I have a classic impreza and the suspension is standard bar lowering springs. What is the next step out of whiteline front roll center adjustment kit and adjustable rear arb with solid drop links? Don't say coilovers instead of springs as with it being post Christmas I don't have the funds as yet! Thanks

 

I'd say rear arb, one of the best mods you can do on a classic, i have a whithline one for sale @ £100 needs cleaning and painting as the finnish on them is crap and they rust like all buggery, a tenners worth of paint and a wire brush should see it come up like new. also have the alk for the front for £60.

 

I would say either the Whiteline Anti Lift Kit, Whiteline Bump Steer Kit or anti roll bars and drop links.
The most noticeable i would imagine would be the roll bars and drop links, but i would go for the bump steer and anti lift personally, compliments the lowering keeping it feeling stable and keep that front down for grip.
I've done all the above apart from the roll bars and drop links as well as the bushes and steering rack bushes, i have coilovers instead though.
I can tell you my car drives lovely, not comfy on bumpy roads lol, but on the smooth roads i've created it for, it feels great.
Roll bars and drop links will be one of my next handling purchases.

Thanks
Sam

 

Before christmas i had a set of KYB shocks and a 24mm whiteline rear bar and 22mm front bar and anti lift kit fitted with a full set of uprated drop links and i will be hones its one of the best mods i have done on any car that i have owned the ride is definutly firmer but OMG the car now handles like a go kart and i love it Cant reccomend it enough....

Obviously i would advise a full Geomatry done after having all that work done but 100% the best mod's yet

 

For the money mate, the rear ARB is the one to do.
Honestly, the front one doesn't make much difference, and unless you're tracking it, I wouldn't bother - having done both myself.

You can also change the rear ARB without having to mess around with geometry as it's a simple process.
You can fit em in about an hour (which includes faffing with the exhaust )
ALK is more complicated to fit as it involves removing the front subframe.

The rear ARB and uprated droplinks will cancel out the dreaded understeer and you'll notice a huge difference in how much flatter and directly the car will corner as a result - recommend a 24mm one on medium setting. Best bang for your buck - no contest.
Also - make sure you replace all the nuts and bolts for the droplinks when you do it if the kit doesn't include them.

I went with Powerflex ones and 2 of the OEM bolts sheared off after a few months and I replaced them with brand new Subaru ones.

Also, ditchmyster is spot on re the rusting on Whiteline bars - their finish is dreadful, but they do the job.
If you're concerned you can either get em powdercoated, or buy a Perrin one (lot more money)

 

Oh ok so forget this front centre roll kit then?

 

On a classic, the best thing is the REAR arb uprated and solid droplinks, THEN a PROPER geometry, not carried out at a local tyre place

Leave the front arb alone, or go up TWO thicknesses at the rear, and ONE at the front, or you won't lose the understeer that changing the rear alone helps to get rid of.

If you've lowered by more than 25mm or so, you've probably upset the handling, certainly the car will now roll more

 

Thicker rear ARB
Anti lift kit
Geometry set up
This is goin to set you back most of £400 (bought new fitted yourself)

 

How's that work?

Thanks
Sam

 

No mate you can fit the alk in ten mins a side on a classic....

 

Not if he buys my stuff for £160 and geo for £90

 

I forget the technicalities of it but he is right.

 

If you lower the Scoob, it's "roll centre" is moved downwards.
That has moved it further fromm the car's centre of gravity, so inducing MORE roll.

Have a look here for an answer from Whiteline, second post: http://www.suspensionparts.info/showthread.php?t=294

 

Good point

 

So would the solution here be don't lower your car too much, no more than 25mm and get a bump/roll steer kit?

Thanks
Sam

 

All I can say is I have lowered mine 25mm[Bilstien prodrive shocks and eibach springs] and coupled with the ALK KIT,ROLL CENTRE CORRECTION KIT,UPRATED FRONT/REAR ARB's and SOLID DROPLINKS it has transformed my classic beyond anything I could have hoped for.
Money very well spent!!

 

Really, you/anyone else can't move forward until you/we identify...

1) What type of classic you have - MY and model ...

2) What type of lowering springs you are running... and

2) What aspects of your cars handling would you like improving?

 

Right ok. It's a my00 uk turbo. I've had the engine rebuilt and modded and had it mapped it to the circa 300bhp mark. It's on what I was told were 40mm eibach lowering springs on standard shocks however I have never managed to find any 40mm lowering springs online for the gc8 model so whether that's true I don't know. Before I fitted th springs to the shocks the car never really felt solid when cornering so I didn't really notice a difference when lowering other than having to go slower over speed bumps and the car looking better IMHO. All I want is more responsive and solid feel when cornering, accelerating an braking. It's always tended to understeer but I'm told this is the norm. The handling, grip and brakes were never as good as I expected from the car but in hindsight I should've researched more and upgraded these first before the power but you live and learn. Tbh I had more confidence cornering in my Toyota corolla!

 

Good advice, can't comment on the lowering.
I hear the bumpsteer mod is worth doing on the classic - why not give someone like PowerStation a ring and ask what options you have open to you?
The price being offered for the 2nd hang gear is good assuming it's all in good nick - I'd be tempted to go with that and have it fitted along with pro geo setup by an outfit who know what they're doing.

Whilst rear ARB is an easy DIY job, ALK isn't IMHO. Certainly not on a newage anyway - maybe classic is easier as suggested. Can't comment!

 

Take note of the above:
25mm lowered
Fitted ALK
Fitted roll-centre correction kit
Uprated arbs
Solid droplinks

And look at the highlighted item: if you are lowering, you need to get this set up properly, or risk making then handling SUBSTANTIALLY worse

 

Its also worth mentioning after doing all of the above and before getin round to the geometry I ruined a good pair of tyres because all my settings were messed up.

 

Eibach make the 'P1' spring which lowers by ~25mm and and a pro which may lower a little more, I'm not sure on the pro. Best way is to measure from the hub centre to the bottom of the wheelarch and come back with what you have.

If you are after a more positive feel two things come to mind: alignment and roll bars. I take all my Impreza's to Simon at Chemix Wordsley. He knows what he's doing, there is no need to take the car to a specialiast to set geo. Read through this post and take the settings with you is a good idea.

The OE dampers should be fine, unless they have seen quite high mileage, and it sounds like you have only recently added your springs so they should be fine. Only caveat if they are the Pro's they may have over lowered the car, but let's see what you have first.

As for arb - rear 22mm adjustable on its own would be OK. This will 'firm' all the car up, front and rear. The other option you have is to go rear adj 24 and front 22mm. I would call this 'an even faster road set-up' lol. But this is extra expense.

 

Alignment is THE first thing I always have done with a 'new' car - see where it's at and then after ANY alteration

 

Tbho it should be obvious that after taking all the suspension apart and replacing with new you should have got a geometry setup done fella.

 

Obviously, but as an on goin project you tend to want to wait till all bits are done before geometry setup.

 

Which turned into a false economy obviuosly,surely you should have got all the bits up together and fitted them all at once and then had the geo setup done?

 

That's what I did.
And had it redone when I went coilover.

 

Thats fine but if you fit one thing at once you then know what effect/gains of each mod.