[herbiejonesiv]

Hey everyone,

I'm sure the thread exists somewhere deep within this site, but I'm just wondering if anyone has the tein street advance z coil overs for 02-07 wrxs.

I'm looking in to switching to these as my stock suspension is garbage. Does anyone have any input on these?

How they ride, installation etc.

Appreciate the help!

 

[MainFrame]

I would avoid them. Typically anything Tein makes for Subaru fitment is pub par (Street Advance Z would be a substantial downgrade from stock IMO). If you want coilovers you're going to need to spend at least $1900 to get something halfway decent. If you're looking to spend less than that you will be better off with new springs and struts.. they will ride better, handle better, and last a whole lot longer than cheap coilovers.

 

[SD_GR]

Doesn't somebody sell pre-assembled McPhersons with Koni dampers and springs as a package deal now? I could swear I saw this somewhere on a vendor site?

EDIT: I'm amazed that in 15 years on this board not a single Tein product has turned out even remotely interesting. The consistent failure is impressive.

 

[XJman]

You think the stock is bad, wait till you put those turds on your car.

Kw variant 3 and ohlins are probably the ones I see recommended the most. Both will need professional setup and constant care.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[SD_GR]

The stock is actually quite good though. Here's what I did:

My car is early so it had 20mm rear bar. I left it alone. For dampers the options are either Kayaba or... Kayaba since Tokico are unobtainable and Koni are $$. So stock (Kayaba) or Excel (Kayaba) or AGX (Kayaba). Stock springs.

Go for 0 foe and -1 camber (use bolts) or just forget camber and zero the toe only.

Front go zero toe, -1.3 camber, Kayabas and a 24mm bar on stock springs. Swap the bump stops and top hats.

Low cost and the car behaves correctly (only mild understeer is correct-- if you're not Alain Prost any counterpoint is moot...). It's not nosey and it won't unglue if you lift off, and at the limit it goes strait -- the safest option. Braking is not notably affected by the camber either.

Low cost! It won't wallow and it won't yump or sidestep and it may be a viable setup.

Or find those Koni McPhersons I mentioned for $1k.

 

[EJ257]

Front go zero toe, -1.3 camber, Kayabas and a 24mm bar on stock springs.

Did you actually upgrade the front swaybar?

Low cost and the car behaves correctly (only mild understeer is correct-- if you're not Alain Prost any counterpoint is moot...). It's not nosey and it won't unglue if you lift off, and at the limit it goes strait -- the safest option. Braking is not notably affected by the camber either.

The additional camber and the upgraded front bar should help dial out a bunch of understeer.



If you want to increase your handling, the FIRST thing you should do is address your tires, as they are the only part of the vehicle that touches the pavement, and they are the first weakpoint.

If your tires are good, and you're still having an issue with handling, the next thing you should address is the alignment. OE alignment specs suck from a performance standpoint, and a set of $30 camber bolts (R) and a custom alignment will go a long way, due to the way a McPherson strut operates). The camber bolts and custom alignment will be required for any modifications to the struts/springs, so seeing if spending $100-150 will save you hundreds in upgrades is a good investment, in my book.

That said, for the older WRXs, if you have to replace suspension (e.g., struts are end-of-life), there are three setups that I recommend, based on budget...

Wallet friendly...
Struts: KYB GR-2 / Excel-G
Springs: STI take-offs (should be able to find them on the cheap from someone looking to recoup some garage space)
Tophats: New OE F/R
Bumpstops: New
Alignment: Camber bolts for the rear to adjust camber. Max out front negative camber, reduce rear to be ~.5° less negative than up front (-1.3°F/-.8°R, -1.5°F/-1.0°R)

Middle ground...
Struts: KYB GR-2 / Excel-G
Springs: Swift Sport
Tophats: Whiteline Com-C (F) / New OE (R)
Bumpstops: New
Alignment: Camber bolts for the rear to adjust camber. -1.5°F / -1.0°R

Street warrior...
Struts: Koni Yellow
Springs: RCE Black / RCE Yellow / Swift Spec-R (look at spring rates / lowering amount and decide which would be best for your needs, but all would pair well with the adjustable Konis)
Tophats: Whiteline Com-C (F) / Group-N or New OE (R)
Bumpstops: New
Alignment: Camber bolts for the rear to adjust camber. -1.5°F / -1.0°R

If you're still not happy with the setup above, look into the Whiteline ALK / RCA kits to pair with whatever strut and spring setup you chose. You'll need a new alignment after installation, target the same specs as above.

If you're still not happy with the handling, you can look into swaybar / endlink upgrades. Rough-correction for body roll should be done with the struts/springs, and fine-tuning should be done with the swaybars. I always recommend solid bars (vs hollow), and I always recommend adjustable. While a swaybar/endlink install doesn't change your alignment specs, you may need to re-evaluate the specs that you're running; because of the reduced body roll, you may require less negative camber to achieve maximum contact patch in a corner.

 

[SD_GR]

Yes I'm using a Whiteline 24mm front bar adjusted to the inner holes with AGXs on stock springs (setting is 2 for funerals 3 for weddings), with -1.3' camber and 0 toes. The car came with a stock 20mm rear bar that's adequate.

The nose now stays flatter and there is less reluctance to change directions. The car follows its nose as best it can and at the limit the nose goes wide but if I saw at the wheel when I feel it get lighter it'll tick back in. I've yet to pirouette the car and I suspect that's because I keep my foot in it and the tail is soft enough to stick.

 

[SD_GR]

I should warn though that the car is not a train at all with my setup; I like it but I like mild understeer. With a hooligan at the wheel that ham fists and overcooks and then panics and lifts off the car will almost certainly tête à queue and that's outright dangerous. I can lift mildly and the tail remains behind the car. It won't unglue the way I drive it -- above I made it sound like it won't unglue at all but that's unfair and I don't want to mislead -- people are very resourceful after all...

 

[EJ257]

Yes I'm using a Whiteline 24mm front bar adjusted to the inner holes with AGXs on stock springs (setting is 2 for funerals 3 for weddings), with -1.3' camber and 0 toes. The car came with a stock 20mm rear bar that's adequate.

The nose now stays flatter and there is less reluctance to change directions. The car follows its nose as best it can and at the limit the nose goes wide but if I saw at the wheel when I feel it get lighter it'll tick back in. I've yet to pirouette the car and I suspect that's because I keep my foot in it and the tail is soft enough to stick.

QFP #mindblown

SD actually used unauthentic parts / not OE-replacement (e.g., Gates Timing Belt kit) on his vehicle.

 

[SD_GR]

QFP #mindblown

SD actually used unauthentic parts / not OE-replacement (e.g., Gates Timing Belt kit) on his vehicle.

I looked far and wide (heh...) for Subaru bars and such but couldn't find something I liked... So I had to go with a FAKE!

About the Gates: I've since gone to Aisin water pumps and so has my mechanic. I DIYed my water pump on the Subaru only to have the Gates get juicy round 60K. So now I'm going Aisin on Honda/Toyota/Subaru cars. So far so good.

KYB are an OEM if that helps... But the Whiteline IS A FAKE!!

 

[XJman]

It boggles my mind his car isn't factory stock.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[SD_GR]

Maybe when I get a lot of miles on it I'll do a picture or do and post them in the "high miles" thread. Heh.

 

[XJman]

"do a picture"

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[SD_GR]

OK so I went for a drive!

Impressions:

1. The car now turns. The reluctance to change directions in the stock car is gone. The steering doesn't snap back as much, but more on that in no. 2 below. The tail follows the nose but that's likely because I kept a 20mm out back and the softer dampers so it can comply. Overcooking will lead to dramas but then again it always does, now doesn't it?

2. With steering that is now less Ackerman-like, a boxer engine, absolutely idiotically poor paint quality, and flat, over-damped trajectories, poor interior fit and indifferent materials, a WRX with KYBs and a 24mm up front sounds and turns like... sit down... you guessed it!.... an Alfa Romeo Alfasud from the early 1980s.

I always wanted an Alfasud that actually ran, and now I've got one!

3. The design of the rear AGX units has changed, and this is actually great news! They used to be 8-way adjustable with the knob on the side. No more! Now, they are 4-way adjustable with the knob on top, meaning you have to remove the rear seat to adjust the dampers.

KYB is to be commended for employing the developmentally disabled. Bravo!

 

[herbiejonesiv]

Well alright then haha, I suppose this thread has answered my question. I'll just stick with the stock ones then. I was thinking that maybe for a few hundred more they'd be better. Thanks for the help!

 

[herbiejonesiv]

Additionally, I can't find stock replacement springs and I'm not looking to reuse the old ones. I have an 02 wagon, and from what it looks like they've reached the end of their life... any suggestions on where to find replacement ones?

 

[MainFrame]

Additionally, I can't find stock replacement springs and I'm not looking to reuse the old ones. I have an 02 wagon, and from what it looks like they've reached the end of their life... any suggestions on where to find replacement ones?

What happened to the stock springs to mess them up?

If you want new stock parts you can always buy them from a dealership, or online at a place like subarugenuineparts.com.. if you're going to the trouble of replacing them I would go ahead and upgrade them though. Good aftermarket (or STI) springs would likely cost the same or less than stock replacements.

 

[herbiejonesiv]

Nothing happened to them, it just seems that they've been on for the life of the car so I want to go ahead and replace them all. Would the suspension from an 04 STI fit an 02 wagon without any modification? I'm looking to do the job next weekend.

 

[herbiejonesiv]

I'm completely new here fyi haha

 

[MainFrame]

Okay.. springs generally don't wear out. It's the strut internals that would need to be replaced.


The 04 STI suspension will fit, but you will lose negative camber. There are various ways to correct it.. you can use something like Whiteline Com C front top hats and adjustable lateral links in the rear, you can use camber bolts with a larger lobe on them than the stock bolts.. or you could always slot the holes on the struts where they bolt to the hub.