need new struts for my 05 wrx, what to get, where to buy, who to install in the BA

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Old Mar 29, 2010 | 10:13 AM
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need new struts for my 05 wrx, what to get, where to buy, who to install in the BA

so my stock struts on my 2005 wrx are done. I have swift spring, and do a little track, and a little autox, and am looking for something that will work for everything including driving the pothole ridden streets of SF.
I dont want to get used sti pinks, and will also need a good bay area shop to do the install.
I also might be interested in new tophats and would like to get this all done for about 1k.
Any suggestion would be much appreciated.
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 10:26 AM
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Koni's. I THINK they're still 25% off at Tire Rack.

daily driven on Koni's in San Francisco city proper. pair these with good springs like you have and you're golden. i'm sure any of the local suby shops can get these put in for you, or local DIY. i had a buddy help me to get them in.
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 10:48 AM
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Of if you're feeling like going the cheaper route, KYB GR2s have been pretty good to me over the years. I always order from AJUSA as they're always having a sale:

AJUSA Spring Sale

-Brian
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 10:54 AM
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thanks guys, I would like to go Koni's but aren't those inserts gonna coast me more on the install side. Still 25% off sounds great
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 11:02 AM
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im getting my tien ss coilovers installed tomorrow. If you want my kyb + perrin setup ill sell itto you for 200!
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 11:04 AM
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how many miles, any leaks, I am for sure interested
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 11:08 AM
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probably around 10k.. no leaks or clunks that i'm aware of..

edit: btw im going up to sf tomorrow to renew my passport too. if you want i'll bring them with me
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 11:12 AM
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I live in SJ, I just work up here in sf, It's better if I can just meet you in SJ
Y are you switching to coilovers, that seems like a good setup you got going on now?
I'll PM you a good time to meetup
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by owencalouro
I live in SJ, I just work up here in sf, It's better if I can just meet you in SJ
Y are you switching to coilovers, that seems like a good setup you got going on now?
I'll PM you a good time to meetup
I always thought that the spring/strut setup was better than coilovers since I always heard that coilovers are harsh. I had sti struts with prodrive spec matched springs. Then I got coilovers and the difference was night and day. I though the coilovers had much better bound/rebound manners and overall was MUCH smoother on the road and none of the bounciness I had with springs. Plus I got adjustable ones, so the ride is not really that rough. I'd get adj coilovers if I were you, but a good used setup like those konis are good to, especially for that price! Install is not that difficult either.
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 11:48 AM
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The Koni inserts are very nice, but the install is of course more involved than a swap in strut. If you're looking for something more simple, the KYB AGX's are a great value. I used to run a set on my WRX and they took all my abuse through back roads, rally, rallyx, and a bit of tracking. The ride on the AGX's isn't as refined as the Koni's, but they do well otherwise.

Shoot us a PM if you have any questions or if you'd like a quote on anything.

Thanks
-- Ed
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 12:26 PM
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thanks for the advice Ed, and all you others. I think at this point its just gonna be better to go with jeSZie old setup. I have all the parts for a vf39 swap that I have had my hart set on for some time, so if I can get out of this strut thing cheep and fast, that would be best for me.
thanks again
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 01:21 PM
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Originally Posted by owencalouro
... and will also need a good bay area shop to do the install.
I also might be interested in new tophats and would like to get this all done for about 1k.
(emphasis mine)

You know you might want to economize on that bit. Swapping the struts/springs -- even if you need to change tophats -- is one of the easiest bits of wrenching you might be faced with. It's six or seven bolts per corner for the whole assembly. Another few steps to swap the springs. Until you get to the alignment (which you take it to a shop for) the only thing close to precision is using the correct torque specs on the bolts.

Just the sort of thing you could borrow tools for and enlist help around here for a couple of beers.

Last edited by glider; Mar 29, 2010 at 01:24 PM.
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 01:54 PM
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i dont mind doing the work myself, I just dont like dealing with the spring compressor. Plus I was gonna have a few other things done while it was in the shop anyway..
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 01:56 PM
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KYB GR2 or AGX.

I had the GR2s and prodrive springs on my old wrx wagon, worked good and very cheap. IIRC they are 15% stiffer than stock wrx struts.
Old Mar 29, 2010 | 01:59 PM
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Surprised no one mentioned Tokico D-Specs adjustable struts. I would go with those and as for springs its personally preference.



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