty straight forward.

I didn't take any install pics... I had planned to though, just didn't work out.

If you need a pic of something in particular, let me know.

omahasubaru - lookin' good :cool:

Thanks Jack.

I'm finishing up the interior this weekend... now she just needs more power (engine swap time) the intake & cat-back just aren't cutting it.

Will either be an EJ255 FXT/BajaT set-up or perhaps an EZ30/R N/A build.

very nice! whats the wheel size for the wheels on the car in the pics?

Kenda

Wondering where you got the Factory Spring rate info to compare? I don't have the rates for the Sedan but for the BH (Wagon) the factory rates direct from Subaru are as follows:

Front 18.9 - 23.8 N/mm (107.9 - 135.9 lb/in)
Rear 39.2 - 42.6 N/mm (223.8 - 243.3 lb/in)

Both L & GT's have the same front springs - Rears are different. Our (Subaru USA's) specifications only show ranges not induvidual rates. Front springs only vary between AT and MT. Front and Rear struts/shocks are common between models (i.e. L & GT)

The above is straight from Subaru and took quite a few e-mails to pry out of them. I would be supprised to find the Sedan rates very different (maybe in the rear). The way you've stated the spring rates is a bit hard to understand -[either they are increasing rate springs with a hell of a slope or they are decreasing rate springs and that doesn't make any sense) but in any case they don't seem to track with the above stock rates and the increases you state (considering the L & GT only have different rear rates, fronts the same).

Just wondering?

KCB

ADirtyLegacy - 17x7.5" Rota Battle's wrapped in 215/45-17 Kumho 711's. Should have went with much wider tires.

kbrate - You'll have to ask iON. I posted the specs they gave me.

ADirtyLegacy - 17x7.5" Rota Battle's wrapped in 215/45-17 Kumho 711's. Should have went with much wider tires.

kbrate - You'll have to ask iON. I posted the specs they gave me.
cool, i'm thinking about some Tarmac IIs in 17. i know you can go 225, but how about 245? ya can NEVER have enough grip!!!

Kenda

kbrate - The factory springs rates are measured at different compression heights. And as such reference points are different. Our springs are designed with the roads of N.America in mind, function over form is our motto.

ADirtyLegacy - 235/40/17's are probably ok. 245's are possible with some fender rolling & correct offset wheels.

omaha,
I checked ion's web site, but I couldn't find the price on your suspension. Do you have a direct link, or could you tell me how much you paid for it? Thanks!

Jonathan

97legacygt - Do you have a BE/BH or a BL/BP? If so, we're actually holding a GB :)
Link to GB:
-> http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9239

I'll have a 2000 LGT LDT in a little over a week (knock on wood.) It's hard to tell when I'll actually be able to purchase the suspension, because I've been deployed to the Persian Gulf for a little over six months. Thanks for your quick responce!

kbrate - The factory springs rates are measured at different compression heights. And as such reference points are different. Our springs are designed with the roads of N.America in mind, function over form is our motto.
[

Maybe we need to take this off line but you've lost me here. If your springs are linear then compression heights are meaningless same lb/in everwhere - if they are progressive then lets see some numbers where the spring will be working.

IE rough numbers Legacy 3300 lbs say 55/45 =1815 lbs on Front or 907.5 per side static weight. Assuming a 1:1 motion ratio (wrong but close) your front springs will be compressed well past 2in from just the weight of the car. Spring rates at 1" and 2" seem meaningless to me A more meaningful data point would be the spring rate in the springs "working range" or better yet a graph of compression vs rate.

Also - you state the spring rates are x% stiffer than Stock L and y% stiffer than Stock GT but the front springs on a GT and an L are the same? Only the rears differ. How did you derive your comparison to stock?

KCB :confused:

kbrate - Feel free to contact us offline if you'd like a further explaination. The springs are progressive.

In regards to your "rough" calculations you also forgot that the springs will have a different free-length.

As for the spring rates of the L vs GT, we took CADM spec OEM springs and sent them out for testing, as well as the JDM STi springs. Those %'ages were approximations and not exact figures.

damn, that is a nice setup mate. i also like the wheels. nice BH5...!! :)

It's not a BH5. :confused:

oops, my bad if its not a BH5. :P so what is the chasis number (BH?). :)

BE...

there you go, BE5. thanks....:)

For the sake of simplicity... just call it BE. BE5 isn't accurate either for a USDM Legacy IIRC.

Suggested retail price is 339.95+106.53...but subaruparts offer it for $259.04+81.18

57220AE01A Hood Compl F $339.95 $259.04 $259.04
90821AE020NN Grille F Hood $106.53 $81.18 $81.18
Subtotal: $340.22
Shipping: $40.83
Total: $381.05

sorry to omaha for the thread hijack, but your hood is so sexy :banana:

edit: heres the link to the most complete source for aftermarket hoods that i've found: http://www.andysautosport.com/products.php?id=Su00Legacy&make=Subaru&mcat=Exterior&scat=Hoods

note the FG is $329, and the CF range from 450-650...


I just checked out the andy's website and they offer car club discounts. Maybe we can do a group buy on the carbon hoods for the legacy?!? Who's with me? They won't need hood pins will they?!? I want a stock hood that is extra light-weight... Oh, and yes, that legacy looks great. I wish I could lower mine, but I jump too many curbs to do so...

I just checked out the andy's website and they offer car club discounts. Maybe we can do a group buy on the carbon hoods for the legacy?!? Who's with me? They won't need hood pins will they?!? I want a stock hood that is extra light-weight... Oh, and yes, that legacy looks great. I wish I could lower mine, but I jump too many curbs to do so...

I may be in, but it'd have to be some sort of ridiculous discount.

sorry to add to this stray, but let us know how much of a discount we could get

How did this old thread all of a sudden turn into a Group Buy? :p

Come on guys, start your own thread. We're talking about OE body parts in here as well as the sweet iON Performance springs on my wife's Legacy! :lol:

omahasubaru,
Thanks for posting the info on your wifes car. I've been looking of springs for my 2000 forever. I ordered H&R springs before and when I tried to install them they didn't fit inside the hats, even though the part # and the box said they were correct for my car. Every time I see struts or springs they are for the previous (99 and older) generation Legacy. I just talked to Jack at iON and he was very helpful just like you said.

Your car looks great by the way...

Victor, do you still have the H&R's? All you need to do is buy a set of Impreza or WRX upper spring perches. They cost about $10 each from your local Subaru shop and the springs will fit those. You only need to get the fronts.

victor, if the H&Rs go up FS, be sure to let us know....

I've got a set of H&R's for a 2000+ Legacy... Not to steal the thread or anything

Start Your Own Thread Please... Geez Guys!

I had then ION sport springs installed today. Another 1" drop in the front should be just about right. The car is level along the frame.

http://www.icstew.com/baja/suspension/profile.jpg

The rear is a little bouncy. Not sure how long the GR2s will hold up and I'd like to improve the rear camber- left= -1.60 right= -1.70

lookin' good.
I think the kyb's should hold up quite well. its stock struts i'd be wary of on aftermarket springs

Hey! I know this is an old thread but does anyone know will BH iON springs will fit on BE perfectly? or i need some other parts

fresher pics after a few years on the iON Springs.

still very pleased with the ride and stance.

http://www.nebraska-subaru.com/interactive/albums/albup73/DSC00847.sized.jpg

http://www.nebraska-subaru.com/interactive/albums/albup73/DSC00849.sized.jpg