Tegra Boy

Hi All,

I have now got my 2004 UK STI home from the dealer and it is time to start down the path of a few upgrades.

One of the things I want to get right is my suspension set up, I have used the search function and narrowed it down to three options.

1) Standard STI red shocks with Eibach springs

2) Standard STI red shocks with Prodrive springs

3) Tein (or similar) adjustable coilovers

My issue is this, I will drive my car to work every day which is 100 mile round trip from now to later on in the summer when I will buy something like a gold TDI.

I want a good balance of comfort combined with a lower look but also great handling. I will track the car in the summer but will probably go over to Spa and a few European tracks so I dont want something that will rattle the fillings from my teeth.

What do you all think I should do?

Kind Regards

Chris

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

coilovers everytime.

Tegra Boy

Which ones, as I hear many people complain they are too hard. There was a second hand set of HKS Hipermax for sale but I passed on them in case they were as hard as some people say they are?

jura11

iTrader: (7)

If you are looking for tracking your car i would suggest coilovers too,we are running HSD HR which are not the softest,but great on track i must admit

But if i would go again with coilovers choice i would go everytime with KW V1,V3,if its budget Nitron will be mine choice,which i've tried and must say on softest car has been like with OEM suspension setup,just been lowered,on hardest setting has been still nice too drive.

Really best is try few suspensions setups and decide from this,if you have friends which have coilovers i would ask him for drive

We are tried few before we are went with HSD,but at this time if i try KW V1 or KW V3,we would go with these or Nitron 2 way which cost around £1600

Jura

bonesetter

iTrader: (9)

With what you're looking to do, my vote would be with strut and springs. These will do a great job for your commute, and also perform decently as a fast road set-up. You wont be getting into over-lowering territory, and will have comfort, but firm and controlled handling.

As your main useage will be for the road, you could consider changing out arb's for something adjustable front & rear, say a 22F/24R. That way you could tweak up the firmness for your track days. After all, Spa and the Ring are relatively bumpy and favour a more compliant 'floating' set-up of the fixed perch...

jura11

iTrader: (7)

How many track days you are done with your struts and springs?
For fast road no doubts are great,but for track days with aggressive wheel fitment,in our case 255/45 R17 Toyo R888 with 9JX17" strut combo will be good for nothing...


If you want stick with struts and shocks you will be limited in camber(yes camber bolts,camber plates will help) and other settings,you don't need lower to max and drive there every time,we are running HSD HR which on hardest setting are firm and on softest are just as OEM set-up

I've done few track days like here and like in EU(Most,Brno etc.) and there i've tried like old school combo strut and spring combo on friend EVO and later on he swap this for Tein and difference in cornering has been just astonishing

I've tried here in UK too few setups and really i would go again and again with coilover setup.

Ask guys which running more track days and who running too TA,what will recommend coilovers or strut and spring combo


Jura

bonesetter

iTrader: (9)

The OP is commuting 2000+ miles a month, and we don't know over what kind of roads, for the next few months. That could trash a set of cheaper coilovers.

It's all about compromise. As for camber, how much do you want to track use? -2.5°... fine, camber bolts can do that. We don't know what OP will be running tyre/wheel wise for his TD's either. Mine is only a point of view

Dave Hedgehog

iTrader: (1)

Don't ruin a fine road car for 300 track miles a year.

For a car that gets TRAILERED to the track, and fast road/hooning at weekends, fine, fit coilovers. But they ruin you the rest of the time!

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Its a complete fallacy that coilovers automatically mean a bone rattling ride. A coilover is a damper unit and spring. There is absolutely no reason why they cant be built to give you all the adjustability that coilovers offer (ride height adjustment, damping adjustment, camber adjustment etc) whilst improving the quality of ride over the standard set up.

Because they tend to come with adjustable damping you can stiffen up the damping rate to control body roll and pitch for track work and then soften them back off for the ride back home and when you watt to press the car back into day to day duties.

Proofs in the pudding, heres a brief discussion between a customer who had recommended the BC Racing set up to another Impreza owner regarding our 5/4kg.mm road kit:

More info here www.bcracing.co.uk

Tegra Boy

Is that my old mate Bren form the SXOC ? there can't be many Bren's from Apex..

Could have done with you help when I was modding my Nissan GTR.

Right expect a call this lunch time.

Chris aka Boost Junkie from days of old on SXOC

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Thats me, it has been a long time indeed!