Alright Subaru fans, need your help please

If you want to skip the story, go straight to the tl'dr

A bit over a year ago I picked up an 03 Subaru Forester for the lovely lady in my life. She loves said Subaru dearly, but we were driving the other day and I was throwing it through some corners when she started to look at me. The kind of look where I know she's thinking and wants to say something but doesn't really want to speak up...

And then it happens, "baby, you know I love my car right?". Yes, you've mentioned it on occasion, many occasions. "I can't help but think it needs a little suspension work, it feels too​ Rolley and sloppy in the corners"

Her old daily driver was a dc2 integra, type r sway bars and strut braces, Tien coil overs, poly suspension bushings and engine mounts. She loves the car, but after a few years of dd'ing it, it wore a bit thin. Its the whole reason she got the Forester in the first place. More practicality and more comfort. Plus she has a weird love of boxy cars and wants the signature Subaru sound.

Knowing all this, I raise an eyebrow and look at her with the "I thought you didn't want to DD a modified car anymore look. " I know, I know, I said I wanted something sedate and boring, but I really like my foz and I just want it to be more fun. Not stupid harsh like the integra, just a bit lower and sportier"

Subsequently, I've been trawling subaru forums trying to work out the best bang for buck solution that will keep her happy and not make it ride like a covered wagon. The problem is, there seems to be a terrible noise to signal ratio and I think I'm going a little bit mad trying to find the best approach. I'm probably more inclined to look a a parts bin type solution, because in stock trim, wrx's handle fairly nicely without being super harsh. She wants between 1.5-2.5 inches of drop while I'm at it.

Tl'dr, my partner wants to drop her 03 forester 1.5-2.5", make it handle a little sportier without making it ride to harsh.

What says grm on the subject?

This is basically how it is now

This is about where she wants to end up

Take out the factory "lift blocks" on the subframes/driveshaft support, and install stock WRX struts?

At least, I think this generation used the same subframes as Impreza/Legacy but with lift blocks and tall struts.

In reply to Knurled:

Its an agreement Forester, same basic chassis as the gd Impreza I believe?

Just went and stuck my head under it, the subframes bolt directly to the unibody, no spacers.

Ive read a bit about swapping in wrx suspension but it's a bit cloudy as to how well it actually works in terms of driving feel and exactly what fits what.

From what I've been able to gather so far, heavier rear sway bars and anti lift kits seem to be popular and make a big difference to overall feel.

Forester rear control arm bushings are anti-lift bushings for Imprezas.

If they make anti-lift bushings for Foresters, I want to get a pair and an Impreza to put them in!

Here you go. Whiteline front anti lift kit for forester

Unless we're talking about two different things?

Sorry, that was the kit for the sh foz. SF SG anti lift kit

And looking at the fitment listing, it looks like it's the same part for forester or Impreza. There's also a Motorsports version that is the same part number with M at the end.

So kca375m or kca334m

funny, my father just bought the same style forester and wants to raise his up

My son went thru the various iterations with his 2004 Forester including the full slammed approach. As you (Daeman) indicate, the gd Impreza suspension fits directly, except for the rear top strut top hats (you need to use Forester top hats). Using Impreza struts with WRX springs will lower the car approx 1.5" , using STI springs drop it about 2". Standard Forester struts with WRX springs drop it about 1".

In reply to ggarrard:

How was the ride and handling? Any obvious disadvantages?

Daemon.. Running with the Impreza struts and STI springs was pretty stiff... Mind you the shocks were Tokico Illuminas set at "3". Handling was direct especially with 17x8 rims and 225/45 tires. The ride was somewhat more civilized with the WRX springs coupled with the stock Forester struts, which is the setup he used in the winter to gain some added ground clearance.

The qualifier is that we are talking about a 18 year old owner who was more concerned about how it looked versus the ride quality

I just did the Swift lowering springs and kyb stock strut replacements on the wife's 04 XT. Lowered it about an 1-1.5 inches. I did a saggy butt spacer in the rear at the I same time. It a noticable improvement with improved ride quality (for a 12 year old Subaru) over the stock 135k mile struts. I did the tophats at the same time although the stock ones looked fine. The bumpstops were trashed so I replaced them. All told it was about $800 in parts if I recall correctly.

Only other suspension mod is the STI rear sway which helped although I did have to go to reinforced sway mounts.

Next on my list would be the antilift kit and steering rack bushings. I was to do the WRX or STI rack at the same time since I don't like the nonlinear steering rack in the Foresters.

In reply to ggarrard:

Ok, thanks for that. Definately want to avoid it becoming a bone rattler as per my first post.

While she appreciates cars that handle well, she'd prefer comfort over out and out handling.

In reply to Greg Voth:

I've heard really good things regarding the swift springs, but I'd say at this stage shipping puts them off the table.

Interesting regarding the 1.5" drop on stock struts, people seem to start complaining of​ premature shock failure, any truth to that? Or just more noise.

At this stage, I'm seriously considering going with stock wrx gear as a starting point given that it can be had fairly cheaply and I can do a bit of swapping and changing between the various parts to see how things look and feel.

There's alot of mention of wrx wagon rear springs being different to sedan springs. Does anyone know if this is length only, or a difference in spring rate? Apparently rear shocks are the same for sedan and wagon.

Whiteline make an adjustable 23mm rear swaybar which I'm pretty interested in, apparently loosest setting responds similar to a 19mm, the mid setting a 21 and the hardest as a normal 23mm. Given that it sells for about the same as 19mm or 21mm bars, seems like it would be a good way to be able to play around with the level of anti roll.

daeman wrote: At this stage, I'm seriously considering going with stock wrx gear as a starting point given that it can be had fairly cheaply and I can do a bit of swapping and changing between the various parts to see how things look and feel. There's alot of mention of wrx wagon rear springs being different to sedan springs. Does anyone know if this is length only, or a difference in spring rate? Apparently rear shocks are the same for sedan and wagon. Whiteline make an adjustable 23mm rear swaybar which I'm pretty interested in, apparently loosest setting responds similar to a 19mm, the mid setting a 21 and the hardest as a normal 23mm. Given that it sells for about the same as 19mm or 21mm bars, seems like it would be a good way to be able to play around with the level of anti roll.

WRX wagon rear struts are different then Sedan struts. You can use the wagon struts on a sedan (I have), but not the other way around. The wagon struts on a sedan will give slightly more negative camber. If you use sedan struts on a wagon, you will get positive camber.

WRX wagon springs are stronger then the sedan as well. The wagon weighs about 100 lbs. more and most of that is in the rear of the car. You can use a spacer(saggy butt spacer), but you still have a lower rate spring.

Short version - Forester - you want wagon rear struts and springs not sedan stuff. Front - doesn't matter they are the same.

In reply to NGTD:

Excellent information, thanks for clearing that up for me.

Do the WRX Wagon struts and springs, and an aftermarket front and rear bar setup for an STI like a Hotchkis or Whiteline.

You will probably want some camber bolts in the rear.

I ran Hotchkis camber plates, lateral links, and sway bars on my 04 XT before I went to the Ohlins coilovers and the car was flat and rotated well while still riding nicely.