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Comments
- Depends on a couple of things
1. weight of rims and tires (how close to stock?)
2. wheel chirp or slip
3. How far the weight is from the center (the farther the weight is from the center, the harder it is to turn).
In theory a set of 17" rims with tires that weigh similiar to the oem rims and tires should produce similiar acceleration numbers
With that being said, it seems the 17" BBS rims and tires tested on the WRX (which weighs the same as stock) usually tests 1/2 a second slower than the 16" setup. I have a feeling this has a great deal to do with clutch-dropping and wheel-chirping done with the 16" wheels vs. the 17" wheels, but could be wrong.
(Nothing against Tirerack, I've made several purchases from them with always excellent results, but I don't see anything on their site that matches what I'm looking for.)
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.jsp
I bought rims there for my Forester. They were being discontinued and I paid just $75 a pop, i.e. dirt cheap. And they were not heavy - in fact they weighed the same as my 15"x6" steelies despite being bigger in both dimensions (16"x7").
-juice
the Rotas are 17x7.5, that's why you only get intermittent rubs on +48mm offset. 17x7 w/+48mm would be worst I suppose.
-Dave
I am interested in bringing the powerband down more than getting more power. It seems a free spinning turbo would do just that. Then wouldn't just a more open intake (anyone remove just the resonator?) uppipe/downpipe and no computer mod let the turbo spin up faster while keeping the boost levels the same would keep the HP levels the same and thus the reliability factor?
Apologies to all for such a long post but give me a break for having read all the previous post...especially those AT vs MT ones!!
1. check your air pressure. RE92s will rollover and die at some point, but higher pressure helps.
2. I don't advocate dinking with the engine in any way during the factory warranty, but really the best way to get boost at a lower RPM is eliminating the pre-cat. After that, new downpipe. Last (and most expensive, by a long ways) is a new turbo. Oh, and there is always nitrous. ;-)
-Colin
One small suggestion, though, for the next time you post a long message: break your message up into shorter paragraphs. This will make it easier for others to read. People are more likely to read your entire post, if it's easy on the eyes. Okay? ;-)
Good luck, and thanks for your participation!
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
-mike
Congrats on your purchase!
P.S. BLACK is the fastest, followed by silver, then red.
and... you can't tell that silver is fastest, cause it's always a blur ;-)
-Dave
j0elboy
Mike, I am in central/north Jersey.
Dave, How did you know I had a trooper?
"Isuzu Trooper - Part III" in your profile ;-)
You should meet up with us [NASIOC Supper Meets]. Like to check out your mods.
My pending mods:
STi muffler
Rear Waist Spoiler
and
HID auxiliary driving lights
-Dave
-juice
I have a Trooper and Subie as well, I'm over in Staten Island, and Hypov, Bat, Bluesubie myself and tons of Nasioc.com people get together, auto-x, dinner, mod, etc.
This coming weekend we are doing an Installfest in Greenbrook!
-mike
There's an article about colors in the current R&T. Silver was the most popular color in the world in '02.
-Dennis
Our green cars look filthy with all this pollen, it's nasty.
-juice
Welcome to the club.
* The nasioc.com forum is a fantastic resource for info, as mentioned above. All the questions you ask are common ones and have been discussed at length there.
* I got a MOMO shift knob for my wagon too. Several folks have had the knob get loose over time. A guy that goes by "Paulie" on the nasioc.com boards sells a custom-made urethane(?) insert that solves the problem perfectly, and also secures the top of the boot. Highly recommended.
* I added the 20mm sedan swaybar to my wagon, and am very happy with the results. It provides more neutral and flatter cornering. I have to be more cautious in the snow to keep the tail from coming around though.
* Rota offers many lower-cost wheel options, in 16" 17" and 18". You're correct that the SSR Comps are very light and perhaps the best choice if that's your top priority.
* The stock turbo has pretty quick spool-up. Most of the replacement units spool slightly more slowly but offer higher levels of boost on the top end.
* Improving low-end power is best accomplished by freeing up the exhaust. There are many aftermarket uppipes (manifold-to-turbo pipe) that remove the "pre-cat", and JDM Subaru parts also are catless. This is the best bang-for-buck out there. After that, you're looking at downpipes or full turbo-back exhausts.
* Many folks also run lightened crank pullies that allow the engine to build revs faster, further improving low-end performance and adding some HP. Long-term reliability of this mod is somewhat questionable however since the stock piece provides harmonic dampening (many would argue it's not an issue).
* The hot new thing in WRX mods is reflashing the factory ECU to adjust certain performance parameters, while leaving all the safety and reliability settings unchanged. A company named ECUTek has been doing this for some time in the UK, and is now in the USA. An experienced WRX tuner named Cobb offers a near-identical product too. On a stock WRX you'd add like 25HP for $395 (Cobb) or $750 (Ecutek), keep all the safety and reliability, and actually increase the smoothness of power delivery.
http://www.rallispec.com
http://www.cobbtuning.com/
http://www.rallyperformance.com/scooby.shtml
http://www.spimotorsports.com/
http://www.spdusa.com/
http://www.turboxs.com/
That should keep you busy for a while. :-)
-Dennis
http://www.vishnutuning.com
-mike
After much deliberation (where an RSX-S figured prominently), purchased an 04 WRX Silver Wagon.
What a lot of fun to drive! Keeping her under 4K RPM for the first 1K miles certainly his a challenge.
Paid $23K with short-throw shifter, auto dimming/compass mirror, turbo gauge, and armrest extension, so think I made out pretty well. Now all I need is a roof rack for mountain bikes and I'll be all set. Is a pleasure to count myself among the ranks of Subaru owners.
Just as a heads-up, the Forester and the WRX wagon have the same payload rating, at 900lbs. The Forester is more voluminous, however, that would allow the inclusion of bulkier items. The larger Legacy based Wagons/Outbacks also have a payload of 900lbs.
The WRX sedan has a payload rating of 850lbs.
Later...AH
One bargain that really caught my eye was the Cobb Stage I upgrade. For only $395 bucks you get a power increase to 255hp and a whopping 265 lbs. in torque. You just send them your ECU and they reprgram it and get it back to you in two days.
Its a 10 minute job each way taking out and putting back in and no other mods required.
My question is has anyone tried this on their Rex and what kind of improvement have they noticed? Any bad consequences? (rough idle, CELs, etc.)
Also, there is a wealth of WRX engine and tranny info on the www.spdusa.com site.
It includes detailed info on the differences between the Japanese vs. U.S. WRX engines. the best way to safely get power increases and also how to make your tranny last the longest time. Great reading with many fascinating details.
Finally, there are some great close-up pictures of the new STi at
www.nasioc.com and clicking the STi gallery link.
One word of warning tho: before looking at these, better have your spouse hide your checkbook in a very secure location. This is one gorgeous hunk of automotive machinery!
that Subaru has programmed in, so the engine and tranny components should last just as long.
Good luck if you decide to do it--I'm heading down to the basement now to dig out the toolbox! :P
-Colin
As for 'stupid driving' I'm also guilty of that, but involving going rather too fast than lugging up hills I'm afraid...
Have some big fun with your wagon, it may be the most versatile vehicle ever!
From your experience I know that you're not a fan of monkeying around with the engine (unless someone has the time and money to pay when they play).
I'm also intrigued by the Cobb Stage I. Wouldn't you say that an ECU reflash is less risky than changing the internals (like your Cobb cams) or adding a complete turbo kit (like Stephen and the Vishnu)?
Cobb is one of a few vendors that I would give my business to for something like that since he's been around a while. Although that much of a power increase sounds like a pretty aggressive remapping.
-Dennis
(anyone else feel free to chime in, but I don't have to tell you that.:))
although alternatively, if Cobb can and is willing (I'm sure at a cost) to reflash back to stock, that would be an option too.
Stephen's bolt-ons were less risky than my internal engine modifications. I honestly believe my problem was more mundane... loose radiator hose lead to pressure and coolant loss, cooked the engine ONE time real good on a 120 mile road trip, and things were never the same.
all-alloy engines don't take kindly to overheating.
-Colin
"Q. What if I'm not satisfied with the results of the AccessECU?
A. We offer a 30 day satisfaction guarantee on all AccessECU reflashes. If you're not 100% satisfied, we will reflash your ECU back to your original stock map and refund you the cost of the AccessECU reflashing service."
Trey is a good guy though. I saw some growing pains at times, but overall a very good shop. I haven't talked to him in years though, for obvious reasons.
-Colin
-Dennis
He also pointed out that performance improves a little over the first few weeks as the ECU learns.
I appreciated his frankness. I've decided its not something I want to do, but that's not because of any negative impression of him or the shop, but becuase I don't really need the car to be faster overall. I'd be willing to spend some money to substantially reduce turbo lag, but I don't think that's what this mod is all about, though I guess it'll help some.
Overall, my impression of the place was positive, for what that's worth.
The Cobb reflash sounds very attractive for the money and the Cobb guys I have talked to have been extremely helpful and assured me that it won't harm the mechanicals any, but my gut feeling is if you plan to keep your Rex a long time (150K mi. or so), something like this may work to shorten component life.
My main concern would be for the tranny, which is one of the few weak spots on the Rex, mechanically speaking. I've heard it's only designed to safely handle about 250 lbs. of torque and the Cobb reflash gives you 265. And because that peak torque is reached at about 4000 rpm, you'd be hitting that on most of your shifts.
Also, another tuner told me the stock cats on the U.S. model may suffer damage with more than 260hp from the hotter exhaust and the reflash has you right there at about 255-260 depending on the octane you use.
So I'm now having second thoughts on this, but may still do the upgrade because Cobb has such an outstanding track record and probably wouldn't put out a product that would damage their reputation in the industry. Still, it would be helpful to get some more input on this.
My question is - although Subaru hasn't said anything about plans for an STI wagon - what do you think the chances are such a beast will be revealed at some point after the sedan has been out?
It seems to make sense - the WRX wagon is an astounding (and almost unique!) combination of utility and fun and I think an STI wagon would be a big seller as well.
Any thoughts? I'm not a Subaru expert so I don't know how they think or what their historical pattern of development is. At what point after the announcement did we know there was going to be a WRX wagon?
Or maybe I'm just daydreaming hehe.
OT
He then went on to relate a story about a car they prepared that was putting well over 300hp and ft. lbs. to the pavement through a stock drivetrain - that was raced by a "sympathetic" driver with no problems. Another guy got in the car and started doing speed shifts and broke the tranny almost right away. He said you can do the same with a stock WRX if you're really abusive.
I agree it seems a very cost effective mod and supposedly easily reversible, so if you're in the mood!....I don't track my car and I get enough horn toots and fist shaking for my "reckless" driving as it is, so I'm going to leave well enough alone.
certainly my overriding philosopy is that you should buy a vehicle that you're happy with bone stock and don't attempt to make it something that it is not. been there, done that.
I don't hold anything against modifications in general, and in fact see nothing wrong with harmless things like wheels (properly fitted ones), exhaust and even suspension as long as you know what you're getting. As the modifications become more invasive, the less I endorse them.
But ultimately if someone understands that you gotta pay to play and brings money, then there's nothing wrong with any modification... although even with the finest tuners it's difficult (impossible, some might even say) to get an engine with internal modifications to be as reliable and low-maintenance as stock.
-Colin
All of this feedback is good. SoA scans these boards and suggestions get passed on to the right people. Check News & Rumors on nasioc for a petition regarding new model suggestions that will be forwarded to SoA. A factory-backed Prodrive Performance Package is one of them.
-Dennis
Spend some time in both and test drive if you can.
-Dennis
Are the holding box/clips/slots????? part of the car or does it have to be installed?
I have recorded a best of 25.5mpg in 80/20 freeway/suburbia driving. I think the wagon can get a lot better but not with my foot over the accelerator. My worst has been 15.2. I was trying to see if the it is actually posible to drive 'always' on boost...I think so.
Anyone's wagon come with four rubber strips glued to the roof? My window sticker lists it so I think it's a Subaru item (60 something dollars I think) but I am never going to actually put anything on them so I want to remove. Any ideas?
Removed the snorkel from the right fender then reinstalled. Slightly more noise and nothing my butt could register. I think I will leave the power department as is for now. I am used to motorcycles and I will never get my wagon to satisfy me in the power department...I know many of you don't agree but I think it's almost imposible to get reliable/daily drivable scary/violent acceleration out of 2 liters and 3000 lbs.
I have pics, but like I said, it prolly won't help you.
Outback is different - they have two filters, and you have to remove the glove box.
-juice