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2002 to 1997 impreza strut compatibility


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Did a search for this but couldn't find a real straight answer. As mentioned in another post, I have a '97 Impreza L wagon that needs struts. I came across on NAISOC a set of struts with 10,000 miles on them off of a 2002 sedan. The setup is very affordable and includes all the struts, springs, and tophats for all 4 corners.

 

Will the 2002 WRX sedan suspension bolt up to my '97 wagon? Will I need to swap the rear springs out of the '02 stuff with my '97 stuff to prevent the dreaded rear end sag?

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you can use your rear strut tops and it will not sag in the rear. However you will have nearly a degree less negative camber because the 02+ sedans have a wider track. What that means is you essentially have positive negative camber so the car will handle like crap and wear off the outsides of your tires.

 

Just get a set of gr2's on ebay for like $200 and you won't have any problems.

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Sounds like I won't be taking that route. Tirerack isn't much more expensive then ebay and I bet the customer service is much more responsive. Ideally I could find the GR2s locally for a similar price to tirerack (or better yet, ebay) but I haven't figured out where.

 

Should I make sure to buy new strut tops when I do this? How frequently do they need to be replaced? They're not cheap and I may have to go to the dealer for at least the rears. I'd like to be prepared for what I might need so I don't have to figure out how to get to the parts store in the middle of the night (or day) without a car.

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If you're looking for eBay sources for gr-2's, check out jdmwerks13 and performancepeddler. I've ordered from both of them. Performancpeddler sent me one wrong strut but they took it back even though it was like 4 months after I bought them.

 

Tirerack is great too; I would've ordered from them but they were out of stock on at least one of the struts I needed both times. SummitRacing.com has GR-2's as well but they are often out of stock on some of them too for the Subaru's.

 

If your strut mounts are rusty or anything then yah you might want to replace them now. Check the bearings in the front mounts to make sure they still turn smoothly and don't have too much freeplay or anything. KYB makes strut mounts for many of the Subaru's too though I haven't seen them for sale anywhere. Also if your coil springs are rusty, sagging, or otherwise in bad shape might want to treat yourself to a new set of those too.

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I've put WRX and STI Struts on my 98 OBS and my Daughters 93 Impreza Sedan. Yes you do have camber out of limits unless you get camber bolts or use Subaru Front camber bolts and mod the strut and knuckle.

 

I left mine with the camber out of limits a degree or so and have not had a problem with either car.

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