Love all the info and help here. Slowly have been tackling repairs, and now I've run into another snag. I picked up a used stock set of struts for my 02 WRX, as I hate the ride of the coilovers. Tried to install with a friend today and we could not get the front ones to fit. I'd guess they were an inch and a half too long. Top went in just fine, but the bottom was far too long and wouldn't get over the axle. Am I missing something?
I was told they were 2002 WRX Sedan struts. Contacted previous owner to confirm they were, and I don't have a reason not to believe them. I should check the part numbers though.
They should fit! You might have to remove some of the linkage to the hub to get it to drop down more. Or having someone stand on it should do the trick.
Only difference between wrx sedan and wagon struts is in the front, and the difference is the amount of camber due to the location of the strut mounting holes. WRX wagon struts on a WRX sedan will fit and yield more negative camber, which is normally a good thing for handling. The opposite is true for sedan struts on a wagon. Coilover assemblies are typically much shorter than the stock strut/spring assembly, so you may need to apply some extra pressure to lower the hub far enough. Disconnecting the sway bar endlink will help significantly to get the strut in, but then re-connecting the sway bar might be difficult. Put the car back on the ground after the strut is in, drive up on ramps, and it will be easier to reconnect the sway bar.
Well, I checked the part numbers with Subaru. The numbers on the struts are as follows: 20310FE150 20310FE140 20360FE150 20360FE140 They all check out to stock parts for the year. Oy. I wasn't even closing to lining it with the hub.
Lay the coilover and stock strut side by side and you'll see the large difference in length. Might want to try my advice above.
