5th Gen Legacy - Suspension Mods

[Humble Rumble]

Part numbers are correct for the 2013+ 3.6R FSB and 2015+ WRX RSB.

 

Get the front 23mm, and no I don't believe it comes with the bushings. Might as well change the brackets too while at it:

1x http://www.quirkparts.com/oe-subaru/20401aj08a

2x http://www.quirkparts.com/oe-subaru/20416aj001

2x http://www.quirkparts.com/oe-subaru/20414aj10a

 

Good call on the 2015+ WRX 20mm RSB

It fits perfectly and its 20mm, a vast improvement over the stock 2010-2014 RSB (16mm regardless of pre or post face-lift).

 

1x http://www.quirkparts.com/oe-subaru/20451va000

2x http://www.quirkparts.com/oe-subaru/20414sg000

2x http://www.quirkparts.com/oe-subaru/20416sg000

 

I actually already ordered up the ones I posted earlier this week, and I ordered the matching bushings as well. Isn't the 23 mm front one smaller than what comes on the 2012 3.6? I was under the impression it comes with a 24 mm front bar.

 

Either way, if it doesn't fit, I got it at a pretty decent discount and could probably offload it somewhere else relatively easily as well. At least I'll have the rear in there in the meantime!

[Perscitus]

Slight typo - the 2013+ H6 FSB is 26mm actually (its been too many years since I installed it).

 

Both will fit like a glove. You might want to consider some better end-links to complement these sways at some point. The stock rear end-links will not be too happy with the 20mm RSB.

 

Best bet for the 3.6R are the Rallitek 2015+ WRX Front end-links (correct M12 bolts like on the 3.6R and unlike most Subarus which use M10s) and SuperPro BRZ Rear end-links (great build quality, no noise, no clunking, OEM+).

[Rutchard]

Meh, leave the stock endlinks until they actually break. No sense in throwing money/parts at a problem that doesn't exist yet.

 

If I didn't kill the stock endlinks with a 22mm Whiteline rear bar on the full stiff setting with loads of autox, they can't be that bad.

[KevlarChris007]

So I need new struts... not looking for the lift that you have, but you mentioned the stiffer ride with the 3.6r struts. With that in mind, would I obtain the stiffness improvements by putting my GT coils into a 3.6r (Legacy) strut? Or should I just go 2.5 GT OEM replacement? I live in Maine and our roads suck. So while I want a sporty ride I also wouldn't object to a little bit smoother ride. I guess what I'm asking is what result could I expect with a GT coil in a 3.6r legacy strut? ASAP reply would be awesome. Gotta make a decision on what I want to do by tomorrow...<br />

<br />

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Perscitus]

What year is your 3.6R?

 

If its 2010-2012, then get the 2013+ Shock/Struts.

If its a 2013+ and you still want a bit stiffer - go with Koni inserts.

You might be able to get a pre-made set from some on the forum or one of our vendors.

[fredrik94087]

^^^ he has a gt. he is considering using 3.6r struts with his gt.

 

it would be helpful if people filled in their profile or gave up necessary information.

[GhiaAddict]

Percitus and Fredrik, I see that Percitus above stated that if you had a 10-12 3.6R to get the 13+ shocks. My question is: are the KYB Excel stiffer than the stock 13+ shocks?

[Perscitus]

How would we know? Neither of us had or considered using KYB Excels.

There were some shock specs floating around for the 2013+ but unless you can compare them apples to apples with the KYB Excels, the only way to find out is to try them, or try both. The most likely scenario that would happen is a 2013+ owner who happens to switch to KYB Excels after blowing out stock shocks after racking up some miles or suspension damage.

[GTEASER]

Percitus and Fredrik, I see that Percitus above stated that if you had a 10-12 3.6R to get the 13+ shocks. My question is: are the KYB Excel stiffer than the stock 13+ shocks?

 

We don't know, no one has had both that we know of. What we do know is that the KYB Excel's for the 2010-2012 were advertised as being 15% stiffer than stock AND that the OEM 2013-2014 shocks were changed by Subaru to be 15% stiffer. Since KYB and Subaru are in bed for almost all of Subaru's OEM shock business, my guess is that KYB never made a 15% stiffer 2013-2014 replacement and the "stiffer" 2010-2012 units that KYB was selling as replacements were just the design change that was made for the 2013-2014 OEM shocks.

 

What we DO KNOW is that Koni's are better by a mile.

[Sarang]

My KYB struts for 2013 3.6R did not seem noticeably stiffer. The springs from the 2013 3.6R are stiffer for sure; like the car should have had stock.

If you want sporty, get stiffer springs. If you want it to not handle like a life raft, the 2013 springs should be fine.

[GhiaAddict]

Just looking for a bit firmer ride, so I figure the KYB replacements + 1" drop springs with better spring rates + bigger RSB should tighten it up for my daily needs. Thanks for all the info guys.

[fredrik94087]

do black springs and bilsteins. One and done!

[GhiaAddict]

do black springs and bilsteins. One and done!

 

Cost of Bilsteins and Blacks = $1300 give or take

Cost of KYBs and Blacks = $600-700

 

That's a big price difference. That difference could buy me RSB, SS Brake lines, Steering Lockdown, various bushings. Trust me if I had intentions on tracking the car in any sense I would definitely look into above or even coilovers. I just do 80-100 miles highway driving a day.

[fredrik94087]

the kyb will not provide enough dampening.

 

Years...and I mean years ago when I was new to modding my car, I went with eibachs and kyb. The car was bouncy and the kybs gave out. it wasnt until I got a custom set of bilsteins (welded into donor struts) that the ride was magically improved.

 

I still dont know squat, but I know more than I used to.

[dgoodhue]

I can't say about the KYB's will hold up but before their were any known aftermarket strut options for the 5th Gens Legacys, many owners just added springs while waiting for the Bilsteins to be manufactured. When 10-12 owners started to remove the factory struts, many of them found that the originals were dead with the aftermarket springs (RCE blacks were popular) after only a year or two.

[GTEASER]

Cost of Bilsteins and Blacks = $1300 give or take

Cost of KYBs and Blacks = $600-700

 

That's a big price difference. That difference could buy me RSB, SS Brake lines, Steering Lockdown, various bushings. Trust me if I had intentions on tracking the car in any sense I would definitely look into above or even coilovers. I just do 80-100 miles highway driving a day.

 

Cost of Koni's and Blacks, $900.

 

My H&R springs were only on the car with the stock struts for 2 months. It was deadly scary how under damped those shocks were. I hit a dip on the highway at 80mph and I swear the rear end pogo'ed off the ground. I moved my planned Koni install up 3 months to get them in the car ASAP so I didn't accidentally die.

Edited June 10, 2016 by GTEASER

[Zee199969]

I'm not sure how long the kybs would hold up to stiffer springs. The bilsteins or konis would last longer vs kybs.

[fredrik94087]

So, basically everything you guys just stated.

 

I said bilsteins as One and Done because a LOT of folks are too timid to build the Konis.

 

If I can do it, anyone can do it.

[GhiaAddict]

Does anyone build the Konis and sell them? I may be interested in them if that were the case.

[cww516]

Your friendly neighborhood GTEASER has been known to do a couple sets, paints 'em school bus yellow and everything.

[GhiaAddict]

Anybody heard of Pedders Suspension? Based out of Australia?

[Zee199969]

Your friendly neighborhood GTEASER has been known to do a couple sets, paints 'em school bus yellow and everything.

I've put about 16k miles on my GTEASER built konis and they've been great! Emnotek had the beat prices on the inserts when I was upgrading and their shopping is super quick

[Norm Peterson]

Anybody heard of Pedders Suspension? Based out of Australia?

Yes, but I'm not at all sure what their current status is in the USA. For a while, they were pretty heavily involved with the 5th generation Camaro (that car being based on a chassis developed by GM's Australian subsidiary). That ended rather abruptly and at least one of Pedders' USA principals is off running his own Camaro-oriented business these days.

 

Have you even found a link to any USA operation that displays something other than "HTTP 404 Not Found"?

 

 

Norm

[GTEASER]

Anybody heard of Pedders Suspension? Based out of Australia?

A lot of Forester guys use Pedders because of their wide range of springs with various drop, lift and stiffness.

[GhiaAddict]

My good friend who was formerly in charge of Forge Motorsport US, which is located here in Orlando, Fl. has recently relocated to SoCal in order to run Pedders USA and start to bring more of their products to the USA. They make springs, rear sways, and a variety of bushings. Waiting on him to get back to me with prices, drop amount, and spring rates.