ScoopMan Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Read this carefully (you probably already heve!) http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61108 If I were you I would DEFINITELY replace both your shocks and springs at the same time. The stock shocks are truly LAME. Also, if you use lowering springs, apparently the life of the stock shock becomes very short! Then you will say 'OK, I guess I will get those Bilsteins now!' But guess what? The new front springs that work on the stockers will create issues with the Bilsteins, because the top hats are different. So you will end up getting different springs, AGAIN..... Not to mention the hassle (and cost) factor of doing it twice! If you want a minimal drop, go with Pinks and Billies FTW! Or do what I did, try to get the complete assembled JDM shock and spring assembly, no drop, low cost, plug and play, awesome difference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 OK, two questions then. 1) What are everyones thoughts on how long the stock struts will last with just aftermarket springs - currently at 37K stock. 2) what springs? I do not care about the drop, looks like I want something with a high spring rate. thanks, Mike 1. Not long. Judging from feedback from my customers, I'd say about 15-20K miles. Could be longer, could be shorter. A lot depends on how you drive and the quality of the roads in your area. If you are interested in a more complete solution and are not interested in lowering your car, the Megan Racing Outback spec coilovers might be a very good option for you. For about the price of a full set of replacement fixed perch struts and quality springs, you'll have a complete setup of matched springs and dampers. The OB coilovers when installed on an LGT do not allow for lowering, but offer a compliant ride that while firmer than stock is still very comfortable. They will definitely give you a degree of body control and overall handling that is vastly beyond the stock suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted September 25, 2007 Author Share Posted September 25, 2007 Coilover install difficulty from 1-10? Difficulty compared to UP/DP? If a slight drop were an option, I would take it, thus I would buy sedan coilovers over Outback specific. Just need to drive slower up our babysitters driveway! (scrapes now). Min drop is around 1/2" correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoopMan Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 MR coilovers seem like an awesome deal. Plug and play, just need to have an alignment done afterwards. Never done the up/down, but Boost sure has! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 Never done UP/DP, but I am sure suspension swap is 5x easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 Coilover install difficulty from 1-10? Difficulty compared to UP/DP? If a slight drop were an option, I would take it, thus I would buy sedan coilovers over Outback specific. Just need to drive slower up our babysitters driveway! (scrapes now). Min drop is around 1/2" correct? I'd put a coilover install at 4.5 on a scale of 1-10. UP/DP I'd put at 6 on the same scale. It's really not a tough task at all. Especially for those who have done it a couple times. The LGT spec coilovers will drop the car a tiny bit (right about 1/2") at their highest settings. Actually the rear will be that smidge lower, you can get the fronts up to stock height. There is just more adjustment range for the fronts by nature of the design of suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted September 27, 2007 Author Share Posted September 27, 2007 thanks... question now is: What coilovers? Used/new etc.? I will do some research. Boostjunkie's MR's for $950 seems like a good deal, but used may be cheaper. thats a lot of $. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawl Posted September 27, 2007 Share Posted September 27, 2007 if you were to get it installed semi-professionally a strut install is around 240 bucks. YMMV of course, but if you do springs first, then have the struts fail, that's another 480. on my celica (with mac struts up front like the legacy) i had an aggressive drop, springs only. i could feel the difference by 8k miles after. VERY UNPLEASANT, to say the least. if ur going with a strut/spring combination, do both at the same time. car for sale. PM me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaceComp Engineering Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Springs will be an improvement, but the stock LGT struts are very much a limiting factor. Piecing together a good spring + aftermarket strut set-up will give you an improvement that will last, and still give you good ride quality. The coilover option would obviously net the biggest improvement in terms of squat, dive, and body roll. Much more dramatic then just springs, and springs + decent struts. Ride quality with a GOOD coilover will still be great. Key word is good....there are a lot of options out there and many of them will give you great performance, and crappy ride quality. Travel is important, digressive valving matched to the spring rates is important, and quality is important. One of the most popular and proven options is the KW Variant 2 coilovers. Made in Germany, great ride quality, great performance, warranty etc. These are a safe bet. We also just released our own coilover, based on the Variant 2's but with a few improvements. Same great support and warranty. Plus ours area a little cheaper Here is the press release: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1407447#post1407447 - Andrew 410-579-1501 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansGT Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 If you go with coilovers...I'd get a test drive in another members coilover equiped car first or do a lot of research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 1, 2007 Author Share Posted October 1, 2007 I called dibs on these - $600 http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71713 What does everyone think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansGT Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 ^ find out which spring rates they got and how many miles. Then do some reading of reviews in the suspension forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 That guy has yet to reply to my PM. There are some Ksport coilovers in the same price range for sale? I have time and am willing to wait for a good price - $500-$600 for used coilovers. What other options would suit my needs (hate squat) in this "used" price range? I have read so many damn threads about suspension my head now hurts. I really think I want coilovers, my only concerns are possible "clunk" and too harse/NVH issues. Thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTCanada Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 That guy has yet to reply to my PM. There are some Ksport coilovers in the same price range for sale? I have time and am willing to wait for a good price - $500-$600 for used coilovers. What other options would suit my needs (hate squat) in this "used" price range? I have read so many damn threads about suspension my head now hurts. I really think I want coilovers, my only concerns are possible "clunk" and too harse/NVH issues. Thanks guys Do not buy the KSports (especially used ones). http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70734 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 your post : KSport coilovers...I got them cheap because of a group buy. I thought that the height, camber and damping flexibility would be cool. It was for a while but The ride quality wasn't for me even with the optional 6kg springs (8kg were standard). Without the rubber top hat, too much road buzz was transmitted to the cabin and made my dash rattle. Reliability, at least the versions I had, was poor as three of the coilovers had to be rebuilt before i sold them. Cheap coilovers, IMO, are a bad idea. I am sure there are good ones out there but not many actually use the flexibility and there are maintenance considerations particularly if you live where there is winter (salt, sand) Don't the MR's lack "rubber top hats" as well? 6kg and 8kg springs rate? I'm concerned about MR's now... Any maintnance issues with MR's? Is everything stainless, alluminum, or plastic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 The OB MR coilovers reuse the stock rubber isolated top hats. The LGT ones use spherical metal bearings. The stock rubber top hats do add a degree of isolation, but the ride with the LGT spec version is certainly not objectionable. I have sold far more of the MR LGT coilovers than K-Sport has of theirs and I have sent out a total of 3 replacement dampers, all under warranty. Not 3 full sets, just 3 individual dampers. There have been a multiple of that number of K-Sport coilovers that have had issues that required replacement (all on the owners' dime). Just because a couple products happen to cost roughly the same amount does not make them equal... far from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 thanks... I will pass on the K-Sports... Anything else in this range? Tein Basic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 thanks... I will pass on the K-Sports... Anything else in this range? Tein Basic? Basics would be a good option for you as well. I happen to have a set in stock right now. Shoot me a PM if you would like a sweet price quote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 what about GPMoto's - $600 used? http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72775 How do these stack up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 What about this setup? Tokico adjustable struts, HTS006 (Japanese models) - $450 Good condition, mechanically perfect, <15k miles Ion HD springs (LGT-specific) - $200 excellent cond, mechanically perfect, <6k miles. Designed for JDM struts (Tokico or Bilstein) but will work well with USDM tophats. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62726&highlight=Tokico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05LGTLtd Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Basics would be a good option for you as well. I happen to have a set in stock right now. Shoot me a PM if you would like a sweet price quote. I'm running the basics in my wagon. Have been very pleased. Squat/dive greatly reduced and NVH is not that bad. Just enough to feel sporty with out being annoyingly harsh. Real bad roads will make you cringe, but most of the time they are comfortable.. I'd do it again, huge improvement over stock. If you plan to go much more than stage2, and do a lot of launches, you might go with something stiffer/more dampening. Also look at upgrading the front control arm bushing. All I need now is a hill holder and a center passing light... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschmidt Posted October 23, 2007 Author Share Posted October 23, 2007 thanks for the input... So many options (not a bad thing), just trying to figure out what is best for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I'm finding this incredibly useful. By all means, carry on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B. Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I'm finding this incredibly useful. By all means, carry on there is only 1 richard b. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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