Hey guys,

I was just looking for some advice regarding some suspension upgrade.

I am thinking between coilovers and springs.

I have about 50% of people telling me not to get coilovers. Reason being I wont like them because of the rough ride and other 50% are telling me to get it because its way worth it.

My original plan was to get cobb springs. They are the only ones with the most drop, about 1.5 in front and 1.7 in rear. Every other ones I saw are only about 1"

Along with the springs I was planning on getting perrin front and rear sway bars with endlinks.

My main concern pretty much is for my car to handle and brake well for now. So I need your input and thoughts!

Is it worth getting the support braces and links under the car too?

 

Depends on your preferences. The best would be coilovers, I don't know you you've been speaking to, but adjustable coilovers are your best bet to create the perfect drive for you. Springs are non-adjustable (well there are some) but if you want just plain springs then it'll just stay at that height. There isn't much of a rough ride with coilovers as long as you soften them with adjustments.

 

Try actually riding in a car w/ coilovers, vs a car with springs and dampener. Coilovers aren't as rough as people say they are (at least for me). They're basically the best if you want all out performance.

I don't think you'll need sway bars with coilovers either, as their stiffness already limits the roll (don't quote me on this tho).

I've also heard nothing but good from fender braces.

 

I don't know the 08's swaybar sizing, but i had a 19mm front and a 13mm rear stock. understeered like a pig. you have to worry about making your sway and spring setup compliment each other.

the ride quality on coilovers really depends on how much you want to shell out.

 

I would only buy coilovers if you plan on tracking the car. If all you want is a bit better handling and better looks, just get springs.

Also, dont forget that coilovers require maintenance. I have JDM pinks on my STi and used Prodrives on my old bugeye wagon. I was satisfied with both.

 

Just remember to factor in maintenance costs. Coil-overs need to be rebuilt from time to time (varies with driving/usage), while the springs are pretty much set 'em and forget 'em.
What specific goals do you see yourself having in the near/medium future? Are you going to do auto-x and/or rally-x and a lot of track driving with your car? Are you simply looking for something that'll help you in the local twisties? If you define WHY you're getting these, with what goal you're trying to achieve, it'll help greatly with giving you an accurate piece of advice.

Personally, I like the strut/spring combination - you can probably wind up with some KYB AGX's and some decent aftermarket springs for under $1k and have the leftover money to buy the sway bars, etc.

BTW, be careful before choosing the cheapest coil-over setup out there. Go for quality and build over simply being able to say you're on a coil-over suspension.

 

If you're not gonna track the car, corner weight the car and aren't overly concerned with this new "hella flush" crap then don't get coil overs.

I mean for the cost of struts and springs you're looking at a pretty low level coil over and coil overs are just not worth cheaping out on.

I'd get some koni inserts.

KYB's and springs you can do for like $700. Koni's you're talking more like $900. There are some other good strut options out there. The KYB's aren't gonna handle some of the stiffer springs out there so keep that in mind.

Get the koni inserts and some RCE springs. Woot. Sick combo.


oh and sway bars...why in god's name are you gonna go with perrin? Go whiteline or cusco. endlinks go with whiteline or kartboy.

 

If you're going to spend money on coil overs you need sway bars too. They control completely parts of the suspension. Dampers and springs control the unsprung weight. Sway bars control body roll and assist with turn in. Be sure to upgrade the front as well as the rear.

 

You gotta ask yourself what you plan on doing with the car. Any track events? Do you just want a daily driver with good handling? Have you ever been in a car with coilovers? They are COMPLETELY different than OEM struts/springs. Occasionally I ride in my friend's integra with some cheap coilovers and the ride is just brutal.

I, myself, went with a strut/spring setup and before, had some pretty stiff springs and I absolutely couldn't stand it. Keep in mind that this was the first time I've modded the suspension of my car. It's one thing to ride every once in a while with a friend to riding it to work every single day. I ended up getting way softer springs and have been happy since.

 

^^To add, you can't have both comfort and performance.. gotta find the in-between of what's important to you.

 

I have KYB AGX and Eibach basic springs. I can get it pretty stiff as well as softer than stock for RallyX.

Potholes are nothing for that setup.

 

OP says his car is a 08 WRX (at least thats what it says under the screen name), AGX are not made for this? I have yet to see it in a catalog from them :-( *unless Im blind, which could be the case...but I have not seen them from KYB yet.

swfits springs are all you need.

let me know

-Noah

 

have you ever ridden in a car with koni yellow inserts?

The ride is actually not bad at all. Not any less comfortable than stock depending on how much you turn them up.




Noah brings up a good thought though... didn't notice it was an 08.
not many options out there yet, are there?

 

I had the option of dspec or koni inserts and chose the dspecs since I wasn't up to the challenge of cutting up my oem housing. I never got the chance to ride with the Konis but I've heard they are more forgiving.

 

It depends on the coilover. European ($$$$) coilovers will have ride quality and performance as their valving is better suited to US roads. Japanese coilovers, on the other hand, feel great on silky smooth roads, but go take a turn with some bumps on it and you'll see why they're not the best route to take.

You say you want the most drop and the car to handle well. You can't have both, Subarus don't like to be slammed, they handle like garbage when you do. So you have to determine where your priority lies.

Sway bars are a great addition, but they won't make up for the DOWNGRADE in performance of a car lowered too much.

Depends on the 'support braces' you're talking about, some of them actually stiffen, while others just reduce front end weight.

If you want coilovers, look at the KW v3, RCE T2, TiC coilovers and if you have deep pockets, the Ohlins coilovers.

Springs, Swift are good and RCE has 2 options (yellow and black). I don't know much else about whats out there as these are generally the most proven and most widely run on the market. COBB and Tein are generally laughed at as they're putting the car out of optimal suspension geometry and are a 'looks only' type of product.