Sti pinks

[Wasabiman619]

I just bought an 03 wagon w/ Sti pinks from an 04. The roads where i live are crappy and w/ 215/17/45 tires the ride is too harsh for my family. I love the handling but even on the freeway they're rough. I know switching to factory suspension would kill my handling. Would switching to factory wheels/tires be much better or should i just swap in a rally suspension of some sort? I love the way my wheels look by the way and a taller tire would rub.

[williaty]

1) what dampers are you running? that'll have a bigger effect on ride quality than anything else.

2) Ditch the 17s. Going down to 16 will make a big difference in ride comfort. Going with a high quality tire like a Star Spec will mean that even at 205/55R16 you'll still have excellent handling and grip.

[snaggleto0th]

struts could be out as well, some Tokico D-spec struts could help that issue as well. But williatys advice is great as well and dead on to help resolve it

[Wasabiman619]

The struts are pink also, i'm assuming they are factory STI. The top hats were all bad when i bought the car, so i replaced them, and that got rid of this irritating knocking noise, but the ride is harsh. I'm wondering if the ride is really suppose to be this rough. I feel like the car is slammed. Or i'm getting old. It's solid tho, like no wheel hop or anything crazy. doesn't bottom out, just hard. harder than my S2000 which I take on mountain runs with factory suspension and upgraded sway bars/strut braces. I'm willing to do a trade for some 16s tho. sucks because my tires are brand new.

[Jard]

JDM pinks or SPT pinks?

[Wasabiman619]

not sure. they are for an 04, my car is an 03. only know this because the top hats wouldn't work with 03 top hats.

[Wasabiman619]

can't really afford new struts, maybe i'll do a trade for some 16s at least till i can save up for a couple of months.

[Bubba02sti]

first off...
no such thing as spt pink... they're STi pinks... (ive been corrected plenty on this no offense but I thought it was SPT pink as well)

if the struts are pink they are probably the the STi inverted strut... Their garbage IMO... they do have a very stiff ride...

I bet you had to use the 04 sedan top hats when you switched them out...

I run the Tokico D-spec struts on STi pinks with SPT top hats on my bug eye... (I was going to do the group N's but I was running out of money in my budget) I love the ride and so does my wife... the nice thing is you can adjust your dampening alot...

ok back to my point....

16's are good 15's are ideal... but since you like your rims I would recomend swaping out the inverted struts for the tokico d specs their about $600... Keep the springs and top hats... your gonna need a spacer to fit ($30) the strut into the rear top hat though... the link below can also get you the spacer... I set my d specs at 4 in the front and 4.5 in the rear... (1-7 scale)... I live in colorado and are roads out here are worse then most dirt roads in world... lol... its comfy not to stiff not to rough...

so heres the link... the d specs are well worth it if you can hold off a bit and save some money...

http://www.turninconcepts.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_9_7_479_43_134_1063&products_id=544

[Wasabiman619]

thanks bubba, i'm from the concrete jungle where the roads are crap. the suspension came with the car when i bought it, I like it when the roads are smooth tho (not very often). but you're right, they're garbage, yours seems to be the most useful post. Thanks again for your help.

[Wasabiman619]

hey bubba, just went back over your posts, yeah, had to use the 04 tophats. do i keep my 04 tophats if i chose to switch out the struts, or do i have to buy 03 hats? the original 03 hats were shot.

On another note, I've been reading through other posts and was curious, what's your take on factory suspension with my wheel set up, or maybe obs suspension? like i said, i'm new at this. thanks again.

[Jard]

Bubba there are JDM STi pinks that have something like a 257 front spring rate, very stiff. Then there are pinks that were marketed here by SPT (which is why I call them SPT pinks) that have rates very close to USDM STi springs, 220'ish front and 190'ish rear.

Both of them are an 04 -07 style rear spring.

Keep your 04 rear tops there are a ton more choices in the aftermarket for the 04 - 07 style.

[williaty]

first off...
no such thing as spt pink... they're STi pinks... (ive been corrected plenty on this no offense but I thought it was SPT pink as well)
You are somewhat but not totally correct.

SPT (the performance division of Subaru of America), sells upgraded springs for the USDM WRX. These springs have rates and heights similar to the USDM STi stock springs. They are available in sedan or wagon fitment. These springs are pink in color and labeled with a white "STi" painted on them.

Subaru Technica International sells upgraded springs for the JDM STi. These springs have very high rates and are very low. They are sedan fitment only. These springs are pink in color and labeled with a white "STi" painted on them.

Historically, "STi Pinks" or just "Pinks" has referred to the springs produced by STi for the JDM STi. Then SPT came along and made their pink springs and things got confusing. It is now common to say "SPT Pinks" to refer to the spring made by SPT for the USDM WRX and "JDM Pinks" to refer to the springs made by STi for the JDM STi.

SPT top hats on my bug eye... (I was going to do the group N's but I was running out of money in my budget)
Now in this case, there's no such thin at "SPT tops". There are two kinds of strut tops: Group N, and everything else. All the USDM cars have generic soft rubber top hats from the factory. If you bought new ones and they didn't say Group N in the description and come with a paint marking, they're the same soft rubber tops as everything else.

the nice thing is you can adjust your dampening alot
This is true but irrelevant. The point of being able to adjust damping is being able to match the damper to a wider range of springs. There's one right amount of damping force for any spring. You should not be dicking with the adjustments more than an eighth of a turn (which is a fairly big change on the D-Specs) to adjust how the car feels.

16's are good 15's are ideal
Ideal for what? For fitting used rally tires to? Definitely. For anything else? No way in hell.

I set my d specs at 4 in the front and 4.5 in the rear.
If you're counting turns from full stiff, you're way overdamped. Almost everyone without significant experience will set dampers too stiff. It feels faster because it "feels more like a race car" but it's actually slower.

the d specs are well worth it if you can hold off a bit and save some money...
Now that I agree with!

[Jard]

williaty, do you have me on ignore? :lol:

[williaty]

No, I should look into that though :lol:

Yeah, I was surprised to see your reply after I posted mine.

[Wasabiman619]

Thanks for the info. Plannin on dspecs. My car is noticeably lower than an sti. Assuming they are spt springs, what damping would be ideal? Is the wheel/tire combo irrelevent when it comes to proper damping? If i wanted more ground clearance what springs would u recommend w dspecs? Dont like the idea of spacers because i do plan on gettin it "dirty." lookin for functionality. Right now not able to use the car for what i intended. I.e. Offroad excursions, snow trips, campin etc. Great on da highway tho.

[williaty]

Tire bounce cannot be controlled by the damper.

I would pair the STi stock springs with the D-specs and call it a day.

Spacers will increase the ground clearance (good) but not give you more travel (meh).

[Bubba02sti]

You are somewhat but not totally correct.

SPT (the performance division of Subaru of America), sells upgraded springs for the USDM WRX. These springs have rates and heights similar to the USDM STi stock springs. They are available in sedan or wagon fitment. These springs are pink in color and labeled with a white "STi" painted on them.

Subaru Technica International sells upgraded springs for the JDM STi. These springs have very high rates and are very low. They are sedan fitment only. These springs are pink in color and labeled with a white "STi" painted on them.

Historically, "STi Pinks" or just "Pinks" has referred to the springs produced by STi for the JDM STi. Then SPT came along and made their pink springs and things got confusing. It is now common to say "SPT Pinks" to refer to the spring made by SPT for the USDM WRX and "JDM Pinks" to refer to the springs made by STi for the JDM STi.


Now in this case, there's no such thin at "SPT tops". There are two kinds of strut tops: Group N, and everything else. All the USDM cars have generic soft rubber top hats from the factory. If you bought new ones and they didn't say Group N in the description and come with a paint marking, they're the same soft rubber tops as everything else.


This is true but irrelevant. The point of being able to adjust damping is being able to match the damper to a wider range of springs. There's one right amount of damping force for any spring. You should not be dicking with the adjustments more than an eighth of a turn (which is a fairly big change on the D-Specs) to adjust how the car feels.


Ideal for what? For fitting used rally tires to? Definitely. For anything else? No way in hell.


If you're counting turns from full stiff, you're way overdamped. Almost everyone without significant experience will set dampers too stiff. It feels faster because it "feels more like a race car" but it's actually slower.


Now that I agree with!

SPT springs are blue not pink http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=MorePartInfo&PartID=748296&siteid=215167&catalogid=6214 they do not make an SPT pink spring... The pink springs have have a higher spring rate then the spt springs and the oem STi spring... JDM/USDM

I also bought my top hats and springs from my local dealership...
I ment to say STi top hats... Which are a stiffer rubber then the WRX top hat

Yes I was talking 15's 16's for dirt/snow use... I personally use 17's my self... I would like to keep my 17's for dd use and get some TD's on i pikes for playing around

Tokico recommends that the struts be set at 4 for the front and 5 for the rear with oem springs... however they also suggest upgrading your springs... but this is more of a buy more of our products thing...

An eighth of a turn on d specs is no significant change to the dampening... According to tokico you will only find change at 1/4 1/2 and full turn...

You have to add spring to dampen for ride control... where I have mine set i feel like they're too soft but the wife didn't want to be bouncing down our crap ass colorado roads... I don't blame her it did get irritating...

Tokico puts it the best way... "The strut is the brain of the suspension, It tells the spring how to react."

I didn't just dump a bunch of money into my suspension without doing my research first... I have also been a long time auto mechanic with my master tech ASE... I know what i'm talking about

[williaty]

SPT springs are blue not pink http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=MorePartInfo&PartID=748296&siteid=215167&catalogid=6214 they do not make an SPT pink spring... The pink springs have have a higher spring rate then the oem STi spring... JDM/USDM
Wrong again. The SPT springs for the 02-03 USDM WRX are blue and have the SPT label on them. As an interesting bit of trivia, they were actually made for SPT by Eibach. The SPT springs for the 04-07 USDM WRX are pink with white STi label. The SPT pinks for the 04-07 USDM WRX have almost identical rates and height to the USDM STi stock springs. The springs you're mistakenly thinking of with a higher rate are the JDM STi Pinks.

SPT Blues for the 02-03 USDM WRX:
https://www.chaplinssubarugenuineparts.com/images/gc-impreza-eibach-spring.jpg

SPT Pinks for 04-07 USDM WRX:
http://www.iagperformance.com/images/products/suspension/spt/springs/image_01_600.jpg

Trust me, I know more about this than you do, I do it for a living (I mean I specifically build Subaru suspensions for a living, not merely do general mechanic work) :lol:

Tokico recommends that the struts be set at 4 for the front and 5 for the rear with oem springs
Tokico is wrong then. Or, I suppose more likely, trying to tell people how to set their suspensions up in a way that will feel impressive even if it's slow.

An eighth of a turn on d specs is no significant change to the dampening
Then you ass is numb. 1/8th of a turn is a significant change in the damping force.

According to tokico you will only find change at 1/4 1/2 and full turn
They're expecting people with numb butts who wouldn't know good damping if it hit them in the face. No, seriously, all the literature is targeted to the lowest common denominator.

You have to add spring to dampen for ride control
I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say here but the phrases "add spring" and "ride control" shouldn't ever appear that close together :lol:

I know what i'm talking about
No, ya really don't.

[Bubba02sti]

I thought the disscussion was on 02 03 not 04-07... and an 1/8th of a turn just kicks back the adjuster to where you turned it from... and those look like the sti pinks... I have those same springs... and yes the spts are made by ebicah... but im not gonna argue with you on this... if you feel your right then so be it...

[williaty]

The OP stated he had 04 springs. That makes it relevant.

You should NEVER just turn the adjuster back and forth due to the lash in it. You should always turn it up to full stiff, then count your way down to where you want to be. You should also do this every couple of months because the D-Spec adjusters drift over time.

You may well have those same springs, they may well say STi on them, but they came from SPT if they were sold directly in the US. The USDM SPT pinks and the JDM STi Pinks look nearly identical. The paint codes are they only visual way to tell the springs apart.

[Bubba02sti]

ok so were on point... And I can kinda agree with you on that... I know you always adjust from full stiff... my numbers are turns from full stiff... But as for what I was told by subaru is the STi pink is not made by SPT what so ever nor is made by eibach... the "pinks" are a genuine subaru part... I know the jdm pink and the sti pink are two different shades and I believe the jdm is a lighter not as vibrant shade... I may be wrong on that...


So lets get back to helping this guy out

Pinks on d specs with 04 top hats (make sure to get the spacers for the rears) and adjust to how you feel comfy... your golden...

[williaty]

The powder coating is almost a perfect match between the JDM and USDM stuff. Literally the only way to tell them apart visually are the paint markings.

As far as who makes what, you were told wrong. Everything in the SPT Catalog is a "genuine Subaru part". That's the point of them. Who makes them is a totally different story. The old blue springs were made by Eibach. All the Group N rubber bits are made by Bridgestone. Welcome to multinational manufacturing.

[Bubba02sti]

I couldn't think of how else to word it... but regardless... I believe it goes oem WRX spt blue OEM sti sti pinks jdm pinks as far as spring rate... but I like the set up I have IMO its the best budget set up I could get... but you are right about the springs being in the SPT catalog and the parts being genuine parts... im just stating that the pinks are not technically SPT's... they are also stiffer then the blues... and you need the 04 top sedan top hats

[williaty]

Again, there's SPT pinks and STi pinks. You have to be specific about which you're speaking of.

WRX stock springs are around 160lbf/in
SPT Blues were around 175lbf/in
SPT pinks AND USDM STi stockers are 225lbf/in
JDM Pinks are 257lbf/in

[Wasabiman619]

Thanks so much for the arguments guys. the information is great. more is always better than less. I think I will just scrape to order the spec ds and call it a day. I'll adjust from full stiff which was my next question, hehe. tons of help guys, thanks again.

[Wasabiman619]

Hey guys, i haven't been really active posting stuff, since i just recently got back from deployment, but here's an update. Just got a sweet deal on some 16" speedlines, got them powder coated, and came with falken 205/55s. holy crap, buba was right on! the ride is so much better and the stiff @ss suspension is bareable now. I did take a bunch of your guys' advice and have the dspecs waiting to install, (TiC had a hard time getting bumpstops for me). but my Whiteline tophats, bumpstops, and some other brake components on the way.

I have to say the tires made a HUGE difference. And dare i say it, the turn in feels better too. I still love my 17s, but i think i'll just get those powder coated as well as a spare set.

I definitely went back through this old thread i posted after i got back, to decide what to buy and who to buy it from. The info you guys provide to us newbies is invaluable, and kept me entertained while I was gone. Thanks again!:D

[Cambo]

great thread :thumbsup: thanks for the usefull information

[Wasabiman619]

TiC (Turnin Concepts) is great! Just got my bump stops, Dspecs, Whiteline tophats, and scooby spacers installed along with TiC' brake feel kit. While I was at it, I also installed the kartboy short shifter with forward and aft bushings. Wow! the car feels like a sports car. I need to get the alignment done, but so far the car is amazing around the corners and very good at soaking up the worse pot holes. looks a little higher off the ground too. I think my Pink struts may have been tired. Think the wife will want me to tone down the stiffness a little, but that's the beauty of adjustable suspension. I'll post another update once the alignment is done. :guitarist: