Hi Folks

I think my standard OE dampers are now becoming a tad tired so I want to investigate what different replacement setups people have + also what bargains might be out there for a sound setup for a MY00 primarily driven ( reasonable hard ;-) ) on the road.

Subara want £750 to supply/fit new stnd dampers which to me seems a lot to shell out for standard parts ( when considering after market option costs )

One idea is put P1 shocks and springs on which im told will be compatible and also improve the handling no end. Can anyone confirm this is a possibility and what their results are? Are these just a straight forward swap or need some modifications?

Other options ( although maybe out of my budget ) are coilover kits - what do people have fitted on a UK MY00 and what sort of cost would I be looking at for supply/fit?

I guess £150-200 for fitting is reasonable labour cost so who else supplies replacement / uprated dampers in the UK for under £500? I know DT do Koni's for this type of budget - anyone have these fitted? Anyo other suggestions?

Ive also heard that some replacements are just the cylinder part and you need to do some hacking to the original strut so the replacements fit...can anyone explain what this is all about?

Sorry, didnt mean to make this the spanish inquisition :D

Thanks in advance
Rich

ps.. My current setup has Eibachs, whiteline rear 22mm ARB, rear links, antilift kit, front strut brace, PS bumpsteer and geom, 17" bugeye wrx wheels.

I had virtually the identical spec to yours above and P1 suspension is a transformation not only in ride quality but handling as well. I expected the ride to suffer badly.

Hi John

Thanks for the feedback...can you answer a few more questions if you have the answers ( and time ) :

Is the spring/shock assembly a direct replacement for the stock my00 ones on front and rear?

Whats the difference in ride height between the fitted P1 springs and Eibachs?

Did you purchase yours 2nd hand or new ( just trying to figure out some sort of cut off point for mileage if I go down 2nd hand route )

What handling characteristics changed with the P1 setup?
- Did it improve braking stability ( even though bumpsteer helps no end ) ?
- Increase tramlining?
- Reduce body roll?
- Effect understeer/oversteer characteristics ( bearing in mind changes stiffer arb, anti-lift, bumsteer did to stnd car etc., )

Thanks in advance.
Cheers
Rich

Direct replacement. Similar ride height. Bought new.

Improved braking stability, no tramlining, reduced body roll. Had geometry changed when fitted to give more understeer bias as this gives me more confidence for fast road - it power oversteered with the Suretrac front diff and factory rear diff. Now it understeers or four wheel drifts with a little help from the tail but no lurid slides unless provoked.

I'm in the same situation with my 99UK car - I was quoted £1325 for a new set of P1 springs and dampers from my local main dealer, less 10% SIDC discount which works out at £1193 plus fitting. Does anyone know of an alternative source for the P1 shocks & springs??

Cheers

Greg

Cheers John, Much appreciated.

Anyone else have feedback on other options such as koni's or other brands, coilover kits etc...?


Cheers
Rich

You can get KYB AGX adjustables from www.summitracing.com for $400 a set.

Some people seem to swear by them but I'm not convinced by mine - seem a bit agricultural at low speed and a little bit soft at high speed. They do the job though.

Check-out Nasioc for opinions.

When funds allow I think I'll change to Powerstation/ASTs.

Duncan

Koni adjustable dampers and Eibach springs are about the best road set-up I've used. Any good road set-up will not only improve handling, but also improve ride quality...big-time! I was amazed in the early days when I fitted the above to my car (and the stock dampers were only 8k kms old ;)).

I've also tried just Eibachs with stock dampers - they're an improvement, but nowhere near fitting better dampers too.

Coil-overs are a compromise for road use IMO; I'm slower on a twisty b-road now than with the Konis/Eibachs.....although recent diff and bushing have redressed the balance....it's a very bumpy ride, but so communicative that I can still cover ground quickly :D

Richard