[northshore]

(I posted this in another forum but I thought to share here)

Most of you know I have been using 04 Sti strut bodies with 06 Sti inserts. The 04 inserts were badly damaged. The strut bodies were $50 bucks and the 06 inserts and 06 Sti springs were free from an AutoX friend. I have no idea why the previous owner painted over the OEM colors but I’m not building a show car here. Eventually the inserts wore out. Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis (He is Lithuanian! Not many in the states) and his brother rebuilt my suspension a few days ago. The revalve is exactly what is stated on his website http://odib.web.officelive.com/Subar...leService.aspx clean, re-grease, polish, remove nicks, remove glazed spots, fresh oil, nitrogen charge, etc. I optioned for the zerk fittings on the rear struts so I don’t have to remove them from the car to re-grease the housings. The 06 STi springs were swapped for Swift Sport linear springs for the STi.

Swift Springs
Spring rates: Front 252lbs Rear 224lbs.
Ride height: -20mm front and rear

06 STi Springs:
Spring rates: Front 237lbs Rear 195lbs.
Ride height: -10mm front and rear (from WRX OEM ride height)

Impressions? At the time of this post I have 70 miles on this setup. Although Swift claims the springs are linear and the material they use is very strong and light weight that no settling time is required. On a side note the springs are very light in comparison. Less unsprung weight is good in my book! The 70 miles consisted of the long drive back home from the shop and my rock throw commute to work of 2 miles. These roads consisted of freeway expansion gaps, lane markers, cracks, on ramp, off ramp, railroad crossing, poorly re-patched pavement, short to long poor undulated paved roads, and not to mention I have pushed the WRX and original STi setup multiple times in AutoX/Track scenarios. The old STi setup was plain jarring and had a near bobble head like ride. Sharp hair pins and long sweepers emitted plenty of body roll, loss of traction, and plenty of under steer during AutoX/Track days. Freeway expansion gaps and lane markers were jarring and felt like you were riding on bump stops. High speed entry and exits felt unstable. The new setup is night and day. Granted I haven’t tracked the car yet but it’s stable during freeway speeds, not jarring on gaps, lane markers, or rail road crossings. Doesn’t understeer as much on entrance and exit off ramps and seems easier to induce oversteer but I need to track it to find out. Undulated and re-patched pavement is not as pronounced but still present. Expected as the spring rates are stiffer than a STi. Overall, it absorbs nearly everything you throw at it with a near OEM like ride. Not bad for a daily all around car.
Attached are some pictures of the shop, the drift cars, before and after pics of the car. Granted, I don’t believe I parked on level ground because it’s lower in person when sitting on a flat surface in my garage or at work.








Comparisons
Before (Side Shot)

After 1 (Side Shot)

After 2 (Side Shot)

Before 1 (Rear Quarter)

After 1 (Rear Quarter)

[Vaughn Performance]

Awesome! Glad your happy with them thus far. I don't have any doubts you'll enjoy the improvement on track either.

I'm actually a dealer for Feal revalve services, so if anyone is interested in getting the same done to their STi struts just drop me a line and I can help you get it set up. WRX owners, there are also some insert options available to you guys (similar to a Koni insert) that Odi custom builds/valves that are also excellent.

I'm actually running a set of 04 Sti take off's on my 06 WRX wagon that I paired with Group N tops and King springs for rallyX. Rebuilt/revalved for gravel by Odi. I beat the snot out of them on the regular and they have held up as well as performed excellently. The car turns in sharp on gravel, and doesn;t get unsettled by ruts and bumps typically found on dirt courses.

-Anthony