"Official" Suspension/Brake Thread

[NYC BRZ]

So I have seen a ton of different info on the stock suspension/brake setup on the twins. I want to create a 1 stop shop for info on the stock BRZ/FRS suspension/brake setup. Also any companies that are working on upgrades please chime in! Hopefully if the mods feel its worthy it can become a sticky.

What I'd like to see:
Stock shock manufacturer
Stock spring manufacturer
Stock spring rates BRZ
Stock spring rates FR-S
Stock brake caliper manufacturer
Stock pad manufacturer

I'll start: Can anyone 100% confirm or deny that the stock calipers/rotors/pads are 2011+ WRX or something different? A lot of magazines seem to think so. If I can order high bite WRX pads day 1 and they'll fit then it makes my life and everyone else who wants to upgrades life easier lol.

[EmilGH]

Great idea for a thread… Wish I had something to contribute. Brake upgrade will certainly be early in my modding.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Since we were lucky enough to have a preproduction car for a little we figured a few things out:

Stock shock manufacturer - Showa non inverted twin tube
Stock spring rates BRZ - 185 lbs/in front and rear
Motion ratio in the rear around 0.75

19mm front sway bar
14mm rear sway bar

Fronts are 2011 WRX pads and rotors. Rears need confirmation (I think Legacy GT though).

6 inches total suspension stroke front (bump + droop).
About 2.5 inch bump travel and 3.5 droop, but that bump travel includes the bumpstop.

shock dyno for BRZ


I have more info coming soon and more things to work on with the car but we are incredibly busy this week and I'm at home now. Will try to post some next weekend.

- Andrew

[Racecomp Engineering]

added rear motion ratio.

[Lonewolf]

Thanks for the helpful information Racecomp. Do you guys need a donor vehicle for R&D?

***Can anyone confirm if the rears pads are from the Legacy GT?

[coyote]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Fronts are 2011 WRX pads and rotors. Rears need confirmation (I think Legacy GT though).

Great news on the front and hopefully the rear too.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

Thanks for the helpful information Racecomp. Do you guys need a donor vehicle for R&D?

***Can anyone confirm if the rears pads are from the Legacy GT?

Myles picked his up this weekend, and we've got a few local peeps who have offered to help if we need them.

We'll try and confirm rear pad fitment but someone will likely beat us to it!

- Andrew

[Ryephile]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Since we were lucky enough to have a preproduction car for a little we figured a few things out:

Stock shock manufacturer - Showa non inverted twin tube
Stock spring rates BRZ - 185 lbs/in front and rear
Motion ratio in the rear around 0.75

19mm front sway bar
14mm rear sway bar

Fronts are 2011 WRX pads and rotors. Rears need confirmation (I think Legacy GT though).

6 inches total suspension stroke front (bump + droop).
About 2.5 inch bump travel and 3.5 droop, but that bump travel includes the bumpstop.

shock dyno for BRZ


I have more info coming soon and more things to work on with the car but we are incredibly busy this week and I'm at home now. Will try to post some next weekend.

- Andrew

Top shelf information, thanks a bunch for sharing!

More total stroke than I was expecting, and that's a good thing.

[NYC BRZ]

I'm most excited about the fact that they're 2011+ WRX pads and rotors. I've been in touch with the boys at Carbotech. Now I need to get a set of AX6 pads. Thanks RCE!

[Primo86]

Showa has some good engineering, and their products seem to be of good quality. Just from their website I have one or two questions regarding the suspension set up:

1. For clarity, since the suspensions are "tuned" differently on the BRZ/FR-S, do they use the same shocks/ struts but with different spring rates?

2. If they do, then Shows produces both cars' shocks/struts. Earlier Racecomp Engineering said,

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Since we were lucky enough to have a preproduction car for a little we figured a few things out:

Stock shock manufacturer - Showa non inverted twin tube
Stock spring rates BRZ - 185 lbs/in front and rear
Motion ratio in the rear around 0.75

19mm front sway bar
14mm rear sway bar

under Double Wishbone The "conventional" model is listed as a double-tube non-inverted. Is this the shock on the twins?

Conventional

Double-tubed construction filled wish low pressure nitrogen gas. This type of shock absorber is supple and provides stable riding comfort.

Under "struts," the same option looks to be the correct counter-part.

Conventional

Double-tubed shock absorber with a function as part of the surpport structure of the suspension. Like the double wishbone type, it is a shock absorber filled with low-pressure nitrogen gas that is supple and provides stable riding comfort.

My question is, are these the shocks/struts on the FR-S/BRZ? If not, what are on the FR-S?

3. Do they share the same brand of springs? even though the rates are different? If not, what brand spring is the FR-S, and what brand is the BRZ?

thank you!

[Primo86]

^ Those are actual pictures of the Shows shocks/struts from their website...

[Dimman]

Does TEIN use stock spring rates for their H-Tech line?

The FR-S H-Tech springs are listed as 3.0kg/mm (167 lbs/in) Front and 4.6kg/mm (257 lbs/in) Rear.

This would fit in with what we've been hearing about the different suspension settings, as well as identify why the FR-S is said to be a bit more tail-happy.

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

***Can anyone confirm if the rears pads are from the Legacy GT?

They are not from LGT.
I have 08 spec.b, rear brake are the same for all 05-09 LGTs.

Here's a pic of some rear EBC Yellowstaff I had on my legacy at some point and stock rear BRZ pad.



Pad size is a bit different, and the 'ears' on LGT pad are thicker, so it does not fit into BRZ bracket even with clips removed.

[Lonewolf]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

They are not from LGT.
I have 08 spec.b, rear brake are the same for all 05-09 LGTs.

Here's a pic of some rear EBC Yellowstaff I had on my legacy at some point and stock rear BRZ pad.



Pad size is a bit different, and the 'ears' on LGT pad are thicker, so it does not fit into BRZ bracket even with clips removed.

I appreciate the time you took to post this...

[old greg]

Looks like a '10+ LGT rear pad.

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by old greg

Looks like a '10+ LGT rear pad.

Ah, there's THAT LGT too
I keep forgetting it exists...

Looks pretty similar to BRZ though.

[danscar]

Here's a write up about the FRS/86 from Import Tuner.

Go to the 'Big Brake Kit' portion regarding similarities between WRX's and FRS/86's brakes.

http://www.importtuner.com/features/...05-30-08-46-00

[OrbitalEllipses]

STI Brembo brake upgrades have been mentioned a billion times; while Import Tuner is correct in that they are direct BOLT on, they are not properly functional.

[DarrenDriven]

Topic is a good idea, but someone has already put together a pretty comprehensive spreadsheet:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5511

[Racecomp Engineering]

That's just a parts list though, doesn't really have any data. Gonna try and keep up with posting gory tech details in here.

- Andrew

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

That's just a parts list though, doesn't really have any data. Gonna try and keep up with posting gory tech details in here.

- Andrew

Have you guys tested any FR-S springs/shocks yet? I'm curious if they are 160/260 lbs like the Tein H Techs...

[Racecomp Engineering]

Not yet. I was under the impression the rears are identical to BRZ with softer fronts.

160/185 wouldn't surprise me, but 260 lbs/in in the rear would be a big time surprise IMO. We'll get on it soon.

- Andrew