stiffer suspension without breaking the bank.

[lilbrudder]

today i've been experimenting with locally availible, cheap suspension mods and here's what i've come up with....

double oem rear swaybar: all i did was take an extra RSB i had laying aroung cut off the end loops, position it above the one on my car now and use a heavy cable clamp to sinch the ends to gether(tighten it down when the car is sitting on ground).
first impression= i just took it around the block....WOW! that's what i was hopeing for... much flatter in the corners.... decreased rocking when braking... more responsive steering.
the bad= noticed a couple of popping noises from setteling, went away by the time i got back home(lubed all touching parts we'll see how that works).... new RSB pushed up against tubing to gas tank(i reset it and tightened it harder, we'll see if that holds). concerned the stock end links won't last, we'll see.

next mod= spring booster blocks: got some booster blocks at the auto store for like $10. put one in top of rear springs and one in bottom of front springs.
first impression=around the block car felt stiffer and corners felt flatter
neutral=this one won't be for every one, it raises the ride hieght 1/2 to 3/4 inch(didn't actually measure, just noticed it is a lil' higher) this could be good for those who live in bad road areas or week end rally worriors.
the not so good= i'm going to ckeck my alignment while these are in because it most likely changed it.

next mod= top hat stiffening: i started a thread about this one already but basically on the T.H. there is a rubber cusion that can be made bigger hopefully to reduce play in that T.H. i haven't had a chance to test this theory yet because the rubber is still drying, will update tomarrow.

will post as i get more results with these mods this week.

[lilbrudder]

double sway bar= is great, no more settling noises, no rubbins on gas tank tubing, this way definatly worth it. car handles how she should have from the factory.

spring blocks= i'm a little self conscious about these, raises about 3/4". definately stiffer, feel more bumps on road=more rattling in car.

top hat= got rid of the bobble noise i was going after, steering might be a little tigher (could be placebo effect though) no extreme difference but worth it to silence some noise.

[Crazy_pilot]

Awesome stuff! The doubled up sway bar is definitely something I'd want to try.

[lilbrudder]

here's some pics...
double bar=10437 10438
spring blocks=10439
top hat filled=10440

[It's Just Eric]

....Something tells me the first two are just really, really bad ideas...thats just me though

[SVXRide]

yes, they'll work, but I wouldn't put too much stress on them....

The spring spacers are more for providing more ground clearance. They definitely mess with the effective spring rate, as they're not allowing the spring to work as it was designed to.

The double swaybar will work, but it's hard to say exactly how much stiffer the combination is.

-Bill

[lilbrudder]

update: drove about 300 miles from phoenix to las vegas this weekend....
averaged around 80mph, went up to 110mph.
everything feels solid, high speed cornering felt stable. on entry to corners car felt confident and more agile, when accelerating in corners car sucks down nicely and corners better(easier, maybe more oversteer).
by the end of the trip i was getting a light creeking over small bumps that went away over 20mph, i suspect the end link failure, but it may just be rubbing at the bushings. i will check it out this weekend.
i'm thinking of putting an OEM busing(just the rubber, no bracket) on the second bar to keep it from rubbing on the back of the primary bracket.
i would also like to find an endlink strong enough to with stand the increased stress.

at your own risk disclaimer: i don't recomend anyone anyone trying these mods, as they are what some people on this site consider "unsafe" because i am modifiying the original design of components.

[Nevin]

I have used the rubber spring block spacer dealies before when going drag racing. Helped me by about a tenth in my ATX FWD car, just cause the weight wouldn't transfer. I left them in when I left the track, and they were missing within the next 200 miles. They are not meant to be used everyday. Other people I know that used them had them fall out too.

[lilbrudder]

i figured that would happen so i drilled a hole in it and wire-tied to only the above spring.

[lilbrudder]

the creeking was from the second bar rubbing on the back of the primary bracket, grease stoped it for now, but i am going add a bushing there to eliminate the problem all together.

end links don't seem to be a problem yet but i've been doing the research to make my own. it seems i could make my own that would be stronger and more durible than OEM for about $100 to make all 4(fronts & rears). it could be a pretty strait forward DIY in about 2 hours +or- 1hr dependant on skill level and tools. not sure if i'll be doing that though since i'll be moving to Alaska in late May and my baby will go in storage for years and years:(.

[lilbrudder]

bushing installed, kinda tricky to do but solved the problem.... and even firmed things up more.

so far the double bar has been the best mod i've done for handling improvement, now for the ultimate test...longevity, the test of time.

as for the spring blocks, they're still there after 500+miles. i noticed once wired to the spring you can move them up the spring to keep from jacking your ride hieght up and it seemed to make the spring even stiffer, likey because there is less spring being used.

i've been thinking, there has got to be a light truck/bigger sedan shock out there that can be easily moded(grind off some tabs or brackets) to fit in our strut like the koni insert.

[lilbrudder]

one month update on my cheap suspension mods.

double RSB set up is great, OEM endlinks haven't failed yet, the brackets and bushing holding up good too. i haven't track tested these and don't think i will, but city driving is greatly improved.

spring blocks are still right where i left them, and that's where i'll be keeping them. the stiffness these add makes driving sportier but also makes me realize there are lots rattles(over bumpy roads) inside the car that need to be addressed.

filled top hats still holding up, though not as much WOW differance as the two other mods, this one does sharpen steering response a little. this one is kinda hard to notice since there is so much slop through out the SVX's OEM suspension, but it's worth the 10 bucks.

all in all these mods have really improved my svx's soggy handling making it tons of fun to drive. since the mods she's become my every day driver over my leggy GT, my wife says it's like driving a go-cart now. i love it, by far the best $40 bucks i've spent on her yet.

[black beast]

I have a dumb question (well might be dumb to you) Does the WRX, Imprezza, etc, sway bars fit our car, how about the strut tower bar? If they do, instead of paying $45 for the new OEM sway bar (I dont know if my price reflects everywhere) pay the $105 for a aftermarket one (yes, it is more expensive, but at the same time it would be safer to use, and would be much stiffer.)

[wawazat??]

Neither the front nor the rear anti-sway bars from the WRX will fit our cars. The strut tower bar might be close but depending on how it attaches to the strut tower it will probably need some fabrication as the WRX has more clearance between the hood and the towers and the mounting holes are not the same for the front tophats.

[lilbrudder]

^^^yup, also i had extra of these parts, can't get cheaper than free.:) as of now the only way to replace the OEM one with a larger one is to have it fabricated ($$$) or (have a hook up) as some on this net have, too bad though because the improvement is unbelieveable.

[black beast]

cool. What are they made of, just straight up steel or something else?
If I could get a bunch made, would anyone be interested? (I know a guy)

[LetItSnow]

Strut towers = integrated, more or less, into the firewall.

If you dig bling, it's something to do. If you're doing it for performance, your money is better spent elsewhere!

[ridered777]

Strut towers = integrated, more or less, into the firewall.

If you dig bling, it's something to do. If you're doing it for performance, your money is better spent elsewhere!

Agreed. However, Chris didn't say if he was talking about the strut tower bar, or sway bars.

I'd be interested in sways if you can get em made, depending on price.

[LetItSnow]

The anti-roll bar thing is a foregone conclusion; I'd buy a rear one in a heartbeat.

The strut tower braces? Not so much. :D

[lilbrudder]

i didn't do anything with strut braces, only sway bar, spring blocks, and top hat urathane filling. please read begining of thread. i do agree though that strut braces would be better suited one of the last upgrades i would do if i were racing.

[LetItSnow]

i didn't do anything with strut braces, only sway bar, spring blocks, and top hat urathane filling. please read begining of thread.
black beast did mention strut braces. please read post 13 of thread.

[black beast]

Yes I did mention them, however I meant the sway bars for the to be made.

[black beast]

I have a buddy that works at a machine/ metal shop. He has offered to do alot of my stuff. but this is the first thing that his company would make for me. I will see how much they are to make and get back to you guys.

[SURTEESS]

Been using these on my baby for 12 years - have to check that cable-ties are not broken every now & then, gave me approx 1 inch increase in front & rear, got to get the wheel re-alignment done after fitting them.

Check out "two 95s" in the down-under folder my red 95 "1 OF 1" is the one to check out.

regards

Steve

[JLHollowX13]

i got some today and threw them in, first one on each wheel and i test drove it, it felt pretty good. then i decided to just put 2 in each back wheel and none in the front. i havent tried this out yet though. i just had a few questions about them.

first off: placement. does it matter where you put them (top, bottom, or middle of spring)? if it does, how does each place change?

second: number of blocks used. how does it effect things if you use 2 on each wheel or just one on each wheel? which would be better?

thanks for any help, since im doing this i wanted to get the best performance i could out of this. just seeing what is best!

[SURTEESS]

I have used 2 on each corner - wind them as far as possible to the spring extremes, that way it will make the spring "seem" shorter to the struts - gives stiffer ride (less movement) even with car sitting higher - get the wheels aligned otherwise you will risk uneven wear etc...

[ridered777]

Anyone tried clamps? I've heard of people using these before - I think the SVX sits too high, especially in the front, so there's no way I'm throwing blocks in, even if it makes it handle better. But I've heard of putting spring clamps on to tighten the ratio up too.

[JLHollowX13]

i like how the svx sits higher with the blocks, actually thats pretty much the entire reason i put them on. i wanted it to have a little more ground clearance since i live on some rough roads. also i live on a VERY windy road, so the extra handling will be good.

for now i think ill just leave the back ones in and wait until i can get an alignment to do the fronts which will probably be next month sometime.

by the way, what are clamps? ive never seen any i dont think.

[lilbrudder]

i only use one on each corner, fronts are at bottom of spring/ rears are at top of spring, and i don't have them wedged in.
i jacked the car up to put them in about 3 inches from where they would start to wedge, and wired them to the spring(so they can't slide or fall out) the farther you wedge them in the more ground clearance you will get but with less spring stiffening feeling.
if you use 2 on each corner, be sure to drill holes in them so you can wire them up or you will likely loose one.

BTW AutoZone had the small blocks that i used for $5.

[lilbrudder]

spring clamps are sorta like the cable clamps i used for my twin RSB but are clamped on two spring coils then tightened all the way together. pretty much the same stiffening concept (removing amount of effective spring) but opposite approch, creating lowering effect(decreased ride hight). now there's something for everyone!:)

[It's Just Eric]

...Why not something like..polyurethane bushings, subframe spacers, and other things that are inexpensive and undebatably better than stock / not Mcguyvered onto the car with zip ties:confused:

[SVXRide]

...Why not something like..polyurethane bushings, subframe spacers, and other things that are inexpensive and undebatably better than stock / not Mcguyvered onto the car with zip ties:confused:

Eric,
oh, you mean like Racer X:rolleyes::D
-Bill

[YourConfused]

"Mcguyvered onto the car with zip ties"
Eric,
oh, you mean like Racer X:rolleyes::D
-Bill

haha

[lilbrudder]

why not all of the above? more is more! if you don't like it move over, someone else might.

BTW DON'T USE ZIP TIES!!!!