Refreshing the suspension and brakes on an older BRZ/FRS/GT86

[Racecomp Engineering]

(this post is not meant to be comprehensive. please feel free to msg me with suggestions or post em up. it will change over time with your input!)

So you bought a used BRZ/FRS/GT86 with 100k miles...and you're realizing it needs some serious help. Or maybe you've had your car since 2013 and you're ready to give it a refresh.



Prices are dropping on our cars and while they do make sense as a fun daily driver or weekend car, ANY used car with a decent chunk of miles is gonna be a little tired.

These cars have a reputation for awesome and responsive handling, but the difference between a factory fresh example and a thoroughly beaten car you got for a good price from Crazy Joe's Used Car Emporium is big. That can be true even if the used one you picked up has a few shiny suspension parts from the previous owner.

Some cars will still be pretty good after 60k miles...others will be hanging on by a thread. The guy with the extra long gravel WRC special stage driveway or the guy that commutes through downtown Baltimore are going to put a bit more wear per mile on their car than the guy that just commutes on perfectly smooth and straight highways.

So where do you start on refreshing your suspension and brakes? Here's what I recommend:

1. Figure out what you have. Does the car have all stock parts installed? Or does it have height adjustable coilovers? Big aftermarket swaybars? A big brake kit? If buying used, you might get a list from the seller and or you might not. Inspect everything...look at your springs, shocks, suspension arms, etc. and make your own list. If something is bright yellow or red or neon green, it didn't come that way from the factory.

2. Figure out what's busted. While you're inspecting everything, take note of what's no longer in good shape. Much of the car could be totally fine, but you should still verify. Check ball joints, tie rod ends, all suspension bushings, struts/shocks, top mounts, brake pads, and brake calipers. If it's a part that moves, check it out. If it's rubber, check it out twice. Oh and are your wheels bent? (see post #2 for list).

3. Decide what you want to do with the car. Are you restoring to factory specs? That does make things simple. But what about say...an OEM+ type spec? Just a few aftermarket goodies to make the car more fun. Or maybe you're looking to build a competition car? Better (and cheaper) to decide that now!

4. Decide what aftermarket parts to keep. Are those shiny aftermarket coilovers the previous owner put on the car...well...crap? Will really big swaybars fit your track build? Are the wheels just really ugly? Here's where you start putting together your to-do and to-buy list. Sometimes the previous owner made good decisions. Sometimes they didn't.

5. Make a plan. Now you've got your list of what to replace (all the busted stuff and all the aftermarket stuff you don't want). It's time to start figuring out what you need to do.

• Obviously if you're doing an OEM build, just replace with the latest new factory parts. Done!
  
  
• For an OEM+ fun daily driver, you could go all stock plus a set of Bilstein B6 dampers, a few adjustable alignment parts, and new factory bushings. Fresh brake pads/fluid and tires. That all works really well.
  
  
• Or a little more serious, add mild lowering springs such as our RCE Yellows, or good quality street coilovers such as RCE SS1, CSG Flex, or Ohlins R&T. Some reasonably sized wheels (17x8 or 18x8) with good tires for fun and usable grip on the street. A few key aftermarket bushings or bushing inserts can help improve handling, but some add noise and harshness.
  
  
• For a track car, talk to an experienced BRZ/FRS/GT86 suspension tuner. What you learned on another platform may not apply here. You'll choose a tire for your usage, choose spring rates that match the tire and usage, choose your coilover/damper, get all the adjustable bits and bushings to dial everything in right. Don't forget brakes, oil cooler, and safety gear!

Summary:
The above are just suggestions...you'll have to do some research and talk to the right people to build the car you want.

But overall, it's not a bad idea to start with the assumption that everything is wrong on an older car and try to confirm what's still good, rather than the other way around. Thankfully, parts are plentiful. There are good options from your dealership and the aftermarket. Putting together a car that works for you and is fun to drive sometimes takes a little restraint. Some aftermarket parts are clear upgrades over stock, others...not so much. Take your time, and do some research.

Post 2: what to check
Post 3: what a busted part actually looks/feels/sounds like

[Racecomp Engineering]

(This post is about brakes, chassis, and suspension parts. If someone has a comprehensive list of motor and drivetrain parts to check, please post it up and I'll link it here. Also replace the cabin air filter because it's probably gross.)

General things to do/check:
Flush brake fluid
Check alignment
Wheels (bends/cracks/balance)
Condition of tires (tread depth, all 4 match, wear patterns, age)
transmission mount
motor mount

Front of car:
Steering rack bushings
Control arm bushings (1 big, 1 small)
swaybar bushings
Ball joints
Tie rods
Endlinks
Wheel bearings
Brake pad thickness
Brake caliper (stiction and seals)
Brake lines

Rear of car:
Toe arm (bushing and ball joint)
Lower control arm bushings
Upper control arm bushings
swaybar bushings
Endlinks
Trailing arm bushings
Subframe bushings
Diff bushings
Wheel bearings
Brake pad thickness
Brake caliper (stiction and seals)
Brake lines
Axle and axle boots

[Racecomp Engineering]

Subaru OEM part numbers list. This is almost everything. Not every nut and bolt is listed, but I did a lot of them.

I also did not use the same names that a Subaru parts counter uses for each item. I used terminlogy that we and most aftermarket suspension commonly use. One example is the rear toe arm is called a lateral link by the parts counter.

Please double check these numbers before you buy anything. OEM parts are frequently discontinued or superceded by other part numbers. In particular shocks and struts have changed through the years, so only the most recent model year is listed here.

I'll see if I can add some STI Group N part numbers when I get the chance.

------------------------------------------------------

front 2020 standard strut left - 20310CA230
front 2020 standard strut right - 20310CA220
front 2020 PP strut left - 20310CA290
front 2020 PP strut right - 20310CA280
front 2020 spring (manual trans) - 20330CA200
front 2020 spring (auto trans) - 20330CA210

front upper strut mount - 20320AA112
front upper strut mount center nut - 902350027
front upper strut mount locator nut - 20327CA010 (need 3 per side)
front lower strut mounting bolt - 901000394
front lower strut mounting bolt nut - 902380008
front upper strut mounting bolt (for factory alignment) - 901000371
front upper strut mounting bolt (for slightly increased camber) - 901000394
front upper strut mounting bolt nut - 902380008
front strut bumpstop - 20321AA201
front strut dustboot - 20322CA000

front control arm small bushing - 20204CA000
front control arm big bushing - 20204CA010
front control arm left complete (includes above bushings and ball joint) - 20202CA011
front control arm right complete (includes above bushings and ball joint) - 20202CA001
front ball joints not available separately

front 18mm swaybar - 20401CA000
front swaybar bushing - 20414CA000
front endlink - 20420CA000
front endlink nut - 902370063
front tie rod outer - 34161CA000
front tie rod cotter pin - 051030300
front tie rod castle nut - 023212010

rear 2020 standard shock - 20365CA230
rear 2020 PP shock - 20365CA240
rear 2020 spring - 20380CA211 (same for manual and auto)

rear upper mount - 20370FG012
rear upper mount center nut - 902350029
rear upper mount locater nut - 902350029 (need 2 -er side)
rear bumpstop - 20371CA000
rear dustboot - 20372SC000

rear upper arm complete right (includes bushing and ball joint) - 20252FG001
rear upper arm complete left (includes bushing and ball joint) - 20252FG011
rear toe arm complete - 20250FG021
rear lower control arm complete - 20250FG042
rear trailing arm complete - 20250CA000
rear knuckle bushing #1 trailing - 20254CA000
rear knuckle bushing #2 - 20257XA000
rear cross member bushing left - 41322CA000
rear cross member bushing right - 41322CA010

rear swaybar (14mm) - 20451CA010
rear swaybar (15mm) - 20451FG002
rear swaybar bushing (14mm) - 20464CA010
rear swaybar bushing (15mm) - 20464CA020
rear endlink - 20470AJ000
rear endlink nut - 902380019



- Andrew

[norcalpb]

Here is what my bad outer tie rod ball joint looked like, and sounded like. 150k miles.

You know these are bad when sitting at a stop and turning the wheel. Normally the wheel should provide a ton of resistance, if these are bad then you will be able to turn the wheel in a "deadzone", and the physical resistance is replaced by squeaking.

[Plumbus]

Good writeup. You forgot to mention engine mounts and transmission mounts, the rubber oem ones do wear out after 100k miles and cause even more sloppiness than they do when new. It's not strictly suspension but definitely chassis related.

[solidONE]

Is there a way to replace and reoil crusty boots and the tie-rod end? Like an axle CV joint and boot? Oil gets squished out over time and boots get crusty. And by oil I mean grease...

My sacrificial offering to the bushing gods:

[solidONE]

I purchased a set of front arms off a car that looks like it flipped.. apparently it broke one of the welds that was not obvious. So I'm missing a passenger side arm.. Or I can check the straightness and run a weld bead over the crack like a muffler shop fix..

[Shark_Bait88]

I'm starting a suspension refresh on my '13 FR-S that has a bit under 113k. Picked up PP shocks w/ 30k on them and some SPC rear LCAs today, I've got used front LCAs and rear UPCAs (27k on them) on the way too. Gonna replace pretty much all my bushings as well, and possibly will throw some TRD or Eibach springs on.

Car is primarily DD, but will start getting tracked again next year. I'm mainly just excited to freshen things back up a bit. haha I'll add pics of all the parts that come off the car.

[BlueWhelan]

Not the 86, but these where the bushings from my '04 Tiburon. That car would EAT its front bushings.

[Wally86]

Originally Posted by BlueWhelan

Not the 86, but these where the bushings from my '04 Tiburon. That car would EAT its front bushings.

Thanks for the GK memories!

[sato]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

General things to do/check:
transmission mount
motor mount

Front of car:
Steering rack bushings

Rear of car:
Toe arm (bushing and ball joint)
Subframe bushings
Diff bushings

Regarding those particular items, how do we check them? I might think that if significant play (by hand) is noticed, its time. But otherwise, do we need to use crowbar to apply a bit more force during verification? What method is suggested?

I'm asking since my car is past the 130,000 mile mark, and will gladly provide any data I can gather on mine, aside from the fact that I agree with the whole list you posted.

[solidONE]

@sato Just take some close ups before you press the old ones out. Some of the factory bushings have a lot of give design into it, like the diff carriers and the forward bushing on the front LCA. Those seem like they are the most likely to crack and rip, due to the pockets of empty space in the rubber.

[ninzuh]

Originally Posted by Shark_Bait88

I'm starting a suspension refresh on my '13 FR-S that has a bit under 113k. Picked up PP shocks w/ 30k on them and some SPC rear LCAs today, I've got used front LCAs and rear UPCAs (27k on them) on the way too. Gonna replace pretty much all my bushings as well, and possibly will throw some TRD or Eibach springs on.

Car is primarily DD, but will start getting tracked again next year. I'm mainly just excited to freshen things back up a bit. haha I'll add pics of all the parts that come off the car.

I'm in the same boat re: bushings. Where do you plan on sourcing most of your bushings?

[ML]

Complete Suspension Bushing Kit | Subaru BRZ 2013-2015

https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/8.18115