Struts, Springs and Coilovers 2020 Edition

Our cars are old at this point. I still love my 2005 LGT and will own it until I can't. My Tokico with Swift Springs have around 100k on them so I'm in the hunt for some new struts and/or springs.

The suspension offerings seem to be dwindling and so I thought I'd start a thread with the current suspension offerings for the 4th Gen Legacy/3rd Gen Outback.

Please chime in with Struts/Springs/Coilovers you know we can still get.

 

Struts we can still get new:

KYB

Koni inserts

OEM Bilstein

Bilstein B6

Bilstein B8 (wait time is significant)

 

Springs:

Swift

Tein

King

H&R

JDM sti pinks (export)

 

Coilovers:

Tein

KW

BC racing

Feal

Ohlins

Fortune Auto

ICS

Raceland

Godspeed

Megan

OBXracing

Silver's NeoMax

Edited May 9, 2020 by rhino6303

Add Ohlins to the list, we can still get them.

Is this a list for just new items or are we including used as a separate category?

US sourced only or including what can be ordered from Japan/EU/RU?

Is this a list for just new items or are we including used as a separate category?

US sourced only or including what can be ordered from Japan/EU/RU?

I'd like to keep new only. Anywhere sourced. If it's another country I can just add that next to the name.

there are alot more CO options than most people know. you just have to know how to order them, and be willing to spend more since they are mostly built to spec by a suspension shop. dont be afraid to look past the "off-the-shelf" kits that most vendors sell at discount.

True. And for simi-off the shelf offerings just about any '08-'14 WRX/STI front housing will work and the rears can be be adapted from normal bolt mounted shocks if you change the bushing to 14mm ID.

 

Also add to the list Fortune Auto and ICS for the tiwanesse guts but OK ish options we can still get.

 

In the cheap crap caragory I think raceland, godspeed, megan, OBXracing, ect are all still avalible. Those places use the same damper for every single one of their kits and just use bolt on parts kits to make them fit whatever platform, so they should be avalible for a while for the stance kids.

 

Edit: I think JDM STI Pinks are still avalible new as well spring wise. I'm seeing them still listed on exporter websites.

Edited May 7, 2020 by utc_pyro

Anybody know if the ISC/BC BR/FA 500 are all just rebrands of each other? I don't understand how the FA500 could hold the price point it's at if it's no different than the BCs unless you're paying for their customer service.

They aren’t exactly rebrands, but they use parts from the same OEM bins. Those bins contain different quality/performance levels and they can change/QC the dampening. I think FA’s also come with swift springs which have been objectively tested as better than the generic black Taiwanese ones, but BC also offers them as an option.

 

I will say this though: any OEM that sells a kits for our cars with a softer rear than front spring has done very very little R&D beyond making sure it fits.

They aren’t exactly rebrands, but they use parts from the same OEM bins. Those bins contain different quality/performance levels and they can change/QC the dampening. I think FA’s also come with swift springs which have been objectively tested as better than the generic black Taiwanese ones, but BC also offers them as an option.

 

I will say this though: any OEM that sells a kits for our cars with a softer rear than front spring has done very very little R&D beyond making sure it fits.

 

As I understand it, they both have optional Swift springs (I looked at buying the FA500 before I bought my Koni+H&R) and they also have optional Hyperco springs. I don’t know who the spring OEM is for the standard coilover.

 

My only complaint about the Koni and H&R is that it doesn’t go as low as I’d like, and if I go lower I’d like to keep coilover options in mind. The FA500s are at an attractive price point, but if they use the same valving as BC BRs then I’d cross them off my list.

Add Silvers to the list. They have different height options like BC’s extreme drop and Feal’s max travel. I’m sure FA, ISC, D2 and others can do that sort of thing as well.

You really get what you pay for with coilovers so I’d suggest sourcing a set of Legacy specific Tarmac’s (KW) from Myles at Racecomp. Yes, you’ll pay a few hundred bucks more than FA’s or BC’s but the built quality, specific damping, durability make it worth that extra price in my opinion. It’s the perfect middle ground between low end crap that blows up in the first year and high end stuff like Blitstein or Öhlins that drain your wallet excessively.