Are you a current Michigan-based car shopper? A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/2 for details.
This is in reply to sten2's request in the Cleaning forum but to all generally.
I did a plus-one wheel/tire upgrade when changing to the Pilot Sports. My rationale was better handling on pavement and in the rain, plus a stiffer sidewall for handling curves. I had seen two Forester WRSport models prepared by Prodrive in the UK in late 2000 which were running on 17-inch wheels, and thought this might be my answer. Appearances weren't top priority but I didn't want to make things look worse.
Size is 225/50-17 on 17x7 OZ Superleggera wheels. The original combo I tried was 225/55-17 on 17x7 Speedline P7 wheels, the recommended combination from distributor The Tire Rack. These didn't work - had rubbing problems due to tire width and improper wheel offset. (P7 wheel = +53mm IIRC, correct for Impreza and Legacy; Superleggera = +48mm, correct for Forester, works on other models as well.) I ran that combo for 2 days; Tire Rack accepted the wheels back and sent out the 50-series. I sold the P7 wheels to a WRX owner and broke even on the transaction.
I had numerous e-mail exchanges with engineers from Prodrive in the UK before settling on the OZs and 225/50-17 combination. They had used both the Superleggeras and Speedline Superturismos, which were no longer available. Prodrive confirmed that the suspension settings are the same for the UK-spec S turbos which they convert to WRSports and the US-spec S that I drive.
There is no rubbing with the current combination. So far (approximately 1000 miles) they've given me all the handling benefits I expected. Excellent wet traction; improved dry traction and lateral grip (though I haven't given them the backroads workout I'd wanted yet). Ride has not been noticeably harmed.
The major tradeoff is noise. They are noisier than the OEM Geolandars; so much so in fact that, according to my Subaru dealer, I am mistaking their sounds for the sound of yet another failing rear wheel bearing. Two dealer techs drove the car and attributed the noise to the tires. However, the tires give off a dull roar as opposed to the whirring roar of the bearing. I heard this while the Geolandars were on the car as well. I expect the wheels will have to fall off before SoA gets involved, at which point I feel sure they will attribute the failure to the use of the non-OEM wheels and tires. Given that this is a known problem with Foresters and Imprezas (and many of the latter have been modified far more extensively than the former), that I have a service history with SoA, and that several dealerships have begun to replace the bearings with the sturdier Legacy version, I can't see how that argument would stand.
But I digress. The benefits of the Pilot Sport A/S have so far outweighed the costs. Speaking of which, they are pricey - $189/each from Tire Rack - but hopefully I got what I paid for. We'll see how treadwear goes - they are rated 400 so that is promising. If I had to do it all over again I may have opted for something cheaper and with shorter tread life, but that's the price I pay for being a guinea pig.
I wouldn't get em as a daily driver tire. They are great auto-x tires but as a daily driver they'll be gone in less than 10K miles, and have poor rain traction.
Still trying to track down a set of UK side visors for my GT wagon. Emailed 3 UK dealers (including Quinby Bros as mentioned here) with no response. Going to start making calls this week.
bit...you might try mike@exeter.com. Got visors for my 01 Forester from him. Had zero luck with the UK and the shipping costs from there and Australia are $$$$. They are located in the northeast and their phone was 877-782-2789. Hope this helps..........
Yeah, I don't mind the way they look at all plus I could use them since I always have my dog in the car. As we know, the water rolls right of the roof and into the window controls on the door if the window is open at all. As for Exeter... are you sure it is mike@exeter.com or mike at exetersubaru.com?
bit....the Exeter I dealt with is Exeter Subaru located in N.H. Mike is their parts guy and highly touted in the New England forum of the I-Club. He was a joy to deal with and I got my visors in short order. Took me quite a while to locate him and had a lot of negative comments/responses in seeking help from the "crew". Good news is my personal research/search paid off and I am well pleased with how they look/perform. I have had them on the better part of two years and do NOT have any of the noises people grouse about. I admit to being very precise with the installation but even with that in consideration,it was very easy. Hope this helps.....
bit....looks like a much better option. When I got mine there was very little in the way of choices....looks like you have found a pot of gold. Moreover $62 is considerably cheaper than I paid and dramatically cheaper than if you buy overseas. GO FOR IT!!
I do know that 225 width will fit the Forester (ala Ed aka Lark6), but +48mm offset. Anyone with pre-2k Outbacks have 225s mounted on +52 or +55mm offsets?
I got a response from Exeter and they do not car window visors for the Legacy/Outback. Id did more research and it seems no matter who claims to be the manufacturer they all look like the visors from VentShade. Their's are 2 piece (per side) and attach with foam tape to the roof just above the black trim since the Lagacy has frameless door windows. Lakepop - is that how they install on the Forester?
The more I look at the pic of the UK Subaru visors the more Ilke them. They look one piece and they seem to attach to the black trim and not directly to the roof. Going to do some more research and see if I can get a response.
bit....yes mine attach just above the black trim via some 3m tape. They are one piece and look pretty much like the pic. Bummer on the nada for your machine. I guess you will have to work the UK side. In my search I think I also found them in Australia. Both had some $$$$$ shipping.
I am thinking about getting the upgrade for the security system . Is it worth it . I was also wondering if with the upgrade do the doors lock when you put it in gear . That was one of the features I miss that was in my Honda Accord .
I meant which dealer did you get your car. I am 75% sure I am getting a WRX at the end of August and I was just wondering if you had any probs w/ any of them, or if you could recommend any of the 3 in Houston. Thanks in advance...
though i'm no longer a sooby owner(it was totaled in an accident) i just stopped by to give an update and read a little. i was going to join the vw fam but decided against it and went for a muscle car. i bought a 1967 chevy camaro SS. original dark blue with the white stripe across the front and original light blue interior. it is one bad car. though i do miss the AWD and gas mileage of the sooby i have what i really wanted, power.
sorry to hear about the accident-- and I hope you're a decent mechanic or willing to learn from competent friends & family!
I've known too many people that get into older cars and take a bath on paying others to keep them running, plus overpaying initially too.
but don't let that deter you-- my father and I have a '69 Camaro RS/SS 396. it's not a daily driver but I've been there, done that with a '65 Chevelle.
I should have clarified a bit, too. I own a 1994 Legacy Turbo (see http://www.thepearsonhome.com/subaru_legacy.htm). But, I have had experiences with two Subaru dealers in Houston. By far, and in tandem with the majority of the Texas iClub members, I would recommend West Houston Subaru. Bruce is the service guy, but I can't comment on the salesmen. Good luck!
I have not dealt with them but they are getting lots of good press on I-club. I have done all my dealings at WHS, but I would call to all 4 dealers (include McRee in League City) to see where you get the best price
Didn't know they had one in League City. Is it a smaller one or what? Also, does anyone know which one is the most mod-friendly. Thanks in advance for all the help...
McRee in League City was formerly known as Gay Subaru/Pontiac/GMC. Mod-friendly, WHS has sold some fairly decked out WRX's, mainly cosmetic stuff, but I have also seen them working on lowered WRX's. Beyond that level of mechanical alteration (the lowering) I can't comment. Anybody (any dealer) is going to void the warranty at some point. It all comes down to how far you're going to go with the mods.
I recall lots of discussion way back when about driving lights like those from PIAA. I want more illumination when we get caught driving at night on small 2 lane roads on our roadtrip. Is there a good option for this purpose out there and what are the trade-offs... like draw on the alternator?
Keep that swaybar nice and clean! Not sure where you live, but the Whiteline sway bar that I had on my 98 2.5RS looked like poop (rust) after a year or so (and 1 Michigan winter). If I were to get another I'd paint it or powdercoat is before installation.
Comments
Stephen
I can't see that 2nd photo, can you try it again? I can see the other 2.
-juice
I did a plus-one wheel/tire upgrade when changing to the Pilot Sports. My rationale was better handling on pavement and in the rain, plus a stiffer sidewall for handling curves. I had seen two Forester WRSport models prepared by Prodrive in the UK in late 2000 which were running on 17-inch wheels, and thought this might be my answer. Appearances weren't top priority but I didn't want to make things look worse.
Size is 225/50-17 on 17x7 OZ Superleggera wheels. The original combo I tried was 225/55-17 on 17x7 Speedline P7 wheels, the recommended combination from distributor The Tire Rack. These didn't work - had rubbing problems due to tire width and improper wheel offset. (P7 wheel = +53mm IIRC, correct for Impreza and Legacy; Superleggera = +48mm, correct for Forester, works on other models as well.) I ran that combo for 2 days; Tire Rack accepted the wheels back and sent out the 50-series. I sold the P7 wheels to a WRX owner and broke even on the transaction.
I had numerous e-mail exchanges with engineers from Prodrive in the UK before settling on the OZs and 225/50-17 combination. They had used both the Superleggeras and Speedline Superturismos, which were no longer available. Prodrive confirmed that the suspension settings are the same for the UK-spec S turbos which they convert to WRSports and the US-spec S that I drive.
There is no rubbing with the current combination. So far (approximately 1000 miles) they've given me all the handling benefits I expected. Excellent wet traction; improved dry traction and lateral grip (though I haven't given them the backroads workout I'd wanted yet). Ride has not been noticeably harmed.
The major tradeoff is noise. They are noisier than the OEM Geolandars; so much so in fact that, according to my Subaru dealer, I am mistaking their sounds for the sound of yet another failing rear wheel bearing. Two dealer techs drove the car and attributed the noise to the tires. However, the tires give off a dull roar as opposed to the whirring roar of the bearing. I heard this while the Geolandars were on the car as well. I expect the wheels will have to fall off before SoA gets involved, at which point I feel sure they will attribute the failure to the use of the non-OEM wheels and tires. Given that this is a known problem with Foresters and Imprezas (and many of the latter have been modified far more extensively than the former), that I have a service history with SoA, and that several dealerships have begun to replace the bearings with the sturdier Legacy version, I can't see how that argument would stand.
But I digress. The benefits of the Pilot Sport A/S have so far outweighed the costs. Speaking of which, they are pricey - $189/each from Tire Rack - but hopefully I got what I paid for. We'll see how treadwear goes - they are rated 400 so that is promising. If I had to do it all over again I may have opted for something cheaper and with shorter tread life, but that's the price I pay for being a guinea pig.
Ed
You still have your OEM wheels, don't you?
You could just throw them back on and see if think you're getting bearing noise.
-Dennis
I did and I do. Should take it back to the dealer with that setup.
Ed
Jimmyp1: Which dealership did you get yours at?
-mike
Jim (no azenis)
Jim
bit
They are located in the northeast and their phone was 877-782-2789. Hope this helps..........
bit
exeter subaru is in NYC, or maybe Long Island. they are semi-serious about their web/mail-order parts biz.
-Colin
-juice
As for Exeter... are you sure it is mike@exeter.com or mike at exetersubaru.com?
Thanks, bit
Took me quite a while to locate him and had a lot of negative comments/responses in seeking help from the "crew". Good news is my personal research/search paid off and I am well pleased with how they look/perform. I have had them on the better part of two years and do NOT have any of the noises people grouse about. I admit to being very precise with the installation but even with that in consideration,it was very easy.
Hope this helps.....
bit
I thought they were in Exeter New Hampshire. I know there's a Subie dealer there, and I believe that's their name.
Bob
-Colin
Anyone with pre-2k Outbacks have 225s mounted on +52 or +55mm offsets?
-Dave
bit
bit
Bummer on the nada for your machine. I guess you will have to work the UK side. In my search I think I also found them in Australia. Both had some $$$$$ shipping.
or autoanything.com.
Gene
Thanks to all
mike k
Thanks anyway,
bit
Seth (sorry, not Dave or Stephen...)
I've known too many people that get into older cars and take a bath on paying others to keep them running, plus overpaying initially too.
but don't let that deter you-- my father and I have a '69 Camaro RS/SS 396. it's not a daily driver but I've been there, done that with a '65 Chevelle.
-Colin
Pop in once in a while to let us know how you're doing. You really gonna use an old muscle car as a daily driver?
-juice
Jim
Jim
What do you think? Which color, BTW?
Ken
Why? Blue for World Rally Blue, and Black to match the stock shift knob. :-)
FWIW,
-Brian
Thanks for the input. Actually, that's the combination I was thinking of getting.
Ken
http://cobbtuning.com/legacy/drivetrain1.html#shifter
bit
http://cobbtuning.com/legacy/drivetrain1.html#shifter
bit
I suppose there's some folks on the iClub who have already tried them...
-Colin
Stephen :-)
-juice
Stephen
Stephen - What was the shipping cost on the rear cup holder? If it's crazy, I could have a friend pick one up for me when he visits home.
-Dennis
Stephen
bit
Other than that it worked great.
Ryan
Stephen