Wagon suspension lamenting

[2point5GT_Dan]

So here is the deal.

 

I have an 03 wagon I want to use for beating on daily + some fast gravel roads.

 

I want some height adjustment.

 

I do not want shit 1000 dollar coilovers.

 

I've tried the two sets of struts/springs thing and don't really like it. I'd rather get the spring rates and valving I want once and adjust height on my own and alignment with my flat rate yearly alignment package deal.

 

So this brings us to.....

 

Choices:

 

1. two sets of struts/springs. Technically what I did this winter with outback struts. The fronts were too tall and caused the right front CV to bind. Still running the setup in the rear and it's ok.

 

2. Konis with ground control sleeves. This would let me pick my spring rate and have an adjustable strut. They don't make a ground control setup for the legacy specifically, but the 3rd gen wrx might be "close enough"

 

2.5 Bilstein struts are also available but are fixed rate and if I want height adjust ability I'd have to cut them up and do a ground control setup or something similar.

 

3. Coilovers. The 1k options ******* blow and come with like 8kg springs. I'd be looking for like 4kg max or something. I really doubt the valving on cheapie coilovers would work well with softer springs enough to not piss me off.

 

Ideally I'd like the same spring rates as stock STi springs, but the wagon has a much larger rear spring rate so the ratios are different front to rear.

 

As for spring rates, I REALLY like the STi springs I ran on my RS for both on and offroad. They're a little short but the rate is perfect.

 

Not these rates are ftlbs pulled from various googling.

 

STi springs: 224/194 -> FR Ratio of 1.102

 

A JDM B4?: 143.3/271.2 -> FR Ratio of .528

 

Scaled up to STi would be -> 224/423.8

 

Sti wagon pinks -> 168/296.8 FR Ratio of .566

 

99+ stock?: 132/190 FR Ratio of .69

 

So as you can see, the 3rd gen with its different rear design vs a 2nd gen impreza changes the front/rear spring ratio massively. If I were to run STi springs up front I'd need a high 300 or low 400 spring to scale up the stock ratio.

 

This doesn't even begin to resolve the height problems.

 

Thus going to a ground control or similar sleeve setup would let me get the height and spring rates I want on a strut that wont blow up like a GR2 with stiffer springs.

 

But at that point should I be considering coilovers with 4k front and 5k rear springs?

 

Decisions... Decisions.....

 

Wondering if anyone has any insight to my needs. I am completely cool with mixing and matching and understand that this generation chassis has year splits front vs rear.