Wagon Suspension- read and post your setups

[Dentt42]

Originally Posted by BIGSKYWRX

-1.2 isn't too shabby if you have the caster dialed up

OK, cool. Thanks for taking a look. I've been through a million threads and it's all a blur now, do the GC arms add any caster over the stock GG wagon arms?

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[haberkorn]

I'm about to install at set of dspecs on a stock 02 wagon.

Are the com-c tophats enough to fix the caster issue the sedan struts create or do I need to just stick to stock tophats and run camber bolts in the lower holes on the front?

[BIGSKYWRX]

Originally Posted by Dentt42

OK, cool. Thanks for taking a look. I've been through a million threads and it's all a blur now, do the GC arms add any caster over the stock GG wagon arms?

no they are identical to the steel arms (except for their aluminum construction )

Originally Posted by haberkorn

I'm about to install at set of dspecs on a stock 02 wagon.

Are the com-c tophats enough to fix the caster issue the sedan struts create or do I need to just stick to stock tophats and run camber bolts in the lower holes on the front?

it's not a caster issue w/ sedan struts, it's camber and yes the com-c's will overcome the neg camber lost w/ sedan struts (as a bonus you'll have more positive caster and a firmer top)

[haberkorn]

Originally Posted by BIGSKYWRX

no they are identical to the steel arms (except for their aluminum construction )



it's not a caster issue w/ sedan struts, it's camber and yes the com-c's will overcome the neg camber lost w/ sedan struts (as a bonus you'll have more positive caster and a firmer top)

Thanks sir.

Do the com-c's need to be orientated a certain way upon installation to ensure that the camber is put back in the set up?

[BIGSKYWRX]

there are two ways to install them- one w/ maximum caster (slight camber gain), the other w/ maximum camber (slight caster gain)

w/ sedan struts I'd probably go w/ the max camber orientation

[Dentt42]

Here's a visual aid to go along with what BIGSKY is describing:



(I just like posting pictures-- must be all that time in OT)

[haberkorn]

Ok nice to know going into an install, thanks for the info.

I'm a little confused on how you change the top hat if it's all assembled from the factory but I'll figure it out.

Thanks for the info!

[BIGSKYWRX]

the bolts are equidistant, so the position can change- you can also swap them left and right- not sure if that is necessary w/ the com-c's- you can do that w/ camber plates

if you put them in the wrong position you can go the other way (the bad way) w/ camber and caster

the stock tops the hole is dead center so the orientation doesn't matter, it does w/ these

[Dentt42]

Originally Posted by haberkorn

Ok nice to know going into an install, thanks for the info.

I'm a little confused on how you change the top hat if it's all assembled from the factory but I'll figure it out.

Thanks for the info!

Even after you torque the big nut at the top of the strut to hold the whole spring/strut/tophat assembly together, the tophat spins freely on its bearing. Just rotate it to the position you want, put the studs through the three holes in the tower, and tighten the nuts.

[haberkorn]

So the hole in the center of the com-c's that the strut passes through isn't centered I'm guessing.

The arrows must be pointing to the front of the vehicle?

[Dentt42]

Originally Posted by haberkorn

So the hole in the center of the com-c's that the strut passes through isn't centered I'm guessing.

The arrows must be pointing to the front of the vehicle?

Yes on both.

[haberkorn]

Got it so if I put the strut shaft closest to the engine not the fender I'll fix the camber issue.

Thanks again for the help I appreciate it.

[LatentWagen]

Here's my '02 Bugeye WRX Wagon's suspension setup.

Koni Sport (Yellows) Strut Inserts in OEM Housing
RCE Yellow Springs
GTWorx Front Camber Plates
OEM Group N Rear Strut Tops
D-rex Front Strut Extenders
Saggy-butt Spacers / Scooby 921 Adapters
JDM STI V6 Aluminum LCAs*
JDM STI V6 Pink Lateral Links and Trailing Arms*
Whiteline Roll Center Adjust Kit*
Whiteline ALK Sport*
Whiteline Steering Rack Bushings*
Whiteline Rear Diff Bushings*
Whiteline Subframe Lockout Bolts*
Hotchkiss Competition Mounts, Sways & Endlinks*

What else should I be looking for? Any ideas or feedback on the above parts? Can't wait to put some life back into this 140K suspension, and capitalize on my current setup (10K on the Koni/RCE).

*asterisk means the part is sitting in my closet waiting for warmer days

[mhoerath]

03 dee badged impreza wagon

Suspension/Brakes
Tokico Spec D adjustable dampers
Whiteline sway bars f & r
stock springs
stock height
GC Aluminum control arms
Tein camber plates front
Group N tophats rear
Whiteline anti lift kit
Whiteline Lateral Links rear, stock Sti front
Megan Trailing Arms w/poly rear bushing
Perrin Rear Diff & Subframe Bushings
Front & rear tower braces
Camber bolts front
jdm gc Sti calipers

[Texas Shooter]

Short version: I want more positive camber in the front.

Long Version: I am on MadDad Road Hugga springs (very close to STi springs I'm told) with Wagon GR2's. Ride height is great, spring rates are fine. I have had a few different alignments and gone through a few sets of tires while loving the handling over the past 4 years. Now my daily driver/family hauler needs less cornering prowess and more tire longevity.

As it sits with the front camber bolts at max positive I'm at -.9/-1.0 deg. On a side note, I can get almost -2 deg with the stock bolts. -.9 is an ok daily driver camber, except that I spend 90%+ of my time on the highway. Even with regular rotations (and wheel flip/ inside-out changes to put the wear side out) the sides show steel while the center is barely showing the wear bars. Toe is zero all around.

I was seriously considering some camber plates but since it is now just a daily driver I can't justify the cost. I still read that there is not a great solution to not enough negative camber when using Sedan struts so I was considering that road but still seems expensive parts to throw at a head-scratcher.

I know nothing is bent, two trustworthy alignment shops have given me the same numbers (with me under the car watching the adjustments and the computer) and I still feel like I'm missing something.

Any guru's want to chime in? If this seems reasonable, any idea of how much positive camber I can get with aftermarket bolts in the bottom holes? Thanks for any help you can offer.

[BIGSKYWRX]

w/ bolts in the lower holes you should get a minimum of a degree of adjustment- I wouldn't go past 0 to the positive (I'd still go a little neg- a tenth or two minimum)

a lot of guys would trade to have your "problem"

[Texas Shooter]

Thank you BigSky... that is what I was hoping to hear. I was very happy when I first installed this setup and saw how much (or little?) camber I could get out of it. Once I got the rear camber where I like, it would oversteer just a little bit then with some throttle modulation would progressively break loose and just 4-wheel drift around most flat corners. Great fun in the turns but got expensive with my daily drive.

[rmaxwellusn]

My setup is as follows:

Feal 441 Coilovers
Unibomber's sexy rear end
Kartboy Endlinks
Whiteline 22MM F 24 MMR Swaybars

Camber: 2.5F 1.0R

Running 225/45/R17s on 17X7.5 P1Rs.

[mt1101]

I never planned on doing too much to the stock 205 motor and really looking into upgrading my suspension. My budget is $500. what would you recommend? I don't plan to autox at all just spirited driving. current suspension setup so far is just dspecs/tanabe gf210. Thanks.

[rmaxwellusn]

Swaybars/endlinks would make a world of difference. They're not that expensive either.

[Dentt42]

Originally Posted by rmaxwellusn

Swaybars/endlinks would make a world of difference. They're not that expensive either.

Agreed. The F&R swaybars and endlinks were actually my first suspension upgrade, but still remain my favorite. That, and any bushing you have the budget and time to upgrade is 100% worth it. Each one I swapped out was perceptible.

[mt1101]

Awesome. Thanks for the input.

[sleepyfu]

Maybe try higher tire pressure?

Originally Posted by Texas Shooter

Short version: I want more positive camber in the front.
......Even with regular rotations (and wheel flip/ inside-out changes to put the wear side out) the sides show steel while the center is barely showing the wear bars. Toe is zero all around.

[Texas Shooter]

Originally Posted by sleepyfu

Maybe try higher tire pressure?

Well, the lowest tire pressure I have run is the Mfg Recommended (33/32 I think?) but I usually run 36/34 f/r as it is more smooth on the highway. On that note, if I can get the camber .5-.75deg more positive and drive fast enough to get the greatest benefit of both the centripetal forces and the thermal expansion of the air in the tire I estimate only the outside 1 inch and inside 2 inches (measured from the exact center-line) of the tire will be touching the road anyway, solving almost all of my wear problems.

[ringe]

Sorry to be the noob who asks this question, but literally hours of searching and I still don't have a definitive answer; from what I can tell, STI Sedan and STI Wagon spring rates are the same, it's just the rear free-height that's different, correct? (I'm talking 06 STI takeoffs, not pinks here).

Thanks, and flame-suit donned for the "searchnoob" replies...

For context, I'm looking at a set of 06 takeoffs, GR2s, and saggy-butt shims just in case. 1/4". While I run that setup for a while I'll save up some bones for a set of Koni or FEAL inserts to retrofit my stock struts down the road.