Legacy "Rally" Suspension

subarurx · Post by **subarurx** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 2:49 am

hey all,

new to this forum, but I thought I would ask the question, has anyone got any of the suspension setting details from the Prodrive legacy that were use on gravel events, especially New Zealand. Specifically what I am after is:
- wheel alignment detials
- valving of the struts
- spring rates

I have just purchased a new legacy rally car (see it at my signature below) and it has crap Koni suspension. Use do to have DMS 50MM, but it was taken out, and I think it is a little overpriced.

Any help would be great.

thanks
Simon

greg donovan · Post by **greg donovan** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:00 am

love the color. wish i had more info for you. would love to have that info myself. when i resotre my 94 sport sedan i think i will paint it that color.

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:45 am

Type-R Yellow? Not my bag on the Legacy, but DAMN does it look pimpin on a GC.

Stiffer is better for gravel, apparently. Some research and backyard testing between my car and my friend's Impreza proved this to be pretty accurate. His superstiffly sprung Impreza glided and wen't wherever the throttle took him. My Legacy (we have identical alignment settings actually), with it's relatively soft suspension, would understeer and feel vauge. The weight had something to do with it, but it just didn't feel "right".

I want to know the setting of the Tarmac cars.

greg donovan · Post by **greg donovan** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 3:26 pm

you also could try this page:

www.specialstage.com

go to the forums and then hang out in the car construction conference.

and that was a color subaru offered on the SS it is a very rare color. called electric yellow. it is the color that steve gingras chose to paint his '02 PRORALLY open class WRX

conventional wisdom for gravel set up is to have it softer than a tarmac setup w/lots of travel. of course this is stiffer than a stock roadcar setup.

check out TEINs GTECH coilover setup.

subarurx · Post by **subarurx** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 7:57 pm

thanks all for your comments, it is a great colour, needs a bit of T&C and some sponsor decals on it, but it sures goes fast. The engine is brand new, and we have it running approx 310BHP at the moment running 20psi, witha link computer. we run anit-lag, and the gearbox runs a prodrive steel gear kit. Sadly I blew 2nd on my last event. When I bought it, it was minus the DMS suspension, which was a real shame, as that is what it needs t be able to be driven right. Have been looking at the Tein suspensoin, but no-one over here has used it for rallying, so I am trying to find something out about the HA's I think I have been recommended.

thanks
simon

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:19 pm

Why don't you like the DMS's (aside from price)?

subarurx · Post by **subarurx** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:21 pm

it's just the price, the are a little on the expensive side, so I am trying to find out if there are alternatives that give a level of performance that is similar. If the car still had the DMS in it I would be as happy a 3yr old in a sandpit.

JasonGrahn · Post by **JasonGrahn** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 5:30 pm

His superstiffly sprung Impreza glided and wen't wherever the throttle took him. My Legacy (we have identical alignment settings actually), with it's relatively soft suspension, would understeer and feel vauge. The weight had something to do with it, but it just didn't feel "right".

Sure, having a stiff suspension is better, but there are other things that are coming into play there. How many times do I have to tell you this phil? Impreza = shorter wheel base = quicker turning.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:31 pm

Prodrive didn't do in house suspension development until the 1997 season so you won't have much luck on finding out what they ran on the Legacy. There is a guy in ME at Colorado State that has an Impreza and is putting both the Tein and DMS on a shock dyno to figure out what is better. I decided upon the DMS based upon the fact that that is their main focus, and where they started from. Tein's more into the tarmac side. Just think about it this way, Once you spend that extra $1200, 2 months later you won't even remember doing it. All you remember is how much it sucked taking the jumps/rough stuff carefully because you were worried about DNF'g due to crap suspension. Here's a link to the basis of my statement regarding development in the 97 season.
http://www.rallysportmag.com/cms/A_20298/article.html
Pretty good article all around.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:31 pm

Prodrive didn't do in house suspension development until the 1997 season so you won't have much luck on finding out what they ran on the Legacy. There is a guy in ME at Colorado State that has an Impreza and is putting both the Tein and DMS on a shock dyno to figure out what is better. I decided upon the DMS based upon the fact that that is their main focus, and where they started from. Tein's more into the tarmac side. Just think about it this way, Once you spend that extra $1200, 2 months later you won't even remember doing it. All you remember is how much it sucked taking the jumps/rough stuff carefully because you were worried about DNF'g due to crap suspension. Here's a link to the basis of my statement regarding development in the 97 season.
http://www.rallysportmag.com/cms/A_20298/article.html
Pretty good article all around.

subarurx · Post by **subarurx** » Fri May 20, 2005 3:51 am

well, I bought the 50mm DMS for my legacy. Have done one rally on them and a very wet rally it was and my one response would be ... WOW.

they are fantastic. The ride is amazing, and the stability is just unreal. I would recommend them to any one...

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Fri May 20, 2005 9:55 am

Actually, I was talking to a Prodrive guy at rim and he said they still sold the old Legacy WRC setup. He told me to E-mail him if I wanted to know more about it, so I guess I will. For all I know he was talking out of his ass, though. I'll let you know what he says when he gets back to me.

subarurx · Post by **subarurx** » Fri May 20, 2005 10:21 am

sounds interesting, I'd be keen to know any set up details

tris91ricer · Post by **tris91ricer** » Fri May 20, 2005 4:58 pm

I'd like to know a setup detaill about your rally car, if you don't mind... ?

Your mod list says 'polished intake manifold', and "ported and flowed' heads. Does that mean you had your intake manifold extrude honed, and your heads ported and polished?
If so, what do you think of the gains? Worth it? Negligible?

subarurx · Post by **subarurx** » Sun May 22, 2005 9:18 pm

they were all done before I bought the car from a friend who built it so I can't really comment.

the entire package works really well, when it got re-built last year and got tuned on the dyno, we had 315hp at the wheels, running 20psi. the power delivery is a bit slack below 3500rpm, but once the it gets over 4000rpm, the anti-lag arms and you are off, with the close ratio box, seems like you are constantly changing gears.

happy to try and answer any other q's, but I don't look after the mechanicals...leave that to the expert.

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Legacy "Rally" Suspension

Legacy "Rally" Suspension