SVX Network Forums Live Chat! SVX or Subaru Links Old Lockers Photo Post How-To Documents Message Archive SVX Shop Search |
IRC users: |
#1
|
||||
|
||||
Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
I can see where people have talked about it like it should work, but can't find where anyone actually did. Of the five SVXs I've owned, they've all had blown struts. I'm hoping #6 (94 Laguna) will be different without dropping a grand on coilovers. But I will if need be.
Steve |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Several people have now. I think I was first, but a few other have done the swap as well. I used the 02-07 WRX fitment coilovers but the 05-07 STI are better - they are built for the same flange thickness as the SVX so you don't have to spend several hours grinding your knuckles down.
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=41831
__________________
Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Thanks. I did read that thread as well as smc's. But I was wondering if anyone had done it with just the stock springs and struts and not coilovers.
|
#4
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Ah, gotcha. I think you might run into issues with ride height. OEM STi struts are about 1.5-2" longer in the rear than SVX struts so you'd either have the tail sticking way up or need some drop springs to lower it back down (and lose an equal amount of suspension travel).
__________________
Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#5
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Someone guessed the front would go down about 1.5". Any thoughts on that? I'm more concerned with the front than the back.
|
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
I think it's a toss up. The strut lengths are similar, we have a heavier nose but the STi has higher spring rates. I don't know how close that would come to balancing out though.
__________________
Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Would using the stock STI front struts negate the front sway bar?
|
#8
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
You'd lose the attachment points for it, the STi sway bar attaches to the control arms rather than the strut.
__________________
Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Thanks Chris. I'm going to be looking for some front Sti struts to try this out with.
|
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Some info on spring rates for the '05-'07 cars, if that's useful. Asterisk means it's an mfg-verified number, and the exclamation point means that it's just from a vendor's website.
2004-2007 STi Aftermarket Spring Rate and Drop Spring: Rate (F,R, lb/min): Drop(F,R,mm): Stock 224F/194R * 0F/0R * Cobb Sport 280F/243R * -51F/-38R * Crucial Racing 257F/217R * -12.5F/-9R * Eibach Pro-Kit ???F/???R -30F/-20R * Espelir GT 280F/230R ! -30F/-20R ! Ground Control 300F/300R * 0 to -38 F&R * Perrin ???F/???R -48F/-38R * Prodrive ???F/???R -15F/-10R ! RCE Blacks 285F/269R * -15F/-10R * RCE Yellows 295F/275R * -23F/-20R * RSR Ti2000 268F/194R * -41F/-36R * STi Pinks 257F/217R * -20F/-20R STi Arai 342F/286R * -15F/-15R Swift Sport Mach 252F/224R * -30F/-30R ! Swift R Spec 285F/275R * -20F/-15R * (2004 Spec) Swift R Spec 285F/275R * -25F/-25R * (2005+ Spec) Tanabe DF210 263F/246R * -33F/-20R * Tanabe GF210 241F/224R * -30F/-20R * (2004 Spec) Tanabe GF210 324F/246R * -25F/-13R * (2005+ Spec) Tein H-Tech 229F/196R * -26F/-9R * (2004 Spec) Tein H-Tech 230F/196R * -29F/-17R * (2005+ Spec) Tein S-Tech 252F/219R * -41f/-24R * (2004 Spec) Tein S-Tech 252F/219R * -44F/-32R * (2005+ Spec) |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
EDIT: this is for a 1992 SVX, from factory literature.
Stock SVX suspension information: Front rate: 140 lb/in Rear rate: 110 (LS) 116(LSL) lb/in I don't have any info on free lengths, but I do have these numbers: Front upper dia: 5.51" Front lower dia: 6.3" Rear upper dia: 5.31" Rear lower dia: 6.10" |
#12
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
According to Nate, the stock rear STI struts should bolt in just fine as the spring perches and everything are the same (using the SVX top hats of course). He also mentioned the front struts can work but that the spring perches are different, and then you also have to grind out the lower bolt holes on the flanges where it attaches to the knuckle.
I plan on picking up some STI struts and using my old stock suspension for some compatibility testing, and once I do I'll make a thread and post results.
__________________
1992 Dark Teal LS-L w/ 165k+ miles (traded ) Mods: Power Slot front rotors, polyurethane sway bar bushings, window scratcher fix, SPD hood struts, Outlaw Engineering phenolic spacers, Bontrager Works 22mm rear sway bar, R-134a conversion, 93 Legacy SS 5 speed swap, Ceika coilovers, ARP head studs 2001 Black Toyota Sequoia (hauler/daily) 1992 Blue Toyota Cressida (drift car) 1992 Red Toyota MR2 (weekend/track day car) |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Hey, another E30 guy!
I would expect that the stock suspension would bolt up fine since the coilovers do; I would be more concerned about how long the struts are. My -fu isn't strong enough to find that info, haha. One thing I have read is that the STi parts cause a lot of positive camber in the rear, so you'd either want rear camber plates or camber-adjusting bolts. that's all secondhand knowledge, though.
__________________
1991 BMW 318is Turbo 1989 Caprice Classic Wagon 5-speed sleeper 1992 Subaru SVX LS-L 4.44 2005 KTM 950 Adventure 2012 KTM 200 XC-W |
#14
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Or you get adjustable lateral links, and increase your rear track width for more stability in the process of correcting your camber.
__________________
1992 Dark Teal LS-L w/ 165k+ miles (traded ) Mods: Power Slot front rotors, polyurethane sway bar bushings, window scratcher fix, SPD hood struts, Outlaw Engineering phenolic spacers, Bontrager Works 22mm rear sway bar, R-134a conversion, 93 Legacy SS 5 speed swap, Ceika coilovers, ARP head studs 2001 Black Toyota Sequoia (hauler/daily) 1992 Blue Toyota Cressida (drift car) 1992 Red Toyota MR2 (weekend/track day car) |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Has anyone actually installed 05-07 stock STI suspension?
Quote:
The rear struts will not fit and bolt right onto the rear knuckle either. The SVX rear knuckle is 1.25" thick, all other Subarus, including the STi rear knuckle are 1" thick. Because I was making a permanent change to STi fitment, I removed my rear knuckles and had a machine shop mill them down to 1" thick. The rear STi tophat only requires a single new hole to be drilled into the SVX chassis per side. The front requires 2 holes to be drilled into the chassis for the STi topmount fitment. The front lower knuckle mount for the strut on the SVX has the holes 1/4" closer together than the STi strut. To deal with this I notched the hole in the STi strut mount 1/4" closer together to match the SVX fitment as the steel of the strut mount was easier to machine myself than the cast knuckle. |
|
|