Wanted: Entry-level Suspension

[DirtySubie25RS]

Wanted: Entry-level Suspension

okay, just as the title explains...I am looking for entry-level rallyX suspension. Ain't working with a lot of money and just getting into rally racing I am not looking for full race applications. Just looking for something that will hold, get me started, and for the right price. LOOKING INTO:


--Group N strut top Bushings Front & Rear
--Tein G-Tech Spring (OEM ride height but stiffer spring rate, NOT lowering springs)...
-- or KYB AGX adjustable struts

What do you think?

[rollo]

Stock suspension will do you for entry-level rallyx (and beyond). I've done dozens of events (and placed well in many) on my stock suspension, and I still DD the car to this day.

That assumes you aren't running some kind of lowered setup currently.

If you are gonna do something aftermarket, the AGXs are a very popular choice. Teins don't have the best reputation.

[lminette]

^^^ Exactly what I was going to say!

[DirtySubie25RS]

the Tein G-Tech Spring seem like a good spring and for the price. has anyone used them before?

[nkx]

the Tein G-Tech Spring seem like a good spring and for the price. has anyone used them before?

stock springs arent bad. use them with some kyb gr2's or agx's and youll be well on your way.

[lorenkb]

100% stock.

It will hold, it will get you started, and it's definitely the right price.

Don't spend a damned dime on upgrades as an entry level competitor. Use your money to buy seat time. Your car will be well ahead of you in skill level for quite a while.

[409industries]

The stock springs aren't bad. If you're itching to spend money upgrade your dampers, not the springs.

Still... seat time is the best money spent!

[DirtySubie25RS]

I agree the stock springs work well. i am trying to get sometime of rally event out here in AZ. The last event I went to was all the way in Cali, but it was worth it. Learned a lot and talked to some good people.

[Dan McGinn]

Wanted: Entry-level Suspension

okay, just as the title explains...I am looking for entry-level rallyX suspension. Ain't working with a lot of money and just getting into rally racing I am not looking for full race applications. Just looking for something that will hold, get me started, and for the right price. LOOKING INTO:


--Group N strut top Bushings Front & Rear
--Tein G-Tech Spring (OEM ride height but stiffer spring rate, NOT lowering springs)...
-- or KYB AGX adjustable struts

What do you think?

^ Good advice on the above posts. However, if you want something more rally specific, yet less expensive than a $5k set of stage dampers, think of the FEAL revalve on Sti struts. Get a set for ~$200 off ebay or wherever, add ~$450 for revalve and your good to go, especially if you are thinking of going full stage at any point. You'll have to have springs and tophats, but you'll get those with the Sti setup you score from ebay, etc.
If you don't have any of what you posted, it might be a financial wash to do the Sti way. We are thinking of keeping a set as backup for the DMS 50s. FEAL is a vendor on here somewhere, I have no horse in this race, but have heard, from good friends who deal with Odi/FEAL, that they are a top-notch organization.

Ebay Sti struts..................~$200
FEAL gravel valving............~$450
Kicking Gravel at RallyX.......priceless

[DirtySubie25RS]

okay, I will look into the FEAL revalve and the STI struts. Is there a certain year that will or will not fit on my car? I'm sure the 2002-04 will work. I just wanna make sure before I started buying things.

[odi]

We do have several options, and the STI inverted struts is a good way to go.

Rollo,
Your stock evo struts are in a whole nother league than what comes stock on the 2.5RS. To compare I would have to downgrade your springs about 60lbs and take half of the valving out of your dampers and convert them into a cheesy twin tube design.

AGX's are ok for a bit, but the STi struts offer much more potential in performance (they are monotube and inverted).

[SubieNate]

I have to agree with Odi, the stock stuff on the older imprezas is extremely soft. I feel a bit uncomfortable on mine sliding at any kind of speed because of the float and roll, even with a 20mm WRX bar in the back.

[rollo]

We do have several options, and the STI inverted struts is a good way to go.

Rollo,
Your stock evo struts are in a whole nother league than what comes stock on the 2.5RS. To compare I would have to downgrade your springs about 60lbs and take half of the valving out of your dampers and convert them into a cheesy twin tube design.

LOL

Yeah that is a good point. I guess I was saying that most people just start out rallycrossing with whatever they have. Back a few years when we were all "just rallycrossers", I don't remember your OBS having any trick suspension (or Nate H's for that matter) and many classes over the years have been won by people in rentals or weird stuff like DD Echos and junkyard Maximas.

OTOH I'm sure the OP would be a lot happier in the long run with one of the FEAL options. You know that's where I'm headed.

[eage8]

I rallycross on stock suspension and it's worked fine so far, but I blew the already tired stock shocks out in about a half a year of rallycrossing. I would look into what class you want to be in before you start replacing stuff.

If you really want to replace your springs (which would put you out of SCCA stock class if you're doing SCCA) I would just get some STi springs and struts. STi springs are almost perfect for rallycross and don't lower your car and the struts are nice and can be revalved.

JDM V5/6 STi stuff would be ideal, but 02-04 stuff can be used. (if you're going to use the 02-04 STi springs, you'll have to get 91 legacy turbo top mounts, or re-drill your mount holes.) You'll also need to get camber bolts to fix the camber issues with 02-04 stuff. search around, there are threads about it.

Odi can also re-valve JDM V5/6 Sti dampers. I have a set of gravel valved V6 struts about to go on.