Liberty 2.5i - Value for Money Modifications

[FastTarik]

I have an 04 Liberty 2.5i Safety (Manual, 130K km) which I've owned for the last few years now and absolutely love it. I'm now looking at doing a few little modifications to make the car even nicer to drive and a bit different to stock. However I don't want to throw money away so I'm after advice on the things I can do/add that will make a noticeable improvement/difference for the money invested. As it sits now, it is completely stock except for a GROM audio/bluetooth kit I put in last year. I've done some research through the forum as well as a few others and come up with a few ideas but still have questions and would also appreciate any advice/suggestions/comments on the ideas I have as well as any others you may have. Thanks!

Tyres:
Currently on Bridgestone RE050A's which I haven't changed since I bought the car 50K km ago (@80K km) and are now pretty beat up. I have no complaints with the RE050A's and my understanding is that they're a (street) performance orientated tyre but having said that I can't really compare them to anything else. My current position is to replace these with Bridgestone RE002's which I understand are very similar but better value. I can get 4 of these fitted with a wheel alignment for $875

Rear Sway Bar:
From reading around, the best value and first modification to make to a Liberty is add a rear sway bar to flatten the car a bit through turns and somewhat improve the way the vehicle turns in and tracks. Is this something that you will feel the difference in typical spirited driving? I was thinking the Whiteline 20mm bar with upgraded mounts but have also heard good things about the AVO adjustable ones which I think are the same thickness.

Cobb (Double Adjustable) Short Shifter:
Another cheap modification that apparently is great value and makes the car much more of a pleasure to drive. Any thoughts?

Springs:
Now starting to reach the extremes of my knowledge. Have heard that aftermarket springs can make a noticeable improvement in the car the car rides and handles. How big of a difference would this make. Also wouldn't mind a slight bit of drop (20-30mm) but this would be more of a bonus than the main reason for doing it. I have heard good things about the STI Pink springs that are more performance focused (as opposed to lowering the car to the floor) and believe that this would cost around $500-600. However, would I need to replace the current struts if I did this? If you now replaced both the springs and the struts would it still be a worthwhile investment?

Lots of questions, hope some of you can shed some light for me. Many thanks!

[Surge]

Just one more thing you could add to your list, if you have a denso ecu then maybe a drivability tune could be good value for money.

[circlethesky]

Just one more thing you could add to your list, if you have a denso ecu then maybe a drivability tune could be good value for money.

MY04 2.5i has hitachi ECU

[FastTarik]

MY04 2.5i has hitachi ECU

That's a shame. Also looking at putting in an anti-lift kit since my control arm bushings are split on both sides.

[Surge]

Well it's still an option but the value wouldn't be as good, might be worth looking at:

Probably going to regret posting this because my email is overloaded enough as it is but... HItachi ECU is no longer an unflashable ECU, even for the GC8 WRX and preface NA

Not a cheap option but it can now be done.

[rooby]

Anti-lift kit and sways bars are both very good mods.
Front sway bar is good too, but rear would be the first stop.

My shifter mods are right up there with my most favourite mods.
I did the sti short shifter and upgraded engine & gearbox mounts at the same time and the improvement was fantastic.
I also plan to do the pitch stop mount, which is supposedly another good value upgrade in this area.
The stock gear shift feel is like jelly.

Spring changes can end you up with a harsh ride but are fairly low risk as you can easily change back if you don't like it.
Upgrading springs and dampers at the same time will give you a better result but at greater cost.
There are a number of people on here that have good things to say about revalved liberty bilstein shocks with some stiffer springs.

Brakes can be affordable to enhance.
Seeing as your car is not high powered there is no need to go crazy, decent pads will make a good difference.
You could also consider new discs to go with them.
There are plenty of threads where people recommend various brake pads.
Accessories like braided lines & brake stopper are relatively cheap but don't actually do a great deal, so I wouldn't really say they are a great value for money mod.

I don't see you getting much value out of any power related mods, unless you can get a tune.

There are masses of cosmetic mods if that's of interest to you but they are a personal choice as to which you like and which you don't.

[FastTarik]

I also plan to do the pitch stop mount, which is supposedly another good value upgrade in this area.
The stock gear shift feel is like jelly.

Could you please explain more? What is a pitch stop mount and what does the modification do to improve shifting.

Spring changes can end you up with a harsh ride but are fairly low risk as you can easily change back if you don't like it.
Upgrading springs and dampers at the same time will give you a better result but at greater cost.
There are a number of people on here that have good things to say about revalved liberty bilstein shocks with some stiffer springs.

This sounds like a low risk area in that I can always sell the springs if I'm unhappy and recoup some of the money. Does the 4th Gen Liberty have Bilstein shocks as standard. I assume revalved shocks implies some sort of reconditioning of the shock?

The stuff on brakes sounds interesting. I've never thought I've needed more braking force but a brake pad upgrade could be a good option when it comes time to replace worn pads.

[rooby]

I also plan to do the pitch stop mount, which is supposedly another good value upgrade in this area.
The stock gear shift feel is like jelly.

Could you please explain more? What is a pitch stop mount and what does the modification do to improve shifting.

The stock gear shift feel is very loose feeling. When you accelerate hard you can feel the shifter move back quite a bit.
Parts like upgraded gearbox/engine mounts, upgraded bushes, and the pitch stop mount help to stiffen the connection between the gearbox & the rest of the car, so it feels much more solid.
Some short shifter kits come with some upgraded bushings too like this one http://www.rallysportdirect.com/Kartboy ... -Legacy-GT
There is a description & pics of the pitch stop mount at http://www.rallysportdirect.com/Kartboy ... aru-Models

Spring changes can end you up with a harsh ride but are fairly low risk as you can easily change back if you don't like it.
Upgrading springs and dampers at the same time will give you a better result but at greater cost.
There are a number of people on here that have good things to say about revalved liberty bilstein shocks with some stiffer springs.

This sounds like a low risk area in that I can always sell the springs if I'm unhappy and recoup some of the money. Does the 4th Gen Liberty have Bilstein shocks as standard. I assume revalved shocks implies some sort of reconditioning of the shock?

The stuff on brakes sounds interesting. I've never thought I've needed more braking force but a brake pad upgrade could be a good option when it comes time to replace worn pads.

For best results, dampers need to be matched to the springs so that they provide the right amount of resistance when the spring compresses and decompresses, so you get the smoothest possible ride and most control over bumps.
By revalving the dampers you can change their damping characteristics to match your springs. You are basically changing the way the oil flows within the damper.
When you use the stock dampers and put in lower, stiffer springs, your dampers are no longer matched to your springs, which can be bad for ride and handling.
That's a basic explanation anyway.

Only some libertys come with bilsteins. I think only the gt spec b and 3rb come with bilsteins from the factory.
Upgrading to factory spec b springs & dampers or tuned by sti springs & dampers might be a good start.

I think there is a slight ride height drop with those setups (I'm not 100% sure on that though).

If you want substantial height drop or are very specific about having matching heights front and rear, coilovers would be a better option.

[circlethesky]

Well it's still an option but the value wouldn't be as good, might be worth looking at:

Probably going to regret posting this because my email is overloaded enough as it is but... HItachi ECU is no longer an unflashable ECU, even for the GC8 WRX and preface NA

Not a cheap option but it can now be done.

Can't believe I missed that, when did he say that? I've just sent an email off.

Has anyone had their preface 2.5i tuned? I'm just wondering if it would be worth the cost.

[Timmy_23]

Hi mate,

Although I have a post facelift 2.5i, there are a few cheap things you could do.

First thing I did was to get a K&N panel filter. Simple, DIY install and relatively cheap

Then quad exhaust mufflers were added and the Y-pipe was replaced at the same time. There was a small difference in throttle response.

Matt (Kido Tuning) did a tune on my car when he was here and immediately there was a big difference in torque and fuel economy.

There are a few other handling and cosmetic mods I have done but I think the above were definitely worth it as a starting point

Hope that helps
Tim

[DownUnder]

Does your's have the Dual Range box? If so I'm not sure the short shifter fits...

[Robbks]

Looking at your planned upgrades
Brakes, suspension, little extra power, short-shifter

Sell the 2.5i and buy a 3.0RB 6MT Sedan/ Wagon.
Subaru have done all those mods for you.

[Timmy_23]

Sell the 2.5i and buy a 3.0RB 6MT Sedan/ Wagon.
Subaru have done all those mods for you.

In hindsight, It would have been worth spending the few extra thou for a 3.0R/3.0RB

[Robbks]

In hindsight, It would have been worth spending the few extra thou for a 3.0R/3.0RB

If you're a savvy seller and shopper, there's no reason why it would cost you more than a few hundred in changeover.
you just need to know where to look.

I sold my old 97 2.0 N/A Forester for more than I paid for my 99 GT.

[FastTarik]

At it stands now I think I would only do the rear sway bar and short shifter which I don't think would cost me more than ~$500. I definitely wouldn't bother with any ECU changes and brake pads can happen when new ones are required.

Bought the 2.5i used a few years ago and a 3.0 wasn't an option I could afford or find at the time. Having said that they're now about 15K. Can anyone hazard a guess as to how much I'd get for a 2.5i Safety (Manual) with 130K km?