Tired..spent all day installing coilovers..and more..

Hey guys.. I installed my HKS Hipermax LS Plus Coilovers today. I just want to say, I am propping my eyes open with tooth picks right now for this post.

 

Today, my friend and I..well..mostly my friend cuz he is handy with an impact wrench..installed my coilovers..and the AVO Panel filter with intake silencer mod.

 

 

I also had the AVO end links and found out that the Leggy already comes with STI end links the same one on his Mom's STI.. Yes, I said his Mom's STI ..

 

 

So, I may have to return these to AVO.. Sorry Paul..

 

 

But, anyway... The install was rather painless.. The HIPERMAX LS Plus is for luxury sedans...they don't have front camber plates (to reduce noise) and they have rubber bushing plus, rubber bracings on the strut perch. THESE ARE NOT A FULL RACEING COILOVER. That was not my intent when I bought them.

 

 

The issue we had with installing them, is that we had to do it all with out a lift...with jack stands..This was annoying when you tried to get them off with the lowered suspension.. But, we managed that issue well I feel.

 

 

The rear suspension...was slighting annoying.

 

 

Unlike the WRX you do not have to take out the back seat. all you have do do is take off the plethora of clips locking the carpeting down in the trunk to get to the rear suspension.

 

 

This was convenient but there were a lot of clips..

 

 

We were both awed by the perfect drop of the car with the new coilovers. The HKS's lowed the car about a inch and a half lower than stock. It's absolutely beautiful.

 

 

We set the rear suspension to a little less than the stiffest setting. and the instructions said to do.. But when we pressed down on the rear it seemed rather soft. We dialed in the coilovers to optimal stiffness and took it out for a ride..

The soft feeling we felt when pushing down on the car's rear..WAS NOT PRESENT IN DRIVING..it may be that the struts are valved to be soft..and he rebound of the spring takes up the slack..

 

 

Now, the instructions say take it easy for the first 50 miles..we completely ignored it..that..and had some fun.

 

 

All I have to say at this point is..WHY DIDN'T MY CAR HANDLE LIKE THIS WHEN I BOUGHT IT???

 

 

We feel that the perfect description for this suspension is the "Civilised Coilover" it is never jarring or harsh..but provided stiff and competent control and feel.

 

 

The spring rates are much stiffer than stock..but the dampensers..are where the magic is. On my way home I hit pot holes that I normally do. and there was less disturbance than with the stock set up. I was amazed. The handling was there. the stiffness was there. but the ride quality was IMPROVED!

 

 

I am very impressed at this point. need to get them aligned now so I can play a bit more..

 

 

Here are some pics from today..more to come later...

 

 

 

B4

Awesome. Those coilovers sound pretty cool... [quote name='B4_Maniac'] [color=black]I also had the AVO end links and found out that the Leggy already comes with STI end links the same one on his Mom's STI.. Yes, I said his Mom's STI ..:lol: [/color][/QUOTE] Ok I need to tell my mom to get an STi now. :lol:

Congratulations! Looks great, and glad the ride is good. Remember that it is going to settle, though, and start feeling stiffer than it is now once it does. [quote name='B4_Maniac']I also had the AVO end links and found out that the Leggy already comes with STI end links the same one on his Mom's STI.. [/QUOTE] Yes, but they are too long now for your car because it is lowered - the reason for the AVO endlinks is to adjust them down in length to match the drop of the car. ;) Plus the ball-joint ends of the AVO units are a bit stronger with less slop than the stock units - I would suggets the endlinks for a lowered STi as well. Cheers, Paul Hansen

Paul Are the front and rear end link the same on the GT ? Looks like there are two sets of AV026J s here ?

[quote name='apexjapan']Congratulations! Looks great, and glad the ride is good. Remember that it is going to settle, though, and start feeling stiffer than it is now once it does. Yes, but they are too long now for your car because it is lowered - the reason for the AVO endlinks is to adjust them down in length to match the drop of the car. ;) Plus the ball-joint ends of the AVO units are a bit stronger with less slop than the stock units - I would suggets the endlinks for a lowered STi as well. Cheers, Paul Hansen[/QUOTE] Is this the kind fo thing we could use on the Outback XT, being that it's adjustable?

That is the question - I am tring to get at . If we know how long the GT links are then the question will be answered.

My guess would be, given that the car drops 1.5" on the GT, that the HKS coilovers would be out of the question for an Outback. You're talking about a significant ride height loss, at which point the other suspension components are drooping like crazy. Personally, I think, given how low the USDM GT sits, a 1.5" drop would make me nervous going up driveways, etc. There are threads on the strut bodies. I see in the picture that threads are below the collars, to make the car lower. Are there threads above, to get back some ride height? Also, for those considering this setup, you say that ride quality improves. Does that mean that the same smoothness that so many people like in the USDM car is still present, but to a greater degree, while the handling is also improved? The other question is bump compliance. As we all know, with the stock suspension, when you hit a bump, hardly any of it is transmitted to the car. So your latte can be (for you in-car drinkers) in the cupholder without spilling. A consequence of stiffer coilovers, in my past experience, has been a splashed latte (hot chocolate in my case) when you hit bumps. So what happens when you hit bumps? Has there been any increase in road noise transmitted into the car as a consequence of the stiffer setup? There are other questions that others will have, but these are a few I can think of, that will help others make more informed decisions. We'll also be keeping an eye on the progress, longer-term. I can search back on NASIOC for my first post after putting the Tein HAs on my Legacy GT wagon. Boy, was I over the moon! But as I lived with them over time, the suckitude began to rear its head. Not that I'm saying such things will happen with the HKS, but often, once the newness of something wears off, things come up that are worth noting. Keep us all posted, and nice work. Kevin

Several of us have have the JDM Wagon STI pink springs on order with Myles - we are taking a chance as to where the car ends up since no one has tried it yet. I want my XT to go down about 1.5" - still above stock GT. I expect the front will do that since the subframe is shimmed out from the frame by over 2 ". The rear is a crap shoot - no one knows where the extra height in the rear came from relative to the GT - we will findout the hard way. Adjustable end links woudl be nice to add to the XT - if the center to center distances of the links are same a GT or close no problem. Just trying to findout what those lengths are on a GT ? The real wild card in the whole thing is where did the extra height come from in the XT ? My guess and just a guess it the rear struts are different becasue they have higher lower spring mounts on the strut but that is a guess .

I am sorry guys. I have been out all day spending time with my GT. Boy do I have alot to post.

 

I have to say, I have been thinking about the questions in Kevins post all day, and I was wondering if he had mind reading abilty.. Kevin makes a ton of good points.

 

The car drops a little more than an 1.5 inches. The rear drop is the most significant. There isn't even two fingures worth of space between the fender and the tire. There is much more space in the front. But, not enought to put your fist through. My coilovers are for a JDM BL5 Legacy Sedan..(ours be BL6..oh well:rolleyes: ) so the strut length and suspension geometry was taken into consideration for my chasis. They do offer HKS Hipermax LS Plus for wagons, so the same consideration "should" have been taken. Right now, I am so impressed with HKS's attention to detail..I am about the buy some of their stock via a ADR. (Sorry..I am banker..so pardon the jargon)

 

But, in regards to the rear drop.. I would say it's on par with a stock BMW 3 Series. Little to no wheel gap.

 

Now, if you guys haven't done so..I think reading up on the GT's 5 link suspension would have you engrossed for hours. It's easily the best rear suspension set up of any Subaru to date. Flame me if you must..it's a peice of work. The bump stops on the suspension to reduce squat under throttle is pure genius.

 

Now, on ride quality. As Paul Hansen said the suspension will settle and will stiffen up. Wich it has been doing since yesterday. So my day in my "unaligned" GT with the new coilovers I had a sligtly diffrent impression. The front is 50 billion times stiffer than stock.. But, The dampeners take up all the slack when it comes to the bumps. I do not have the same feeling that it dampens better than the stock set up anymore. The car is 60 billion times more connected to the road. Wich means you do feel most irregularities in pavement. Now compared to a full race coilover..the same irregularities would have your teeth ratteling in your head. The rubber bushings realy do help maintain the "Luxury Car" feel.

 

Now, with handeling. This is another topic all together. I am still running RE92s, I can't seem to part with them.. With no other suspension mods. I took this car on my normal course of off ramps and twisties..and I was grinning ear to ear. The floatiness is gone..I know where my wheels are now and the car feels sharper. Like it has ADHD and it just took a handfull of Ritalin. It was focused and sharp. I have never said that about my Leggy before..not once.

 

And this is with messed up toe settings in the back and a hand done adjustment to the front to maximum negetive camber. I can't wait till I get it aligned poperly.

 

I am giddy as a school girl with this set up.

 

Now as for the road noise. That has increased. But, is it obnoxious and intrusive... No. Turn the radio on to a decent level and you are back in stock Leggy world.

Now, I would say be carefull with your latte's peops.. Hit a realy bad stretch of road..and you may be cleaning up some spilliage. But, is it any worse than stock..no..it does depend on the condition of the road though.

 

Now, I aslo have no intake silencer and the godly AVO Panel filter ..wich invites a nice "woooosh" when you step on the throttle. You can hear your car breathing. It's awsome.

 

Now, I have had several people drive my car with the new coilovers. All have positive things to say about them. But, we are all in agreement that the rear sway bar needs to be increased. Also, steel braided break lines and better pads was a popular request. I am looking to purchase some tonite.

 

Enjoy these pics.

 

B4

More pics..and just as a point of referance. My car now sits lower than my friends STI...

Boy you have a nice collection of cars !

THANKS! Did you notice the small "Matchbox" lable on them? :)

Nice looks a lot better now, I would agree with the comment of looking about like a stock 3-series. I would expect to be still a little bit lower by the end of the week.

Awesome pictures! I agree... Nice collection of cars you and your friends have.

[quote name='chucktoo']Paul Are the front and rear end link the same on the GT ?[/QUOTE] Yes and no - the front links, the connectors point away from each other, the rear links, they point in the same direction. If you were putting in non-adjustable links, you need to have different front and rear endlinks. Since ours are adjustable for length and direction, you can use the front links for both the front in the rear, you simply rotate the heads to the direction desired. The adjustability is for length, and the idea is to match your suspension setup. If you have a stock suspension setup, you should use links of the same length from center to center of the pivot point. If you have lowered your car like a certain maniac we know, then you would need to adjust them down. To be honest, for a 1.5" drop, you would be adjusting them to their shortest length - that is what I did with my previous B4 twin turbo when I had lowered it. Nice pictures! It looks really good - now you just need 18" wheels to fill it out completely. :D :D Cheers, Paul Hansen [url]www.avoturboworld.com[/url] [url]www.apexjapan.com[/url]

Thanks all for the positve comments. Paul, I am going to keep the links and install them when I get new sway bars. (wich I am looking for now) The rear sway is ridiculasly small. So, I am just going to slap a new rear one on there. The front is thicker though... Do you think you can get your hands on the Cusco rear sway bar? 05 LegacyGT330Ci... I don't know if it will get any lower..if it does..I will be pretty suprised. It's realy low now. But, now I think it's on par with the ride hight of my RX8. B4

[quote name='B4_Maniac']The front is thicker though... Do you think you can get your hands on the Cusco rear sway bar?[/QUOTE] Of course, of course - or even just a stock JDM rear sway bar. Well, probably the same price, though. I will be out of operation for the next week, though, so will have to wait till next week to get all the information together. Cheers, Paul Hansen [url]www.avoturboworld.com[/url] [url]www.apexjapan.com[/url]

Hmm..how thick are the JDM stock sways? Hmm.. This may be an option. Got any pics? Let me know when you get back to dealer mode.. I can actuly get these sooner than my front lip spoiler.....(cough).. :) B4

[quote name='B4_Maniac'] 05 LegacyGT330Ci... I don't know if it will get any lower..if it does..I will be pretty suprised. It's realy low now. But, now I think it's on par with the ride hight of my RX8. B4[/QUOTE] Must just be the photos then becuase still looks like a good 2 finger gap atleast up front. Then again pictures can be misleading and everyone has their own interpretation of the word low when talking about suspension.

[quote name='B4_Maniac'][color=black]The issue we had with installing them, is that we had to do it all with out a lift...with jack stands..This was annoying when you tried to get them off with the lowered suspension.. But, we managed that issue well I feel. [/color] [color=black]The rear suspension...was slighting annoying.[/color] [color=black]Unlike the WRX you do not have to take out the back seat. all you have do do is take off the plethora of clips locking the carpeting down in the trunk to get to the rear suspension.[/color] [color=black]This was convenient but there were a lot of clips..[/color][color=black]B4[/color][/QUOTE] Welcome to my world, it shouldnt have taken you guys that long since it was a drop-out/drop-in install. I didnt even use an impact wrench. I used a $.50 2' iron pipe as my breaker bar extension. It worked wonders. As for clips, I didnt remove any, I just peeled back the carpeting to get to the top 2 rear nuts that hold the strut hats to the body of the car. Total time = 2 hours. In all, glad you enjoy the ride! HKS is quality stuff.. but if you could have, the coilovers with the camber plates is really where it's at. You'll be suprised how well the car handles when the alignment is done (for more spirited and high performance driving). If you think the HKS are awesome, wait until you ride in a car with Zeal V6 Coilover with standard spring rates for street use, you'll think you are riding on rails.. or B6 for more "civilzed" feeling for stock ride quality suspension. Keefe

[quote name='05LegacyGT330Ci']Must just be the photos then becuase still looks like a good 2 finger gap atleast up front. Then again pictures can be misleading and everyone has their own interpretation of the word low when talking about suspension.[/QUOTE] Aaaakk..your talking about the fronts..yeah..there is more than two fingures worth of room there. Now that may settle and get lower. Sorry..miss interpretation. :lol:

[quote name='Xenonk']Welcome to my world, it shouldnt have taken you guys that long since it was a drop-out/drop-in install. I didnt even use an impact wrench. I used a $.50 2' iron pipe as my breaker bar extension. It worked wonders. As for clips, I didnt remove any, I just peeled back the carpeting to get to the top 2 rear nuts that hold the strut hats to the body of the car. Total time = 2 hours.Keefe[/QUOTE] The time was spent doing the intake mod, putting the suspension in and then dialing them in. We made a mistake with putting on of the rear struts in w/o dialing it in..so we had to yank it out and set the stiffness. Then test driving it...got every thing right on the first try..I am the set it and forgett it type..Not to mention tool clean up and a wash plus pics along the way. So all in all about 6 hours worth of work. With plenty of jokes in between. It was good times. Zeals are overkill for my needs. Plain and simple. Good stuff but too much for me. I plan to Auto X on the 21st..and that's about it for the year. B4

okay okay. surprised no one's asked this yet. how much $$ shipped to your door? car looks really good, that looks like a great drop, possibly what i'm looking for. how often would these HKS's need to be rebuilt? and also, i've heard that because of the LGT's rear susp. setup, that taking out the shocks/springs is quite a bit more involved than the WRX was. how true is that? any specific install problems along the way, or did everything go pretty much smoothly?

[quote name='B4_Maniac'] I plan to Auto X on the 21st..and that's about it for the year. B4[/QUOTE] do you have the link for that autox? I would love to come down to Richmond to see your set up and see what times you run, and I would like to run as well to see how well I can do in the colder weather.. I did nothing but instructing this past weekend, so I didnt get any seat time.. Keefe

he posted that answer on the cost on his other thread about "brown box on his door step" thread. Keefe