Lowering Subaru Loyale 1992 Sedan

[WhiteAva]

I have a 92 subie loyale sedan and I've seen lift kits for my car, but no coil overs designed just for this car? wondering if anyone knew any other vehicles that have the same type of suspension/coilovers as the loyale, because I've been looking all around and hearing so much stuff so I would just like  a good idea of what i need to buy and do.

 

Thanks!

[DaveT]

Lowering a loyale is exceedingly rare. Like one other time in years have I seen a post about it. There are some threads about using different springs to stiffen and or raise ride height. I suppose you could make different cuts to drop it some.

[Numbchux]

No full coilovers that were designed for the loyale, nor any that I know of that will work bolt in place of the stock loyale stuff.

 

The rear is easy. The shocks are very simple coil-over style shocks, with 2.5" ID springs (which are very common for coilovers), so you can get any length and spring rate you like. But the fronts are a different animal.

 

 

 

Coilover sleeves are very generic, and have been used dozens of times. You can get crazy cheap generic ones on ebay for pretty cheap, you can get much nicer ones like those from www.ground-control.com

 

Here's my old Loyale, still 4-lug, with some of those generic ebay sleeves on it (listed for an Impreza, but they didn't fit that very well either).

 

Car looked awesome, but drove like crap. Spring rates were 2.5-3x stiffer. Just rediculous.

 

Here they are on the rear, while swapping parts over for 5-lug:

 

With those same springs on, after 5-lug swap:

 

 

If you go 5-lug, you can use front struts for almost any EJ-chassis (back to the 1990 Legacy, and 1993 Impreza), which opens up your options considerably. 2000+ Legacies, and 2008+ Imprezas went to a coilover shock in the rear that's somewhat similar to the EA82. So full coilover setups for those can be made to work with some creativity for the rear mount (Tein Flex has been done a few times, IIRC WJM did Megan Racing, and I've seen BC).

 

I also documented that NB chassis Miata rear shocks were a bolt-in, shorter replacement for the EA82 shock, and several better options available. These use a different style spring perch, so must be used with coilover sleeves

 

This is actually a test-fit using a Miata front shock, with the hardware for an EA82 rear. The Miata rear shocks have a much shorter body:

Edited March 30, 2016 by Numbchux

[WhiteAva]

No full coilovers that were designed for the loyale, nor any that I know of that will work bolt in place of the stock loyale stuff.

 

The rear is easy. The shocks are very simple coil-over style shocks, with 2.5" ID springs (which are very common for coilovers), so you can get any length and spring rate you like. But the fronts are a different animal.

 

 

 

Coilover sleeves are very generic, and have been used dozens of times. You can get crazy cheap generic ones on ebay for pretty cheap, you can get much nicer ones like those from www.ground-control.com

 

Here's my old Loyale, still 4-lug, with some of those generic ebay sleeves on it (listed for an Impreza, but they didn't fit that very well either).

 

Car looked awesome, but drove like crap. Spring rates were 2.5-3x stiffer. Just rediculous.

 

Here they are on the rear, while swapping parts over for 5-lug:

 

With those same springs on, after 5-lug swap:

 

 

If you go 5-lug, you can use front struts for almost any EJ-chassis (back to the 1990 Legacy, and 1993 Impreza), which opens up your options considerably. 2000+ Legacies, and 2008+ Imprezas went to a coilover shock in the rear that's somewhat similar to the EA82. So full coilover setups for those can be made to work with some creativity for the rear mount (Tein Flex has been done a few times, IIRC WJM did Megan Racing, and I've seen BC).

 

I also documented that NB chassis Miata rear shocks were a bolt-in, shorter replacement for the EA82 shock, and several better options available. These use a different style spring perch, so must be used with coilover sleeves

 

This is actually a test-fit using a Miata front shock, with the hardware for an EA82 rear. The Miata rear shocks have a much shorter body:

So is there any way to lower it without the coil overs? Because as you said it drove like crap, and I was talking to my friend today and he was talking about just getting different springs, but my struts are so worn I'd probably rub every bump I hit... so i guess my question is do you think the legacy struts and springs would fit on the loyale? And also, what does it take to change your 4 lug to a 5 lug, I've always wanted to do that to my Loyale because the 4x140 is the HARDEST lug nut pattern to find any rim to.

[WhiteAva]

Oh and what do you mean it drives like crap when you use those coilovers? are they just super stiff?

[maozebong]

no, its coilovers on a stock shock body. do that with any car and it rides like crap due to mismatch in damping/spring rates. 

 

once you convert to a more modern front strut/spindle (wrx/impreza stuff), you can expect a proper ride quality at that height. 

[WhiteAva]

So does anyone have an idea of what struts and springs I will need for my car? My thing is i just want to know what cars have the most similar  match of struts and what not as the loyale, I hear a lot about the legacys but I honestly have no idea.

[mrwalker500]

 

So is there any way to lower it without the coil overs? Because as you said it drove like crap, and I was talking to my friend today and he was talking about just getting different springs, but my struts are so worn I'd probably rub every bump I hit... so i guess my question is do you think the legacy struts and springs would fit on the loyale? And also, what does it take to change your 4 lug to a 5 lug, I've always wanted to do that to my Loyale because the 4x140 is the HARDEST lug nut pattern to find any rim to.

The issue with ea81/82 loyale rears is the mount with perpendicular two bolt bracket, see Numbchux's photo of Miata test fit, but you can adapt struts to fit this, they just need to be shorter and have correct spring rate/ damping. I am trying to work this out myself for a brat/ brumby.

The key to a 5 lug swap is go EJ hubs/ suspension in the front and xt6 in the rear or use adapters plates.

Edited April 30, 2016 by mrwalker500