[sperry]

Here's the low-down on my converstation w/ Phil....

We both think that the '05 STi springs and struts are more in line w/ the Spec-C bits from Japan. Not quite as stiff as the track Spec-C setup, but certainly better than the '04 US STi parts.

Also, we the US '05 parts may be slightly different because the JDM STi is significantly lighter than the US one.

With all that in mind, I think Phil should probably stick to the springs that have been specifically refined for the '05 STi. Springs made for the '04 won't match the '05's stiffer valving, and springs for JDM STi's won't take into account the US car's weight.

Phil told me he really likes the handling of linear springs, but doesn't like the hop that the stock setup has. From my experience w/ my over-valved JIC's, I think hop can sometimes be caused not only by over-sprung suspension, but also by under-sprung suspension. Basically, the stiff valveing on the struts precludes the springs from being able to do their job over the small bumps, which causes the tire suspension to hop on an otherwise smooth road, like driving down the freeway.

So... with all that in mind, I think the Tanabe GF210 springs are probably the way to go. They're just a little stiffer than stock, so they'll probably match up to the struts well (we know that the STi pinks seem to be a great match to the stock STi struts). They look best by having an evening effect on the wheel-gap w/o "slamming" the car.

The only draw-back is the progressive rate... if the car is actually over-valved, then this may exaserbate the slow bump hopping issue. If the car's actually over-sprung, then these will match up very well for street driving. Either way, we know they were specifically designed for the US '05 STi, and they're not bank-breaking in cost, so I'd go for it!