I certainly don't think my WRX wagon is an equal to a STI version but it's a lot closer than it was. Of course, the modding is a bit of a "sickness" and quite likely, never ending, LOL!
I'd actually say the clutch was the weak link in the powertrain, not the tranny. Sure, I'll take a 6 speed any day, but I'd be more concerned about getting a beefier stock clutch.
Then again, if we're talking STi money, who can't afford a solid aftermarket clutch.
The reason the clutch is weak is because if you put in a stronger clutch, the rest of it breaks. Basically subaru puts in weaker clutches because they are expendable and easier and cheaper to repair than blown up trannies. If you upgrade the clutch and pressure plate on these high powered vehicles, expect to start breaking tranny parts. (I know of several people who have done this, eventually settling on a JDM sti tranny)
How much harder is the ride with the 17" wheels and tires vs the 16". I'm about to make the upgrade, but am a bit concerned since i live in a town with a lot of rough roads. I am probably still going to get the 17" package, but am curious. Also, what summer tires offer the best ride/handling?
although I didn't go 16" -> 17" I went 15" (205/60/15) -> 16" (205/55/16) on the OBS. Unless the seats are great absorbers, I didn't notice the ride being harsher with an inch more metal versus rubber.
Note: on the 15" I ran 33/30 psi and the 16" are running on 34/32 psi.
depends a lot on the wheel/tire combo but I went to Legacy Turbo wheels with S03s. The ride is very hard! If I hit some bumps it feels like my tooth fillings will fall out! Have tried varying pressure from 32 to 38, lower obviously helps a little! Live in Chicago suburbs. Have only had the car 3 months so too early to tell how they will do with potholes here! I think unless you get one of those very light racing wheels any 17 in should stand up to road abuse. If I did this again I think I would have stayed with the 16 in wheels and got better tires so my wife doesn't moan about the ride when she is in the car but boy do those S03 tires stick to the road!
I upgraded from the factory wheels to Rota Subzeros with 225/45/17s, and while the ride is harsher, it's very bearable. In fact, the ride of my 2001 Sentra SE with the Performance Package was much worse. I chose the 225/45/17s rather than Subaru recommended 215/45/17s because I wanted a bit more sidewall to protect against crappy LA area roads.
I have Kumho 712s, and while they're a good value, they may not be the best summer tire if cost is no consideration. The tires have very good dry and wet grip. I like the aggressive tread pattern also.
Try http://www.subaruwrxparts.com They usually have good prices. I've used front end covers on my other cars before, and from my experience, they end up clouding the paint and holding in dirt that acculumates in there. Flutter during high speed can cause significant scratches too. You might want to check into Stonegard- this clear film that you can install up front. Our cars have thin paint, so some protection is warranted, as I have many rock chips on the front after having the car only 7 months.
...picked up my new wagon with 17" P1s and Sumi HTR+ (225/45/17). Rides great. Not noticeably harsher than the OE set up which will be receiving Hakka's for the MN winters.
the bra type covers have been known to affect the airflow into the hoodscoop to the intercooler...therefore not recommended. I would (and will soon) go with the clear 3m type material called Stongard. It prevents chips and scratches but also allows the paint to age with the unprotected paint, unlike a bra cover.
Does anyone have any info on the 2003 model wrx's? Are they any different? I know they won't be here till later this year but any info would be appreciated. I planning on buying a Wagon this summer.
Keep us informed about how you like the HTR+. I almost got that but then figured I would have winter tires anyway so I decided to get a no compromise summer tire.Are Hakkas unidirectional? I had Arctic Alpins on my Legacy but since the car seem to have a relatively pronounced camber they wear out quickly on one side (well actually it was 4 seasons but the other side still has another 1-2 seasons to go if they had worn out evenly at the less worn out side rate) and I'm trying to be cheap and get non directional ones so they can last a little longer next time.
I just bought my wrx wagon yesterday from Irvine Subaru, I got a better deal on my trade than I thought. I took the short throw shifter option and I notice that the trans seems to be noisy when I back off the gas in lower gears to use engine braking. I'm not at high rpm's, about 2-3 thousand. It's almost a scraping/whining sound, not loud but more noticeable than I would have expected. Is this normal for the short throw? I'll be asking the dealership later this week but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case anyone has any similar experiences. Anyway I love the way it drives, nice solid feel.
Since I recently purchased my wrx, It's the 'good' car, so when I go to home depot to pick up some flooring for my kitchen I carry it in my VW GTI. I leave it parked in the street so I can carry to to the house better. I was going to spend the summer working on the suspension and a few other things, when a tree fell on it yesterday in a rain storm. My first GTI got stolen (10 years ago), and this one I was just getting to like a little (at 3 years old) Now it just gets me down when I think of putting all this extra stuff into a car that may just mean some stupid end all of a sudden.
Not much of a wrx story except that it is safely in the driveway. But I listen to you guys talk about upgrades then look at my car and its sad. (This is the second act of god to happen to this car, got hit by a deer when it was 2 weeks old)
It's not uncommon to have increased transmission noise after going to a short-throw shifter. I'm not 100% sure about the stock WRX shifter, but in other Subarus, they often employ a rubber filling to help dampen vibration and noise coming directly from the transmissions. Many short throw shifters often omit this rubber filling in order to improve the shift feel.
I noticed an increase in noise when going from my stock Forester to Kartboy shifter.
Okay, it's not really a modification, but I built a car port off my one car garage to park my wrx wagon under(my wife's jetta gets the garage, I know, a jetta). Now the birds can't crap on it anymore, and it will keep it out of direct sunlight and save the paint job. -scott
You know, I've never had a "performance" oriented tire/wheel package before. I do know that I can push the car farther than the OE set up and far farther than any previously vehicle I've owned.
As for the Hakkas, I'm not sure if they're unidirectional. My dealer is waiting to see what they get in stock as Nokian was to come out with a new snow tire this year. As soon as my options arrive I will update the post.
BTW, please provide a link to the mentioned Stoneguard product if possible.
I've got it on my Prelude's hood, bumper, mirrors, and lights (I do lots of interstate driving).
My 2.5RS has the stuff on all its lights (after I had to replace a fog light which cost more than the film).
It's usually sold in separate kits -- one for the lights, one for the hood, one for the bumper, but some places that sell/install it do the whole thing at once.
Try http://www.armourfendusa.com to see if there's a shop in your area. There wasn't one in the Syracuse area, so I had a vinyl guy at a bodyshop put it on for $100.
You can also check http://www.xpel.com which has lots of technical info on the stuff.
Just a FYI, I have the manual on CD-rom. I also printed out all the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) the the ECU could spit out, including the descriptions. If anyone gets a check engine light (it can and just may happen when you least expect it) and can pull the code themselves, I can give you the description if the pulling of the code doesn't list it. Sometimes there's no description w/the code using Pocketlogger or Deltadash. BTW, the codes encompass 7 pages in the shop manual. The two codes I have gotten so far are P0303: misfire cylinder #3(before any engine mods were done) and yesterday, P1443: evaporative emission control system vent control function problem. I reset both codes w/my Pocketlogger. None of the check engine lights were flashing (flashing=bad,don't drive car) and the car ran fine during both CELs.
The Pocketlogger is software and cable that reads out info from the car's ECU onto a Palm Pilot or Handspring, etc. It costs $175. I believe their website is: www.pocketlogger.com
The shop manual was put onto a CD-rom by a fellow NW i-clubber. He charged $40 for the CD. I like that the manual lists the torque specs for tightening bolts. If I had a read-write CD bay I would make one for you for less $$.
It's probably not prudent to talk about prices charged for the shop manual CD Rom... I'm sure what the i-clubber did is against copyright laws, especially selling you the CD. If I remember correctly, it's ok to do what he did as long as you don't charge people money for it right?
I've had my wrx wagon for a week now, after about 400 miles here are my impressions. Even without exceeding 4000 rpms the car has plenty of zip for normal driving. You don't have to wind it out to pull away from other traffic. The ride is firm but supple, not sport car/loosen your fillings firm like my IROC-Z Camaro. Gas mileage on my first tank was 24mpg, mixed city and freeway driving. The short throw shifter takes getting used to, but I'm coming from an auto so I'm a little out of practice. So far my overall take is this is a great car, no buyers remorse yet! I'll post more impressions later for anyone who's thinking about taking the wrx plunge.
I doubt you'll do any real harm, but the intent of the 4,000 rpm limit isn't merely engine speed it is also load. Since the WRX can make boost below 4k, it might be within the letter of the recommended break-in to stomp it up to 4k and lift, but it isn't a good idea to do that consistently below 1k miles and think it's OK.
The UK version is rated at 215 bhp vs. 227 for the US WRX, but my impression is that these are essentially the same cars, and that the US model probably has a different ECM and perhaps a different exhaust. Does anyone know the differences and similarities, e.g., do they have identical trannies?
I'm curious because there is a Prodrive WRSport Imprezza Performance Package offered for the base UK WRX, described on their official Subaru UK website. Presumably, it's street legal in the UK although I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, it would be great to have something like this available for the US, without having to resort to aftermarket mods. Here's a nice write-up about the UK upgrade.
Perhaps emissions standards are tougher in the US or maybe the UK mod requires a higher octane gas than isn't widely available in the US. If the UK base WRX uses the same tranny as the US WRX, our trannies might well be tougher than some people think! Otherwise, it's doubtful they'd offer the 3-year UK warranty with the performance mod. For a similar factory, street legal mod, I'd be quite willing to exchange the 5 yr / 60k mile powertrain warranty for the 3 year factory warranty. Another possibility is that this may be offered as standard equipment on future base WRX's sold in the US since the marginal cost would be fairly low. It's fairly obvious there's plenty of room for significantly improved power without undue risk, assuming everything is done right.
It's likely the emissions and safety issues. For instance, the upcoming Pontiac GTO will be a clone of the Holden Monero, except that it will weigh in at like 500-600lbs more due to US requires safety stuff.
As for the tranny ont he WRX, not sure what tranny goes in the upgraded Prodrive model over there, also prodrive may warranty those cars through subaru separately.
Just parked up my silver WRX wagon and noticed a big nail in the middle of the tread of the driver's side front tyre. The tyre is still inflated, I'll check the pressure later when it's cooled. Looked on Tirerack, they have Take-off RE92s in stock for $73. Question is, my tyres have 9000 miles (fairly light use - Garden State pkwy mainly) on them, I should be OK just replacing the one tyre, right ??? Also, has anyone got any experience of using take-offs from tirerack ?
I got one from TireRack when I had a blow-out on my rear offside with only about 1100 miles on the odo. I checked the local Bridgestone dealer, and they can't even get the V rated tire in stock size, only H rated. So I called TireRack to find out what the deal is on the take-offs.
They (Subaru) import all of the cars to their US port with the 205 55 16 tires, and any optional wheel packages get put on in the port. TireRack has a deal with Subaru to buy these tires, and sell them to us at a substancial discount. The only wear on them is from one mounting/unmounting, and about 10 miles (plant to carpark to ship, off ship, to carpark.)
Mine looked perfect, and only cost $7 to mount and balance at same said Bridgestone dealer. The counter guy said I must have had their best guy, because I ended up without ANY weights. They said he likes to rotate the tire around and try to get ti perfect before seating the bead! For only $7? I'll have them do all of my work!
(BTW, I needed some Dunlop SR-20 165 80 15 tires for my MG, and the new chain in the area, Tire Kingdom [the only guys who could get this size tire] quoted $87 each mounted. TireRack had them for $42 each. I'm sure I can get them mounted and balanced for less than $45 each!)
And I just sold 4 RE92s to the used tire guys @ $20 each. They had 9000 miles on them too.
The replacement tire's circumference has to be within 1/4" of the other tires. You could measure the 3 tires' circumference and use the average as the specification to TireRack when you get the take-offs. Or check out i-Club, IIR there's someone within Tri-State parting with his RE92. I think his got ~9000 miles on them too. Good Luck
If it is the UHPAS Sumitomo (HTR+), my only concern would be the performance on snow. The wet/dry performance seems to be good, as per tests done by tirerack.
Also, did you mount them on 17x7 or 17x7.5 wheels ? Sedan or Wagon ?
Is there any problem with a 225-17 tire and 7.5 wheel for a wrx sedan? I'm about to upgrade from my 16" and have heard conflicting reports. I do most of my driving in the city and some highway. I'm going with toyo proxess T1-s and rota attacks in steel grey. My car is red.
It's your money, but since you're driving mostly in the city, I'd suggest that you stick with the 16s and just get better rubber in the OE size. When I think city driving on 17s with shorter sidewalls, I think potholes, manhole covers, a rougher ride, and bent rims.
If you were doing mostly highway miles, sure, go for it. But for slogging around in the city, you're not likely to notice any performance gains with the 17s.
Unless you're determined to do it for cosmetic reasons alone, I don't think it makes much sense. You might better spend the money on new tires, stainless brake lines and better pads.
mgreene - Prodrive has been working on a US approved upgrade for a while now. Haven't heard much about it lately. They've also set up an office in the U.S. and hope to offer more consumer items. UK WRX's also come with bigger brakes, a lot more options, slightly different interiors and a semi-automatic climate control. If SoA adds too many things, people will start complaining about cost.
Allythom - I've had nail holes plugged at my local tire shop. It comes with a warranty for the life of the tire.
Comments
Just annoys me sometimes when people say "Oh I upgraded my turbo and chipped my WRX, now it's as good or better than an STI"
-mike
Stephen
Then again, if we're talking STi money, who can't afford a solid aftermarket clutch.
-juice
-mike
-juice
-mike
although I didn't go 16" -> 17" I went 15" (205/60/15) -> 16" (205/55/16) on the OBS.
Unless the seats are great absorbers, I didn't notice the ride being harsher with an inch more metal versus rubber.
Note: on the 15" I ran 33/30 psi and the 16" are running on 34/32 psi.
-Dave
Thanks, Y.
I have Kumho 712s, and while they're a good value, they may not be the best summer tire if cost is no consideration. The tires have very good dry and wet grip. I like the aggressive tread pattern also.
Love the look, nice a grippy too.
Sean
Sorry!
Patti
Stephen
Jimmy.
http://forums.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=f0ab5f7a5fa92e2c814deb8a5d0ee68e&threadid=188821
Stephen
My first GTI got stolen (10 years ago), and this one I was just getting to like a little (at 3 years old) Now it just gets me down when I think of putting all this extra stuff into a car that may just mean some stupid end all of a sudden.
Not much of a wrx story except that it is safely in the driveway. But I listen to you guys talk about upgrades then look at my car and its sad.
(This is the second act of god to happen to this car, got hit by a deer when it was 2 weeks old)
It's not uncommon to have increased transmission noise after going to a short-throw shifter. I'm not 100% sure about the stock WRX shifter, but in other Subarus, they often employ a rubber filling to help dampen vibration and noise coming directly from the transmissions. Many short throw shifters often omit this rubber filling in order to improve the shift feel.
I noticed an increase in noise when going from my stock Forester to Kartboy shifter.
Ken
That is always the best part of the story. Just like I always say "The best part of my life....is being born!"
-scott
As for the Hakkas, I'm not sure if they're unidirectional. My dealer is waiting to see what they get in stock as Nokian was to come out with a new snow tire this year. As soon as my options arrive I will update the post.
BTW, please provide a link to the mentioned Stoneguard product if possible.
Thanks - Sean
-Dave
My 2.5RS has the stuff on all its lights (after I had to replace a fog light which cost more than the film).
It's usually sold in separate kits -- one for the lights, one for the hood, one for the bumper, but some places that sell/install it do the whole thing at once.
Try http://www.armourfendusa.com to see if there's a shop in your area. There wasn't one in the Syracuse area, so I had a vinyl guy at a bodyshop put it on for $100.
You can also check http://www.xpel.com which has lots of technical info on the stuff.
Stephen
The shop manual was put onto a CD-rom by a fellow NW i-clubber. He charged $40 for the CD. I like that the manual lists the torque specs for tightening bolts. If I had a read-write CD bay I would make one for you for less $$.
Stephen :-)
:-)
Stephen
I'll post more impressions later for anyone who's thinking about taking the wrx plunge.
I doubt you'll do any real harm, but the intent of the 4,000 rpm limit isn't merely engine speed it is also load. Since the WRX can make boost below 4k, it might be within the letter of the recommended break-in to stomp it up to 4k and lift, but it isn't a good idea to do that consistently below 1k miles and think it's OK.
Just a thought.
-Colin
I'm curious because there is a Prodrive WRSport Imprezza Performance Package offered for the base UK WRX, described on their official Subaru UK website. Presumably, it's street legal in the UK although I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, it would be great to have something like this available for the US, without having to resort to aftermarket mods. Here's a nice write-up about the UK upgrade.
http://www.autofinder.ie/news_art.htm?a=296
Perhaps emissions standards are tougher in the US or maybe the UK mod requires a higher octane gas than isn't widely available in the US. If the UK base WRX uses the same tranny as the US WRX, our trannies might well be tougher than some people think! Otherwise, it's doubtful they'd offer the 3-year UK warranty with the performance mod. For a similar factory, street legal mod, I'd be quite willing to exchange the 5 yr / 60k mile powertrain warranty for the 3 year factory warranty. Another possibility is that this may be offered as standard equipment on future base WRX's sold in the US since the marginal cost would be fairly low. It's fairly obvious there's plenty of room for significantly improved power without undue risk, assuming everything is done right.
Bob
As for the tranny ont he WRX, not sure what tranny goes in the upgraded Prodrive model over there, also prodrive may warranty those cars through subaru separately.
-mike
Any advice gratefully received.
AllyThom
They (Subaru) import all of the cars to their US port with the 205 55 16 tires, and any optional wheel packages get put on in the port. TireRack has a deal with Subaru to buy these tires, and sell them to us at a substancial discount. The only wear on them is from one mounting/unmounting, and about 10 miles (plant to carpark to ship, off ship, to carpark.)
Mine looked perfect, and only cost $7 to mount and balance at same said Bridgestone dealer. The counter guy said I must have had their best guy, because I ended up without ANY weights. They said he likes to rotate the tire around and try to get ti perfect before seating the bead! For only $7? I'll have them do all of my work!
(BTW, I needed some Dunlop SR-20 165 80 15 tires for my MG, and the new chain in the area, Tire Kingdom [the only guys who could get this size tire] quoted $87 each mounted. TireRack had them for $42 each. I'm sure I can get them mounted and balanced for less than $45 each!)
Steve
The replacement tire's circumference has to be within 1/4" of the other tires.
You could measure the 3 tires' circumference and use the average as the specification to TireRack when you get the take-offs. Or check out i-Club, IIR there's someone within Tri-State parting with his RE92. I think his got ~9000 miles on them too.
Good Luck
-Dave
Stephen
$20 each
That's to the used tire guy. He'll probably sell it for $30.
-Dave
HG
Also, did you mount them on 17x7 or 17x7.5 wheels ? Sedan or Wagon ?
Thanks in advance,
Later...AH
If you were doing mostly highway miles, sure, go for it. But for slogging around in the city, you're not likely to notice any performance gains with the 17s.
Unless you're determined to do it for cosmetic reasons alone, I don't think it makes much sense. You might better spend the money on new tires, stainless brake lines and better pads.
Allythom - I've had nail holes plugged at my local tire shop. It comes with a warranty for the life of the tire.
-Dennis