Corner Weights: Stock vs H-Tech

Since I have access to scales I decided to weigh my grocery wagon before and after swapping in H-Tech springs. The car is a street driven 2005 LGT Wagon 5MT with a full tank of gas, spare, jack, rear cover thing, and a bunch of crap in the glove box, door pockets and center console. However, I did pull out the two car seats and a few toys that were within reach. Other than some light aftermarket wheels and window tint, the car is stock.

 

For those of you who haven't seen or played with car scales before they look like a heavy duty version of what you might find in the bathroom, minus the display. There are obviously 4 and they each have an electrical connector that attaches to a wheel specific cord which in turn runs to a central control box. Operation is simple, you plug in and zero the scales, then roll your car up onto them. The only difficult part is finding a perfectly level area to do this. My garage just happens to be flat...can't say the same for the rest of the house.

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5170127.jpg

 

 

The control unit then displays the total and corner weights. This is stock springs with no driver:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5170146.jpg

 

 

The control box can also display the detail you need if you were going to set up for the track. Stock with no driver the car is heavy to the left by 1/2 a percent. The front and rear percentages are displayed next, and then the all important cross weight, not that there is anything you can do about it without a set of height adjustable coil-overs. The good news, less than a percentage out of whack in the cross weights is fantastic for a stock car.

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5170147.jpg

 

 

Weighing the car without the driver is fun, but you really need to put the pilot or a comparable amount of weight in the driver's seat whenever you corner balance or get your car aligned. This is the car with me in it. I can't believe I'm that heavy?!

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5170150.jpg

 

 

Here is the detail with me in the seat, stock suspension. Slight improvement in the cross.

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5170152.jpg

 

 

Next, I installed H-Tech springs (stock shocks) and drove around for about a month before putting the car back on the scales. Note: The total weight is less. While I was waiting for the springs to settle I couldn't resist and went ahead and installed Invidia up and down pipes which are considerably lighter than stock.

 

H-Techs, full tank, no driver:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P1010083.jpg

 

 

There is a welcome shift in weight to the rear and the cross is almost perfect.

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P1010084.jpg

 

 

Now with the driver:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P1010087.jpg

 

 

Detail, H-Tech w/ driver:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P1010088.jpg

 

 

Since there are no corner height adjustments that I can make this process was pretty much just an FYI exercise. Still, the results are better than I expected. ~3350 lbs is no Miata, but it's not bad for a big AWD wagon. The 55 / 45 front rear split is perfect in the real world, and a cross weight that is virtually spot on is almost too good to believe. Not bad Subaru, and don't mock that H-Tech butt sag. It's a good thing.

Neat.

what does the cross measure? rf and lr and vice versa?

What were the ride heights before & after? I'm curious how consistent LGTs are - my LF was 26" ground-to-wheel well lip, the RF was 26 3/4" (stock wheels, tires & suspension).

what does the cross measure? rf and lr and vice versa?

 

Yes. It takes the larger of the two cross weights and displays it as a percentage of the total weight.

Not bad Subaru, and don't mock that H-Tech butt sag. It's a good thing.

 

 

That explains why the STi pinks lower the rear more than the front (when paired with the bilsteins). I guess STi knows what they're doing after all.

That explains why the STi pinks lower the rear more than the front (when paired with the bilsteins). I guess STi knows what they're doing after all.

 

Ride height can be a tricky thing....there's more to it then very minor changes in weight distribution.

 

Cool info!

 

Thanks,

Andrew

What were the ride heights before & after?...

 

 

I measured from the lip to the center of the hub. Here's the left front with the stock suspension:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5170131.jpg

 

 

Left Front H-Tech:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P1010079.jpg

 

 

Left Rear Stock:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5170137.jpg

 

Left Rear H-Tech:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P1010080.jpg

 

 

Stock:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P5020005.jpg

 

 

H-Tech:

 

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/ll474/bochinam/P1010075.jpg

Thanks for posting ride heights - the corner weights look great. The front looks like it dropped ~1 1/4" (14 5/8" - 13 3/8") and the ~rear 2 1/8" (14 1/4" - 12 1/8"). That's a lot more than expected based on the H-tech specs.