Then get Tein SS-P's and be done with it.

Or better yet, look for some used KW V3's, RCE T2's or TiC-SST's.

Have fun.

 

are they really that crappy? i am a firm believer in paying more for quality, but i am in sort of a tight spot. i have to decide in the next week due to an insurance claim.

 

Yes, for Subaru's, Tein really is that bad. I'd get the T2's or the TiC's. Find them used if you need to, but pretty much everything else will leave you wishing you had spent the money.

 

thanks for the honesty. i'll stay away from them. i'd really like to do the adjusable strut/pick your own spring set up. but finding the workable setup is quite the task. i'm sill researching m a** off to figure this out. not nearly as easy as shoping for shoes.

 

'Bout the only adjustable strut for your 05 are the Ohlin's fixed perch struts. They are widely reportedly as great but they are godawful expensive. Maybe you can find those used. More likely T2's or V3's though. I got my TiC-SST's used but they are rare to find that way. Another consideration would Bilstein PSS9's.

 

yea, i have some experience with the bilstein's. they are pretty awesome. i had those on the s2k. just not real sure of how they'd hanle on awd. thanks for the input fellas.

 

PSS9's are supposed to be phenomenal. However, I don't think that they are cheap... Shown on their website at $2763. Found here for about $700 cheaper: AllShocks.com | 2005 SUBARU Impreza WRX STI Bilstein Shocks'

 

howard coleman's FD Chassis/Setup - RX7Club.com

Not subaru specific but it's written by Howard Coleman who has been racing a long time and actually has a shock dyno that he put his set of teins on.

You can always play follow the leader too. Whatever setup the top people are running with your car in your area of interest, go with that. You might not break any new ground but you'll have a tried and true setup that you know performs.

I had tein flex on one of my older cars and it was great, where as the pair of BC racing cheap coilovers my STi came with are horrible. You could get a better ride by running stock blown shocks and cut springs.

 

I'd highly recommend something from KW or AST. We have multiple sets of coilovers from both companies using our own valving and springs, which we've developed extensively on track.

 

It's possible to have a quality coilover and still have it suck.

The problem lay in how the CO is engineered and how it is used. The problem is that the vast majority of people who want coilovers only want them because that's what they've heard. All they hear is coilover this and coilover that. They read articles about some tuner's Time Attack car and see they're running Brand-X coilovers, so those must be great coilovers!

But the average coilover buyer will rarely if ever see a smooth track; unlike that Time Attack car which only sees tracks. Most of these people will drive their coilover-equipped car on regular roads, and think that the bouncy ride means they have better handling. This just isn't true.

The majority of coilovers are designed for track use. The spring rates are super high, and the damping is super stiff. And inevitably, the owner will drop the car as much as possible with no regard for suspension geometry. THe end result is that on a bumpy public road, the car will bounce and buck which keeps the tires from maintaining a consistent level of grip. The end result is that the car, when pushed, will actually skitter off the road more readily than the stock suspension, making the coilovers no better than bling.

So why are coilovers like this sold? Because people ask for them. They think the bouncy ride, super stiff suspension, and 1/2" suspension travel equate to better handling. And as with any market where people would rather spend money first and justify later rather than research, companies are ready to give them exactly what they want. Hence the cheap coilovers people buy, say are great, but you never see on the actually fast cars.

If coilovers are something that you want, you need to take into consideration how you will be using them. If you car will be seeing public streets for most, or all, of it's time, then you want a coilover that's set up for street use. There are only a couple designed that way for Subies. TiC's SST coilovers, and RCE's Tarmac 0 and Tarmac 2 coilovers.

 

Very well said. I've been on the hunt for a quality CO that will see 90% street, 8% windy roads, and 2% autocross/track. I finally found a used set of PSS9s, but had contemplated your recommendations and the KW V1 and KW V3.

To the OP, check the NASIOC classifieds. There's someone trying to unload some KW V1s for about $1k. I contemplated Ohlins FPS, but even if you find them used, you're in the same price range as used quality coilovers.

 

Very true. We make a street version of our Robispec KWs. Our race coilovers even ride well on the street because they have a lot of travel, good valving, and don't use overly stiff springs.

-Peter

 

Hate to ask the idiot question, but what are T2's
Link please?

 

RaceComp Engineering Online Store

I'm sure Myles will find this thread sometime today...

 

We started selling KW's in 2003 and sold many sets. We noticed alot of customers who bought the regular V3 wanted more after a short time. In mid 2006 we started working with KW Germany to co-brand a coilover based on the V3 except valved more aggressively and with higher spring rates. The targeted market was the track day and autocross enthusiast. In early 2007 we released the Tarmac II coilover with great success. The T2 comes with the same lifetime warranty thru KW USA as any other KW shock. Recently our request were granted by KW to be an authorized rebuild facility for our co-branded shocks as well as KW shocks.

If the OP has any questions by all means feel free to contact us 7 days a week during and after business hours. Our shop calls are fwd after hours to my cell phone. Its not un common for clients to call on weekends or from the track etc.

Myles Williams
RCE

 

Thanks for filling me in on the T2's.
Its a bummer that I can't afford those on my current budget, but based on what I have heard about the customer service it may be worth it to wait a little longer to throw down for these.
Myles, whats the deal with ride height on these coils? I snowboard 75+ days a year so I need to be able to get to the mountains and through the rough parking lots... aka it can't be super low! Will these be okay all winter in the snow? If you don't want to clutter this thread, I would love to hear back from you in a PM or on here!
Thanks!

 

^ And.... Boom goes the dynamite! :lol:

 

Tein makes some decent stuff for other cars but like stated above they're not the best for Subaru's.


Wait a couple of seconds. Myles is about to post some good info.. LOL

 

Pretty sure hes talking about TIC and their AST coilovers.

 

Well, SSTs. They're customized ASTs.

 

you could always get these

Ground Control - Street and race suspension systems for your car!

 

Personally my path is the TIC Not Bangin rear end which is the Tokico D-specs and for the front I'm doing the Koni insert mod and with RCE springs all around. I figure for a DD I don't need 25 or 36 way adjustable COs to get a decent ride and decent handling. Good springs and enough adjustability to match the dampers to the spring rate and off I go.

 

JRZ has a 2000$ setup lol??

 

ohlins FP's with prodrives set and forget for all my extreme dd and tract days

 

My Ohlins DFVs are incredibly good on the street.
Noone mentioned them yet, but then again they're not cheap.

 

i have endura tech coils they are great for the street, the ride is actually really nice.

 

do it once, do it right.... street setup=kw v3's/rce's, group n tops, whiteline bars, and strut bars... call it a day thats the best street setup that will satisfy your needs and not leave you disappointed with a crappy suspension