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Struts/Shocks Upgrade Ideas?


Heytiggr

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Hi All,

 

I am getting some pretty good clunking and stuff from my corners and I am thinking it is time for new shocks. (Checked sway bars, etc. all good and tight) These are KYB G2s which are now about 80k miles old.

 

I am thinking of going with the KONI yellows, sticking with my stock springs. I want some cornering and overall control performance but need to keep the ride mostly comfortable.

 

Thoughts? Advice?

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Koni yellows are the go to for a good DD setup. You could get away with stock springs but ultimately you'd want something with a little bit of a drop.

I bought an auto be more involved in my uninvolvedness . 200k+ Club

If you can't blind them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.

My high mileage turd.

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Cheapest way for all new is bilstein rears $115 each and koni fronts $250 each. Thats the cheapest ive seen them on ebay...

 

Another good option is used spec b which is a slightly softer revision of the bilstein w mached springs. I have the spec b with king rear springs they gave me a half inch lift in rear so it doesnt sagg, the kings are 30% stiffer but still feel oem ish. I can vouch that set up is quite capable and girlfriend approved

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Thanks for the confirmation. However, why would I want to go with a bit of a drop? I have purposely stayed away from lowering to keep the stock suspension travel for comfort. Wouldn't firming up the shocks but keeping 'calmer' spring keep the comfort/performance compromise i am going for?
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I totally agree on keeping the stock height. Koni is definitely a good way to go. I agree that stock ride height is much more comfortable than a -2" drop. Actually wider wheels with lower offset will significantly improve the stability and cornering along with new shocks. You can find Koni Yellows here: http://www.carid.com/2005-subaru-legacy-suspension-systems/koni-sport-shocks-struts-16477896.html Edited by CARiDcom
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keep in mind that the 01-04 kyb shock/struts are an upgrade for 05+ cars. the older body style was heavier and used a stiffer set up. i had 01 kyb's on my obxt before i went spec b.

 

the 01 is not as big of an upgrade as koni or bilstein but they are notiably stiffer than 05 and actually cheaper than 05 kyb, so on a budget they get the job done....

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What a cool insider tip! And I have a good parts guy at a dealership if I need to go that way. So just the stock replacements but for the 01-04 models? Excellent!

 

Or - did I misunderstand you and it should be aftermarket KYBs, but pretend I am buying for an 01-04 model?

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Yea, kybs are the usually OEM replacement. As for a drop i meant like .9 or 1in which is what some aftermarket springs give you. If you want comfortable daily id stick with kyb's .

I bought an auto be more involved in my uninvolvedness . 200k+ Club

If you can't blind them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.

My high mileage turd.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Seems like the KYB Excel-G's are the best for a daily driver. The problem that I am finding is the Struts/Shocks either Bilstein Koni or the KYB need to be matched with the appropriate lowering spring to get the correct suspension set up for spirited daily driving. Since I am interested in the KYB Excel-G's it would figure that the best match for them was the Eibach Pro-Kit or the Epic Springs or ION Springs and they are discontinued or not available. The only lowering springs available are Rallitech (which are made by Swift) Tein S-Tech or H-Tech's and H & R's. From what im reading is the S-Tech are garbage and are too low and don't offer any travel so it would be a bump stop nightmare. And the H-Tech's could possibly give your sedan a "saggy but". So now im at the decision with either H & R's or the Rallitech/Swift's. Would like to hear from some KYB Excel-G owners and which springs to choose from those two I mentioned for their LGT Sedan since the options are slim at this point in the game for a 11 year old car. Edited by zangado1
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The only spring meant to be paired with kyb is the oem springs. If you get springs with the same rates as the oem they will technically be a matched spring, however the performance and handling comes from the added stiffness not the ride heigh. The ride height helps a little but no where near as much as the spring rates and dampening.

 

There arnt a lot of strut options for these cars there is oem/kyb and tjere is bilstein and koni. The koni is adjustable but thats not the same thing as a mached suspension it only allows you to adjust to personal preference which may not be ideal for the springs they are mated to. The bilstein however is able to be rebuilt/revalved to any spring you want, they charge $75 each to perform this procedure and it requires mailing them in and waiting.

 

If you want a true mached suspension the only real option is either spec b suspension which offers no drop but handles great and rides like stock

Or get some bilstiens spec b or HD and have bilstein match them to the spring of your choice just be ready to provide the spring rates for them.

 

If you want to do a drop and a semi matched setup your best bet is h tech paired with 05 kyb rear and 01-04 kyb fronts the h tech are slightly stiffer front springs with the rear same as oem. And the 01-04 kyb are stiffer so that is the closest you will get for a budget suspension that rides comfortable as well as handles noticeably better then stock

 

Ps. The the suspension only dictates confidence and feel. The actuall cornering speed will come down to the tires. You can corner at tje same speed no matter what suspension is on the car but the stock one will be scary and the performance set up will be confidence inspired ;-)

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The only spring meant to be paired with kyb is the oem springs. If you get springs with the same rates as the oem they will technically be a matched spring, however the performance and handling comes from the added stiffness not the ride heigh. The ride height helps a little but no where near as much as the spring rates and dampening.

 

There arnt a lot of strut options for these cars there is oem/kyb and tjere is bilstein and koni. The koni is adjustable but thats not the same thing as a mached suspension it only allows you to adjust to personal preference which may not be ideal for the springs they are mated to. The bilstein however is able to be rebuilt/revalved to any spring you want, they charge $75 each to perform this procedure and it requires mailing them in and waiting.

 

If you want a true mached suspension the only real option is either spec b suspension which offers no drop but handles great and rides like stock

Or get some bilstiens spec b or HD and have bilstein match them to the spring of your choice just be ready to provide the spring rates for them.

 

If you want to do a drop and a semi matched setup your best bet is h tech paired with 05 kyb rear and 01-04 kyb fronts the h tech are slightly stiffer front springs with the rear same as oem. And the 01-04 kyb are stiffer so that is the closest you will get for a budget suspension that rides comfortable as well as handles noticeably better then stock

 

Ps. The the suspension only dictates confidence and feel. The actuall cornering speed will come down to the tires. You can corner at tje same speed no matter what suspension is on the car but the stock one will be scary and the performance set up will be confidence inspired ;-)

 

Thanks for your detailed reply on this. I understand that the KYB Excel-G are a slight upgrade from the base KYB "white gas adjust" that are a basic replacement for most cars. I am interested in about an inch drop in a spring application that would eliminate some body roll and help in the cornering and wallowing that the car has now. The squatting at hard acceleration is also an issue but then again these are the OEM struts and shocks with 103.000 on them. I am looking for the same type performance I am getting out of my 95 BK that is a great all around ride with a lowered stance and gets tight when I crank on the wheel while cornering. That application is KYB GR-2's and Tein H-Tech's along with a Primitive Racing upper strut sway bar on that car which is my daily driver. So im really not interested in dealing with the Koni insert hassle or the top hat issues with the Bilstein or the prices. By the time it is all said and done with either the Koni or Bilstein including the springs you could have bought a set of entry level Coil Overs. So I really would like to use the KYB Excel-G's but use an aftermarket lowering spring that is not too aggressive to take away from the suspension travel or give you bump stop issues either. I also have plans in adding the upper strut sway bar and a front and rear sway bar in time after this strut shock and spring addition has been addressed. This 05 LGT is not my daily driver so im being patient with these mods and reading and trying to mod it little by little to enjoy it over time. One more question...The 01-04 KYB Excel-G's for the fronts are they for a LGT or a standard Legacy or it doesn't matter? And also you have a wagon and not a sedan? And where did that application come from on the forum because I did not catch that through my readings on here. thanks again for your reply...

Edited by zangado1
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Gt or non gt is same fitment. The 01-04 fitting 05's is not that well known untill recently. Its been a fav mod for the outback guys they all run them in the rear to get help with noodle feeling. I had asked around a lot to see if anyone had tried it on a legacy, at the time no one came forward so i personaly bought tested and compaired them to 05's. After i did so ive been spreading the word, and others have come forward admitting to using the older struts and them being stiffer. I did a write up on it a few months ago when i installed swift springs
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A good cheap setup i would suggest is the 01fronts w 05 rears h tech and a rear sway bar. That will give you a pretty well balanced set up that will still be comfortable on rough roads

 

Sounds like from reading that even the sedans need the "saggy butt" spacers regardless of which springs you put on.

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Yes most legacy's need the saggy but spacers to sit level, unless you use a spring combo that drops the front more than the rear like swifts 1.2" front and 1.0" rear or something equivelant.

 

However if staying stock height using oem or spec b the king springs standard height ksrs-29 is a great upgrade good for a 10mm lift in the rear and the added stiffness is about the equivelant of having a 20mm rear sway bar

 

I have the kings springs on used spec b struts w 6mt front springs and it handles/rides like a dream but it is by no means low i have also added a half inch front spacer and quarter inch rear spacers and it has a really tough stance that is off road capable. 3 finger rear gap 2 finger front w 225 55 17 tires, and despite the lift it handles beter than it did with swifts's and 245 45's

 

And the kings are stiffer so it doesnt sagg as much with a full trunk/hatch with 200lbs in hatch it sits 2 finger all around. If staying oem height the kings are a much better option vs saggy but spacers because they offer better handling vs just a tweak in height. They unfortunately do not offer any front springs which is why i did spacers up front

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  • 2 months later...
I don't want to change from oem springs, my ride height seems ok and I autocross and recently did my first hpde event. The car is not my DD but I do want to improve handling. I already put a thick sway bar in back which keeps it in stock class. Can anyone tell me if I get koni yellows, will it be worth the roughly $700? I probably need to replace the mounts while I am in there, the old ones have 170000 miles on them and they squeak. Thanks!
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  • 3 years later...
Gt or non gt is same fitment. The 01-04 fitting 05's is not that well known untill recently. Its been a fav mod for the outback guys they all run them in the rear to get help with noodle feeling. I had asked around a lot to see if anyone had tried it on a legacy, at the time no one came forward so i personaly bought tested and compaired them to 05's. After i did so ive been spreading the word, and others have come forward admitting to using the older struts and them being stiffer. I did a write up on it a few months ago when i installed swift springs

 

 

I picked up an 06 Legacy GT spec B and the front struts are shot. Based on this thread, I'm thinking of picking up some 01-04 KYBs for now (I'm on a budget as just had 6K of work done to the car). If I go that route, are my stock springs going to be OK?

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I picked up an 06 Legacy GT spec B and the front struts are shot. Based on this thread, I'm thinking of picking up some 01-04 KYBs for now (I'm on a budget as just had 6K of work done to the car). If I go that route, are my stock springs going to be OK?

 

I would recommend using parts for your vehicle. If you're worried about budget, buy the right thing the first time.

I could suck start a snow blower.
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