Eibach springs and Jspeed LCA Bushings installed!

[Mickyboy]

I had been looking at putting on a set of lowered springs in order give my Lib a more purposeful stance and further improve handling. My research lead me to Eibachs springs- from what I could find on-line they seemed to be a good compromise between drop/handling/ride quality. When I came across a second hand set for the right price that clinched the deal. Also my original LCA bushes were on their way out, so I seized the opportunity to upgrade to the highly recommended Jspeed bushes from Garage 88 at the same time.

I had them both installed on Wednesday and here are my impressions...

Appearance: VERY HAPPY! The Eibachs have given me the perfect drop. They are advertised as a 25mm drop at the front and 18mm at the rear from the standard Bilstein springs and the results seemed to be fairly accurate to me. Absolutely loving the sexy new stance!

BEFORE

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AFTER

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BEFORE

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AFTER

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STEERING/HANDLING: VERY HAPPY! The Jspeed bushes have absolutely transformed the steering feel of the car! Before the replacement there was a slight rubbery/loose feeling to the steering which is now gone. The steering feels more precise, connected and sharp. I'll certainly be looking to go for a nice twisty drive in the near future! The Eibach springs have certainly neatened up the handling a little as well, the car sits a little flatter during cornering now for sure.

RIDE/NVH: ACCEPTABLE. In my opinion the ride/NVH has maybe deteriorated about 10% in most circumstances (barely noticable), but come across a bigger bump and I must admit I REALLY feel it now, it can be quite harsh. This is due to the firmer solid bushes as well as the 25mm less suspension travel I have now. I'm not sure how much is attributed to the bushes and how much the springs, but regardless it's a compromise I can live with. You can't change the laws of physics after all.

Overall a very worthwhile mod. Hope the info helps someone out there!

Mick.

[paggaz]

Nice! Looks good with that drop! Surprised it's just a 25mm drop but it makes such a difference.
Great to hear the post review as well.

[B4ITZUP]

looks nice

personally i preferred the rear to drop about 10mm, which i only found one set but price is a tad out of my reach

[Mickyboy]

18mm rear drop suited me fine as it didn't have a saggy bum to deal with and I don't often take too many passengers in the back.

[B4ITZUP]

do you have any pics of the rear?

my driveway has a tip in the middle and a few lower cars have scrap

[bigBADbenny]

Sensational result!

Hopefully the handling will break in a little, since your shocks are brand new.
Otherwise down the track you could get the fronts revalved to match the springs and get shorter firmer bumpstops for the fronts too. (TruTrack, Quadrant in Melbs)
But early days yet... an inspirational job so far. The best is yet to come!

@ Loc: you can always fine tune front and rear heights (up) using spacers, Legacy rears, Impreza fronts.

[B4ITZUP]

Thanks Ben

The front looks awesome Mick, and thanks for the measurement

might look at this spring with 3/8" spacer

[shav]

awesome work. Eibach springs are sensational. Had them on my old Falcon and it worked wonders. I'd love to do the LCA bushes later on. So knowing what brand you installed will help when the time comes. Did you do shocks and sways or just springs only?

[bigBADbenny]

New old stock Bilsteins via WHEELpower, FYI

[Mickyboy]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Shav I haven't touched the sways at all (yet) as I'm really happy with the handling for now. Yep Bilsteins were from Wheelpower Sydney (close Ben!) and they were installed only about 4 weeks ago so they still might settle in a touch more. And B4ITZUP here is a photo of the rear FYI.

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Mick.

[SH30RB]

Looks great Mick!

and it was good to meet you a few weeks back

[Mickyboy]

Thanks Simon! Likewise mate.

[B4ITZUP]

oh wow,

that look so much better than I imagine

[bigBADbenny]

When you swapped the old dampers for the new bilsteins on original springs, was there as much difference handling wise?
Interesting to compare damping vs spring changes

[shav]

Awesome. The ride height sits perfectly I reckon Mick. I can only imagine how much extra improvement you would get with sways added.

Do you find 'turn in' and 'exit out' of the corners to be precise and stable? How is the body roll? Did you adjust camber and toe in at the same time?