Which is taller, Forester springs or Outback springs

[Suparu]

Does anyone know if forester springs are taller than or have a stiffer spring rate than outback springs.

I think this inquiry should be limited to 98-03 foresters and 96-99 outbacks.

I have a 95 legacy on OB struts and would like a touch more lift, but king/scorpion springs are a bit out of reach, and they may be TOO stiff for a daily driver, when combined with new GR2 struts.

Here's a pic of (left to right) a 98 forester spring to a 95 legacy spring to a 93 impreza spring.

I've heard the legacy and outback springs are the same, in which case the forester spring IS taller, but i'm looking or some validation to that claim.


thanks

[cdlong]

i think you forgot the picture.

[Suparu]

Originally posted by cdlong
i think you forgot the picture.

Does it show up above now?? It does for me, if not for you then here's a link
http://ultimatesubaru.org/forum/albu...pictureid=1762

thanks

[cdlong]

it still doesn't show up and the link requires you to log in. i think you need a different hosting source.

[Suparu]

Originally posted by cdlong
it still doesn't show up and the link requires you to log in. i think you need a different hosting source.

Very odd. They show up for me in this thread,, but not for you...
How about this

or this

or here
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/...f4124f33_m.jpg

Maybe i need to read this site's instructions for imbedding images, its odd that i can see them when i login but that they don't for you...
Anyway the above link is a different web host.

sorry for the back and forth troubles

[cdlong]

there we go. i bet if you logged out of the other site, you'd see the same thing i do. anyway...

do you have these springs, or just the pic? the forester springs look smaller in diameter. and i'm guessing since the forester is lighter, the springs probably aren't as stiff. i may have some measurements for you in a few weeks if it comes to that.

[Suparu]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by cdlong
[B]there we go. i bet if you logged out of the other site, you'd see the same thing i do. anyway...

do you have these springs, or just the pic? the forester springs look smaller in diameter. and i'm guessing since the forester is lighter, the springs probably aren't as stiff. i may have some measurements for you in a few weeks if it comes to that.



YAY, success!
I took this pic a few years ago when strut-lifting my wife's IMP on FOR struts and springs.

The rear was too raked for me, so i took the rear struts apart and installed my old legacy springs in the rear to level it off a bit.

From cars.com, her 93 IMP wagon weighs 2750 lbs, my 95 LEG sedan weighs 3115, and the 98 FOR (those struts came from) weighs 3058. I have a chart with some spring data (mostly IMPs, LEG and older wagons) but it does not have OB or FOR data.

Her IMP rides a bit stiff on the FOR front gear and rear FOR struts and LEG sedan springs, but when hauling 4 people, its fine... I guess the difference of 300+ pounds makes a difference in ride, as does the difference in spring rating of the FOR to the IMP springs.

I agree that from the pic, the FOR spring looks a touch smaller in diameter than the IMP spring, but I've also read people elsewhere (who lifting IMP and OBS on OB or FOR struts) who kept the IMP springs on FOR struts with no problems. Others have also dealt with the raked look (keeping the FOR springs) by trimming fenders or switching trailing arms etc. to realign the rear wheel backwards.

Anyway...

I have the thought that, since FOR weigh around 3100 lbs and early OBs weigh around 3200 (03 is 3415lbs), foresters ride a bit stiffer than OBs, FOR springs may have a touch stiffer rate as well as being a touch taller (like from the pic, assuming OB and LEG springs are the same...as i've also been told elsewhere).

If you have the opportunity to get an OB spring and FOR spring side-by-side, That would be AWESOME! I'd love to get validated info on their comparative heights and spring rates (if possible)..

I'm also interested in the H6 front springs (since my front end/bumper is pretty heavy. . . but that's another thought to bring up later/elsewhere

Thanks again cdlong.

[Suparu]

So I finally got FOR (1999) coils installed on my rear OB struts, and lo, gained about .75 inches!

Checkit:


installed, note extra half coil in spring=longer/taller spring


95 leggo on 98 OB struts and coils (with worn out 27x8.5x14 BFGs)



95 leggo on 98 OB struts and 99 FOR coils (with worn out 27x8.5x14 BFGs)



Given the extra half coil in the FOR spring, there may be a slight geometrical difference in the upper spring perch, so I also used FOR tophats, but when side-by side I couldn't eyeball any real difference b/t the FOR and OB tophats...
Here's the before profile (when the BFG's were new, 8-10-06)


and here's the after profile 6-23-10 and 40,000 miles on the BFGs...



I think, to the eye, it looks more like an inch so maybe i had some inconsistency in measuring.. I did the before measuring a couple of months ago

Also, the before profile pic above is also on slightly uneven ground, slightly. But maybe enough to compress the left rear a touch...

[RobLog]

Looks good. Thanks for letting us see the results of your work.

[thague]

Will those BFG's fit in a 2001 outback?