worldwidewebs

Picked the car up last Monday - an 04 STi. Fantastic! Apart from the fact it bounces more than Zebedee. After reading threads on the forum on this subject and the apparent lack of interest from the dealers this could be the shortest I've ever owned a car, let alone a new one.

Before I do throw in the towel though, has anyone who has had this problem managed to solve it, and if so how?

I nearly bought an Evo8. At the moment I wish I had

Please help...

Andy

sammyh

iTrader: (1)

Get the Prodrive springs fitted, makes it a different car

DJ WATTS

Yep slam it with Eibach lowering springs or prodrive items, add 18" alloys and it will improve.
You could also go to the phase 5 converion by TSL motorsports:

Full Eibach Pro Kit Springs. Power Flex Rear Anti Roll Bar Drop links. Front Strut Brace. Rear Strut Brace. All labour to fit and adjust. Full bespoke geometry session.



Or if you want more then:

Eibach Coilover Kit £816.63 inc VAT



This would deffo sort it out for ya!

http://www.tsl-motorsport.co.uk/suspension.html

StickyMicky

did you not test drive the car before buying it?

chrome

or- I siggest you nip over to powerstation and try their demo car with the new AST coilovers (as used in the T25!)

or if you are the other end of the country- scoobyclinic do them as well If you go and buy some- tel em chrome sent ya

r32

My STI doesnt bounce its firm, and a bit jiggly on bumpy roads but no more than I would expect for the suspension set up.......

Sticky Stuff

I'd get a second opinion, 'cos it sounds like there's something very wrong. You sure it's an Impreza and not a Forester?

Suresh

Oi!!
I've got a Forester and it doesn't bounce. It might lean a bit when cornering but otherwise the suspension isn't soft like a Citroen's.

To the original poster: Sounds like you should take it back to the dealership and ask for your money back, if they won't fix it. Can't believe you have to pay on top of the new price to make it roadworthy by adding aftermarket suspension bits.

Suresh

worldwidewebs

To the previous postings: yes I did drive one before but didn't notice a problem. The problem is more pronounced when moving slowly in traffic, which unfortunately I spend a lot of time doing day-to-day but didn't really do on the test drive.

I don't really have a lot of faith with dealers. Generally they will not accept there is a problem unless they can identify a faulty part. My guess is that nothing is wrong with the components - just poor vehicle development. The upshot of this is countless visits and wasted time and frustration.

Since buying the car I've fitted 18" Turinis which have helped (a little) but I've heard of others fitting the Prodrive springs and it not making a significant difference. Maybe I do need to go the damper route but what I don't want to do is spend the money in the hope it will cure it. I've got to know that if I'm going to be laying out the cash then the problem will be fixed.

I'll give TSL a call later and see what they have to say - thanks for the links DJ. Where are Powerstation? I'm based in south Manchester - is there anywhere around here of comparable quality?

Cheers
Andy

Old_Fart

I had the bounce on my 03 STI, it mostly manifested at speed on A roads. Hated it, sold the car...I did a whole 2.5k miles before I sold mine though LOL
C

Red Man

3 months into my MY04 STi Type UK ownership - and have not noticed any magic roundabout effects. Trust me your car has a serious problem if you can feel it bouncing in slow moving traffic - unless you have two elephants making out in the back

Get the dealer to sort it out - take another STi out and compare (preferably with dealer in both cars).

It would be a huge shame to give up on Scooby onwership for what sounds like a rogue car and/or setup.

Reffro

Maybe a daft question, but do Subaru put any wedges in the suspension whilst they are transported to the dealers, that should be removed prior to sale?

toigye

you have a problem there mate my sti stuck to the road like glue the best car i have ever had just wish i could afford to run it

jaycee

It sure does- and not always for the better. I put a post in "Suspension" about how disappointed I was with the Prodrive springs. I would suggest driving a car with springs fitted before you blow your dosh on them. I wish I had.
My car has covered 950 miles and has sat in my garage for over a week undriven, I was tempted to chop it in but can't really afford to take the hit.
Car will be going back to the dealers for a good looking over as soon as I get time.

Don't believe the hype.

Jason

chiark

Andy,

They do bounce, yes. I found it really off-putting.

However, they get better once the springs bed in, and also the PHP (prodrive handling pack - springs) removes the bounce completely, and leaves you utterly stable in corners.

I'd give it a while to bed in for starters, then look at the PHP at around 300-500 quid.

Cheers,
nick.

ARM-Scooby

how does the anti roll bar work?

I have the prodrive springs, and have debated on a front strut brace, is it worth a rear one too?

any idea on the cost for the roll bar and strut braces fitted?

worldwidewebs

Nick,
I've heard of people fitting them but it not making much difference, and £500 is a lot of money just for a set of springs which may or may not make a difference. How bad did you find it when you collected the car?

Andy

Iain Young

Any if you read my reply to your post, my springs DID make a big difference (for the better) to my STi7. I suggest that your car has not been set up correctly as all of the effects you mention can be explained by a bad geometry setup... Mine goes like it's on rails now

p.s., I've never noticed mine bouncing, before or after the prodrive springs. Sounds as though Subaru / IM / dealers are setting up the cars rather inconsistently....

Iain

RB5_245

What car did you own previously?

If it was a 'comfy' car then the sti is obviously going to feel bouncy

Dave

GRIFF007

I have road tested 6 or more STi in various combos of PPP-ness, and naked, as they come totally PPPless.

Conclusion: This design definitely suffers from suspension 'bobble' - feeling of being over damped. - Wheras WRX is a featherbed ride which is unfortunately not quite up to pressing on - float and pitch.

I am almost beleiving that the full 18" PPP Eibach route is perhaps the better (though I did drive a demo shocker that was supposed to be to this spec) and is only option for full warranty support.

However I have heard good reports on TSL mods (though I am sure they use different Jap style wishbone layout at front a la 'C' for the real McCoy T25) - not yet test driven - but voids warranty...

Good news is that the nice I.M. people will stand by all other components not directly connected (unlike engine mods - dont even think of a dump valve..)

I am looking forward to trying TSL mods (seem to remember that they are less than £1k, set up) - but will stick to full PPP if a dealer can prove to me that it gives areasonable ride for everyday use....

Any dealers out there willing to provide a reasonable length of time to road test car in all driving conditions (nearly) ?

MattW

I had the same issue with my 03 sti. The 02 sti I had didn't have the problem.

Anyway sorted it with a trade in on an Evo8

jaycee

Iain, I did read your reply and the input was much appreciated. The car will be going to the dealers for looking at and then probably onto TSL for a proper set up. It's just a matter of finding the time.
I doubt I'll get rid of it I'm just having a bad week!!

Jason

chiark

Andy,

It wasn't my car .

I helped a mate run it in by putting 320 miles on it when it had about 100 on the clock. At certain speeds on the motorway, it would "bounce" when something upset the suspension at certain speeds. I like hard suspension, but the bounce really was IMHO spoiling the car. It's as if the dampers weren't strong enough to control the springs or something like that, and there was a resonance in the setup which took a while to settle. I would expect it to bump, then stop, but it bumpbumpbumpbumpbumpbumpbumpbumped

When the springs were put on, the effect was immediate. The ride is *slightly* harsher, but not something you'd be offended by. The real difference is you lose roll in the corners, and we never found that bounce coming back no matter what we did.

Stick with the car for the moment, as they are bloody rewarding cars to drive. I still think it's slightly wrong that you have to spend out to fix what I think is a fault (little bit of politics for you there ladies and gentlemen) but I do think there's a cure, and I do think it's pretty straightforward.

I *think* WR1s have this modification as standard...

Cheers,
Nick.

wacky.banana

Worldwide,

What car did you own before the STI? Over and above the possiblilty that you may have a problem with your particular car your previous car ownership may shed some light on your view of "bounciness".

In general the ride on the STI is quite hard, compared to other cars. That's not a problem for me, nor does mine undulate as you suggest yours does. However I have had friends sat in my car who were surprised at how hard the suspension system is. One laggard described it as harsh!

On digging deeper his everyday car turned out to be a Vectra, and he thought the ride on that was firm (I kid you not)!!

WB

jmk

For what it's worth, my 03 WRX 'bounces' and it drives me mad. Most noticeable between 50-70 on the M25 between the M23 and M3 - it hates the concrete road surface. It was so bad that when I first bought the car I pulled on to the hard shoulder as I was convinced I had a puncture.

Not fixed it yet; dealer said that it handles, “beautifully.” (This is the same dealer which couldn't detect a faulty rear diff until I'd taken it back to them twice.)

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I'd hate to be a suspension designer - it seems that everyone has a differing view of what's firm, bouncy, harsh, wallowy, smooth, jiggly or whatever. At the end of the day I think there's a lot of personal preference involved, as well as some dependence on the particular roads you tend to drive on. Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised at the need to change springs?

When I test drove an '02 STI a couple of years ago I didn't buy the car because I found the ride unreasonably hard. A few weeks ago I tried an '04 car and didn't have the same complaint at all, but I've no idea whether that's because the car is different, the roads are different, or my ar*e has gone numb from two more years' Impreza ownership in the meantime. All I can say is that if you think the UK STI has a hard ride, just try a JDM car instead - you don't know the meaning of 'jiggly' until you've tried one.

worldwidewebs

Wacky,
I've come from a Boxster S and have a track-prepped Westfield with pretty much all suspension movement dialled out so I'm used to firm suspension. In comparison with the Porker the STi is a real sofa ride, even forgetting the bounciness.

Andy

Budgie

iTrader: (4)

have you tested the evo on the same journey you are having
problems on
me thinks de ja vous

Flat 4x4

Does playing around with the tyre pressures help at all ?
(similar to the wedges in suspension post)

Dark Blue Mark

Got to admit, I followed an STi7 on the M3 today, and I noticed it bouncin up and down a fair bit. Thought I just noticed because I was examining the car, but no other cars on the road were doing it.

MB