bluefoton
07-10-2008, 11:44 PM
I've been looking for a while to raise a bit my OBS. Snow, camping, and my bad habit of getting stuck on roads not designed for the car I usualy drive on :)
Amongst the options I got from dirtyimpreza.com the most popular seems to be using Forester struts. They give a 1 or 1.5 inch raise, however what scared me off is that it's not a direct fit AND that a substantial raise puts stress on the suspension components resulting in premature failure. Plus, a 2" raised impreza looks kind of funny :)
The compromise I found came from Paranoid Fabrications. He sells a very sophisticatedly named gizmo called Saggy Butt Spacer - basically a 1/2" HDPE spacer, to be put in between in between the top hat and the body. I got 4 of them, and got them installed today at a garage. They fit perfectly, and the original studs were used to attach the top hat. The only issue was that in the rear, the OEM studs were a notch too short, leaving part of the bolt unfilled. Will see how much of an issue it will be...
To conclude: affordable, professionally and perfectly made 1/2" raise, exactly what I was looking for. Typical disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Paranoid in any way, and didn't get anything for free, so no bias from my side except for being satisfied by the product.
Car:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2657189458_b682a1d397.jpg?v=0
Front strut mount:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3184/2657189476_a652542ab4.jpg?v=0
Rear strut mount (notice the bolt being too short for the nut)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2657189464_f6257b26c6.jpg?v=0
Edit: also posted on NASIOC and RS25.com
Amongst the options I got from dirtyimpreza.com the most popular seems to be using Forester struts. They give a 1 or 1.5 inch raise, however what scared me off is that it's not a direct fit AND that a substantial raise puts stress on the suspension components resulting in premature failure. Plus, a 2" raised impreza looks kind of funny :)
The compromise I found came from Paranoid Fabrications. He sells a very sophisticatedly named gizmo called Saggy Butt Spacer - basically a 1/2" HDPE spacer, to be put in between in between the top hat and the body. I got 4 of them, and got them installed today at a garage. They fit perfectly, and the original studs were used to attach the top hat. The only issue was that in the rear, the OEM studs were a notch too short, leaving part of the bolt unfilled. Will see how much of an issue it will be...
To conclude: affordable, professionally and perfectly made 1/2" raise, exactly what I was looking for. Typical disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Paranoid in any way, and didn't get anything for free, so no bias from my side except for being satisfied by the product.
Car:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2657189458_b682a1d397.jpg?v=0
Front strut mount:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3184/2657189476_a652542ab4.jpg?v=0
Rear strut mount (notice the bolt being too short for the nut)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2657189464_f6257b26c6.jpg?v=0
Edit: also posted on NASIOC and RS25.com