Suspension noob looking to upgrade stock WRX

[WRXD]

Ive done enough power modification for a while but I am looking to upgrade the suspension of my WRX. However, I have no idea where to start other than, from what I have researched:

1. Strut tower bars dont really do anything
2. I should start off with front/rear swaybars and front/rear swaybar endlinks

is this correct? Someone please help..or at least suggest where I should start.

[WrxJC]

I would def suggest to start with front and rear sway bars. I always suggest perrin bc of the ease of install/adjustment. This is the only suspension mod i have done to my car and it makes a world of a difference. I've had people drive my car who had slammed cars and they think the sway bars do more than lowering it. SO, you're headed in the right direction IMO.

[TROLL]

i'd say just get a rear swaybar and endlinks... keep the stock fronts for now.
another huge 'suspension' mod is tires (and possibly wheels too). if you can swing it, get 17" wheels with summer tires and keep your stockers for the winter. there are HUGE improvements to be had by doing that. you could also just put some slightly wider summer tires on your stock wheels for the summer which will also yield very good improvements.
springs offer minimal handling improvements but are popular because they also improve looks. combine them with some KYB adjustable struts and then you'll be onto something...

[WRXD]

I was interested in doing springs, and rear swaybar/endlinks for now and then when spring rolls around, put some 225/50/R16 tires on my stock wheels. what do you think??

[TROLL]

sounds good... i was actually just talking to someone with tires in those size... falken 451s... if its something you'd be ready to buy now let me know and i can get you in touch with him
bryan

[wrx_snobordr]

I have the 225/50/16 toyo proxes 4's. They are a great tire, they made a HUGE difference over the stock pizza cutters. They are all seasons but geared more towards performance, good for if you arent looking into switching wheels and tires every 6 months. I started out with those tires perrin rear end links and a progress rear sway bar. the progress is made by perrin and is exactly the same, just cheaper. I now have the kyb agx's and love them. If your going to get springs and want them for handling get something that is not progressive, i started off with tein s-techs and im now switching them to the prodrives and getting group-n tops.

[WRXD]

maybe you should explain to me what 'progressive' is cause that went way over my head. Ive heard the term thrown around but im not sure what it actually its. Springs ive been looking at are--prodrive (lots of $$$$ and dont drop much) progress( cheap, drop a lot) Cobb (good from what I hear) and Eibach prokit ( good middle of the road spring from what I hear), crucial racing springs (the same as STi pinks but lower and cheaper)

[xEJ20x]

GNV Motorsports has quite a good rear swaybars and endlinks selection. :thumbup:
I bought my Cusco rear sway from them.

[WRXD]

why are STi replica strut tower braces so cheap..and others are so expensive?? and what are progressive rate springs???

[xEJ20x]

why are STi replica strut tower braces so cheap..and others are so expensive??

It's like designer jeans for cars.
You pay more for name brands, and less for replicas.

[wrx_snobordr]

why are STi replica strut tower braces so cheap..and others are so expensive?? and what are progressive rate springs???

Progressive rate springs are designed so that initially the spring is soft, then as it compresses it stiffens up. This makes daily driving less harsh but still allows you to have an ok handling car. When looking into springs you need to think about a few things. 1 do you want style points or handling. The lower you make a wrx the ****tier it handles because you put the rest of the suspension components out of their effective range. 2 if you are going for stiffer springs you will need to upgrade your struts. If the spring is too stiff the stock strut wont have the ability to correctly dampen. a popular combination is the either the prodrives or the eibachs with a set of kyb's.

[WRXD]

so if I want to keep my stock struts for now...what do you think?

[TROLL]

eibach is progressive, prodrive is linear. i think the prodrives are a great spring, and many are happy with the tein h-techs also... the sti pink lowering springs are also a nice spring but stiffer than the two aforementioned choices.
any of those will work fine with stock struts for now. if you are serious about improving your suspension you will want to look into KYB adjustable struts or something comparable down the road though.
for now i think you're on the right track though. and like what was said above, there are many all season tires that will greatly outperform your stock ones so thats an option as well. if you want all out performance you'll have to go with a summer tire, but of course then you'll also need a set of tires to use in the winter months.
bryan

[cravej]

The front & rear swaybars & tires have made the most impressive improvements in my car. I'm still using the stock endlinks w/ a 24mm rear bar. I broke an aftermarket steel link (whiteline's old weaker design), went back to the stock plastic ones & they have held up fine for the past year of autocrossing. :confused:

Be careful learning the new limits with a larger rear swaybar. My car tends to oversteer when I lift off the throttle while cornering somewhat hard. You gotta be ready to catch that with a little counter steer and/or throttle, because it comes fast. :wink: Especially when it's a little wet out.

If I wasn't so dedicated to autocrossing, I would probably get an ALK (anti-lift kit) to help put power down coming out of a corner. The ALK changes what class I run in, so that's not an option for me.

[~Brian~]

I have the 225/50/16 toyo proxes 4's. They are a great tire, they made a HUGE difference over the stock pizza cutters. They are all seasons but geared more towards performance, good for if you arent looking into switching wheels and tires every 6 months. I started out with those tires perrin rear end links and a progress rear sway bar. the progress is made by perrin and is exactly the same, just cheaper. I now have the kyb agx's and love them. If your going to get springs and want them for handling get something that is not progressive, i started off with tein s-techs and im now switching them to the prodrives and getting group-n tops.


I have the exact same tires. They are awesome! I highly recommend them.

[WrxJC]

good point about under/over steer. When i put the rear on my car it was like driving a different car, u have to adjust your turning with the new bar. BUT when I put the front on i counteracted the understeer from the rear by adjusting the front. Now, I've heard that there's a particular way to adjust, but i was looking for daily driving improvment, not autoX or anything. So, you do have to be CAREFUL when you first put them on and then adjust to your liking. :)

[WRXD]

just as an update---

I just ordered the perrin rear swaybar and endlinks combo--

and shortly my tax refund will be going to a set of Prodrive springs...whatcha think??

[~Brian~]

I am gonna get a Perrin rear swaybar, but I am not sure what size to get- 22mm or 24mm. Could somebody please explain the difference between the two?

[dubrx]

I am gonna get a Perrin rear swaybar, but I am not sure what size to get- 22mm or 24mm. Could somebody please explain the difference between the two?

Actually its one bar, but its adjustable between the two different settings.

If you dial it up to 24, you'll feel a bit more oversteer in the car. It really depends on your driving style. If you like the front wheels to grab when you mash the gas pedal in a turn you may want to go with the softer setting. Its real easy to switch between the two different settings so you can adjust and see which feels better to ya.

[cravej]

Whiteline sells a couple different sizes. Like a 22mm adjustable, 24mm adjustable, and I think a 26mm. If you are planning on keeping your stock front swaybar, then you probably don't want the larger rear.

[~Brian~]

I think I'm gonna stick with 22mm for the front and back. 24mm may be a bit too tight for me, as this is just a daily driver. Or I could always just get the 24mm and adjust it to what I will be doing that day....

[wrx_snobordr]

just as an update---

I just ordered the perrin rear swaybar and endlinks combo--

and shortly my tax refund will be going to a set of Prodrive springs...whatcha think??


I think you wont be dissapointed. I just had my prodrive springs and rear group-n strut tops installed today by precision tuning and i love them. You will have almost the exact same setup as me sans wider tires and the KYB's but youll love the performance improvements. I would recommend investing in some rear camber bolts. They will give you the ability to tune more to your liking instead of being forced into an understeer monster.

[MuddyREX]

I would recommend investing in some rear camber bolts. They will give you the ability to tune more to your liking instead of being forced into an understeer monster.

Hmmmmm. I have a Perrin rear sway, stock endlinks, and 04 STi takeoff strut/springs but my car isn't an understeer monster. You just have to know how to "throw it around." Rapid inputs baby!!

[wrx_snobordr]

yeah, it could be my driving technique. I found that anytime i entered a corner with a bit of speed, even if on the gas, the car just didnt want to turn, it would constantly be pushing the front end. I tried different tire pressures in front and back tires and it helped somewhat but with the extra camber i gained from the s-techs the rear just had more bite. I havent gotten to give the prodrives a real go just some spirited onramp driving but they feel much more neutral combined with the camber bolts.

[WRXD]

Hmmmmm. I have a Perrin rear sway, stock endlinks, and 04 STi takeoff strut/sprins but my car isn't an understeer monster. You just have to know how to "throw it around." Rapid inputs baby!!

maybe when I get my setup--you can show me how to 'throw it around' without me killing myself--

also, I am gonna go wider on the tires this spring. I plan on doing some max performance summer tires in 225/50/R16 (the widest the stock wheels can take)

[WRXD]

woot

www.tristatetuners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10803

[Honest_Bob]

I've been doing some research on suspension for my wrx and came across a thread about cowl braces on nasioc, they are relativly cheap ($95?) and supposedly help out a considerable amount.
http://turninconcepts.com/product_info.php?products_id=56

Check them out, if anything they are lighter than the stock ones.

[Jlb725]

Sounds like a good setup so far, next save some money up and head to a driving school to fine tune the skills.

[WRXD]

Sounds like a good setup so far, next save some money up and head to a driving school to fine tune the skills.
I have been considering this...maybe after I decided that I am finished modding my car...

who knows if that will ever happen

[Jlb725]

If not a school, try a Auto-X event or a HPDE at a near by track such as Pocono Raceway.