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2.5i vs LGT Suspension Differences?


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I have done some searching but have found little to nothing...other than the front sway bar from an LGT won't fit a 2.5i but a rear will however.

 

Has anyone actually compared the differences between the two?

 

Is there a difference between the 2.5i and the LGT springs?

 

No real reason other than curiosity and if its an upgrade it sounds like a cheap one that I would be up for trying because my car is the commuter budget car. Hence no boost

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Ok I have I done some more digging and found most of my answers...

 

For those that don't want to dig...

 

Apparently 2.5i springs are different due to the weight difference in the front end so if ordering springs specify the 2.5i (Ion makes some)

 

So consequently getting OEM LGT springs won't work

 

Upgrading the sway bar might be the first to do and now that I know that Ion springs are made that may have really sparked my intrest...

 

We'll see...

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I dont remember reading that...

 

Someone bought both from Cusco and had to return the front because it would fit...I can't find the thread right now.

 

I may be wrong but that is what I have read in several threads...everything on the internet is true you know?:lol:

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ah ok, that's the same thing with older 1998-01 Impreza bodies of turbo models having a different subframe than the NA models..

 

so in order for the front sway to fit, my guess is that you will have to change the header piping and get front subframe to work with it.. oh well.. it's ok.. the 2.5i has other things that you can improve on that you dont need an upgraded front sway..

Keefe
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coilovers are much better and will have a way more dramatic affect on the car.. after all, it's the most active part of the suspension ;)

 

Is there any aftermarket support with adjustable struts (something like they KYB GR2's for the Impreza wagons) for the Legacy 2.5i wagon? Coilovers are convenient, but are pricey. It'd be nice to know there are easy opportunities for matching springs and struts to these cars.

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As posted elsewhere - KYB is "researching" GR-2's, and Koni may have some inserts.

Someday.

06LOB2.5i MT, JDMRSB, GYTTs, HPS, LGT Mufflers & Leather Wheel, SubiMomo Knob, Inalfa Moonroof, Clutch Switch Bypass, DeDRLd, DeChimed, & Straight Headrest.
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well, how long does it take to rebuild a shock? if my car is going to be down for a week while they rebuild the shocks/struts, that's a huge PITA. personally, I don't need all of the adjustability one can get from a coilover (i don't want to deal with it either). all i want is a drop in ride height and an increase in firmness. i'll get the system setup (kyb agx's) and leave it at there for as long as they last or as long as i own the car.
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^ rebuilds take about 2 to 3 days, but (give it a week for shipping back and forth)..

 

As far as how often the rebuilds are, that can vary from car to car and how the driving conditions were for the coilovers.. my brother on his WRX is crazy enough to go past 60,000 miles and hasn't done a rebuilt yet.. it's not leaking or anything, but we know the fluids in there are pretty much worn out. I usually keep my stock parts just for rebuilds, so I can have something to drive on while the coilovers are being rebuilt.

 

Sometimes it's amazing to see how people cant tell if they have worn shocks or not (let alone a flat tire or a tire with low pressures).. and some people just drive on the stock shocks that are well beyond it's expected life range and some are leaking. With the new lowering springs, even the aftermarket shocks can wear out without the driver knowing (heck, people with coilovers go beyond the life of the shock and still keep driving on them)... how many people out there even know what a blown shock look or feel like?

 

Some people just use coilovers as their means to have an all-in-one package so that they can have the best ride height and ride quality without having to worry about eating up tires from excessive camber and poor suspension travel from mis-match shocks and springs. These are the things that springs+shocks can't hold a candle to. You can definitely set up a set of coilovers to be on the more conservative side to lengthen its lifespan and still retain a lot of the ride quality, it's all in the matter of adjustment. If you want to just want to "set-it-and-forget-it" you can with coilovers. You can surely treat coilovers as another set of "normal shocks" if you like.. I know I know, you dont need all the adjustments.. well, it's also holds true that we dont AWD either, but it's there.

 

Heck, if you dont want to rebuild coilovers, that's fine, no one goes around replacing 60,000+ mile KYBs or Konis either if they are just looking for looks, Coilovers are really no different than a set of shocks and springs when you really look at its purpose, they both do the same thing, it's how they do it is different... when it comes down to the bottom line, all we care about is how well things perform.

Keefe
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Apologies. I bought mine through the Aussie Bilstein distributor (www.bilstein.com.au) so assumed that the U.S. distributor could sell you the same.

 

I understand that the USDM tophats need to be replaced with JDM tophats, but that's not too hard.

 

Brief hijack to berate damper manufacturers.

 

I have a difficult time believing that Australia has enough of a market to support developing and marketing struts for the LGT by itself if the LGT sales in the U.S. aren't enough. Why do these manufacturers provide a product in a relatively small market like Australia but find themselves unable to provide the same product in the U.S.? Or market Japanse market struts in the U.S. If the product is already developed, what do they lose by supplying to poor little me?

 

Get off your large Duffs damper dudes! I want aftermarket struts for my LGT! :icon_mad:

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I'll preface this by letting you know that this is my first Subaru and my first car. i drove SUVs for most my life. So, I'm not what you would call a tuner, but I do know what I want from my car and generally how it will get there. But I am learing more as time goes on.

 

The one-week down-time could be the killer for me. Like you, I would keep the stock bits, but I would be concerned with putting me putting them while waiting for the coilover to get rebuilt. 1) I've never replaced suspension pieces, my confidence is lacking in doing it correctly, i.e. safely. 2) I'm sure that my alignment from the coilovers would be way off for the stock peices and the handling and safety would be compromised. 3) I just don't have the time to take the coilovers off, put the old stockers on and then repeat the whole process again in a week (then again, maybe 4 hours total to do them in my driveway, could be doable actually with the right tools).

 

As far as knowing when to replace them and their lifespan, i agree with you. Some people do know, many more don't. But that whole topic is for another conversation.

 

The initial set-up would be a major PITA, mostly because I am not well versed in how pre-load, ride height, dampening, and rebound all affect the ride. It would take quite a while to get it set just right. Of course, this is under the assumption that the coilovers come simply assembled (if that) and not set-up with at a "basic" setting. I have seen that many people have had great results with a simple "sport" shock/strut and lowering performance spring combination. I don't think that there is really a universal mis-matched shock spring set-up. Different combinations of springs and shocks will yeild different ride characteristics and the driver's impression of that combination is usually the determing factor if the combination is a mis-match. One man's harsh ride is another's nirvana.

 

As far as looks, that's not my only concern. I think you have me mistaken in that respect. If i was only concerned with looks and not the increase in handling, I would cut my springs and be on my way bouncing merrilly along. But god do I hate the rally gap that I have now. I do want an improvement in looks and handling performance, but as far as what I will sacrifice in one to get the other, I have not decided yet.

 

Overall, coilovers seem a little far and beyond what my car needs and is capable of at the moment, but I know, everyone needs a car that handles regardless of power, but at what price. The upfront cost of coilovers is well, hard to swallow. And for the difference in price upfront and the effort down the line, will I be that much happier with coilovers than with the other option? Who knows.

 

You have made some really good points in regards to coilovers, so I'll have to admit that you have me considering them much more seriously than before. I previously thought coilovers were for the hardcore drivers with a bling complex rather than the spirited drivers with less lofty aspirations like myself, but it looks like that may not be the case. But as you can tell, I haven't fully convinced myself one way or another mainly because the "sport" shocks/struts don't even exist, yet. So, I'll wait it out and see what becomes available and read up on what each can provide me.

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Brief hijack to berate damper manufacturers.

 

I have a difficult time believing that Australia has enough of a market to support developing and marketing struts for the LGT by itself if the LGT sales in the U.S. aren't enough. Why do these manufacturers provide a product in a relatively small market like Australia but find themselves unable to provide the same product in the U.S.? Or market Japanse market struts in the U.S. If the product is already developed, what do they lose by supplying to poor little me?

 

Get off your large Duffs damper dudes! I want aftermarket struts for my LGT! :icon_mad:

 

small country, small volume, but charge a large margin..

 

big country, large volume, but because there's a billion "middle-men" selling and distributing, the margin diminishes for the manufacturer...

 

Also, some products stay "exclusive" to that country to keep its "value" up.. hence "it's JDM Y0!!11!"

Keefe
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