*I have new struts, group n front and rear top hats, and I'm going to order new bump stops and dust boots as well. Is there anything else I should do while I'm in there?

 

Springs? camber bolts? Anything else that messes with alignment so you only pay for it once like a bump steer kit ALK bushings.

 

I have Prodrive red springs as well as camber bolts, the whiteline rca kit, new steering rack & bushings, sway bushings, end links, I think that's about it. I'm running stock STi struts right now but they're starting to clunk, especially in reverse, and they've always been a little bouncy.

 

If the car is really low, I'd do the roller center adjusters (basically lower ball joints).
If you wanted to do the lower a-arm bushings it would be a good time since you're going to have to align the car anyways

 

He listed the RCA and yes, I'd do it with STI struts on a forester. The ALK is a better upgrade, but there technically isn't one for the forester. Whiteline makes a bushing that can be pressed in to the stock one thatt effectively turns the stock bushing into the same thing though. I'll be doing that on mine when I do my struts too, since I already did the forged control arms.

 

There are rubber seats (rings?) where the springs meet the strut housing (top and bottom IIRC). They're usually shot and on an '02 Forester they are almost 100% needing to be replaced. They get ripped and you should probably replace them while you have everything disassembled. I don't have the time now but if you need clarification I'll try to dig up a pic later tonight when I get home from work.

-Brian