Blew a strut so I'm going with Feal re-valved struts on my 04 STi with jdm pink springs.

Question, will the harder mounts bring out all kinds of vibrations and rattles? Obviously I would love to have sharper handling but not at the expense of feeling like my car is rattling/vibrating apart on rough roads or going deaf on road trips.

Can anyone give before/after reviews of the Group N strut mounts?

Also, if I decide not to go with Group N mounts, should I replace the stock ones with new stock mounts? 66k miles so far.

Thanks!

 

I have Koni inserts on Group N top hats. I think I wanna get rid of the top hats and go back to stock. I love them on a smooth road but pretty much all roads are junk so... it can be rough at times

 

They shouldnt be too bad, I used to have them and didn't mind them at all...

 

There will be an increase but it's really not that bad. Tires make more of a difference IMO. The stiffer springs are going to have more of an effect in bringing out rattles and what not than the top hats.

If you're worried about it... don't change them. It's not that huge of a difference. And if you decide you want them later it's not that hard to do it. Just means another alignment.

 

What springs do you have? I don't see how the top hats are going to make such a huge difference that you'd want to remove them because they're rough? That's more to do with the springs and the settings on your koni's.

I'd trade you in a heartbeat. LOL!

 

It sounds like you're going from stock spring to jdm pink... this will be the more significant factor in NVH; you'd hardly notice the groupN change. If you stuck with stock spring, then you'd notice the slight increase. But by far, the spring rate is what will change things.

DEFINITELY go GroupN. The soft stock one's are more suited for the stock spring rate. Stiffer spring means you want stiffer top hat... or else too much deflection will go to the "weakest link".

Don't worry about NVH from the top hats.

I have USDM pinks springs with groupN top hats (all 4) and later went to Com-C in the front (very similar to groupN). By far, most of my rattle and bang come from my Whiteline ALK (comfort) and not the stiffer spring or top hats. However, the stiffer ride definitely comes from the spring. Personally, I would not hesitate to go groupN. It's still rubber and so it's still a lot more comfy than poly or metal. In fact, compared to the pillow ball plates I felt in a friends subie, the groupN still have a significantly more vagueness (and proportionally more comfort).

GroupN will make it feel more Porsche-ish.

 

Well I ran the Koni's without the group-n top hats and now with. I drive Grizzly peak in Berkeley everyday and that road is rough. I liked the Koni's with the stock hats for everyday use. And like I said on a smooth road (or a track) the group-n's are nice.

 

Crazy... so that's the only change you made and you notice it that much? Guess I don't have enough seat time with Gruppe N's.

I ran with camber plates for a while and those didn't even bug me.

 

I've had the jdm pinks on the stock struts since about 2008, almost 40k miles. I think it handles good, t's not insanely harsh and I love the drop. I think having the struts re-valved specifically for the pinks will help with handling and comfort. Would love to have that sharp turn in but dread anymore rattles and road noise.

Thanks! This is what I'm afraid of. I don't track or race and it seems like all the roads I drive on are crap.

 

end thread

 

Figure I'd bump this - ended up giving the group n a shot and am very happy, ride quality is good (can't really tell any difference in nvh). Stoked on this feal setup.

 

I have Whiteline Com-Cs (same rubber) and GrpN rears. No increase at all in NV over stock at all. Harshness yes, but it's not uncomfortable at all.