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Old 08-14-2018, 12:01 AM   #1
pk2457
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 490103
Join Date: Aug 2018
Chapter/Region: W. Canada
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Vehicle:
2009 Impreza WRX
Satin White Pearl

Default 2009 WRX - Sagging rear end with new struts and springs

So I have a pretty annoying issue with my car where the back end is sitting too low. It's noticeable from the side just by looking at the car, and the extent of the issue can be seen when trying to measure the wheel arch height.




According to the service manual, the rear wheel arch height is supposed to be 14.8 inches, with a tolerance of +0.47, or -0.94. My car is technically within spec (barely), however I swapped all of the springs and struts with new OEM parts (including strut mounts, dust boots, and pretty much everything else that makes up the whole strut assemblies) a week ago, and the issue still persists. The front end however is almost exactly at 15.2 inches, which is where the service manual says it should be.

The car does have a trailer hitch installed, but it hasn't been used for anything since the springs were swapped. I don't imagine the weight of the hitch alone would cause the rear end to drop by almost an inch, but I may be wrong.

I've been looking at strut spacers to correct this, but if anyone could point me towards any other parts to inspect before I go that route, that'd be great.
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Old 08-14-2018, 09:46 AM   #2
Charlie-III
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Member#: 30669
Join Date: Dec 2002
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: USA, North NJ, 07456
Vehicle:
1998 Legacy 2.5GT
Silver Sleeper BK, 5MT

Default

What do you guess the hitch weighs, 20lbs?
Get another 20lb weight (about 2.5 gallons of water works) and put as far back on the car as you can, recheck the rear arch height.
See how much further the dimension closes up.
Your hitch is fairly far back, thus a bigger lever arm to compress the springs.
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Old 08-14-2018, 06:18 PM   #3
pk2457
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 490103
Join Date: Aug 2018
Chapter/Region: W. Canada
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Vehicle:
2009 Impreza WRX
Satin White Pearl

Default

So as a bit of an "overkill" test, I had another person sit in the open trunk of the car, adding a bit more than 150 lbs right at the back of the vehicle. This only caused a further drop of about 1/2". I'm not sure of the exact weight of the hitch, as it was installed before I bought the car, but I don't imagine it weighs more than that.
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