Mix and match stock suspension?

[EAGLE5]

I have an FR-S. I bought a set of BRZ suspension. Shocks and springs. The whole shebang. I was going to swap because I like the idea of the BRZ's balance, but then I thought about how the FR-S has stiffer rear springs and the BRZ has stiffer shocks and the BRZ front springs are stiffer. Soooooooo... would it make sense to mix and match?

Stolen from another thread...
Car: Front OE Spring Rate:
Subaru BRZ 27 N/mm (153 lbs/in)
Scion FR-S 23 N/mm (131 lbs/in)

Rear OE Spring Rate:
Subaru BRZ 34 N/mm (195 lbs/in)
Scion FR-S 37 N/mm (211 lbs/in)

So perhaps rear FR-S springs and front BR-Z springs? Would that create a less tail-happy buy more-than-BRZ tail-happy car? How about the shocks? Are the BRZ shocks stiffer on rebound all around or just on the rears? Can BRZ rears be put on the front with FR-S rears at the rear?

[Turdinator]

Sounds good in theory. Give it a go and let us know what you think.

Also was the BRZ stuff reletively cheap?

[switchlanez]

A vendor on this forum stated they measured both FR-S/BRZ shocks to have the same damping rates. But multiple media sources state that the FR-S shocks are stiffer than BRZ to accommodate the FR-S' softer springs (I'd believe this to be true at least for the front). The front/rear FR-S struts also have different part numbers than BRZ struts (I've uninstalled/installed both in one session in my garage). Considering both the FR-S/BRZ have other parts with the exact same part numbers stamped on them leads me to believe that their struts having different stamped part numbers makes them mechanically non-identical. I think you meant to ask if BRZ fronts can bolt to the front; yes they can. I have FR-S front/rear struts bolted up to my BRZ (because I believe FR-S struts to be stiffer to better accommodate my Eibach Sportlines).

Considering the struts are different part numbers, I'd like to keep the FR-S springs on FR-S struts and BRZ springs on BRZ struts (so for your idea: front BRZ springs/struts and rear FR-S springs/struts). But that's just me; negative effects of mixing FR-S/BRZ springs with FR-S/BRZ struts is virtually negligible.

[EAGLE5]

I was wondering if springs were compatible front to back, like I could put the rear BRZ springs in the front since they're stiffer than the FRS or BRZ fronts while leaving the rear FRS stiffies in the rear. I also heard that the BRZ shocks were stiffer than the FR-S struts, at least on rebound. This might get rid of some of the floatiness I get. Just a thought.

Originally Posted by switchlanez

A vendor on this forum stated they measured both FR-S/BRZ shocks to have the same damping rates. But multiple media sources state that the FR-S shocks are stiffer than BRZ to accommodate the FR-S' softer springs (I'd believe this to be true at least for the front). The front/rear FR-S struts also have different part numbers than BRZ struts (I've uninstalled/installed both in one session in my garage). Considering both the FR-S/BRZ have other parts with the exact same part numbers stamped on them leads me to believe that their struts having different stamped part numbers makes them mechanically non-identical. I think you meant to ask if BRZ fronts can bolt to the front; yes they can. I have FR-S front/rear struts bolted up to my BRZ (because I believe FR-S struts to be stiffer to better accommodate my Eibach Sportlines).

Considering the struts are different part numbers, I'd like to keep the FR-S springs on FR-S struts and BRZ springs on BRZ struts (so for your idea: front BRZ springs/struts and rear FR-S springs/struts). But that's just me; negative effects of mixing FR-S/BRZ springs with FR-S/BRZ struts is virtually negligible.

[EAGLE5]

A fellow forum member practically gave them to me. He was kind, I guess because I'm willing to experiment. Another member gave me his old stock muffler, which I promptly cut open. There's a video in another thread. When I get time, I'll modify it and see how it sounds. I would expect to pay about US $300 for the stock suspension. In a few years, those prices should come way down. The set I have has about 10k miles on it.

Originally Posted by Turdinator

Sounds good in theory. Give it a go and let us know what you think.

Also was the BRZ stuff reletively cheap?

[celica73]

I've got a BRZ with FRS rear springs. I also have the Stranoparts front bar and some extr negative camber up front. So far I like the stiffer rear springs, but I've only driven them around town so far.
It's a subtle change at best, but it certainly hasn't hurt the handling.

[Calum]

I to, thought about mixed suspension parts. The springs won't go front to rear, but brz springs on the front with frs springs on the rear seems like it would work well. I'd go with the stiffer frs dampers myself.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this crop up in auto cross as it should count as points if I understand the rules correctly.

[dem00n]

Damn, i thought i'd be seeing an interesting swap of suspension bits from other vehicles...

[wparsons]

You can't run front springs in the rear or rear springs in the front, the springs are different lengths and I think the diameter is different too..

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by celica73

I've got a BRZ with FRS rear springs. I also have the Stranoparts front bar and some extr negative camber up front. So far I like the stiffer rear springs, but I've only driven them around town so far.
It's a subtle change at best, but it certainly hasn't hurt the handling.

I have some FRS springs for super cheap and was contemplating using the FRS rears on the back...

Anyone else try this or have more opinions?

[swpbrz]

I'm interested in this as well. I would like the tail happy oversteer of the frs in my brz.

Is it as simple as replacing mechanical parts or is the under steer in the brz at it's limits caused by software aswell?