The suspension stickies are making my head hurt

[greg donovan]

I need new struts for my 94 SS.

i am considering used stuff and it will be easier/cheaper if i buy a set of struts and springs with top hats/upper perches all in one piece.

what can i use?

i know i can use anything off of a 93-01 impreza both front and rear.

i am also 99% sure that i can use any strut from a 90-99 legacy or a 93-04 impreza. is that true?

but here is where my head begins to spin. i have read through them so many times.

what about 02-03 impreza/WRX complete assemblies?

it would seem that WRX take offs (strut/spring/tophat) would bolt right up to my car. is that true? and it would seem that i would want the rear springs from a AT WRX sedan if i wanted to keep the same spring rate as i have now in the rear. the MT rears are 119# the SS rears and the WRX AT rears are both 132#.

what about the washer that the compendium says i "might" need? why is that a "might" need item?

the problem with those threads is the other posts asking wrong questions. and some people giving out misinformation. granted the misinformation gets corrected but the threads are so bogged down.

they need to be "weeded."

[jamal]

95-99 Legacy and 02-07 Imprezas have the same rear strut top bolt pattern, which is different from a 90-94 Legacy or 93-01 Impreza. Now, you can still take a whole take off set from any 1st or 2nd gen Impreza or Legacy (except the 05+ sti), and swap the rear tops to make them fit.

For stuff out of a 95-99 Legacy or 02-03 Impreza, you would swap on your stock rear tops and perches.

For stuff out of an 04-05 Impreza, you would need 90-91 Legacy rear tops/perches. I have heard conflicting reports that some Impreza rear tops and springs changed for 06. So I can't say for sure using that stuff won't mess up your ride height.

The washer mod is only for using pre-04 Impreza rear struts with 04-07 Impreza springs and tops.

So you can use all this stuff, but the important question that should be asked is "do you want to?"

For 2nd gen Impreza stuff, I say no. The sedan has a wider track, using struts out of an 02-07 will result in a loss of negative camber, on the order of about a degree all around. You can fix this with bolts or camber plates, or even a dremel. However, it is not the ideal solution.

What is the ideal solution is to get struts/springs from a 93-01 Impreza. V5 STi struts are out there, you can get AGXes, you can get tokico d-specs. I would shop nasioc and rs25 specifically for 1st gen specific suspension if I were to do it again.

[greg donovan]

that is what i was afraid of.

so the camber change comes from using only the 02-07 struts not the top mounts?

i want to drop in something with out much fussing around. hence the desire for a total assembly.

93-01 impreza stuff is getting a bit too old to buy used if i buy stock stuff.

looks like it is new for me. probably get some GR-2s since i never adjust the AGXs i have now and i dont compete with this car.

[SemperGuard]

As far as the camber deal goes, the only issue is if you use 02-07 Impreza Sedan struts only. If you use any Impreza wagon struts, or if you change the control arms and lateral links also, there is no issue. i personally consider the later to be an excellent choice. You get newer bushings, wider track, and in some cases longer wheelbase, all of which are positives. I'm sure there is going to be some disagreement on the wheelbase part, but there's good reason why a longer wheelbase is better in some situations than a shorter one.

Anyway, if you want to go about it cheaply, I'd look into wagon suspension. It would probably be better for the car, closer to stock ride height and whatnot.

[jamal]

As far as the camber deal goes, the only issue is if you use 02-07 Impreza Sedan struts only. If you use any Impreza wagon struts, or if you change the control arms and lateral links also, there is no issue. i personally consider the later to be an excellent choice. You get newer bushings, wider track, and in some cases longer wheelbase, all of which are positives. I'm sure there is going to be some disagreement on the wheelbase part, but there's good reason why a longer wheelbase is better in some situations than a shorter one.

Anyway, if you want to go about it cheaply, I'd look into wagon suspension. It would probably be better for the car, closer to stock ride height and whatnot.

02+ impreza sedan and wagon rear struts are the same thing. The springs are a bit taller and strut tower is a little farther inward. So you would still have a problem in the rear at least, and it still is not a direct bolt in since you have to change the tops.

Pushing the track out would be good but he is looking for something cheap, easy, and a direct bolt in. I'd also be worried about rubbing the fenders. A guy I know with a wider-tracked GC says he rolled the crap out of the fenders and it still rubs in the rear.


The BEST option, in my opinion, is to get something 1st gen specific. And I have GD suspension.

[SemperGuard]

I hate linking nabisco, but http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showpos ... stcount=14

There is no difference in the datum dimensions for the two chassis (sedan and wagon) as far as suspension mounting points.

I'm using STi stuff, and there was no rubbing problems until I put in 225/45R17 tires on 17x7 wheels. 205/55R16 on 16x7 wheels were fine, didn't rub, and didn't have to roll.

Greg stated that first gen stuff is starting to be too old to be an upgrade. I agree with this, unless you can find a low mileage set, less than 20k or so. I see no problem with changing the top mounts, as his are probably original, they would be quite an improvement to be new, or to even go with stiffer mounts.

I personally would pick up some newer impreza wagon sets, put on some group N tops and be done with it. Maybe change the rear springs to allow the use of readily available, and much cheaper group n mounts in the rear, instead of the more expensive 90-91 version.

[jamal]

I'm using STi stuff, and there was no rubbing problems until I put in 225/45R17 tires on 17x7 wheels. 205/55R16 on 16x7 wheels were fine, didn't rub, and didn't have to roll.

Just struts/springs, or the control arms and lateral links too?

yeah I have no problems with rubbing on 205/55-16, but widening the track would cause problems.

THAWA tried it awhile back, and he rubbed badly.

GG struts are still different, although I have been under the impression that 02+ impreza rear struts were the same.

[greg donovan]

too bad koni inserts are nearly 400 a pair for our cars. otherwise i would just cut up an old pair of oem struts and pick up a ground control coil over kit and keep the stock ride height (if not a tick higher) with a nice 200-ish spring rate all around.

but i am not building an autocrosser as there are no regular events within in an hours drive so that would be total overkill.