Lowering Springs with Lift Spacers for a Legacy

[bobsagator]

I own an 04 Baja with a blown rear right strut. That means time for an upgrade. After reading THIS I started down the road to installing Legacy shocks and struts on the Baja to lower, and get new springs to stiffen. I don't want to go too low and the 2" drop from the shocks/struts should be about perfect to decrease the wheel gap. And I thought there has to be more upgrade options for the Legacy than the ugly step sister Baja. But there really isn't.

So I ended up with KYB Excel-G shocks/struts and found King 1/4" lift springs on RalliTek (and "verified" on Primitive). This was going to be the best combination ever! But after disassembling the front Baja shocks it became evident that the new front springs had a taper and the packing slip states "KSFR-22: Pair of 93-07 Impreza front raised". Now we all know Impreza and Legacy suspension are not interchangeable so that's why the springs won't fit. Call RalliTek, no options. Contact King and they only offer "rear tow springs" for the Legacy/Outback.

I now have disassembled front shocks for the Baja (that I can't figure out how to reassemble) and no direction. My newest thought is lowering springs with lift spacers to get the stiffer springs that I want and maintain the ~2" drop. It seems stupid and counterintuitive to lower and raise in the same system, but I don't see any other options. And retreating to stock springs would feel more like a disappointment when half of the purpose is to stiffen for the fun twisty roads I live down.

So tell me I am off my rocker, tell me this is crazy, but tell me a better way to get the Baja back on the road. Please. Because my hands and back hurt from what I've done this past week, and my head hurts from hitting it on the desk. Repeatedly.

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[Norm Peterson]

I don't see any problem with essentially shimming springs that are too low back up to some desired ride height. Short of having a set of springs custom-would for you individually - or actually finding other springs that at least come close - I really don't see any other way to get the stiffness and ride height you want at the same time.

Just so you know, I've done what you're proposing to do on three different cars (including the Mustang which sees HPDE road course time and a Chevy Malibu and a 626 that were both semi-seriously autocrossed). In every case I made my own spacers because I never saw what I was looking for as commercial products.

You do want to make sure that the spring-spacer stack can't 'separate' at full droop.


Norm

[bobsagator]

Separate? From what I see, Subtle Solutions has a 1" HDPE spacer set that mounts between the top hat and the frame. It comes with replacement bolts and screws to accommodate the spacer. So I can't envision how anything could separate. Am I looking at this wrong?

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by bobsagator

Separate? From what I see, Subtle Solutions has a 1" HDPE spacer set that mounts between the top hat and the frame. It comes with replacement bolts and screws to accommodate the spacer. So I can't envision how anything could separate. Am I looking at this wrong?

Picture the situation where the spacer is fitted directly against the spring, much like the way coilover helper or tender springs are used. The intent is to take up droop travel at the same time that they add ride height compared to using the main springs alone.

Without knowing how the spacers you have in mind work/are located, I had to mention the possibility that droop travel could unload the spring. Especially on a lowered car when the new springs are significantly stiffer than stock. OEMs have been known to use shock travel in rebound to retain OE springs, which could allow too much droop travel for stiff lowering springs. I've shimmed springs essentially by the method you described.


Norm

[bobsagator]

Thanks Norm, I appreciate the input!