Lowering springs on stock struts, looking into epic engineering/Eibach

[d3v0]

I have an 06 sedan and I was also checking out springs. I am looking into a couple that look good:

I read and understand the dos and donts of this forum, so this is not an "either or" or "which is better??" but I am just looking for a bit of input on putting these springs on my car. I am sure I am missing something, so suggestions of other springs are of course welcome

Epic Engineering WRX Lowering Springs:

STi & WRX Performance Parts: Epic Engineering Lowering Springs, 2004-2007 WRX
for $299 shipped

Eibach Pro-kit lowering springs

STi & WRX Performance Parts: Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs, 2002-2007 WRX

for $240 shipped.

Car is primarily used as a DD. I enjoy some spirited paved and non-paved action (hunting for dirt roads upon which to play) and will eventually autocross it or rally it a little in the future....but thats when I will get coils.

For now, winter is approaching. I like that the springs only lower the car ~1-1.5" as the weather gets worse and I also like that they are cost effective in that I can simply put them on my stock struts. My only concern is that my car has 83k highway miles on the struts, I believe they are the originals. Is this a concern? I will most likely get coils in late 2010, early 2011, but my handling issues and stance issues need to be addressed immediately.

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[Back Road Runner]

If you've read the dos and don'ts, then why do you think it will care which spring you pick?

Any aftermarket spring designed for the stock strut is forced to be within a narrow spring rate range that works well with the strut and the chassis weight supported by that strut. That means every spring package out there should theoretically be just about the same. There will be some variation in linearity, drop, and actual rates, but these won't be vast because you're bound to the stock strut. Still, certain spring packages will function better and the ones that do will be the ones closer to stock rates. You're bound by the strut. That's all there is to it.

None of these will be a sport setup. You aren't adding stiffness and lowering degrades the functionality of the suspension. It will function worse then stock. These options are mainly geared for looks/style, i.e. getting rid of the wheel gap, not for performance. If you've read the Stickies, you'd know this already. Is -1" or -1.5" a mild drop to you? How do you think this affects the functionality of the suspension?


Do you think coilovers are ideal for auto-x/rally-x use? Do you intend to spend $2500+ for a quality set? Realize a strut + spring setup will cost you sub $1000, any package, and perform better then any cheap coilover setup under $2000. Do you think the coilovers will handling rough road use? What about spring/damper rates? What about travel range? Until you spend serious cash on good coilovers, the strut + spring combo is superior. You can easily grab a set of D-Specs and Ground Control's coilover kit (just spring + threaded sleeve for adjustable preload). You can mix and match springs to get a desired end setup for the car, all MUCH cheaper then the coilovers that can actually outperform this option.


End point. Grab lowering springs designed for the stock struts. You'll get the look you want.

If you're serious about getting into racing, you'll need to look towards a better option.

[Deserted1]

Originally Posted by d3v0

I have an 06 sedan and I was also checking out springs. I am looking into a couple that look good:

I read and understand the dos and donts of this forum, so this is not an "either or" or "which is better??" but I am just looking for a bit of input on putting these springs on my car. I am sure I am missing something, so suggestions of other springs are of course welcome

Epic Engineering WRX Lowering Springs:

STi & WRX Performance Parts: Epic Engineering Lowering Springs, 2004-2007 WRX
for $299 shipped

Eibach Pro-kit lowering springs

STi & WRX Performance Parts: Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs, 2002-2007 WRX

for $240 shipped.

Car is primarily used as a DD. I enjoy some spirited paved and non-paved action (hunting for dirt roads upon which to play) and will eventually autocross it or rally it a little in the future....but thats when I will get coils.

For now, winter is approaching. I like that the springs only lower the car ~1-1.5" as the weather gets worse and I also like that they are cost effective in that I can simply put them on my stock struts. My only concern is that my car has 83k highway miles on the struts, I believe they are the originals. Is this a concern? I will most likely get coils in late 2010, early 2011, but my handling issues and stance issues need to be addressed immediately.

From the other side, I purchased a set of Epic springs because I got tired of a huge wheel gap, using my stock struts and those springs i got rid of some gap to where it looks decent, and a added side effect is how their springs are setup, they actually get rid of a bit of the bobble head action you get from the stock springs. honestly worth the money over stock springs. yes they are not coilovers but they make it worth the time/money.

[d3v0]

Thanks for the informative replies. If lowering springs will only improve the look and not the handling then I am not interested, as I said in the OP I am trying to improve my handling in addition to a mild 1-1.5" drop. I don't want this car slammed and it won't see the track for a while. But I do drive on some fun local roads which I will not push too hard with my stock suspension/height.

How are KYB GR2 struts to work with a set of springs, most likely epic engineering, for what I intend to use them for?

[nhat]

1-1.5" is not mild on our cars...

if you want to autox and/or rallyx, tokico dspecs. kyb gr2s are just oem replacements.

[Scooby921]

Originally Posted by d3v0

Thanks for the informative replies. If lowering springs will only improve the look and not the handling then I am not interested, as I said in the OP I am trying to improve my handling in addition to a mild 1-1.5" drop. I don't want this car slammed and it won't see the track for a while. But I do drive on some fun local roads which I will not push too hard with my stock suspension/height.

How are KYB GR2 struts to work with a set of springs, most likely epic engineering, for what I intend to use them for?

Its not that lowering springs are ONLY for looks. They do provide a slight increase in stiffness and they will help reduce some body roll. The issue is the amount they lower the car vs. the stiffness they provide. Your average lowering spring is great for daily driving, spirited back roads, and an occasional track day or autocross. Due to their low stiffness they are simply not an effective choice for those looking to be really competitive at the track or auto-x.

This is where evaluation and trade-offs come into play. To have a car that handles very well you tend to sacrifice ride quality. To maintain ride quality you sacrifice having the ultimate in handling performance. Race cars are running 500, 600, even 1000lb/in springs on the race track. They are not something you'd drive on the street and expect to soak up bumps and pot holes. Its just too stiff. Your WRX came stock with 160lb/in springs. Its not something you can take to the track and expect to keep up with race cars. Its just too soft.

The KYB GR2 struts are an OE replacement. They might be a little bit stiffer, but they are not the same as an adjustable strut like the Tokico D-spec that were mentioned. The adjustable damping lets those struts work with a wider range of spring stiffnesses. You could use them with stock springs at 160lb/in all the way up to a ground control kit running 350 or 400lb/in springs.




And just so you're aware...coilovers designed for track or autocross use are not intended for off-road rally use. An off-road setup will use a taller, softer spring and completely different damping. Your stock suspension is better for dirt roads than 90% of the coilovers you can buy.

[d3v0]

So much to think about. I suppose I may just end up going with some epic engineering or similar on kyb gr2s until I get more serious about taking the wrx to the track. I'll do serious upgrading at that point.