Thoughts on this suspension
08 January 2018, 10:10 PM
#61
Ah ha, so, from your 2nd link it can be seen that since my measured ride height difference, front to back, is nominally 16mm (lower at the back), my car is in fact, level. From the thread, this looks good to me from a performance perspective. 
Regarding ride height, I would maintain that my car has not been lowered in respect of the Pedders setup cf earlier configuration (Prodrive red springs). Reading the articles, the only issue is that given the spring rates for the Pedders suspension are lower than for the Prodrive springs (which is supported by my observations from driving), am I now at risk of bottoming out? Perhaps the Pedders springs have a progressive spring rate to prevent this?
After 2 months of driving, I can't report any such problems. Not that I've loaded the car up with people and driven it over poor roads to see if it bottoms out. The other point is that Subaru themselves are recommending Pedders as a replacement for the stock Eibach dampers.
Regarding ride height, I would maintain that my car has not been lowered in respect of the Pedders setup cf earlier configuration (Prodrive red springs). Reading the articles, the only issue is that given the spring rates for the Pedders suspension are lower than for the Prodrive springs (which is supported by my observations from driving), am I now at risk of bottoming out? Perhaps the Pedders springs have a progressive spring rate to prevent this?
After 2 months of driving, I can't report any such problems. Not that I've loaded the car up with people and driven it over poor roads to see if it bottoms out. The other point is that Subaru themselves are recommending Pedders as a replacement for the stock Eibach dampers.
Contact between the top spring perch and the strut body, stops the damper bottoming out - to be avoided, as you'll, instantaneously, have no suspension.
Pre that occurrence, the bump stop should be engaged, slow, then stop, the bump travel, before top spring perch and strut body collide.
Always remembering, that the bump stop is a wear item!
If you're running a low front ride height, then the front spring design becomes critical.
To keep the front spring rate up and have a low front ride height, you'll have dead coils. Coils that intentionally stack together. If you have too many coils in the design, then the stack height (coil bind) will precede the bump stop slowing/stopping the bump travel.
Your S05 Prodrive springs were originally 15mm taller at the front and 20mm taller at the rear, than the Pedders. Plus another 6mmish, front and rear, as the inverted struts, when new, had a higher static gas pressure, than non-inverted struts.
Out of interest, did you install the revised internal front bump stops (20mm shorter and more progressive), that came with the Prodrive S05 springs?
08 January 2018, 10:24 PM
#62
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Not sure when the Prodrive springs went on the car. Certainly not in my ownership. On that basis I'll have to plead complete ignorance. I didn't do the swap over either, so I don't have what came off the car to inspect.I'll have to upload a pic of the car with the Pedders installed for comparison. It looks "normal" height to me.
10 January 2018, 12:01 PM
#63
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If AS Performance did a group buy on Pedders I'd be interested.
What's the consensus on rear camber bolts? Wondering about putting some on when I change the suspension.
What's the consensus on rear camber bolts? Wondering about putting some on when I change the suspension.
11 January 2018, 10:05 AM
#65
Depending on whether yours is a classic or new age you should be able to achieve decent amount of negative camber for acceptable driving grip
Any more, especially if you're going for 'the look' then yes camber bolts
11 January 2018, 01:53 PM
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Just wondering whilst I have it in bits anyway. Had both my classic years ago and my new age again years ago now set to Prodrive geometry settings on standard bolts, from what I remember there is slight play on the rear as standard anyway for some small adjustment.
11 January 2018, 04:29 PM
#68
Cool - in that case, as 2Pot says make sure your alignment technician knows how to slacken the clevis bolts, set and then tweak to equalise and you should be good
It's usually the front which need camber bolts, but as I understand the Pedders come with top hat adjustment
It's usually the front which need camber bolts, but as I understand the Pedders come with top hat adjustment
15 January 2018, 06:58 PM
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Cool - in that case, as 2Pot says make sure your alignment technician knows how to slacken the clevis bolts, set and then tweak to equalise and you should be good
It's usually the front which need camber bolts, but as I understand the Pedders come with top hat adjustment
It's usually the front which need camber bolts, but as I understand the Pedders come with top hat adjustment
15 January 2018, 07:18 PM
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Drives very well indeed. The only annoyances are grounding the RB320 front lip when coming out of driveways into the road (the front tyres are on the pavement dropping down towards the road, whilst the lip is already over the road, which is rising with the camber). Makes me cry when it happens. The front flaps are close to the road and do ground when I go over narrow road humps. But I'm a fan of long black flaps......
Last edited by David__H; 15 January 2018 at 08:43 PM.
15 January 2018, 07:51 PM
#73
Drives very indeed. The only annoyances are grounding the RB320 front lip when coming out of driveways into the road (the front tyres are on the pavement dropping down towards the road, whilst the lip is already over the road, which is rising with the camber). Makes me cry when it happens. The front flaps are close to the road and do ground when I go over narrow road humps. But I'm a fan of long black flaps......
So, it is lower than before - remind me of what your car was running?
How about on open/tighter & twisties? Any bottoming or crashing? Long black flaps make contact at all?
15 January 2018, 08:21 PM
#74
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Drives very indeed. The only annoyances are grounding the RB320 front lip when coming out of driveways into the road (the front tyres are on the pavement dropping down towards the road, whilst the lip is already over the road, which is rising with the camber). Makes me cry when it happens. The front flaps are close to the road and do ground when I go over narrow road humps. But I'm a fan of long black flaps......
15 January 2018, 08:38 PM
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Looks good does that, i'm seriously considering getting a set of the pedders for mine now instead of refurbing and fitting the set of standard widetrack shocks and Prodrive red springs i've got in the garage.The lip spoiler scraping might be to do with the design of it, doesn't look like a RB320 style one from your pictures, looks more like a Cs style one with quite a deep profile to the front, you might get away with it with the regular style lip.
Just to be clear, the grounding I get with the front lip and flaps is not worse than with the Prodrive springs and only when I'm negosciating obstacles, as mentioned above. On the road and hard cornering, no problems. For me, changing from the red Prodrive spings to Pedders has been an upgrade (review ealier comments).
15 January 2018, 09:30 PM
#78
The stock STI is 30mm higher at the front and 25mm higher at the rear.
The Prodrive S05 red are 15mm higher at the front and 20mm higher at the rear.
The Prodrive RB320 are 5mm higher at the front and 30mm higher at the rear - combined with specially tailored Bilstein dampers.
The STI pinks are 8mm higher at the front and 13mm higher at the rear.
The Prodrive S05 red are 15mm higher at the front and 20mm higher at the rear.
The Prodrive RB320 are 5mm higher at the front and 30mm higher at the rear - combined with specially tailored Bilstein dampers.
The STI pinks are 8mm higher at the front and 13mm higher at the rear.
Last edited by 2pot; 15 January 2018 at 10:05 PM.
15 January 2018, 09:37 PM
#79
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Jay, you're right, it's not exactly RB320. The previous owner bought something close enough for him. It is quite low. I had the Prodrive red springs on the car before the Pedders. I am absolutely certain the car is not lower, cf the Prodrive springs. In fact, my first thought was, the front lip looks slightly higher!!
Just to be clear, the grounding I get with the front lip and flaps is not worse than with the Prodrive springs and only when I'm negosciating obstacles, as mentioned above. On the road and hard cornering, no problems. For me, changing from the red Prodrive spings to Pedders has been an upgrade (review ealier comments).
Just to be clear, the grounding I get with the front lip and flaps is not worse than with the Prodrive springs and only when I'm negosciating obstacles, as mentioned above. On the road and hard cornering, no problems. For me, changing from the red Prodrive spings to Pedders has been an upgrade (review ealier comments).
16 January 2018, 05:06 AM
#80
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Thanks for your review of the Pedders David, hard to find many people that have used this setup.
My ideal setup is the RB320 Bilsteins and PCA Dynamics springs, but the RB320 rear struts are impossible to source. By the time I have a full set of four + refurbed + springs +bumpstops = big money
My other option was KYB Ultra SR's but they only do a 114.4 PCD for the rear not the front WTF?
The Pedders sound like they could offer exactly the fast road setup I'm looking for, for the price it could be a decent option...
Are these potentially comparable to the KYB excel Gs? I've not considered them as i think they may be too soft for what i'm looking for....
My ideal setup is the RB320 Bilsteins and PCA Dynamics springs, but the RB320 rear struts are impossible to source. By the time I have a full set of four + refurbed + springs +bumpstops = big money
My other option was KYB Ultra SR's but they only do a 114.4 PCD for the rear not the front WTF?
The Pedders sound like they could offer exactly the fast road setup I'm looking for, for the price it could be a decent option...
Are these potentially comparable to the KYB excel Gs? I've not considered them as i think they may be too soft for what i'm looking for....
16 January 2018, 09:44 AM
#81
Thanks for your review of the Pedders David, hard to find many people that have used this setup.
My ideal setup is the RB320 Bilsteins and PCA Dynamics springs, but the RB320 rear struts are impossible to source. By the time I have a full set of four + refurbed + springs +bumpstops = big money
My other option was KYB Ultra SR's but they only do a 114.4 PCD for the rear not the front WTF?
The Pedders sound like they could offer exactly the fast road setup I'm looking for, for the price it could be a decent option...
Are these potentially comparable to the KYB excel Gs? I've not considered them as i think they may be too soft for what i'm looking for....
My ideal setup is the RB320 Bilsteins and PCA Dynamics springs, but the RB320 rear struts are impossible to source. By the time I have a full set of four + refurbed + springs +bumpstops = big money
My other option was KYB Ultra SR's but they only do a 114.4 PCD for the rear not the front WTF?
The Pedders sound like they could offer exactly the fast road setup I'm looking for, for the price it could be a decent option...
Are these potentially comparable to the KYB excel Gs? I've not considered them as i think they may be too soft for what i'm looking for....
19 October 2023, 03:49 PM
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