Welcome to the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club Thursday March 28, 2024
Home Forums Images WikiNASIOC Products Store Modifications Upgrade Garage
Click here to visit TireRack
Brakes & Suspension Forum sponsored by The Tire Rack

Losing traction? Need new tires?
Click here to visit the NASIOC Upgrade Garage...
Go Back   NASIOC > NASIOC Technical > Brakes, Steering & Suspension

Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!
Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.







* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads. 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-05-2003, 09:32 AM   #1
blue-sun
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 15934
Join Date: Mar 2002
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Yorkville, IL
Vehicle:
2021 GTI
Cornflower Blue

Default Have a little to spend on suspension bits. . .what first!?

I'm looking to spend about 500 or so on suspension bits, but I'm a n00bie when it comes to suspension. I do the occasional Auto-X, but nothing hardcore.

Here's what I got so far:
17" wheels (Mille Miglia Evo5) with Nitto 450 tires.

that's it.

What I'm thinking of doing:

1) Endlinks

2) Sway Bars

3) Strut Bars

What shuold I get, and what should I stay away from. Any brand particularly awesome for these things? Really crappy?

Any input is appreciated. . .

WRXemALL
david
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
blue-sun is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
Old 05-05-2003, 10:36 AM   #2
Thumper23
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 11571
Join Date: Oct 2001
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: Park City, UT
Default

Strut bars won't really do all that much. Instead of those, get something like the Prodrive springs. Between those, a new rear swaybar and endlinks, you should be around $500.
Thumper23 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 11:33 AM   #3
ITWRX4ME
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 24472
Join Date: Sep 2002
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Marshall, Virginia
Vehicle:
2001 Miata
White

Default

$500 for endlinks and a sway bar. You must mean both front and rear.

I'd just go with the rear sway bar and endlinks. Cusco or whiteline seem to be the most popular. Get an adjustable one.
ITWRX4ME is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 11:39 AM   #4
bobsterswrx
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 31555
Join Date: Jan 2003
Default

I installed prodrive springs and did an alignment to their specs, car handles much better. Check out June "Motor Trend" where this setup took stock slalom of 61.4 mph to 67.3 mph. As long as your car is low miles, the stock struts work fine.
Bob
bobsterswrx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 11:54 AM   #5
Claudius
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 36243
Join Date: May 2003
Location: in the Driver's Seat
Vehicle:
1997 'preza GT Turbo
White

Default

Quote:
Originally posted by Thumper23
Strut bars won't really do all that much.
I agree, especially when talking about the levels of body shell rigidity that can be found on a Subaru WRX!

I am not a fan of lowering springs, for damper reliability and suspension adjustability reasons mainly, but a set of front adjustable top mounts and a rear adjustable anti roll bar sounds like about $500 to me...
Claudius is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 01:24 PM   #6
kenchan
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 15106
Join Date: Feb 2002
Default

since you got the wheels and tires, i would do eibach prokits.
and with the dinero you have left, get a 22mm rear swaybar and endlinks for them.

that'll be a totally new car after that.
kenchan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 02:47 PM   #7
blue-sun
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 15934
Join Date: Mar 2002
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Yorkville, IL
Vehicle:
2021 GTI
Cornflower Blue

Default

I've heard that you shouldn't do springs withuot doing new stuts/coilovers at the same time, and that it would make the car more "bouncy."

But then again, I was looking into gettin Godmal's STi Pink Springs, and that's what I was told when I was looking. . .

WRXemALL
david
blue-sun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 03:29 PM   #8
Achilles38WRX
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 4419
Join Date: Feb 2001
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Carol Stream, IL
Vehicle:
2002 S2K - 2013 ISP
i don't have a wrx

Default

for $500 or less the endlinks and a larger rear sway bar would make the most difference. a larger rear sway bar will help reduce understeer, but wont do a whole lot to correct body roll and handling responsiveness.

from what i've heard the prodrive springs are designed to work with the stock struts, so they could be ok, but like i told you before, if you end up paying to have them installed, you might want to wait till you can get struts too. Or you could talk to Karl on a thursday meet, see what he can do for you in the hobby garage at the navy base.

stiffer springs without increased dampening could lead to a bouncy ride, yes.

how about this:
-put $500 in bank
-save up another $500
-use $1000 to get some kind of spring/strut combo (say sti springs and konis or kybs)
Achilles38WRX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 03:31 PM   #9
Ti-REX
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 21741
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Canada
Vehicle:
LGT Limited Wagon +
WRB Wagon STI V7/8

Default

Quote:
Originally posted by WRXemALL
I've heard that you shouldn't do springs withuot doing new stuts/coilovers at the same time, and that it would make the car more "bouncy."

WRXemALL
david
True. This applies to stiffer springs as the faster rate will overwork the struts, killing them in a flash, not to mention that they will not have sufficient damping to prevent bounciness.

However, some springs out there do not have a much stiffer spring rate compare to stock, allowing you to use stock struts with not too much to worry about.
Ti-REX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 06:36 PM   #10
OneManArmy
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 36154
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Santa Cruz County
Vehicle:
2004 WRX Wagon
White

Default

I am not a wrx owner...yet...looking as we speak...that's why I got a name here.

But I do have suspension knowledge and I can tell you this. Lowering springs and stock struts is a bad combination. Might work for about 5000 miles then you are in bounce hell. If you are having everything installed professionally you will end up having to buy struts later and pay them to install again...waste of money. Do them both at the same time or buy some quality coil overs. Tein. Cusco. Zeal.

If all you have is $500 here is my recommendation. I already priced the stuff myself at a local shop. For around $350 you can get cusco front and rear sway bars. Then get yourself some quality endlinks. Kartboy should work fine. Install the stuff yourself or with a knowledgeable friend. Besides your tires/spring sway bars are your next most important modification.

So if you are feeling the need to spend I'd do that. If you have some patience I would put that in an envelope or savings account. Save up another $7000 and get yourself some quality coil overs....true coil overs. Then you have the two most important suspension/handling mods you can make. The rest can come later.
OneManArmy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 09:58 AM   #11
Achilles38WRX
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 4419
Join Date: Feb 2001
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Carol Stream, IL
Vehicle:
2002 S2K - 2013 ISP
i don't have a wrx

Default

Quote:
Originally posted by OneManArmy
Save up another $7000 and get yourself some quality coil overs....true coil overs.
7 large? is this a typo? most coilovers i've seen are in the 1500-2500 range.
Achilles38WRX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 11:42 AM   #12
gtguy
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 2184
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Highland Park, Ill., USA
Vehicle:
2005 Legacy GT wagon
Platinum Silver Metallic

Default

If you have a sedan, get endlinks, and call it a day. Spend the rest of the $500 on something sordid.

The WRX sedan has size-matched front and rear sway bars. Why change them? Endlinks increase the effectiveness of a sway bar, which will be noticeable, but it won't alter the car's excellent balance already.

Strut bars are voodoo for street-driven cars, and your budget doesn't allow for coilovers. The pink STi springs are nice, and ride very nicely. If you can get a used set, those, plus endlinks would be a nice package.

Kevin
gtguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
06 2.5 - $500 to spend on suspension LiGnSoCaL Brakes, Steering & Suspension 13 01-09-2008 09:11 AM
$300 to spend on suspension. What to get? swaybars?rear lateral links?tophats? garie Brakes, Steering & Suspension 26 09-03-2005 10:34 AM
So I only have about 300 to spend on seperates... BryanH Car Audio, Video & Security 2 01-29-2004 04:50 PM
I have about $700 to spend on mods, need help GregH Newbies & FAQs 11 06-02-2002 02:22 PM
~$1500 to spend on suspension.... Texas25RS Texas Impreza Club Forum -- TXIC 8 02-11-2002 09:56 PM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Copyright ©1999 - 2019, North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club, Inc.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission
Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.