[DaveSTi]

Disclaimer: This is long, but I want to get in-depth on my journey to suspension nirvana.

I've had three different suspension setups on my car since buying it brand new in October 2005 with my very first salaried paycheck out of college. I spent over a year trying to find the perfect performance car. Once I saw the STi my buddy bought in person, my mind was made up and I was in the showroom putting the deposit down the very next day.

I loved the car stock, but like everyone with these cars, you just want more after awhile. I played with Cusco swaybars. Fun, but I then read about how running BIG "new jersey turnpike guardrail" bars was the real ticket to suspension nirvana and I took the plunge. Whiteline 27-29mm front swaybars and Whiteline 24-26mm rear swaybars were ordered. Also, at the time, lowering springs were the other "solution" to the bobblehead on stock struts. JDM Pinks were the standard, but Swifts were cheaper and recommended.

This setup with a pair of front crash bolts...I mean Whiteline camber bolts (please don't buy these if you live in a region that uses salt in the winter) was rough riding over the roads around here due to complete lack of bump travel. I autocrossed for a summer with this setup and RE070s. It understeered but the turn-in response was awesome so I felt fast.

After a year of this, I couldn't take the ride quality anymore and played a game of Russian Roulette and bought BC Racing coilovers. The ride quality improved, but over the next year and a few more autocrosses, I wanted more. More=better ride quality and better quality.

After promising the lads at RCE that I owed them a T2 coilover purchase, I followed through with my promise and bought them in the default 500/400 rates with Vorshlag (GT WORX) camber plates. I kept the front bar at its 29mm setting that had served me through the previous two suspension setups, too. The ride quality I dreamed of was now possible with the T2s. More on this later.

This combination of 500/29mm was too much and the car understeered terribly even when playing through the "twiSTies" on my PS2 street tires. I bumped the bar down to 27mm and while it helped, I still had this twitchy front end that had less traction than the rear. After an autocross experience that had me putting the car in full open rear and steering with my right foot, I decided that maybe a change was in order.

I spoke with Myles a lot in that first month or two after buying the T2s. As soon as I found out that they were releasing swaybars, I wanted a set...but didn't pull the trigger until I saw r12rex's review thread. (Thanks man).

Ryan installed the rear RCE swaybar about a month and a half ago and set it at 25.5mm. Paired with the 27mm Whiteline, I felt an immediate difference going through turns, the rear of the car was alive again. After another month or two of waiting, I got the front bar installed...tonight. I set it at its softest of 25.5mm to balance the front/rear and to compensate for the 500lbs front springs. I'm glad I did.

The twitchiness of the big bar up front is gone and so has some of the turn-in response. I have to turn the steering wheel a little bit more now than I used to, BUT...the car is now so so so much easier to drive quickly. I could be a lot smoother with my inputs since the car isn't juiced up and reacting immediately. I found myself taking the usual turns on my country road "test track" a good 4-5 mph higher without blinking, it was that much easier to drive fast. One word describes the car now... BALANCED. The rear end is involved in the turn now and the car feels more like a nice RWD than it ever has before. I can use the throttle to pull the line in a little bit tighter and I don't feel the front losing traction quite like it used to over bumps.

These swaybars are perfect for my tastes. The Cuscos were too small and wimpy at higher speeds, the Whitelines were overkill and quite frankly, piss poor quality with the amount of rust they developed. The RCEs are perfect.

I know that I've made a thread about the T2s before, but until I combined them with the RCE swaybars, I wasn't 150% sold. I was like 110% sold on them being the absolute sh1t for lack of a more scientific term. There is nothing like being able to change how the car feels on a daily basis over any stretch of road by changing which stroke of the damper you feel needs the change. I have been able to go from an almost JDM-monster feel of high rebound and stiff, stiff riding to something so damn soft yet CONTROLLED that it reminds me of a typical Audi/BMW. Right now, I'm running 17 clicks from full stiff rebound at all four corners and combined with 18" wheels and Dunlop tires, its dare I say comfy? Imagine that with these kind of spring rates! Throw in the stainless steel construction that won't rust like anything made by Whiteline short of their bushings, very adequate bump travel, very good droop travel that prevents me from 3 wheeling it without a crazy incline, the customer support of someone as knowledgeable as Myles, and um...could it get better outside of hitting the lottery and having your choice in women?

I plan on going through some autocrosses this summer, including the evolution school. I also plan on an HPDE to get my feet wet there too. In the meantime, I believe that I've found suspension nirvana.

Thank you Myles for building a true system here. The T2s and your swaybars have made me love my car more than I thought possible.

Cliff Notes: Buy RCE suspension, it will make you love your car more than you thought possible.

el fin.