MO REX

iTrader: (2)

I have a 02 WRX and I was wondering if lowering the car around 1.5 inches could cause any problems with the AWD in the future. Will factory shocks work with this type of setup? I was also wondering if anyone has purchased Whiteline lowering springs. If so what do you think of them? I use the car as an everyday driver and I just want to improve handeling and get rid of those monster wheelgaps. Any info would be great. Thanks

mmboost

iTrader: (2)

Shouldn't make a diff for AWD. As for stock shocks left in the mix... a 1.5 drop is the beginning of "more than necessary", esp for a street car. This will slowly wear the stock struts that designed to work with the rate and height of the stock springs. I'm dying to replace my stock struts now after having a similar drop for about a year.

A good place to start is, yes, some good springs with a proper drop and an adjustable rear sway bar by Whiteline or Cusco. From there you can start looking into a struts or coilovers, end links, front sway bar, etc...

jason

MO REX

iTrader: (2)

What do you mean by a proper drop, How much? Who makes a good spring. When you say "more than necessary" are you telling me that the car will ride very rough with a 1.5" drop? I have 17" rims w/ so3 polepositions. If I do also purchase good adjustable shock would this setup be bearable for an everyday driver? I do care about ride a little bit but I really want great handeling. Eventually I would Like to do autocross. Sorry if these are stupid questions but Im a newbie. Thanks for the reply.

mmboost

iTrader: (2)

How much and what method you use to drop a car can positively or negatively affect the ride quality it terms of comfort and/or performance. Dropping a car more than 1.5" sigh just springs generally does both. Without going into the expensive range (i.e. avoiding a combo of good quality springs and struts, and just using springs) can benefit performance up to about a 1.25" drop with stock struts. Although, this will put more stress on the stock struts making them wear out faster. This will also adversely affect comfort. Even if you went with a coilover or proper combo of dstruts and springs comfort will be adversely affected but not nearly as much since, especially with a good coilover set the research has already been done to give you the best of both worlds.

IMO, if you want to go lower and maintain bearable street travel and increase performance and keep the price way down, get some high quality, progressive-rate springs that drop 30mm in the front and 20mm in the rear, or something very close to that. If you want to go lower and not **** over every passenger get a good coilover set.

RIght now I have Tein High Techs (dont think you can get them anymore). They dropped more than spec. The look is good but its too low. Comfort has been getting worse and worse because of the extra stress on the struts and they are wearing out. I have been eyeing the TEIN WGN set, which is a height-adjustable-only but I've been able to try it on someoens wagonand I love it. I think they perform at least as well as the springs and give me the ability to adjust F/R height to my taste... and they cost hundreds less than the damper adjustable systems! It should be fine on the sedan but even so, its not mean for the sedan's weight distribution. My solution has been to wait for TEIN to come out with its BASIC model, which is the WGN for the sedan.

jason

redrex

iTrader: (9)

My cousin recently installed a set of SPT springs which are made by Eibach w/ stock struts. The drop is 1.4" front and 1.2" rear (noticable, but not too low). As Jason said earlier, this set up will wear out the stock struts faster, but not as bad as Perrin or H&R springs. The ride was a bit firmer, but not too bad. It definitely feels better around the corners.

I took the Perrin springs and KYB AGX route w/ my car. If you are looking for ride comfort, this setup maybe too stiff for you. Even at setting 1 (the softest setting), the ride is stiffer and less forgiving than stock. I personally don't mind the stiffer ride and really like how the car handles along w/ a Whitleline rear swaybar/endlinks combo. What ever route you decide to pursue, good luck and have fun.

-Soren

MO REX

iTrader: (2)

Ill look into it. thanks to the both of you. Joe

Uncle Scotty

I would NOT use the Perrin springs on the AGX's....they won't last long. One big bump, and they may pop.

MO REX

iTrader: (2)

Man I posted this around 3 months ago. I ended up getting SPT (Eibachs) for free with my Subaru bucks and Im happy with them. thanks for the replies.