strut and springs for 06

mikesforester

Forum Member
Joined
May 16, 2013
Messages
79
Location
israel
G'day fellow forrie owners.
My rear suspension on my SG 06 forrie is smoked, need your input here on what I should go for. 95% on tar driving with 5% light off-road. Would like to do more off-roading, basically my suspension has been holding me back. Am looking at ordering it over the net as very expensive here in Israel. Have been quoted the equivalent of AUS$1200 for 2 Bilstein struts and 2 raised Pedder springs incl fitting. I recall seeing here a chart with all the KYB options for the various year models, but for the life of me can't find it.
All input gratefully recieved.
Thanks
Mike
 
I'm very happy with the raised Kings springs and KYB struts on my 07 but to me any more height with raised blocks would be unnecessary overkill for all except those needing something for demanding offroad work. If you are using it for 95% onroad driving even the raised springs are unnecessary.
 
Gidday Mike

When my SLS on the SG collapsed recently, I replaced them with Pedders variable rate strut/spring assemblies. These have a slightly higher load rating than the OEM units (18% according to Pedders), and are an off the shelf item.

One of our local Subaru specialists (Lucas, from Lucas Automotive) advised me against getting heavy duty springs. He reckoned I would love them when towing, and hate them the rest of the time. It was on his advice that I went for the variable rate springs.

The car drives like normal, and hardly drops at all with the trailer hitched up. With 45 Kgs ball weight it drops the rear about 10 mm; with 80 Kgs ball weight it still only drops the rear about 10 mm ... :iconwink: :poke:.

If I feel the need for a little more clearance further down the track, I will put in 1" strut top lift blocks.

The thread I started on this topic is here:

https://www.offroadsubarus.com/showthread.php?t=5435

with photos of before and after ... and part numbers ... :biggrin:.
 
Last edited:
Whoa fellers,
Thanks for all this good info. to Ratbag & Guzzla, I am looking for a little more height as I'm keen to get more into the offroading side of things. There is a local Subaru club that arranges monthly trips, which my droopy donkey has held me back from participating in.
Not sure I would go for a lift block to start off with, so Guzzla's suggestion sounds good for me, However the option as per NachaLuva's suggestion kind of gets me excited as it looks so bad donkey!!! I guess I have two questions here, firstly to Ratbag, did you get any height gain over standard with the Pedders setup. Secondly to NachaLuva and Guzzla, do the raised Kings give a harsher ride than standard? Once again thanks for the help chaps.
Regards Mike
 
Gidday Mike

Stock height at the rear for an MY06 Forester (top of wheel arch to wheel centre) is 440 mm +12/-24.

Before fitting the new rear strut assemblies, mine was 400 mm, unladen, without even a spare!

Fitting the Pedders variable rate strut/spring kit (they are complete units, with new strut tops, bumps, etc) caused mine to become 425 mm (with the spare and other crap back in the car). Adding a 1" lift block would make this 450 mm, still within OEM spec. The units I fitted are standard length, with a slightly heavier duty spring at maximum compression.

Having recently driven over the same speed humps in both NL's Forester and mine, I can tell you that mine was far more comfortable at 60 kmh than NL's was at 40 kmh ...

I agree with you, NL's car would easily go places that mine would not (and I would not attempt ... ) because of his lift, snorkel, tyres and other modifications. However, I can also tell you which one I would prefer to drive almost anywhere ...

Hope this helps in your decision making. The same solution will never suit everyone.
 
Raised springs are usually harsher so if you want the same ride you will need to use standard springs - the advantage is that you would not lose any articulation. If load carrying is not an issue, I reckon 2" lift blocks with standard springs would do the job for you. Otherwise, go with raised springs. Look at the Sumo blocks: https://offroadsubarus.com/showthread.php?t=5391
 
Another thing to remember, Mike, is to decide whether you want lift blocks installed before fitting the new struts or springs.

It costs to remove and refit the struts/springs, and one has to pay for a wheel alignment afterwards. It doesn't make a lot of sense to pay for each of these items twice ... :iconwink:.

For your use, it seems that the Pedders variable rate spring units would work well in combination with a 1" strut top lift all round, but others here know a bucket load more about this than I do ... .

This may also be the ultimate outcome for me, but I will see how the current setup performs on my 3,000-4,000 kms rundfarhrt coming up soon. I think that the current setup with my new rear springs will be all I need, so that's all I have done for the time being. If it turns out that I need/want a little more clearance, then I will just have to wear the duplication of fitting and alignment later. So be it.
 
mikesforester said:
There is a local Subaru club that arranges monthly trips, which my droopy donkey has held me back from participating in.
Click to expand...

There are some good exercises to help with that :rotfl:

Not sure I would go for a lift block to start off with, so Guzzla's suggestion sounds good for me, However the option as per NachaLuva's suggestion kind of gets me excited as it looks so bad donkey!!! I guess I have two questions here, firstly to Ratbag, did you get any height gain over standard with the Pedders setup. Secondly to NachaLuva and Guzzla, do the raised Kings give a harsher ride than standard? Once again thanks for the help chaps.
Regards Mike
Click to expand...

Ratbag said:
Having recently driven over the same speed humps in both NL's Forester and mine, I can tell you that mine was far more comfortable at 60 kmh than NL's was at 40 kmh ...
Click to expand...

I was surprised how much smoother RBs was over speed humps.

Kevin said:
Raised springs are usually harsher so if you want the same ride you will need to use standard springs - the advantage is that you would not lose any articulation. If load carrying is not an issue, I reckon 2" lift blocks with standard springs would do the job for you. Otherwise, go with raised springs. Look at the Sumo blocks: https://offroadsubarus.com/showthread.php?t=5391
Click to expand...

+1

Raised springs are def firmer, depends what you're used to & personal preferences. I dont mind it & love the handling, but others dont.

2" blocks are a more expensive way to go if you want to get new suspension as well, but as Kevin said, you will have better articulation & they have camber compensation built in so you wont have to use rear camber bolts. They also have extra caster for better steering & turn in
 
Ride? I wouldn't call it harsher, just slightly firmer but also flatter and better controlled. Certainly better with a few people and a bit of a load. Definitely better at the bigger rougher stuff at speed. Tighter steering and flatter, sharper handling too. Love to drive it new & stock again to compare but that's not possible now.

Negatives? Less travel with lifting of the rear wheel even over the gutter entering my driveway. Definitely not what you'd want in certain offroad situations.
 
I have raised Kings in my Forry & yes they do give a firmer ride :)
As for being harsh, some say they are, but for me personally, no.

Just my 2 cents worth & I hope it helps :iconwink:


Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Well N.L, R.B, Guzzla, Kevin, Mr T and all the other good folk here, looks like my droopy donkey is going to be around for a while. My Forrie was at the local stealership for a service and a new set of front brake pads and rotors. Seems I also need to do rear brakes incl drums, shoes and new wheels cylinders, I have a leaking steering rack, two stuffed ball joints and a torn CV boot. Today I got a CEL - O2 sensor. Whilst Im going to attempt all the work myself, the parts themselves are going to cost a pretty penny. Hence the droopy donkey will be around for a while longer, thanks for the advice guys, will reference this link when the time comes to deal with my rear suspension.
Cheers Mike
 
That's really rotten news, Mike. Sorry to hear it :sadbanana: :cry:.
All the best with your repairs.
 
That certainly is a long, expensive list! Is there an independant Subaru specialist near you? I'd go for a 2nd opinion if possible, they may just be trying to get some extra work. I cant imagine you need all those things done on an '06...
 
Just a quick update. Got under the car, the Steering Rack has a slight leak - I guess equating to 1 ml a month! Could find no play on any of the front suspension components, CV boot was torn. Got the CV boot replaced by an independent garage and they also could find no play in the front suspension and steering components. This weekend I will pull the rear drums and see what the story is there. Why do these dealers have to be such liars and cheats, can they not make enough money by being honest and doing quality work? I would gladly pay someone a reasonable rate to carry out work on my vehicle, I don't always enjoy working on my car and am sometimes concerned that I may be doing more damage than good. However when faced by these thieves it leaves little option other that going it alone. By the way was quoted the equivalent of US$2000 for the repairs in my above post (excluding CO2 sensor) So far have spent $60 on the CV boot and anticipate about another $250 on the rear brakes if I have to replace all the components
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top