Suspension

[Racecomp Engineering]

@Flyfish1624

This thread below is a good read for some suspension basics:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45542

- andy

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

He bought his car used and it came with crappy leaking coilovers.

[Circuit Motorsports]

Originally Posted by Flyfish1624

I bought this car used from a subaru dealership, it was lowered 2" and has after market coil overs (green). Got the oil changed first thing and the guy that changed my oil said 3 shocks were leaking, then I did notice suspension has progressively gotten worse. Unfortunately not knowing a lot about cars i found this forum and thought I would reach out for some advice, so the answer is no, I do not have the old ones.

The ST coilover kit is a very ncie kit, that will allow ride height adjsutment but will ride similar to a factory setup with a more sporty feel (at the right height). The price is really awesome as well and under your budget.

You'll need OEM top hats though, so either grab some from someone on here used, or buy new ones from the dealer.

There are also complete replacement options with camber plates and hats, for under your budget, just kind of depends on what you're looking for.

Feel free to hit us up if you want some help!


-Tristan

[SmsAlSuwaidi]

+1 on St's

[boredom.is.me]

If you bought it from the dealership "broken", aren't they supposed to fix it?

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by boredom.is.me

If you bought it from the dealership "broken", aren't they supposed to fix it?

No, many dealers can sell you a car "as-is" with no warranty implied, other than what is offered by the manufacturer.

-alex

[Flyfish1624]

I ended up going with ST.

[mid_life_crisis]

On the topic of budget suspension changes, if you want to keep it comfortable, but would like to drop the car a little, no more than an inch, are you better off just getting a decent set of springs or spending a little more and getting something like the ST coilovers the OP decided to go with?
I understand he needs shocks, so his situation is different, but for those of us with factory struts/shocks in good shape, is it worth the extra bucks to get entry level coilovers or should we just get springs and call it a day?

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis

On the topic of budget suspension changes, if you want to keep it comfortable, but would like to drop the car a little, no more than an inch, are you better off just getting a decent set of springs or spending a little more and getting something like the ST coilovers the OP decided to go with?
I understand he needs shocks, so his situation is different, but for those of us with factory struts/shocks in good shape, is it worth the extra bucks to get entry level coilovers or should we just get springs and call it a day?

The answer to that is it depends...

Some of the entry level coilovers are not going to ride very well. ST, KW V1, RCE T0, and the new Bilsteins are safe bets.

Since you only want a mild drop of an inch or less, the springs that do that will give you pretty darn good ride quality and a decent improvement in handling. The entry level coilovers will cost more but get you a little better handling.

- Andy

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

all suspension systems are something you have to mess with and replace

dampers (shocks) wear out, i'd say your OEM shocks would have had to be replaced every 40-50,000 km anyway

bushings wear out, tie rod ends, ball joints, all these things are consumables and should be replaced at set intervals

no different than after-market

OEM shocks can last a lot longer than that. European cars are built with struts and shocks that last well over 160,000 km. Replacement for wear is unusual.

Bushings and ball joints are also very durable nowadays. Tie rod ends take a beating but I've got a OEM factory original set on my 91 Alfa Romeo that have outlasted the ball joints at 220,000 km. Ditto the front struts which are still as strong as when the car was new.

McPherson strut ball joints are lightly loaded and should last for very high mileages. Double A arm setups load their ball joints more heavily but improvements in sealing for life extend these components service life significantly.

[7thgear]

just because something lasts doesn't mean it shouldn't be replaced

because by your logic a car on shocks that lived 159,999km is gonna have the same damping characterstics as a brand new one.