Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

Adding trunk weight should I upgrade the Springs?


f85stealth

Recommended Posts

I am adding about 250-300lbs of audio gear :) and was wondering before I put it in should I upgrade the Spec B springs to maybe some Pinks?

 

I heard somewhere the pinks have a higher weight limit and I do have quite a bit of ass saggin when i give it some gas even without the subs.

 

Whats everyone think?

 

P.S. Not trying to lower the car at all (I know the Subs will do it) but if its a small amount due to the new springs I will live with it.

 

Oh and I will never AutoX so don't take this into account. I would like to get on a 1/4 mile track once and a blue moon but I haven't been since I owned the car (2 years now)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha who cares about trunk space. Do you buy a Ferrari and say where's my trunk space?

 

 

Anyone have any feedback on my original post?

 

 

Sorry, you're quite delusional. Your car ain't a Ferrari... :p

 

You might as well switch to better springs, especially if you drive spirited.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, you absolutely need to stiffen your springs! Think about it like this: The average aftermarket lowering spring has a spring rate of around 250-300 lbft/inch. Let's say the stock spring rate is somewhere closer to, if not below, 200... you're going to be dropping like 1.5inches simply from all of the weight in your trunk, not to mention you'll have lost 1.5 inches of suspension travel before even moving the car. You'll be driving ont he bump stops if you hit even the most minor bumps.

 

The car is going to get lower no matter what you do, but it makes more sense to put on a set of springs that will prevent your suspension from travelling to the bump stops simply from the weight of your audio gear. Honestly if it was my car I would be upgrading the shocks and springs so that I'd still have some suspension travel and be able to keep the back end from drooping and still have decent handling all around.

 

At least with springs, you'd only drop 1 inch, and then the shocks get involved... eh stock shocks, if you're really luck you'll only drop the backend .5" or so on stock shocks (that's in addition to how much the springs lower it) If you really don't want to drop the car you could always order a custom set of springs that have a longer free length and would drop the car less.

 

on the bright side all that weight hanging over the rear axle at least it'll tend a little bit more towards oversteer... of course any weight out over an axle ultimately does make it handle worse, but still....

 

Anyway, I hope that helps.

 

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, you absolutely need to stiffen your springs! Think about it like this: The average aftermarket lowering spring has a spring rate of around 250-300 lbft/inch. Let's say the stock spring rate is somewhere closer to, if not below, 200... you're going to be dropping like 1.5inches simply from all of the weight in your trunk, not to mention you'll have lost 1.5 inches of suspension travel before even moving the car. You'll be driving ont he bump stops if you hit even the most minor bumps.

 

The car is going to get lower no matter what you do, but it makes more sense to put on a set of springs that will prevent your suspension from travelling to the bump stops simply from the weight of your audio gear. Honestly if it was my car I would be upgrading the shocks and springs so that I'd still have some suspension travel and be able to keep the back end from drooping and still have decent handling all around.

 

At least with springs, you'd only drop 1 inch, and then the shocks get involved... eh stock shocks, if you're really luck you'll only drop the backend .5" or so on stock shocks (that's in addition to how much the springs lower it) If you really don't want to drop the car you could always order a custom set of springs that have a longer free length and would drop the car less.

 

on the bright side all that weight hanging over the rear axle at least it'll tend a little bit more towards oversteer... of course any weight out over an axle ultimately does make it handle worse, but still....

 

Anyway, I hope that helps.

 

Andy

 

 

thanks for at least offering help. The subs are in already and it sure wouldn't be any fun to do those shocks now haha.

 

My main concern about aftermarket shocks is they (typicaly) drop the car before even adding weight so I was afraid they would just make it worse then the stock ones.

 

unless I go with the custom shock route like you had mentioned.

 

I think the subs ended up dropping the rear an inch which actually looks pretty good but another concern was when I give it gas it always dropped quite abit like a scowlded dog.

 

Oh and the front is a bit high compared to the rear now. hmmm Looks like I might get some custom shocks for my bilsteins......I think it will have to wait. For one I am not wanting to tear apart everything I did so soon and two its time for an ACT street clutch which is a bit more important

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the nose probably is high, and your car's handling is pretty off. The subs dropping it about an inch sounds right. The issue for you right now isn't so much the lowering effect as it is that you have no suspension travel, with that in mind the shocks/springs are going to become an issue soon as you'll probably blow the rear shocks soon enough from riding on the bump stops. If you like the 1" dropped look, then why not drop the car 1" but have a stiff enough suspension that it doesn't sag and you still have some suspension travel.

 

Do yourself a favor and don't get an ACT clutch, those things are terrible and I can't tell you how many people I've replaced them for who write glowing letters thanking us for convincing them to get rid of their ACT clutch. SPT makes a great one as does Centerforce.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the nose probably is high, and your car's handling is pretty off. The subs dropping it about an inch sounds right. The issue for you right now isn't so much the lowering effect as it is that you have no suspension travel, with that in mind the shocks/springs are going to become an issue soon as you'll probably blow the rear shocks soon enough from riding on the bump stops. If you like the 1" dropped look, then why not drop the car 1" but have a stiff enough suspension that it doesn't sag and you still have some suspension travel.

 

Do yourself a favor and don't get an ACT clutch, those things are terrible and I can't tell you how many people I've replaced them for who write glowing letters thanking us for convincing them to get rid of their ACT clutch. SPT makes a great one as does Centerforce.

 

 

Hmm I have heard nuthing but good things about ACT you are probably the first to mention not liking it.

 

I never heard of the SPT or Centerforce clutches for the legacy either. I only knew of the Spec clutches, ACT and Bullydog.

 

I don't think the car is actually on the bump stops I will check it out tomorrow.

 

What suspension could I get that wouldn't lower the vehicle anymore then the inch but still have good performance with my additional weight?

 

This is a daily sriver so I don't want anythign too stiff.

 

The one positive out of all this if I look at the glass half full is the car rides alot smoother with the additional weight on the rear end. It's probably cause of the shitty stock clutch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe you can get some of the stiffer JDM springs that don't lower your car. I have KW V.2 coil over and they have 7k springs and the compress some when the car is fully loaded. You may have to mix spring like some have. Putt stiffer in the back to handle the extra weight. Like you do on trucks.

 

OT: Where can we get more info on the centerforce and spt cluthes. Do they fit 5mt? Thanks

Racer X FMIC for '05-'09 LGTs, '08+ WRX and '10+ LGT,'14+ FXT, and '15+ WRX TMIC Racerxengineering.com
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use