suspension help with pedders

essfoz

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Feb 1, 2015
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103
Location
Bendigo
Car Year
1999
Car Model
Forester GT Lux
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Auto
Suspension Advice

An opportunity has risen for me to purchase some raised pedders springs ("2" from stock height") for $100, that appear to be in since 2008.. They were removed from an SF5.

I have an SF5 and plan to lift it, what's my best bet? These springs with sg struts? Sf struts? I can't really afford kyb struts unless they are cheap.

I also plan to get a 1" strut lift kit, and add that in. Will that be a bad idea along with the spring lift? Or am I better off with just stock SG springs and struts, and getting a 1" lift kit.
 
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My setup options are:

A. SG Struts and Pedders lifted springs.

B. SG Struts and springs, + 1" gorilla strut lift.

Will the springs work with sg struts? Or will I need Sf hats, and other parts?
 
If I were you I'd go with SG rear struts, SF front struts and those pedders springs. Then add 1" subtle blocks all round.
I ran this setup but with dobinson springs and on KYB's for a few years and it was much better than standard.
I now run a fairly hard core setup all round...
 
Thanks for that, Taza.

Would I need SG tophats on the Rears, and SF hats on the front? Or how would I do that?
 
SF top hats all round. Don't use SG!

Gorilla ones are plastic right?
Subtle are aluminum. .. I personally wouldnt use plastic ones... think og the wright and pressures they have to hold.
Most of us with offroad subarus bend struts on a regular basis... if your bending struts imagine what it'd do to plastic lift blocks..
They might be cheap, but cheap for a reason.
Everyone to their own though.
 
From what I've read and found the plastic they use seems to be very strong compared to aluminium..

How would one get hold of SF top hats, without the struts, and what would they cost, if you have any idea?
 
Yeah, SF but I've got STI gear in at the moment, and they're not SF hats as far as I know.
 
HDPE is what gorilla are making their spacers out of. Which is ridiculously stronge in compresion (probably more than alloy not sure) and wont rust or corrode or chemicaly weld to the steel bodywork over time. Used to make intake manifolds, gas mains pipe and all sorts of stuff. Also recyclable
 
The Gorilla are HDPE. Incredibly well made and indestructible. I have given my suspension an absolute belting since installing them in June last year.
 
SG front struts have 2 cm more stroke than SF's...
 
I've got pedders lifted springs and sg struts lined up. Just have to get hold of SF hats.

Yeah, I'd rather super strong plastic and not have to grind off metal lift blocks years down the track.
 
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You'll probably never have to grind off alloy lift blocks. Its just why spend extra cash for something that's no better in the application
 
You're probably right with not having to grind off, but exactly. Why spend more.
 
Anyone know if SF Pedders springs will fit on SG struts? I'm 80% I'll need Sf top hats if I can use sg struts.
 
If I'm right front SG and SF hats are the same, so i only need rear SF tophats?
 
SF

Nachaluva has compared the top hats on my old SLS struts with SF ones. I didn't take a lot of notice as to his conclusion, but IIRC, he thought they were identical.

BUT check this with him, as I don't have any kind of personal interest in whether SF and series II SG strut top hats are the same or different! He will know however.
 
Will do, Ratbag! Thanks!
 
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