Sti Pink BR Legacy Springs

So! Ran into a few small snafus with the install, but after taking it apart and reassembling multiple times with help from father in law and from a longtime good friend, I now feel comfortable doing this with my eyes closed. Wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

 

For some perspective/context, this is on a:

 

• 2012 Outback 2.5i, 6mt
  
• Wheels are from a 2011 WRX, 17x8 +53 dimensions
  
• Tires are Kumho Ectsta 4x, 235/55R17, about two years old, 18k miles on them
  
• Suspension is stock everywhere except for a 20mm rear anti-sway bar and rear upper control arms from the same year Legacy
  
• Setup has settled for one week now, and have driven about 350 miles on it
  

 

Clearance was very tight. Had slight rubbing on the front lower spring perchs. Removed, reassembled, and adjusted camber bolt for less negative, and we're now clear.

 

First impressions: beefy tires are your friend. In brief, this combo/setup is compliant, but very assertive. I'll be measuring ride height on all corners this weekend and get some pics for your viewing pleasure. Measuring ride height because I'm slightly wary about one of the rear struts that caused us problems during install.

At the end of the day, this setup is definitely doable. Haven't gotten an alignment yet, but here are some quick shots I took earlier of the drop one can expect from this setup. About two fingers of clearance all around. That being said, I'll try to keep this thread technical, since it lives in the technical section..

Prioritizing zero toe and zero cross camber. Need at least a camber kit for any hope of adjusting the rear beyond what it's at now. Tech even attempted the good ole loosen/wiggle the knuckle technique for the rear camber. Nonetheless, drives solid and tracks on the highway quite nicely. Tested before and after on Mt. Madonna portion of the 152. Got tailed by a newer black jetta on straights, and left him behind at every corner. of course, one of his headlight bulbs was out.

It's fun to bump 2 year old threads!

 

I think that my curiosity dictates I will always be messing with the suspension geometry, brakes, and tires (long before ever thinking about increasing engine power).

 

Not long after installing the struts/springs and upper control arms, I threw on ISC 15mm spacers on all 4 corners to completely eliminate any potential rubbing on the front strut seat.

 

Here's how we stand.

 

The tires:

Kumho 4X 235/55R17; 27.2" overall nominal(?) diameter; tire load index remains the same as stock, at 99. I run 10% higher pressure than the door-card prescribed 32/31psi.

 

The springs:

STI Pink springs for BR 6MT touring wagon; 15 mm (~.60") drop vs. stock Legacy.

 

The dampers:

GTworx by Bilstein. Biggest unknown. Works great so far, but I have nothing technical to reference with respect to these dampers.

 

The wheels and clearance:

ISC 15mm spacers; fit is great under the oem WRX 17" rims without needing to replace wheel hub bolts. Those wheels have pockets for the protruding wheel bolts.

 

Anti-Sway and components:

Stock front, which should be 26mm.

STI OEM rear, 20mm.

 

Geometry:

235/55/17 mounted on 17"x8" wheels +53 offset. Effective offset is +38 after wheel spacers.

 

Alignment:

Need to increase negative camber in front, and less on rear. Thinking of trying out -1.5 fronts (MacPherson setup tendencies), and -1.0 rear (multi-link). To achieve these numbers, I'll need to install either the adjustable toe bushing (came with the SPC lower control arm) or get the SPC 67655 adjustable toe arm. Of course, I want others to be able to drive the car without accidentally inducing oversteer, so I'll be making small, conservative adjustments.

Alignment update April 15. Requested -1.5 up front and -1.0 rear. Looks like they were able to reduce rear negative camber without additional adjustable hardware. Previous tech wasn't able to do so. Still, I'm not clear about what they mean by "rear camber set to -1.0 before lifting front end".

 

Here's the hardware we're working with:

 

OEM Outback toe arms (non-adjustable)

SPC 67660 Lower control arms (rear)

OEM Legacy Upper control arms (rear)

 

http://i.imgur.com/cCGCKFf.jpg

Edited April 16, 2016 by ToRealEyes
Forgot negative signs.

How do you like the ride with the STI pinks? Is it harsh?

It's firm, and I can imagine it being harsh with 18"+ rims and anything less than 50 profile tires. For my setup with 17" rims and 55 profile tires, it's not harsh at all. At speed (65-75 mph), it handles smooth surfaces with large dips and bumps very nicely, but going lower speeds (~25-40 mph) over potholes, cracks, and uneven pavement, you'll definitely not be able to sip your hot morning latte very easily.

I accidentally purchased JDM Bilstein GT struts and Legacy wagon pinks if anyone is interested....