i have a turboo estate on a w reg and while its in the paint shop im looking on improving the handling im not looking to change the suspension just lower it if needed but i want my car to stick to the road like glue but still be a eveyday driving car what would be the best things to buy???

 

AST's......nuff said.....

 

whats ast about then mate what is it???

 

Have a look at the advert at the top of this thread.

 

Every day road car?

1
Nice mods:

22mm front/24mm rear anti roll bars/solid links
ALKit
Camber bolts all round
P1 or Sti v5 syspension struts complete
A real alignment job at Powerstation
Good tyres.

2
A very nice mod:

Change Sti suspension for AST one-ways with Noltec/AST top mounts
Install 50/40 rated springs. Spend a morning getting the damping right (easy job)
Remove the ALK.

3
Driver Conditioning:

Get ready for the Impreza you always thought they should build
Fresh underwear.
Always drive alone (more fun)
Grow eyes in the back of your head for police 'cause you can go very quickly with safety.

You wont regret it.

Graham

 

Hi Graham

I have the AST 1-way coilover fitted and a brilliant bit of kit it is too. However, while I was at Powerstation, also had the ALK fitted; I'm curious to know why you think it should be removed? Would your recommendation apply to an MY03 STI?

Cheers, Andy

 

cheers for the info graham il have to price this lot up

 

hello,

graham, also curious why you said the alk should be removed...

 

Easy.

The ALK add a small amount of caster to the stock suspension and also puts the lower wishbone in bind as it deliberatly missaligns the bushes. This is ok with rubber bushes as they can tolerate it, but with solid bushes a lot of 'sticktion' is generated.
With the Noltec's you can add a huge amount more castor and so dispense with the cost and misalignment of the ALK.
In this form and with a good alignment, you will kill-off the understeer of the Impreza.

That is why i say remove the ALK IF YOU fit Noltec top mounts.
Now, you can only fit them if you have ride height adjustable suspension such a Coilovers.

Hope i have explained that ok!

Graham

 

Not too sure why you're suggesting that Graham, perhaps because of the increase in ride height although in my experience this isnt a problem.

There are a number of Impreza's running Noltec adjustable top mounts with conventional struts and springs, revelling in steering inputs that now promote response rather than understeer

 

I say this as I was advised the road spec Noltecs have a ''1'''' thick height difference to a stock Sti top mount.(by Whiteline themselves)
If that is so then on stock springs the front will ride higher than stock compared to the rear?
If the statment is untrue, then that is a different case of course.

Whenever I repond to these questions I can only give my personal experiences as I am not in any way in the 'Trade' but a customer to several specialists.
I have though gone through several of the classic stages to find a sweet chassis for my use of the car.

As you say (and I have so many times) the Noltecs make a stunning difference to the reduction/elimination of understeer if set to max castor.

Graham.

 

hi Graham do you no of any good suppliers of the above stuff you told me to get????

 

3 fat girls in the back seat... i think it will stick then.....

lowering springs will do the trick for pretty cheap

 

Stiginger:

You can get it all from any Whiteline dealer, but try Powerstation (top of this thread).
Tell them '911' sent you!
Graham

 

I can't say that lowering the Impreza is always the answer, any improvement from this alone probably comes from the replacement of springs well past their best.

The Noltec top mounts will give approx 10-15mm increase in ride height over the stock mounts which, if you were to ignore the aesthetics and actually drive a car like this I think you'd agree is a marked improvement. Ofcourse there will be some examples where this may not be the case but this will lend itself towards a particular suspension set-up.
For track use you'd ideally be running coilovers with the capability to set the optimum ride height and suitable springs.

For a road going Impreza I'd suggest running the KYB AGX struts with Whiteline springs; budget for around £930 inclusive of fitting, alignment and VAT, or £1150 combined with the Noltec adjustable top mounts.

For anyone considering coilovers with the intention of track use then it's worth looking at the KW Variant 3's, very compliant with our roads yet perform very very well on track - in short the best of both worlds for around £1350

For extended track use there's a whole world of options only really limited by budget

 

I can vouch for the KW v3s that Mocom supply and fit.

Very adjustable from OE soft to very hard. 3 way adjustability.

Excellent service too.

Car on the ramps:





Old coilovers:



New shiny ones :

 

BOB'5, can you adjust the rear camber with the standard bolts? I have KW V1 and with the standard rear bolts I can have a maximum of -2º.

 

do they improve the handling/understeer???

 

They improve handling lots. I also have solid drop links all round and adjustable ARB on rear.

There is some adjustability for camber on rear, with OE bolts.

I'm really happy with them. Far better than Jap coilovers.

Most certainly worth giving Mocomracing.com a call if you are serious about your cars handling.

 

i havent been in bobs car since the new suspension but im hoping that its worlds apart from what it was like before.....

think park bench running on rims with no tyres

Zak is a legend, when he set mine up earlier this year the handling and response was awesome, this was without even a rear ARB or anti lift kit (but on D2 coilovers). Im looking to have those fitted and redone to the same spec, perhaps with the added adjustability of some noltec camber bolts all round.

It was like driving a different car......and in a VERY good way

I will be down there again soon.