WRX Suspension Upgrade
My trusty 2014 hatchback has been awesome for the last 90k miles, however the shocks have finally given up the ghost. I could replace with stock setup, but that isn’t any fun. Why not take the opportunity to spend more money on old reliable. In the entire time I’ve owned it, the only upgrades its received include a K&N air filter, brake master cylinder brace and mud flaps. Never needed anything more.
After quite a bit of internet sleuthing I found a coil-over setup that would retain stock ride height. Bingo!
Thanks Feal Suspension for caring about my non-STI.
Ordered their 441 + setup with the adjustable bump stops (FABS), radial upper bearings and shock covers. They do look great!
Old OEM setup
It served me well for many years, but really needed to be replaced.
Checking ride heights prior to removal was key as I want to retain the same height.
OEM at 90k miles:
Front Left: 6 5/8” (168 mm)
Front Right: 6 1/2” (165 mm)
Rear Left: 6 9/16” (167 mm)
Rear Right: 6 3/4” (171 mm)
**measured from ground to bottom of pinch weld on jack points
Holy Clean Batman!
Amazing how clean and fresh the trunk is considering its been to snow multiple times and off-road through mud up to the hood…
Tools Required
Front:
19 mm socket
3/8” drive ratchet
19 mm wrench
12 mm deep socket [strut nuts (x3), ABS sensor bracket, and brake line bracket]
Rear:
17 mm socket
3/8” drive ratchet
17 mm wrench
3/8” drive 6” in extension
14 mm deep socket [strut nuts (x2)]
various pry bars [persuading lower shock out of & into place]
Tape Measure to check ride height
2 mm Allen key [FABS set screws]
hub stands [makes final adjustments easier]
New hotness compared to old and dirty
Front
Rear
Install took about 6 hours mainly because I didn’t have a spring compressor and thus had to make the trip to the parts store and acquire one. Also was taking time to ensure I didn’t miss anything. Overall I’m really happy with the results. The parts from FEAL are beautiful and fit flawlessly. All necessary bracketry for brakes aligned perfect.
Final numbers:
Front Left: 7” (177 mm)
Front Right: 7” (177 mm)
Rear Left: 7 9/16” (192 mm)
Rear Right: 7 3/4” (196 mm)
In the end I wanted to retain stock ride height or increase a tiny bit. The max travel from FEAL allowed me to meet this goal, although the rear setup couldn’t go any lower and yielded a 1 inch raise. Hoping the springs settle a bit. Worst case I can either live with it or readjust the spring preload for the rears.
Thoughts from the first test drive. It is definitely more firm, but still compliant. The car feels like the wheels are more planted and sporty. I’ll definitely need to adjust my driving habits as it brings the WRX closer to feeling like my miata. In the future I might look for some softer springs, for now I’ll enjoy the firm planted ride.
Also no need to adjust the bump stops higher, a very handy feature for future use, not needed now. I hunted out the worst local bumps and divots and encountered no rubbing. Finished the test drive with shocks set to full soft for street comfort.
Another successful day of wrenching.
