Hello Folks,

I know this is most likely a well beaten horse of a topic but I am really having a hard time getting a idea of what to use here.

My scenario is pretty standard. Wife couple of kids, $1800 mortgage etc, so when I try to get a set of $1,500 coil overs the response for the wife is not that supportive LOL.

Ok he is what i am working with, 2004 STI new STi Struts all around.

I am looking for the absolute best possible spring that I can use with this car for a very competative STU AutoX program here in Denver, Co.

I am thinking that the higher the spring rate the better ride hieght is of absolutly no interest to me, here are the springs I am considering in interest order,

Espelir GT
STI Pinks
Tanade GF210
Prodrive
White lines
Eibach
Tien H

Price is not an issue up to about $400.

I need some recomendations on what you all may think is the best possible spring for my STI. All my competitors are runing coil overs but I am only a couple of seconds away from them on the stock set up.

Oh suspension related mods are.

Hankook RS2 Tires, 245-45-17
Cusco Rear Sway bay with stock end links

So help me out here folks I appreciate the help, oh if any one has a set of coilovers hanging around they want to get rid of let me know!!

Thank again
Lew Thomas
9 STU
RMSOLO.ORG

 

Talk to Myles from racecompengineering.com, he has pretty good advice about suspension and has tested a lot of different setups as well.

 

+1 for prodrives. Everyone I know loves them. But if you want 1 step up from reguar springs, you can get Ground Controls. They're an Eibach spring with a fully adjustable perch. I'm running them, and what I like about them is the quality, adjustable ride height (but you said it doesn't matter for you), and the best part is you can pick ANY spring rate you want for NO extra charge.

 

i have the pinks on my sti and i love them. they were a great purchase for being the baseline for my setup. i have recently decided to get more serious and i purchase the kw variant 3's from myles and racecompengineering. i would def talk to him if i were cause he really knows his stuff.

 

Try some pinks or prodrives and drive, drive, drive.... Tom Hoppe the former STX national champ insists that aftermarket springs on stock STi struts are more than enough... (coilovers not needed to be competitive)

 

Bilstien/DMS 310-350.

 

If you don't plan on running camber plates, I suggest JDM STi pinks and a Whiteline XSF36XXZ 27mm front swaybar and their spherical endlinks. I would also suggest (as much as I abhor the practice of cutting bumpstops) that you open up your front struts and cut 2 nubs off of your bumpstops. The STi is pretty short on travel, pretty much sitting on the bumpstops most of the time and any lowering spring will bring you into the bumpstops fulltime. So squeeze a bit more travel out of your struts this way. running a 2nd set of camber bolts would be beneficial to get more camber up front.

If you plan on running camber plates, use Prodrive springs (they come with shortened bumpstops) as they have more rake than the STi pinks which bring you back up to the more balanced drop of the STi pinks when you install them with plates. Again, big front swaybar. Some guys like the Strano, i prefer the Whiteline.

max your front camber.