Struts+Springs vs. Budget Coilovers

[wred]

Right now I have a strut/spring combo (tokico d-spec) from a GD Impreza (02-07), but the difference in tophats make them sit ~1" higher in the rear when installed on my GC (93-01). The way I see it, I have three options:
1. Find a way to make the rear sit lower
2. Buy another strut/spring combo
3. Buy coilovers

If I buy coilovers, they will definitely be low-budget, so BC Racing and D2 will be among my choices. The car will be used mainly as a daily driver, but it will definitely see increasingly frequent visits to tracks and autox. Here are my thoughts on the subject:

Strut/spring combo
Pros: comfort (debatable; depends which tophats are used), longevity, longer suspension travel (not sure if this is always the case)
Cons: limited adjustability (dampening and ride height), initial cost, looks (what can I say? they look ugly, lol), difficulty of finding specific spring rates
Budget coilovers
Pros: adjustability (dampening, ride height, spring rate, can be corner balanced), looks (bling!), price
Cons: inferior durability, less suspension travel, lower quality struts (debatable), longevity, long-run cost

There are probably some things I need to clarify; struts and springs may seem cheaper than coilovers at first, but if you add camber plates into the mix (which coilovers typically come with), you'll probably end up spending just as much or more; and you still don't have ride height adjustability. Coilovers tend to need rebuilds often (every ~20k miles?), so longevity suffers. From my limited experience, it seems like other hardware tends to deteriorate quicker than struts/springs as well. The threads on the housing can begin to rust and are prone to damage from debris, the mounting points can, over time, begin to crack, etc.

What are your thoughts?

[arco]

One thing to also keep in mind in your thoughts of coilovers is the verification of rebuild opportunity of both BC and D2. Some coilovers are not rebuildable such as Cusco.

And if you they offer rebuilds, look into their locations and prices because it can dictate how much downtime you have in the future. I'm not sure of the companies you listed but I know that Tein has a location in socal. Also one company may choose to charge you significantly more to rebuild than the other. Overall cost in the long run will also be affected by these factors, so have that in mind before purchasing.

[wred]

That is a good point, and I have considered it.

BC offers a 1 year warranty for their coilovers, after which they offer a $95 replacement fee if one coilover dies or is damaged. They are, however, stationed in Florida, so if I ever need a replacement I will be losing a couple dollars in shipping each time, as well as a good amount of downtime.

D2 racing also offers rebuilds, but they are a bit more costly ($130). However, they are stationed here in southern California, so it's very convenient for me, and I don't have to pay for shipping. The problem is, there isn't much subaru-specific info on them.

The good thing about both companies is that they offer custom spring rates, and I think they also revalve the struts for them (if needed). There are probably other manufacturers in my price range, but I haven't looked into it too much. Tein looks like a good option, but for my price range I will need to buy used, and that will almost certainly mean new rear camber plates/pillowball mounts (since I never see GC Tein's lying around)

Unlike other kinds of mods, I am very new to suspension, so I obviously want to make a good decision while making information available to others in the future.

[Got 996]

Hey guys. Just so you know. Members of CarShopUSA get a discounted price on C8 Sport, D2 Racing, and Standard (STD) Performance Suspensions. Its a special arrangement we have.

STD has raced on the GC platform, but I'm not too sure about the GD platform.

All suspensions can be rebuilt and at the very least the shock cartridges can be renewed, it really depends on what needs servicing.

Hope this helps. Welcome to the forum arco!

Let me know if either of you guys need more info on these suspensions.

wred, we actually need a GD to help promote the STD line of suspensions. Doro in the STD forum has a set on his GR(?) STI (not sure what the new chassis code is)

[boostedflatfour]

If having a comfortable ride is the most important to you I think you should get a spring/strut combo. It will be perfect for the street and cost effective. You will definitely get better quality dampening than the low end coilovers.

To me the greatest advantage of having coilovers for the street is if you want to run aggressive sized wheels. If you are planning on running 18x9 or wider its nice to be able to adjust your ride height because at those wheel sizes your fenders will rub for sure and then after you pull and roll your fenders you still might need to adjust height by a small amount.

Even if you don't get aggressive size wheels you will be able to perfect the drop of your car, and if the looks of your car is very important to you then having a very clean drop will be on your mind.

If you have enough money to do custom spring rates for those coilovers, I think doing that would be the best idea because you will get the best of both worlds.

[wred]

Originally Posted by Got 996

Members of CarShopUSA get a discounted price on C8 Sport, D2 Racing, and Standard (STD) Performance Suspensions

Did not know that. I'll keep that in mind. I must admit, though, that I am really a ricer at heart, so the height adjustability of coilovers appeals to me a lot. I've heard that the European-brand coilovers tend to be valved better for the street, so most likely that will be the path I take.

Originally Posted by Got 996

wred, we actually need a GD to help promote the STD line of suspensions. Doro in the STD forum has a set on his GR(?) STI (not sure what the new chassis code is

I may have a friend with a GD interested in a set, but I don't think putting coilovers on a car I'm selling is a good idea. I know basically nothing about the newer Imprezas, so GR could/could not be right.