Eibach pro springs or Prodrive springs
 

I have an 03 wrx and am looking at dropping it somewhere from an inch to 1.5 inches. I have narrowed down my search to the eibach pro or the prodrive springs. I currently have a rear sway bar on it and I do autocross occasionally. I was in search of for opinions of these springs. I am currently leaning toward the Prodrive springs and have found them for 256 dollars online. Also does the kit include everything I will need to complete my job and make the car perform well? Keep in mind I do not have the budget for coilovers. Also I plan to keep the stock struts on. How will this work out with the car?

I'd still say go with Eibach if you aren't replacing struts. The Prodrives will kill yours fast.

How much longer will the eibach springs make my struts last? What do I have to do when my struts wear I out? Replace my struts, springs or both? How big of a job is it to Install the springs? Thanks for all of the help.

[url]www.scoobymods.com[/url] will show you how to do them. I'd guess 30-50,000 miles with the struts on Eibachs if you drive normally, but that's a guess. Struts aren't super expensive, and they will do wonders for your handling. Struts are the single most important part of your suspension in that aspect.

Prodrives I would say
 

The linear spring rate of the Prodrives will help on the auto-x course and when your struts start to go, as they will either of the options, I would suggest the koni inserts.
-xom

Taken comparatively, the Prodrive springs are better for handling. But the stock struts won't last 5000 miles with them, and the springs will overpower the dampers, causing a really jarring ride and that bouncing you see on cars with cut springs. Don't buy Prodrive springs unless you have Prodrive or STi struts.

So there has been tests with the Prodrive springs on the stock struts and they only lasted 5,000 miles or less? Why would they cause the premature wear of the struts? Educate me.

Dunno about those tests
 

All i have to go on is real world experience;

3 track days totalling 400+/- miles

life as an outside rep in san francisco which has some of the worst roads i have seen....10,000

still going strong

I have heard the life expectancy should be 24-40k on the stock struts w/prodrive

hope it helps, as from premature wear i belives it involves the insufficient amount of dampening provided by the stock shock, the increased rate of the spring forces the shocks to work harder that they would otherwise.

I think that this should hold true for the eibach stuff to.

just read what i wrote sorry for not editing

Re: Dunno about those tests
 

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by prodrive121 [/i]
[B]<snip...>
hope it helps, as from premature wear i belives it involves the insufficient amount of dampening provided by the stock shock, the increased rate of the spring forces the shocks to work harder that they would otherwise.

I think that this should hold true for the eibach stuff to. [/B][/QUOTE]

This is indeed the cause of the wear. The strut gets forced to allow more fluid through the valves than it's supposed to, which wears out the valves, which reduces the damping rate further, which allows more fluid transfer, which...

It will be ok for a while (oh, say, 5000 miles) then it will get worse and worse faster and faster. The stiffer Prodrive springs will cause the wear to be accelerated, which will make your struts wear much more than the Eibachs at the same given mileage once the wear starts to get noticeable. More importantly, your car isn't going to handle all that well with stock struts and stiff springs like the Eibachs. Like I said before (or maybe didn't... oops) the Eibachs are designed to push the limits of the tock struts, while the Prodrives are designed arounf the STi V5/6 struts, which are much stiffer (and shorter... the reduced travel plays a part in teh wear of the struts too.) Anyways, it's this simple- you won't get an extra 30% of performance or looks from the Prodrive springs, just 30% or more wear, so save the money.

However, Prodrive makes superior products when used together. I myself have the Prodrive/Bilstein World Rally setup. If you can swing it, get better struts, even the Konis wil work, and the Prodrive springs. It will make for a faster car. I only recommend the Eibachs for those with stock struts.

? for Ban Suvs
 

I am looking to replace the stock strut internals in late august, before a couple of full track weekends and am very curious as to what you would recomend...

cant fnd bilstien inserts...

most shops I have found only carry two of the three brands that follow

Sti
Koni
KYB


Do you know of a place that carrys all possible options?

What other options are there than those above?

which would you get?

how tough is the install?

Thank you for the info

Mike Shields at [url]www.spdusa.com[/url] had and may still have some of the full Prodrive WR eibach bilstein coilovers/suspension kits. Check it out. One of the best suspension setups you can put on a subaru for under $1500.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by culcoment [/i]
[B]Mike Shields at [url]www.spdusa.com[/url] had and may still have some of the full Prodrive WR eibach bilstein coilovers/suspension kits. Check it out. One of the best suspension setups you can put on a subaru for under $1500. [/B][/QUOTE]

I just put my WR Bilsteins on today. Unfortunately, they won't work with WRXs without modification, if at all. For a WRX, there are Koni inserts, and that's about it. Otherwise you pretty much have to get coilovers. I think there might be one or two others, but I don't know which ones if so.

Re: ? for Ban Suvs
 

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by prodrive121 [/i]
[B]I am looking to replace the stock strut internals in late august, before a couple of full track weekends and am very curious as to what you would recomend...

cant fnd bilstien inserts...

most shops I have found only carry two of the three brands that follow

Sti
Koni
KYB


Do you know of a place that carrys all possible options?

What other options are there than those above?

which would you get?

how tough is the install?

Thank you for the info [/B][/QUOTE]

Those STi struts should match the Eibachs well, and the Konis are getting good reviews from those that have them. But if you are doing full hot-laps on a track, it might be worth the money for a set of Teins from Gruppe-S, they aren't all that expensive, and you will get the most out of your car.

Personally, if I had a WRX, I don't think I would have done springs or struts yet, unless I was willing to jump to coilovers (which I'm not :p). As you've seen, there just aren't enough options out there, which is astounding.

Install isn't all that hard physically if you can find someone who has done WRX suspension before to help. I just did mine today as I noted, and it would have been possible by myself, but was faster thanks to Kostamojen having done struts several times before.

Rennsport Lowering Springs WRX IMPREZA 02+ ONLY $119
 

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