2.5 gt budget suspension question

[lazerface]

hello all,
sorry if this is a bit noobish but i'm fairly confused as to what i can do for my 1997 legacy gt's suspension. basically i have fairly limited funds (some of which i need for rust repair and bushings) but i'd like to lower my legacy and get stiffer, more responsive handling. i was thinking about getting h&r's and running them on my stock struts since they seem to be in quite good condition. can anybody vouch for this setup?
i also saw something about people running wrx springs, but without the wrx struts, but there seem to be conflicting accounts as to whether it can be done and, if so, what top hats are needed.
does has any opinions/experience with either of these setups or other mods in that price range?

[hallowpoint]

you will be fine with either setup, struts would defiantly compliment the springs but they are not necessary.

[lazerface]

so i could use my stock struts and tophats with the wrx springs? would the height end up wonky due to differences in spring perch heights between bd5 and wrx struts (don't really want any rake, i think level would be nice)?
also, does anybody recommend any spring in particular? how do h&r's, teins, eibachs, etc. stack up against each other performance/drop wise?

[Grafton]

how sure are you about your stock struts i was going to do the same thing as you and just run the spings on stock struts but they were so far gone it wasn't funny

[lazerface]

i'm pretty dang sure. when i press down on any given corner firmly, the car rises back up and settles with no bounce whatsoever. it drives pretty tight too. i wouldn't plan on running the stock units for too long anyway. i'd replace them asap once i have an income :lol:

h&r springs - $250shipped
kyb gr2 struts - $267shipped
outback rear sway bar - around $30shipped, possibly cheaper

^you wont regret that

[Grafton]

i'm pretty dang sure. when i press down on any given corner firmly, the car rises back up and settles with no bounce whatsoever. it drives pretty tight too. i wouldn't plan on running the stock units for too long anyway. i'd replace them asap once i have an income :lol:

yeah mine passed the "bounce" test but didn't drive tight, felt like i had a tank of water that would shift as i would take corners...

[ouch1011]

I would not run lowering springs on stock struts. They just aren't designed for it.

Then again, the GR2s are stock replacement struts (not performance) so it would be basically the same if you went that route. Just new parts instead of old ones.

[TGX4776]

h&r springs - $250shipped
kyb gr2 struts - $267shipped
outback rear sway bar - around $30shipped, possibly cheaper

^you wont regret that



A couple of us are looking at these http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 625wt_1167 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.m748&item=290445094982&viewitem=&_trkparms=clkid%3D7802391178118731071#ht_6625wt_1167)

I can no longer afford them since my fuel pump went, but I am planning on picking up a set around september if finances permit.

They have some good reviews as well.

[lazerface]

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. I do plan on getting new struts asap, but I think I'll be staying with bd5 struts rather than impreza ones. Is there a significant difference between the gr2s and stock spec oem ones? Also, how do h&rs and the various wrx lowering springs differ in fit/performance/drop?
Regarding the godspeeds, I've been eyeing those too, but I've heard their valving sort of sucks. That and I'll be driving in Michigan, so salt is an issue with coilovers. Has anybody tried these out on a legacy yet? Do they handle nicely or are they just for slamming the car?

[TGX4776]

From the reviews they handel well, a little stiffer then stock but not a bad ride at all. still comfortable.

[lazerface]

hmm, still sort of lost. the godspeed coils are def appealing from a price perspective, but they're so dang cheap for coilovers it's a bit unnerving. i was just noticing that wrx tein s techs, and h techs tend to be cheaper than h&r's. what if i were to put some of those on legacy gr2's? anybody have any experience with this setup? i'm not going to be autoxing or anything like that, so something for some spirited daily driving with a nice drop would be good enough.

[ESSYMOND]

just get a set of wrx struts, they're very cheap... get any set of springs, even 04 STi springs and i think you can use your current tophats

[lazerface]

still running my stock setup, but there's a guy around here who has stock wrx springs he's getting rid of. i'm basically broke and can't afford new struts, but i totally want some drop(guess i'm leaning a little more towards form over function. w/e). do wrx springs on legacy struts lower the car at all? or might some stock sti springs?

[ESSYMOND]

I have 02 wrx suspension that i got for $100 with under 100,000km on it. I put it on and it raised my car.

I took them off and put back my LGT suspension and now I have to wait until I get money for some springs... but yes stock STi springs will lower your ride, just not WRX

[lazerface]

ok. thanks for the info. around how much do the sti springs drop the car?

[ESSYMOND]

from the LGT suspention to STI, I believe .5 inch all around?