NUTTYNICK

Hi all,
Well I've finally taken delivery of a tidy wrx after many years of drooling but having no cash (so I thought) to buy one.

I've always been a believer of getting the chassis tuned up prior to spending cash on power mods, coming from a small french hatchback background, we needed all the help we could get

So, I'm still in the process of spending literally hours each night reading through many many threads on what this and what that suspension mods, but thought I'd post any way.

Given a choice of new shocks, which would you go for (longevity, relative comfort, medium to higher budget - but not top end - been there done that).
Tein seem to appear in all the Jap magazines - great I'm sure but I've been born and bred on Bilsteins. Any experiences?

The car is fitted with Eibach springs (which in my mind again, are the ultimate springs out there) - again though, I've an open mind.

Don't want to go coilovers, no point unless I want to slam the car. There are too many combinations of short spring, decreased damper stroke shocks, to warrent buying them. I've found all they do is **** up the geometry anyhow. No point in having wishbones pointing up in the sky!

Obvious choice seems to be thicker rear ARB to decrease the understeer. Oversteer (especially the lift of type) was a bit of a bugger on my previous car. I would like a tighter turn in so I guess a stiffer bar would be a wise buy. What is the standard diameter though?

Sorry for the lengthy post, talking out loud really. If someone could help with the most up to date mods, and the places to get them from (I'm totally DIY unless super special tools are needed), I'd appreciate it. Please don't give me the 'search mate and you will find' sketch, I am. I just need a little guidance

Thanks again

dunx

iTrader: (3)

KYB adjustables with your springs are a good budget buy, Demon Tweeks are a good source of info on who does what....
911 will be along soon and give you specific advice on your model,
mine's a new-age so I'll just shut up now !

DunxC

P.S. Welcome to S'net.... and the modding bug comes with you LOL !

NUTTYNICK

Cheers Dunx,

I'll look into them, it's a make of damper I'd overlooked to be honest.

I've read quite a few posts from 911, very interesting and nice to learn from real life experiences rather than the 'internet expert'. Sounds a lot like myself when I owned my Pug. I must have spent a fortune on suspension set ups, R&D on new torsion bars etc so much so, I could have bought a wrx a long time ago!

A guy down the road just bought a new age at the same time I bought the classic (last Saturday). Thing is, I've done about a 500 miles and his hasn't moved! What's that all about?

scoobyschef

iTrader: (6)

as you, i have read many posts from 911,dunx and cusco kid. i went for a mix of perrin and whiteline.
whitline alk
perrin 22 f 25 r
whiteline roll cente adjustment kit(because i am lowered)
perrin droplinks front and rear

fantastic improvement
like being on rails
next will be eibach springs and sti suspension or the agx

welcome to the suspension side of modding, it makes sense to keep the car on the road if you want to enjoy driving

jim

911

Welcome to suspension nick. A lot of fun to be had to squeeze the best from the Impreza and make use of all the bhp it has as stock.

Very wise (IMHO) to do the chassis first.

You want a good road car, safe and secure with little compromise of ride and comfort being acceptable.

For a nice road classic I would:

Whiteline
22mm front and 24 mm rear anti roll bars with steel links in the back and front.
ALK in the front wishbones.
Camber bolts in the rear struts and fronts too if you will.

As to the important struts, I would consider 2 ways:

1
KW or Bilstien struts. The latter are unusual (un fashionable?) in these pages, but they are a mega company. I have been to the factory by accident and it is rather good.
2
Find some good STi V6 suspension legs (Welcome to the API website) ask for David

Use those springs you have as they are ace.

Finally, never underestimate the need for an Imprezaspecialist who really knows what they are doing to align this lot, and also get some good tyres. If your car has Jap tyres on it they will be cr@p.(esp in the wet)

That lot will allow the alignment to be right (due to the adjustability of the camber bolts) and the car will be really good.

After that lot you can add and add more, but what you have bought you will keep on the car, not remove it.

Hope this helps a bit.

Graham.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

P.S. I'm no expert but I am prepared to praise the products that work well on my car, to make it do what I want....
so not impressed with standard STI struts and their knocking antics,,,,
But they suit my real world use !

Enjoy the Scoob,

DunxC

911

Seems the Sti 'knocking' syndrome is more akin to the New Age car Dunx?

My Sti V3 never knocked at all which is why they are still snug in my shed @ 23 K miles old....
To the best of my knowledge, the New Age parts are essentially the same and so is the shell?

dunx

iTrader: (3)

I understand (?) it due to side-loads due to poor design....

IMHO

DunxC

P.S. Sorry about the thread hi-jack !

NUTTYNICK

Excellent advice there 911. It's nice to get something other than bank breaking ideas that you really don't need. I bought some emulsified Ledas for the pug a while back. Felt awsome (as you'd expect for the price) but due to all the adjustability, were totally wrong for me. I thought I had them sorted until a track day at Croft, and someone who knew what they were doing, showed me really what they could do. Trouble is, on the way home they were totally unsuitable to the point of being dangerous. Ditched them, and got the Bilstein, non adjustable kit....perfect.

I especially like the idea of getting the kit you suggest and not having to replace it should further mods be done

I'm guessing (without searhing) that the failure of the STi kit, is due to the bushes? Can these be replaced or is it new shock time?

I'll have a look at the kit you've suggested.

I'm intrigued though as to what further mods you have/could carried out? Is there an Ultimate. Ride comfort is high but perhaps later in life I may go a different route?

Cheers again

911

There are many other parts you can buy that will make a big difference, some cheap and some very expensive.

You make a very valid point about set-up though, and sometimes the more complex the mods (and their range of adjustability) the harder it is to get the best from the sum of theparts.

I got to this point last year, and with someone who new what to do and a private test day on a sprint track the car was transformed.

However it was also improved for the road too, especially smooth B roads and A roads.
This way the car was tweeked for me. It drove great for me and suited me, but could be horrid for another.
A few months later, I arranged for 5 other Impreza's to be at the same track and I drove several of the cars which seemed very hard to drive fast to me. One drove my car at full speed (for him in a strange car) and he was gobsmacked just how EASY my car was to drive fast.

That is suspension tuning, tweeking the car to drive easy which gives you speed.

As an indication, my old Impreza has:

AST 3 way adjustable remote damping struts. 50/40 spring rates.
Adjustable top mounts front and rear.
Camber bolts
22 front and 24 rear Whiteline anti roll bars + rose jointed front links, steel links rear.
Welded stiffer rear mounts.
Adjustable rear lower transverse arms for wider track.
Quick rack.
No rubber in any of the suspension, poly bushes all round and then more.
Rear sub-frame and diff locking kits.
Front roll centre mods.
Power Station alignment by Curtis
Suspension 'mapped' by John Felstead
No ABS, AP brake balancer
Whiteline front lower strut brace.

Racing seat set 50mm lower than stock

DCCD transmission (make a massive difference when set for speed)

A lot of the above has been given to me! All the above would cost about £3500 at least, possibly 4K to do, but aligned correctly makes for quite a ride.

Nearly forgot the most important part, the tyres....Kumho soft V70, utterly amazing for the road and (sprint) track. Will last about 2 to 3K miles if you are a wuss with your driving.

Put the car on real hillclimb slicks and the performance is stunning.

Pity the car has a piddly 380 bhp!

So, you can go a touch further than your spec, but notice that a lot of the mods I suggest are in my car too.
Car at speed in the damp:
DropShots.com
DropShots.com

Graham.

NUTTYNICK

Sounds like your car is near a full race set up there. Like you say, I'm after something inbetween. Nice to know what the extreme is though.

I've got to say that your car looked fantastic through farmhouse. I've seen a lot of car struggle on that corner before. Weird camber, fast approach and fairly steep incline played havoc with a lot of cars there.

"That is suspension tuning, tweeking the car to drive easy which gives you speed"

Totally agree with that statement. The main reason I didn't want to go full adjustabillity was down to cost. I went this route last time and have to admit it was really good fun being able to play, but the pocket felt it. I'm tempted this time around as well though, but take it nice and slow.

Quick q about the rose jointed front links, how maintenance free are these? I've had rose jointed dampers sieze up on me before splitting them in half! My fault though for not inspecting them regularly but proved they were not perhaps a 'road friendly' option.

You mention Steel drop links - is this purely for cost saving or do the alloy ones have issues (cracking perhaps)? It's sprung weight so I guess it shouldn't matter what material it's made from other than longevity issues.

Power Station is about 120 miles from me but to be honest, it's the only place that I've found recommended in my area so far. Worth the travel plus you get a good 'test drive' home afterwards.

Another help line needed though on who can supply all the whiteline kit mail order and perhaps offer some sort of club discount? I'm trawling and can find certain sites selling bits and pieces but would rather getting it job lot from one place.

Appreciate the time here Graham, I realise you have probably posted several times on the same subject but it does save me time

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Demon Tweeks have a groupbuy offer running constantly...

Rose jointed links need a bit of oil regularly or can get noisy (Cheers 911 !).

Wire links work, alloy ones are "blingier", and cost more, you choose !

HTH

DunxC

911

Exactly as dunx says.

When you change some or a lot of parts from stock you are removing the 'fit and forget' aspect of the factory parts.
The front drop links are the Whiteline rose jointed ones and they have good seals, but every month I ease a seal open and squirt a small shot of silicon spray in there on all 4 bearings. They are still nice and tight and i can't hear them!
Of the top mount bearings, a drop of engine oil is placed on the top spherical ball in all 4 corners.

The suspension gets cleaned with a WD40 oiled cloth every 2 weeks or the afternoon before a hillclimb and always the evenings after one. Full spanner check too!

As to the steel rear links: I believe they articulate far better than the alloy ones, though Geo @ Whiteline UK may have something to say about that!

Finally, everything Whiteline I have used, and the advice I have been given in UK and Australia has worked. There is a great value in that confidence.

Powerstation will package the parts and the fitting/alignment for you. Talk to Curtis as he is very user friendly and well worth the drive to Tewksbury. Quarter of a mile from J9 on the M5.
This is part of Powerstation. My old banger is the white one on the ramp.

Graham.

NUTTYNICK

Thanks for the advice there guys, I'll carry out a bit more searching/researching and perhaps get back to you at at later date