New Suspension install.... WOOT!

[TheSubaruJunkie]

This is an excerpt from my Build Thread on Legacy Central. You can view the entire build thread for my car here: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=35301

 

This is the section I wrote for my suspension that I installed yesterday

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Well. The suspension on this wagon is 170,000 miles old. Not to mention it is a Station wagon and wasnt created for performance. The car's body sway is horrible and bounces alot over bumps.

 

Ive done alot of reading and wasn't sure what to go with. I knew whatever I ended up with, would have to be on the cheap since Im on a budget. Coilovers were out of the question. WRX Takeoffs was a good option, but what worked and what didn't???

 

From what I read, the '02 WRX stuff was supposed to be a near bolt in so I picked up a set of '02 WRX wagon struts and springs for $100. I didn't plan on using the struts, but wanted a complete setup so I could mix & match parts to see what worked. My intentions were to use the WRX springs on a set of KYB GR2's.

 

I picked up a complete set of GR2's for the 4WD Legacy off eBay for $277 shipped. With everything I needed here, I went and tore into it...

 

Before I started, i wanted a before & after picture to tell if the new setup would lower the car any. I didn't have a tape measure, so I had to find something to use as a refference.

 

FRONT:

 

REAR:

 

With the suspension pulled, I set everything next to eachother to use as refference. You can see the 3 setups are near identical.

 

In the picture we have, from left to right: KYB GR2's - STOCK LEGACY - '02 WRX

FRONT:

 

REAR:

 

 

I dismantled the Stock legacy and Stock WRX struts and started fitting parts. The springs fit into the GR2 struts, but the top of the spring is narrower at the top. So you must use the WRX spring perches. I also used the WRX tophat because they are 110,000 miles newer so I figured they would have to be better.

 

In this photo you can see the new strut/spring setup compared to the stock Legacy strut/spring.

 

Installing it was as easy as removing it.

 

The rear was alittle different. After tearing apart the stock Legacy and the WRX struts, I could tell right away the top hats would be different. The WRX top hats are one piece with the spring perch. Ontop of that. The bolt pattern for the WRX tophats is wider than the stock Legacy... so using the WRX tophats would be out of the question.

 

 

 

I placed the WRX spring into the GR2 and found another problem. It appears the bottom of the WRX spring isn't as wide as the stock legacy and didn't fit quite right.

 

So i determined it would be best if I just used all the stock Legacy stuff with the GR2's. However, I liked how the WRX bump stops looked as opposed to the Legacy ones. They were taller, and like the front tophats, where 110,000 miles newer than the Legacys... So I used those instead.

 

Pictured on the left is the WRX bump stop with the Legacy on the right:

 

 

I then assembled everything and installed the strut.

 

So after everything said and done... did the new suspension lower the car any????

 

No. It appears not. If anything, the rear end is slightly taller than before.

FRONT:

 

REAR:

 

 

However the test drive revealed immediatly the improvements over the stock suspension. When pulling out of the garage and driving out of my driveway, i could tell the car was much stiffer. Driving through the gutter at the end of the driveway no longer made the nose of my car bounce up and down.

A few quick 30mph right and left hand turns also convinced me the body roll of the past was long since gone. The WRX springs definatly stiffened the front end a whole lot, and now its time to get my new tires mounted to my 16" RS rims and have the car's alignment done.