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Comments
Anyone else care to join Project Forester 2.5 RS?
I know there are after market seats available but we would like to keep the heated aspect intact as well as the interior trim. Suggestions ?
Nah, that would be inhumane...
Colin - you think that would be a tough install? Does it come with new bushings?
-juice
So it's a deal, Ken. If you like the rear sway bar, that'll be next.
My mouth is salivating like Pavlov's dogs at the thought of an expanded SPT catalog.
Forced induction, please!
Colin: any more details? Where'd you hear about it?
-juice
I heard about it because it's fairly widely known that the '98RS had a really sloppy shifter and it was markedly improved in '99. I don't see any reason why your Forester would be any different.
btw, I got a good chuckle out of the Forester 2.5RS bit.
-Colin
Colin: you mean the BEST handling small SUV!
ramon: where, where?
-juice
..Mike
..Mike
Juice, is your wife jealous yet that your Forester is getting all of these goodies (especially recently), and that her Mazda hasn't received any thing? ;-0
Mike, LOL!
Drew
I'm good for a horse or two...
Back to the Forester 2.5RS, though. What makes an RS? How about:
Strut tower brace
18mm rear anti-roll bar
Cold air intake
UR Pulley
16" alloys, 60 series tires
Short shifter kit with bushings
Uprated gas shocks
OK, a Minnan supercharger would be nice, as would new springs, but both would sacrifice the everyday livability of the Foreser.
What about brake upgrades? Single stage booster? Braided lines? Or are the rear discs enough by themselves?
I'd love to find a rear disc retrofit kit. What a project...
-juice
She's not jealous because we end up taking the Forester everywhere, and I almost always drive anyway.
I wonder if she'll notice the shifter. I bet a cold one she will. Any takers?
-juice
CHA! As if!
LOL!
..Mike
..Mike
James
Funny thing is, neither criticizes the OE paper filters as harshly! Cracks me up.
Ken: don't get that plastic cover just yet - it doesn't fit. Oddly, it's very slightly bigger than the hole in the Forester. Could be, since the whole fender is shaped very differently than the Impreza's.
So I'll contact Darlene and try to find out the new part number. The Phase II Foresters have that plug, right?
I was bummed. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
How's the rear sway bar going? Did you get it yet?
I'm still waiting for the SPT shifter. Next weekend I'm heading to the OBX, so I may not get a chance to put it in until later.
-juice
The K&N vs. Amsoil debate is a pretty common one. If you go on any search engine, you'll get quite a few hits on this topic. For starters, check out the Impreza i-club<<A HREF="http://www.impreza-rs.com">http://www.impreza-rs.com>.
Both filters will probably give you better airflow than your stock paper filter and most importantly, they're reusable. Just my opinion based solely on other opinions is that while it doesn't offer as high an airflow, Amsoil filters do a better job at filtering due to their 2-stage set up.
Installation will probably not affect your Forester's performance notably. I've yet to see hard evidence (other than what manufacturers claim) that it helps our type of vehicles.
As for the learning, don't worry. Your ECU is constantly averaging out data so if you make any changes and do nothing else, it will eventually take those changes into account. If you want to speed up the learning process, all you need to do is simply erase it's memory so that it will account for the changes immediately.
juice,
D-Oh! Too late. It's in transit with my sway bar as we speak. Oh well, it was only like $4 anyway.
Actually, I don't think there is a cap specifically for the Forester. I checked my friend's MY00 and the hole was not covered. Actually, if you think about it, there really is no reason why they would need to cover it since the latest intake completely bypasses the fender anyway.
Is there anyway to "trim" the piece to fit? I read somewhere on a Japanese site that even Impreza owners needed to cut away part of the cap in order to make it fit.
Ken
My question is with the speakers. Crutchfield lists speakers for only 2000 Foresters not 2001. Are speaker sizes the same in 2001 Foresters??
Thanks,
-Tony
Tony-I was going to post a similar question. The sound quality is not what I expected from my week old Forester. I had even ordered the upgraded system for it and it stll sounds cheap. I think the head itself will probably suffice if I install better speakers. Did you find out anything? I appreciate good sound but am clueless on components! I figure I can leave the tweeters and the subwoofer if the door speakers are good.
I discovered the only other sub-standard system on the Forester IMHO is the horn. Juice, I know you replaced yours, and now I know why! I had just got into the Soob with a cup of coffee in hand when a huge Buick slid past my door at about 1" clearance, then banked even closer as the driver made an attempt at parallel parking in front of me. I hit the horn (for the first time ever) and the pitiful whine that came out of the front of my Forester was not worthy. I don't think she heard it at all but by this time I had my Soob fired up, and was backing away from the menace. Off to Autobarn on my day off!
I would recommend the Hella compact trumpet twin horn kit (500hz and 400hz) or the Hella Supertone horn kit (500hz and 300hz). Both will blow the person in front of you away :-) If you're really ambitious, try the Hella airhorn kit (cheaper than both of the former mentioned kits).
Drew
Using www.subaru.net, I checked to see if there were any audio (mostly speaker) differences between the '00 and '01 Foresters. None were specified, so I decided to make the Crutchfield order based on a '00 model.
I also called Crutchfield, but they still do not have any fitment info on '01 Foresters (even though it was released last March!). So I took a shot.
I'll let you know if it fits and how it sounds. Crutchfield shipped it today (a holiday!), so I should be getting it by Wednesday.
-Tony
Tony: I'm sure the speakers are the same, otherwise Subaru would have bragged about the upgrade.
James: I'm still catching up, so I haven't seen your post yet. I'll get to it.
-juice
4 pot brake calipers: $104.35. They retail for $145. 4 pistons, guys! That's usually reserved for super cars!
18mm rear sway bar: $83.40.
20mm rear sway bar: $82.57.
The fatter bar is cheaper, which is odd. You may end up with oversteer, though, what do you guys think?
I've always argued that upgrading the brakes and chassis should come before major engine mods. Now it's nice to see SPT offers something in those areas.
Keep 'em coming. I'd like to see a turbo, an intercooler, and stronger clutches.
-juice
WRT the antiroll bar, I think if you're comfortable with the limits of your vehicle (and you'll probably have to toss the car around, simulating an emergency, to find the limits again), the larger 20mm bar will be the way to go; oversteer is easier to manage if you know how to. For less experienced drivers though, I'd stay away from it and stick to safe (but boring) understeer.
Drew
There's quite a lot of debate about 18mm vs. 20mm sway bars on the i-club. My take home point was that if you have a stock suspension, stay with 18mm. You'll find your vehicle gets tail-happy in poor weather with 20mm. Also, the Forester comes standard with a 13mm rear bar vs. 15mm for the Impreza. I think a 7mm jump is way big, IMHO.
The other option is to go with a Whiteline adjustable bar that lets you set it to 18, 20 and 21mm.
Ken
The hood deflector goes on with no drilling. There's holes already in the underside of the hood for the two screws to install. Slide the deflector on, adjust position, and tighten screws. 'Bumpons' (those little rubber knob like buttons) were already placed on the hood deflector. You place a small piece of clear tape (it's provided) on the hood where the bumpon meets.
The tweeter kit was extremely easy. Gently pry off black plastic triangular piece on the upper corner of the door. Speaker harness is tucked in the door itself - just pull it out and plug into the tweeter. Then you push the tweeter into position in the door. That's it. It fits nice and snug and looks great. Though I'm no pro, I could hear the little difference they make. But, as they say, YMMV.
Will post back with some experiences with the hood shield as they happen.
Sorry for the long post.
-Brian
Are the 4 piston calipers only for the impresa-forester ? Do the forrester/impresa share brake hardware with the legacy outback platform?
Also while on the topic of brakes, what does anyone think about the possibility of swapping out for the new larger discs mentioned in the review of the H6 outbacks?
Thanks!
--Kate
Drew: assuming the caliper has the power to lock the wheel, upgrading its size and the pad area does not slow the vehicle faster --on the first try. It increases resistance to pad fade, as the braking surface is larger and the force spread more evenly. The second, third and tenth stops are definitely better with bigger brakes.
To increase braking performance on the first stop, you can:
-make the car lighter
-get stickier and / or larger (usually wider) tires
Brakes alone don't stop the car.
jres: you could probably upgrade to the newer brakes. The danger about upgrading brakes is that a given master cylinder and booster might be inadequate for a larger brake system, as they displace more fluid. If the H6 models have a bigger master cylinder and booster it would be *very* wise to upgrade to that too.
-Colin
I believe you can simply "pop off" the covers for the tweeters. Another way to check is simply turn down the bass all the way, turn up the treble all the way and put your ear near the tweeter covers.
As for the air filter, I believe it is accessible right under the glove compartment. Your owner's manual should show you how to replace the filter.
Ken
-Colin
Tail happy with a 20mm bar? Where do I sign?!
Kidding. Hmm, how can a sway bar adjust from 18 to 21mm, isn't that the thickness of the bar? I guess they adjust to equal the effect of a bar that thick?
Brian: so the tweeter enclosure just pops out? What did you use to pry it out? How much force? Did anything scratch or bend? Curious minds want to know...
Kate: try what Brian did, i.e. pop out the housing.
For the air filtration, look under the passenger side dash. You should see a pair of screws holding a bracket up on the HVAC unit (it's a black box). Behind those are the air filter. If you just see black plastic, it's missing.
jres: I think the Legacy's brakes are bigger, so the calipers probably differ. Yours are 10.7" discs, the new ones are now 11.4", if that helps.
-juice
The whiteline 18-22mm adjustable rear bar is actually 20mm and the has three holes for the endlink connectors. The middle is in exactly the same position as the FHI 20mm bar. The other two holes give approximately the roll stiffness of an 18mm or 22mm bar. Technically speaking it's just a 20mm adjustable bar. Whiteline also makes a 22mm adjustable bar, and they recommend it be used with a 22mm front bar.
You want to use the smallest bar that achieves the roll stiffness you desire, because a sway bar takes away traction from the outside tire and gives it to the inside-- exactly what you don't want during cornering.
-Colin
As far as the wiring goes, after prying the old plastic triangle off, the male speaker plug was neatly tucked into the door itself, just above the real door trim. I again used a flat head screw driver to gently pull it out. It has about 3 inches of wire to work with.
You should be able to hear them working if you place your ear near them. And to me, it now appears that music is coming from the front of the vehicle, rather than the floor.
No trim scratches, breaks, or bends. This is definitely a do-it-yourself kind of modification.
-Brian
Juice, I wonder if there are any plans for cross drilled and or slotted rotors ;-) FWIW, Porsches have these rotors too. BTW, Porsches are not the only ones with 4 pot brakes. The MB S-class and CL-class have 4 piston caliper front Brembo brakes with vented and cross drilled rotors, as well as 2 piston caliper vented rear Brembo brakes. Impressive looking and performing hardwear, no doubt, but I guess you get what you pay for!!
Drew
To revisit a topic I'm still agonizing over after months, anyone out there who has a brush guard/pushbar who wants to offer an opinion on their utility (or lack thereof)? I'm fond of the looks of Subaru's own brush guard, but haven't been able to find much evidence for it actually providing much actual protection. I'm also interested in the Manik & WAAG wraparound grill guards (I think of them as "Range Rover"-type guards since that's the first vehicle I saw with that style), and it looks like they would provide some useful protection for my Forester, but I'm still unsure how much -- especially given that they're notably more expensive than Subaru's own. Finally, I wonder about the potential downsides of brush guards in general (cleaning hassles? more likely to accidentally tap things with that extra metal hanging out front? what would happen in a collision? etc.).
So I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with ownership experience with these things.
I personally don't have the brushgaurd on my Forester, but I am positive it only serves cosmetic purposes. A good friend of mine has it on his Forester and it's basically just a big piece of plastic that attaches to the bottom of your bumper. It does look good, but if anything, it would probably cause more damage in the event of a fender bender.
I've never heard him complain about it getting in the way of cleaning, however.
Ken
Yes indeed! Our 88 Mercury Tracer got "tapped" by a Ford pickup with a huge chromed guard on it. Despite this being literally just a tap, it sliced through the plastic cover on our bumper which cost $800 to replace on his insurance.
Brian
Stick to the OE one or a smaller 'roo bar, at least.
Cross drilled brakes...yummy! Makes sense for the GT turbo and the WRX, at least.
I've seen really lame fake ones for ricers in SCC, how lame is that?
Brian: thanks for the details, it's good to know!
Well, the plastic cover for the hole in the fender did not fit, even after clipping it just about everywhere. It's just too tall AND too wide for the Forester (it's meant for the Impreza, but it was worth a shot).
Darlene's searching for a similar part for the Forester, we'll see.
My SPT short shift kit should arrive tomorrow, but I won't have time to put it in, since I'm heading to the OBX. I really hope to be able to hit the beaches with the 'ru. We'll see if the wider tires and extra clearance helps.
-juice
Drew
-juice
Brian
-juice
Map light suggested retail is $$7.69
etc, etc.
Darlene