Lowering Springs

[Payback45]

I want to lower my 2002 legacy GT. Is it ok to just buy the springs and not the shocks? Will anything happen to the stock shocks? Also what is a good brand to buy?

[gil_ong81]

the shocks will hold up OK for a little while as long as you don't go looking for gutters and potholes.

[Payback45]

Oh I wouldnt be doinf that. But what about filling the car to say take a trip cross country? If I were to lower it could I still fill the car with alot of stuff?

[Huffer]

How much weight are we talking?

Lowered springs (with a progressive spring rate) are going to be accelerating the wear on the shock because the shock will always be semi-compressed. Adding an extra load onto it is going to accelerate the wear even further.

I'd still do it though, and then plan to replace the shocks in about a year, or less. Not a biggie though.

[Payback45]

OK so what brand is a good one for Subaru? Also what is a good brand for shocks?

[losdiosdeverde86]

no. that was BAD advice. you cannot just buy the springs. aside from the great possibility of the struts blowing, they can travel farther than the springs expand so any kind of pothole, bump, turning too hard etc, can and will cause the spring to leave its seat and possibly break.

[scottzg]

no. that was BAD advice. you cannot just buy the springs. aside from the great possibility of the struts blowing, they can travel farther than the springs expand so any kind of pothole, bump, turning too hard etc, can and will cause the spring to leave its seat and possibly break.

what spring has a shorter free length than full extension of the strut? I don't know of any.

Good reason not to cut your springs though!


basically, you don't want to do springs w/o struts because it will make your car handle worse and when you get around to doing struts later, you'll have to do the same job again. Really, the best compromise is to just leave the car alone.

[losdiosdeverde86]

no. that was BAD advice. you cannot just buy the springs. aside from the great possibility of the struts blowing, they can travel farther than the springs expand so any kind of pothole, bump, turning too hard etc, can and will cause the spring to leave its seat and possibly break.

what spring has a shorter free length than full extension of the strut? I don't know of any.

Good reason not to cut your springs though!


basically, you don't want to do springs w/o struts because it will make your car handle worse and when you get around to doing struts later, you'll have to do the same job again. Really, the best compromise is to just leave the car alone.

if the springs aren't shorter, how does it lower the car

[Durs845]

i wouldnt suggest doing the springs without the struts.i would do em both at the same time due to the fact that your right there when changing the springs it wouldnt be worth it to go back in there 2 months down the line to change the struts.just my opinion.btw on my 97 LGT it took about 6 hours to change the springs and struts workin without airtools or a lift.

[losdiosdeverde86]

i wouldnt suggest doing the springs without the struts.i would do em both at the same time due to the fact that your right there when changing the springs it wouldnt be worth it to go back in there 2 months down the line to change the struts.just my opinion.btw on my 97 LGT it took about 6 hours to change the springs and struts workin without airtools or a lift.

yeah. takes about 45 minutes with the proper tools.

[subyguy522]

I got springs and plan on doing struts when I get a little more money. I have found after putting my H&R's on the ride is pretty much the same, if not better. I think H&R are the best springs for the 00-04 years due to the spring rate and such. They are also the most expensive though. On the other hand, I don't carry heavy things in my car like for the trip you were talking about.

If you just buy the srings I think it would be fine (its working well on my car), but if you plan to do it yourself figure it a two day job just incase. I did the fronts one day and then the backs the next beause the backs are a little more tough then the fronts.

[bgwagon]

you can just buy springs, although the ride wont be the greatest, you wont lose a spring in a high speed corner, the chances of you losing a spring even if they're cut is very low, but still not good to do. Get yourself some springs, if you cant afford it, wait for the shocks, and put them all in at the same time, it will work out better for you

[ooberdoob]

you can do struts without springs despite what all the int4rw3b super-drivers that only read forums instead of work on cars say....

but lowering springs on factory struts is a no-no. you'll kill em fast.

[scottzg]

if the springs aren't shorter, how does it lower the car

the spring rate changes throughout the length of the spring so that its tall enough to fully extend with the shock yet provides the desired rates at heights. This is also how you get around having a ton of preload on your raised car.

further reading:
Google 'progressive' and 'linear'

[scottzg]

but lowering springs on factory struts is a no-no. you'll kill em fast.

why would that be, provided that the springs aren't a whole lot stiffer?

not doubting, just wondering

(although installing lowering springs of near factory stiffness is dumb :| )

[ooberdoob]

OE springs aren't very receptive to a change greater than factory sagging limits, if that. (by the time the springs sag that far you should be on your second set of struts anyhow)

but if you put lowering springs on, and they (most probably will) take the OE struts out of thier comfort zone, well they break down quickly.

same rules apply for aftermarket struts to some degree, as if you slam a car with GR2s you'll kill the GR2s as well.

every strut has an area that it can operate effectively in.

what people don't realize is that this is completly changing the dampening engineering of the car.

people put half a though into it and then get pissed cause it handles poorly.

it's a science.

we just have the ability to learn from other's mistakes.

the difficulty there is to get some people to stop spreading hear-say, when they have no real expirience to contribute. unless you've done it and been through it, you have virtually no grounds to advise on what someone should or shouldn't do. like mark. fountain of misinformation. he's still too concerned about his post count. (i wanna see if he reads this :twisted: ) i brought my own popcorn.

PS. I'm a bitch that only posts shit about Mark in the forums that he moderates because of my incredibly tiny brain. That is all.

[Payback45]

Ok. So I want to buy th H&R springs. What is a good strut to buy?

[ooberdoob]

GR2s seems to be a good match if you get the less-lowering H&Rs, you have a sedan right?

there's a set for sale for like $200 in the FS threads, grab em up!! i got the hookup and paid 250, they retail at parts houses for like tree-fiddy.

[scottzg]

Meet Pot:

OE springs aren't very receptive to a change greater than factory sagging limits, if that. (by the time the springs sag that far you should be on your second set of struts anyhow)

but if you put lowering springs on, and they (most probably will) take the OE struts out of thier comfort zone, well they break down quickly.

same rules apply for aftermarket struts to some degree, as if you slam a car with GR2s you'll kill the GR2s as well.

every strut has an area that it can operate effectively in.

what people don't realize is that this is completly changing the dampening engineering of the car.

people put half a though into it and then get pissed cause it handles poorly.

it's a science.

we just have the ability to learn from other's mistakes.

This is how he feels about Kettle:


the difficulty there is to get some people to stop spreading hear-say, when they have no real expirience to contribute. unless you've done it and been through it, you have virtually no grounds to advise on what someone should or shouldn't do. like mark. fountain of misinformation. he's still too concerned about his post count. (i wanna see if he reads this :twisted: ) i brought my own popcorn.

[losdiosdeverde86]

you can do struts without springs despite what all the int4rw3b super-drivers that only read forums instead of work on cars say....

but lowering springs on factory struts is a no-no. you'll kill em fast.

couldn't help but think that that was directed to me.

defense:

i worked in a garage for over 2.5 years.
i never said you can't do springs without struts. i did it on m car myself.
i DID say that lowering springs and stock struts is bad.

[Huffer]

Bad yes, but you can still do it and be perfectly happy.

My daily driver in NZ was lowered on stock struts, been that way for 50,000km and nothing to worry about thus far. Ride was improved, handling also. I would only bother doing struts if they were sufficiently worn, or if the roads you drive on are quite bad.

In NZ the roads are very nice - not too many potholes, even on "interstates".

[losdiosdeverde86]

so i think your answer here is, don't think about it, just do it.

worse comes to worse, you blow out your stock struts and buy new struts anyway.

[Huffer]

particularly if you guys are saying you can do a strut change in 45mins with the proper tools.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Yeah, shuddup, Pot :lol: (Actually David does have GR-2s, I believe)

BTW- I don't comment on threads I have no knowledge in. While my experience and knowledge is limited in this particular field (and this thread will be moved into the correct section) I chose not to comment because Huffer knows his stuff and he's usually on top of things. Scotty is our suspension guru, and he's also here in this thread.

Lowering springs =\= better cornering/handling in all situations.

[Payback45]

So what I am hearing is H&R springs plus those gas shocks mentioned and I will be set. Are they all compatible?
Sorry for starting this in the wrong forum.