'98 L wagon: Lowering Front Only?

TractionLimit · 01-07-2004, 02:11 AM

Hi, I've been looking into a suspension setup for my 98 wagon. Currently the rear end appears to be sagging and front fender gap is visually about 1" more than the rear gap. I want a stiff spring/strut setup that I can autoX on the weekend while still being able to drive 50 miles a day on year round. It doesn't have to be adjustable... I'd rather just put it in and leave it anyway. So here's the question: Does anyone know of a spring that will give me an even-gapped look and the performance I want without lowering the rear too much? I think lowering about 1.8" front and 0.5" rear would be good, but it's hard to say seeing that my current springs are worn. Here's the plan right now:

205/55-16 snows
215/45-16 Azenis Sport summer tires on '00 2.5RS wheels
stock front swaybar, no STBs as of yet
buy 20mm WRX sedan rear sway bar w/ new links
buy lowering springs per above
buy new struts: sti?
new bushings, ALK, alignment, etc

I definitely appreciate any advice you can give. If this has been discussed before, a link would be helpful too.

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Legacy777 · 01-07-2004, 09:50 AM

Whitelines on my car dropped the front about 1.5" and the rear about 1"

Not sure if they'd do the same or similar for your car, and not sure if you'll find a spring that will give you exactly the drop you're looking for.

linsavy · 01-07-2004, 01:10 PM

The fenders are cut higher in the front giving the appearance of a bigger gap.
Also, lower in the rear helps handling, I have read. Maybe it moves some weight to the rear.
I really like my Prodrive P1 springs for daily and autox. Work well with the AGX struts. They lower about 1/2" even front and rear. ALK is must, but get the right one for your autox class. You probably want a bigger rear bar too. I run 21mm and could use a little more.

If you want to get the lowering as you specified, you will need coilovers. Ground control are the least expensive.

TractionLimit · 01-07-2004, 05:49 PM

Thanks for the replies, I have a few more questions, so any other comments would be welcome.

Quote:

Originally posted by linsavy
The fenders are cut higher in the front giving the appearance of a bigger gap. Also, lower in the rear helps handling, I have read. Maybe it moves some weight to the rear.

Yeah, it makes sense to get more weight to the rear, but where do you stop? I just hate looking at the ugly front fender gap.

Quote:

I run 21mm and could use a little more.

Don't the OBS and RS have a larger stock front bar than the L? So if I keep my stock front bar I can get away with a little smaller rear bar (20mm??)

Quote:

If you want to get the lowering as you specified, you will need coilovers. Ground control are the least expensive.

hmmm... I ruled out coilovers because I wanted the most bang for the buck, but it looks like I'll be spending over $1G on a good strut/spring setup anyway, so that's a toss up right now.

Lastly -- would TEIN S-Techs fit this car, and what would be a good strut to match up with them? Thanks!!

linsavy · 01-08-2004, 09:24 AM

The L front sway bar is the same 19mm as the RS and OBS. You can run less rear bar in a wagon compared to a sedan, but 20mm is still not too radical for autox.
I don't worry about fender gaps as long as the car goes faster on the course than everybody else.

Don't know about Teins.
Koni inserts are the best for autox with a comfy street ride.
AGX are next best, little harsh on small bumps.
STi version 5/6 are good but pricey and not adjustable
KYB GR2 are better than stock, but not meant for stiffer spring combos
After that you need to look at coilovers like tein, Leda, DMS,etc

01-07-2004, 02:11 AM	#1
TractionLimit Scooby Newbie Member#: 36350 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Buffalo, NY Vehicle: 1998 Impreza L wagon hunter green	'98 L wagon: Lowering Front Only? Hi, I've been looking into a suspension setup for my 98 wagon. Currently the rear end appears to be sagging and front fender gap is visually about 1" more than the rear gap. I want a stiff spring/strut setup that I can autoX on the weekend while still being able to drive 50 miles a day on year round. It doesn't have to be adjustable... I'd rather just put it in and leave it anyway. So here's the question: Does anyone know of a spring that will give me an even-gapped look and the performance I want without lowering the rear too much? I think lowering about 1.8" front and 0.5" rear would be good, but it's hard to say seeing that my current springs are worn. Here's the plan right now: 205/55-16 snows 215/45-16 Azenis Sport summer tires on '00 2.5RS wheels stock front swaybar, no STBs as of yet buy 20mm WRX sedan rear sway bar w/ new links buy lowering springs per above buy new struts: sti? new bushings, ALK, alignment, etc I definitely appreciate any advice you can give. If this has been discussed before, a link would be helpful too. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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01-07-2004, 09:50 AM	#2
Legacy777 Scooby Guru Member#: 4800 Join Date: Mar 2001 Chapter/Region: TXIC Location: Houston, Tx Vehicle: 1990 Legacy & 97 OBS AWD 5MT EJ22T AWIC Swap	Whitelines on my car dropped the front about 1.5" and the rear about 1" Not sure if they'd do the same or similar for your car, and not sure if you'll find a spring that will give you exactly the drop you're looking for.

01-07-2004, 01:10 PM	#3
linsavy Scooby Specialist Member#: 11620 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Lexus IS300 Vehicle: 1997 GF4 -STiV3 Saab 93 TX sportcombi	The fenders are cut higher in the front giving the appearance of a bigger gap. Also, lower in the rear helps handling, I have read. Maybe it moves some weight to the rear. I really like my Prodrive P1 springs for daily and autox. Work well with the AGX struts. They lower about 1/2" even front and rear. ALK is must, but get the right one for your autox class. You probably want a bigger rear bar too. I run 21mm and could use a little more. If you want to get the lowering as you specified, you will need coilovers. Ground control are the least expensive.

01-08-2004, 09:24 AM	#5
linsavy Scooby Specialist Member#: 11620 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Lexus IS300 Vehicle: 1997 GF4 -STiV3 Saab 93 TX sportcombi	The L front sway bar is the same 19mm as the RS and OBS. You can run less rear bar in a wagon compared to a sedan, but 20mm is still not too radical for autox. I don't worry about fender gaps as long as the car goes faster on the course than everybody else. Don't know about Teins. Koni inserts are the best for autox with a comfy street ride. AGX are next best, little harsh on small bumps. STi version 5/6 are good but pricey and not adjustable KYB GR2 are better than stock, but not meant for stiffer spring combos After that you need to look at coilovers like tein, Leda, DMS,etc