04 WRX Wagon Lifting Assistance

[IceMedic]

I know that there has been a lot of forums about this but I think that is my problem. There are too many different options out there for me that I am just unsure of what to do. Thus I come to you guys for help.

My dilemma:
I have just purchased a 2004 WRX Wagon, which I might add is something that I have been wanting for a long time now. Now that I have acquired this "dream" car of mine however, I want to alter it a "little". What I am looking to do, at least in the beginning is to lift it some, at least 1" if not more and put some A/T tires on it. I live in a rural area but travel on highways and in town for work. Since this is my daily driver as well as my fun mobile on weekends for when I want to camp in the mountains and etc., I do not want something drastic. From what I can gather on this site is that some people have used lift spacers of 1" or more to get this affect and some have used forester struts. Also, some people have used 15" rims with 205 or 215/75/15 tires and some people have used the 16" rims with 215/65/16 tires. Obviously there are pros and cons to each, but I like to be informed as much as I can before I am going to seriously alter my car and spend money on it. I don't have the biggest of budgets either so I do not need the best parts, just something of quality for less.

What I am looking for is what would be the best set-up for my car? What all would I have to do for each set up and what issues would I run into such as camber or tire rubbing issues and solutions? What are the needed parts for each? Also, changing the tires would result in throwing the speedometer off and is there an easy way to fix that? I do not really want to do any modifying of the side skirts or anything if I can get away with it and want keep my mud flaps on to compliment the bigger wheels. Have other had issues with side skirts? I want to try to tackle all potential problems I might run into from the beginning.

I have seen some mods on threads such as
http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19938
http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18130
http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14515
My concern is that these are slightly different cars than mine and I am unsure if those mods would work with mine.

Essentially I am looking to change my car to look like these:
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/8590/49771248.jpg
http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/139/tires8.jpg
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5601/pa051814.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6277/monster018.jpg

Any and all information is welcome. I appreciate your help since there is a vast amount of knowledge, from what I can tell, in this forum.

[greaser]

The outbacks have a different suspension than the ts and wrx do. Might be one option.

P.S. that first impreza looks mean as hell

[GClark]

1in Spacers are the easiest since they don't require anything else, unlike forester struts, which require adjustable trailing arms. You will rub your mudflaps with 215/65/16 tires, but that will stop in a couple weeks. The speedometer will be off, but it doesn't bother me, just slow down. You might have to take your sideskirts off, depending on how big of a tire you are going to use( see the 2007 silver wagon).

Grabbers will diminish your mpg's and make alittle road noise. I drove across country twice with them and it wasn't too bad. If you do the 1in spacers and grabbers, you will look like the blue wagon, the silver wrx with the Swampers is running Forester suspension.

Edit: Spacers and grabbers would be around $700.

[cantpee]

That first car, the silver WRX, looks ****ing awesome.

[Oversteer]

I heard that the the HellaFlush people gave the guy who owns that silver STi hell for it. Power to him to modify his car for usefulness and piss off the bump-steer crowd

I would vote for spacers as well. Notice how the rear tire gets pushed towards the front of the wheel well, as a result, I believe there is a limit to how much the car can be raised this way, but 1 inch shouldn't exaggerate that

[Subieski]

I would vote for spacers as well. Notice how the rear tire gets pushed towards the front of the wheel well, as a result, I believe there is a limit to how much the car can be raised this way, but 1 inch shouldn't exaggerate that


if you get adjustable trailing arms or forester trailing bracket you can center up the tire.

[winski357]

does anyone know what that bottom 06 TS is running? it looks like forester struts + spacers.

i want to get the same lift as the first WRX with the swampers. but that bottom one is a little more then i want.

[StormWagon]

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6277/monster018.jpg


anyone know what tires are in this picture?

[peacedaddy101]

anyone know what tires are in this picture?

Look like general grabber AT II's

[Skemcin]

I think the bottom is Forester XT struts and springs and with its height it might even have 1" spacers. I know the OBS (one before last) is just Grabbers (215/65/16 A/T2) and 1" Spacers as I've had that PM conversation with the owner.

[sleepersoob02]

anyone know what tires are in this picture?

They are BFG Mud terrains. He has a build thread on here somewhere...