ion Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I think I am getting the mod itch. I have been thinking of upgrading my suspension in 05 LGT, but not sure where I should start - and which I will get the most bang for the buck. Here is what I was looking at: STi Strut Bar - $330 (buy through subaru) Cusco Strut Bar - $180 (but through cobbtuning.com) Tubular Sway Bars - $ n/a (buy through cobbtuning.com - not out yet) STi Pink Springs - $400 (buy through racecompengineering.com) The STi Strut Bar looks nice (better than the Cusco one) but also seems expensive. I just want to firm up the suspension when I push it hard and try to stop some of the body roll. But I would still like to keep some of that nice comfy ride (if that makes sense). Anyway - I trust you all (and this site). I have read so many informative reviews, so I figured I would get your advice. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwood Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 most people will probably tell you that the strut bar is least bang for the buck and might not be worth it at all. start with the sway, and then if you have the money and don't mind a harder ride, go to the pinks (and you may want to consider matching them with JDM GT or spec B bilstein struts). I have pinks and the JDM rear sway and I recommend them. getting out of the legacy game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *Jedimaster* Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 A rear strutbar in a wagon helps a lot- not sure if they have them for this generation yet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanoswrx Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 You can probably find the STI Strut Bar cheaper if you find a hookup at a dealer, check nasioc for people in your area. Thats what I did, I can't say how much I paid but lets just say it was cheaper then the Cusco. I also got the JDM Bilstein Strut and Spring take off's and love them, they really help with the handling of the car. I think next I will go for some sway bars, probably cusco. Then if I still think I need more I will throw some pink springs on the JDM Bilstein Struts. One big advantage of going with some take off suspension from japan is, you don't have to take apart and rebuild your suspension, which makes for a very easy and quick install. If you are just putting springs on your struts you pretty much need an impact wrench and spring compressors, which kick up the difficulty meter another level I think for most people, and takes more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmad Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 kanoswrx, where can one get JDM Bilstein strut and spring take-offs? I agree that replacing the springs and struts in one shot is a better way to go, i am doing that for my forester. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I think I am getting the mod itch. I have been thinking of upgrading my suspension in 05 LGT, but not sure where I should start - and which I will get the most bang for the buck. Here is what I was looking at: STi Strut Bar - $330 (buy through subaru) Cusco Strut Bar - $180 (but through cobbtuning.com) Tubular Sway Bars - $ n/a (buy through cobbtuning.com - not out yet) STi Pink Springs - $400 (buy through racecompengineering.com) The STi Strut Bar looks nice (better than the Cusco one) but also seems expensive. I just want to firm up the suspension when I push it hard and try to stop some of the body roll. But I would still like to keep some of that nice comfy ride (if that makes sense). Anyway - I trust you all (and this site). I have read so many informative reviews, so I figured I would get your advice. Thanks! (play volleyball eh? I use to play for club.. A and AA).. Anyways, Sway bars are far more effective on the car than strut bars. I am not sure if you want hollow or solid sways, but depending on the material and construction, a solid may perform better and experience less flex, but the trade off is the weight (if you are actually looking to save about 4 lbs max. The springs are a good addition. The money you spend on the strut bars ($330 + $180 + installation fees of around $50 or so) is more than good enough to get you a set of better tires instead. It's REALLY WAY better to spend that money on tires than strut bars. So with a budget of $560+ on tires, you can find some really decent tires (think more in the lines of $600 to $650 for really great all-seasons or summer performance tires). Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanoswrx Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I got my suspension from JDMPartstx.com they were great to deal with, although I originally intended to get the Spec B suspension but instead they got the JDM 2.0 GT Bilstein's. I decided to just put them on anyway, and have been really happy with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ion Posted March 4, 2005 Author Share Posted March 4, 2005 Thanks for all the help guys! To answer some of the questions - I was thinking of going with sways first - then tires, and then maybe the front strut. For the tires, I like the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S - and I was thinking of bumping up to 18" rims. I am still a little worried about long term affects of putting STi pinks on the car with stock shocks, etc.. Oh yeah - and I can not forget about some ECU tuning - which might have to happen sooner than later... (xenonk - love playing volleyball - have to represent the underdog sport. I try to play as much as I can. My buddy plays in usav, divsion A) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwood Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I think the only real long-term effect to be concerned about with pinks and stock shocks is that the shocks will wear out faster. There's some additional stress placed on other suspension components/bushings and the like, but just for me, nothing I am worried about as far as damage goes. having said that, if i were doing it again, I wd do the springs and struts/shocks together. How wd a rear strut bar in an LGT wagon work? am i right thinking that the one in the Z basically impedes access/pass through in the trunk area? I can see why they convey handling benefits for a wagon, but they seem sort of contrary to the whole reason for getting a wagon (IMHO) - the ability to place large objects in the back without worry of obstructions.... getting out of the legacy game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Thanks for all the help guys! To answer some of the questions - I was thinking of going with sways first - then tires, and then maybe the front strut. For the tires, I like the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S - and I was thinking of bumping up to 18" rims. I am still a little worried about long term affects of putting STi pinks on the car with stock shocks, etc.. Oh yeah - and I can not forget about some ECU tuning - which might have to happen sooner than later... (xenonk - love playing volleyball - have to represent the underdog sport. I try to play as much as I can. My buddy plays in usav, divsion A) If you are thinking of the Neros M&S, you might consider the Toyo Proxes4 which gives a better feel for performance, but not as quiet. It's probably cheaper too. (do you play outside hitter or middle? I am too short [5'-8"] for the Penn State Club team back then so I ended up doing pick up games for Maryland back in the day as setter and opposite.. I guess it helps to have a 30"+ vertical ) Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 How wd a rear strut bar in an LGT wagon work? am i right thinking that the one in the Z basically impedes access/pass through in the trunk area? I can see why they convey handling benefits for a wagon, but they seem sort of contrary to the whole reason for getting a wagon (IMHO) - the ability to place large objects in the back without worry of obstructions.... Actually, the GTs rear suspension isn't "towering" like the Impreza. The shocks end at the base of the trunk floor.. so you'll have this metal bar across where the bottom back of the back seat meets the hatch's floor. It wont really get in the way of anything unless you have something really heavy laying on top of the bar which could warp it on a long drive. Keefe. Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwood Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 aha, thanks for the clarification Keefe. getting out of the legacy game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ion Posted March 5, 2005 Author Share Posted March 5, 2005 Yeah the struts in the Z are very nice, but pretty much kill space back in the trunk area. I used to get pretty creative when I had to put stuff back there. But now I have a nice huge truck with a back seat! I will have to check out the Toyo Proxes4. I think the Pirelli are about $115 a tire at tirerack.com. I live in the MD area - might just have to go over to the Columbia area where Racecompenginering is and check out their stuff/prices - maybe get a ride from a LGT with the pinks, etc. (Keefe - Play outside hitter, but trying middle, and liking it more. Just hard to get the timing right with the quick middle sets. Also love playing defense, blocking, digging, etc. Going to watch my buddy play in usav today down in Baltimore. Should be fun) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Actually, the GTs rear suspension isn't "towering" like the Impreza. The shocks end at the base of the trunk floor.. so you'll have this metal bar across where the bottom back of the back seat meets the hatch's floor. It wont really get in the way of anything unless you have something really heavy laying on top of the bar which could warp it on a long drive. Keefe. I've been in the back area of my wagon, underneath the carpet panel. A strut tower bar, if anyone even makes one for the wagon, would be useless and immensely impractical. When you look at the rear underside of the car, its multilink suspension setup, coupled with the extremely short strut/spring combo and its method of attachment, all support this argument. Basically, as has been noted, the Legacy has a very different strut setup than the Impreza wagon. It should also be noted that even on my WRX wagon, a rear strut brace made little to no difference. On a Legacy wagon, you would have this bar spanning the cargo bay, in a very awkward spot. IIRC, the strut mounts are also slightly below the actual cargo bay level, once the covers, etc are in the car, so anyone designing one would have to make sure that it bent upward. That would be complex, I would think. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.