Subaru Crew - Modifications II

1…8889919394…106

Comments

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yeah it would be put in in conjunction with the VF23 and IC and MBC. So it would likely be pushing somewhere in the ballpark of 200-250hp IIRC. :)

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well this week the L got dropped at the cage builder upstate NY.

    She is getting a full race cage 6-point with the proper tubing for NASA and SCCA. Kirkey racing seats, harnesses, harness bar as well.

    When I get it back in early July she will be nearly race-spec ready. Now I'll just need to get the rest of the race stuff:

    Fire Extinguisher
    Helmet
    Nomex Suit, Socks, Boots, Gloves
    Tow Eyes

    Anyone wanna sponsor me :) hee hee.

    -mike
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    and still the 4EAT? ...for shame! :-P
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Still the 4EAT. It may be a shame, but it's gonna prove a point! How insulting will it be to get passed by an AWD Automatic on the track???? :)

    -mike
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Sweet, mike! So, are you still going to call it Franken L after all that radical surgery?

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sure, doesn't Frankenstein have those bolts sticking out of his head?

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yup still working on the paint scheme.

    Debating between Florescent Pink, Solid Forest Green (like the hood is now), and tri-color Green/White/Red similar to the design that Ed-Lark came up with originally.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Go for the Italian flag look.

    -juice
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    seems like I have found the best forum in edmunds.
    Some posts up someone wanted advise on bringing the powerband down in their wrx...Cobb reflash stage 1 does that to a degree and I think it is well worth the money. I have heard that the downpipe upgrade does more for quick spoolup than the uppipe...maybe Paisan has seen the uppipe vs the downpipe vs both pipes. I have driven a cobb stage 2 with aps turbo back (stock uppipe) and the low end was much improved not to mention the top end. So I bought a used turbo xs downpipe & cat and had that tied into the stock catback and there was improvement but nothing spectacular.
    Does anyone know what is the quietest aftermarket muffler that provides good flow for the wrx? I want to do a full turbo back exhaust but can not live with loud pipes.
    thanks,
    Don
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    I believe the Turbo XS "stealthback" is supposed to be "quiet" as far as turbobacks go. You keep the stock muffler with that setup.

    http://www.turboxs.com/wrx/wrxstiexhaust.shtml

    Or maybe an STi turboback. ??

    -Dennis
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I would suggest you get an UP and a 3rd cat eliminator pipe, keep the stock muffler or add a stromung to it. IMHO that would provide the quietest and most power-bang for your $.

    -mike
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    bluesubie, that's what i had and the gains were not close to the full aps system...I fell for their website 'stealth' line.

    paisan, just the UP and 3rd cat elim or UP,DP (I'm thinking of Cobb's 1 piece all the way to the cat (included))?

    Thanks for the responses and how far is your shop from hillsborough? (exit 12 on 287) How do I find out about your installfests?
    I am off to look up stomung
    Don
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Oh yeah UP/DP and 3rd Cat eliminator, thought you had done the DP already.

    We aren't far. Exit 138 on the GSP.

    Shoot me an e-mail and we'll discuss further.

    -mike
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Mods you don't do
    image
    Paint your brake pads and rotor

    -Dave

    p/s Rotors are Ate and pads are Hawk
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    That's great Dave.
    I once watched a guy put wd40 on brake rotors on a motorcycle to make them shine. When I told him not to I was told to mind my own business. I didn't see what happened.

    Don
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,755
    oh, that's phat!
    i think i'll run right outside and do that. then i'll wax my tire treads. i'll be the envy of the neighborhood!

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • amsbearamsbear Member Posts: 147
    Yeah, and black spray paint on the windows for that ultra-cool tinted look.

    Alan
    98 OBW Ltd
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,398
    That's not WAX but Armor-All that you put on tire treads. Makes 'em shiny and slippery just like it does to a steering wheel.

    Whoa! Stop I say! Whoa! Crunch!!!

    But it sure looked good...bling!
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,398
    Hey, they should do that to the headlights too.
  • ozman62ozman62 Member Posts: 229
    How do people like that even get a driver's license? Where did you find that, Nabisco?
    O
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    Actually, the Subaru OEM replacement rotors I bought came with a thin coating of paint to prevent rust in transit. Painting the BACK of the brake pads isn't going to hurt anything.

    I thought I saw someplace that they have special paint for rotors??

    DaveM
  • amsbearamsbear Member Posts: 147
    DaveM,

    Yes, there is special paint for the calipers which get very hot with use. I wouldn't paint the back of the brake pads either (for several reasons).

    Alan
    98 OBW Ltd
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That spray paint comment cracked me up.

    Paint the calipers if you must, but the PADS? Isn't that a fire hazard? :o)

    -juice
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    I wouldn't paint any of the parts but I was just commenting that the replacements rotors were painted. Now that I think about it, most, if not all, the brake pads I've replaced are painted too (back only of course).

    But, I'm sure they don't use regular old Rustoleum either.

    DaveM
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Can't link you there, but it was in VWVortex [Golf III & Jetta III]
    "I painted my calipers [Archived]"... that's what he said he did.

    -Dave
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I think Prodrive WRSport is one of the quietest (still sounds great at full throttle). It's basically a notch louder than stock but quieter than most other mufflers.

    Prodrive muffler has larger diameter pipe than stock, so you will reduce a little backpressure (plus it has no internal baffles).

    Craig
  • hgutsteinhgutstein Member Posts: 65
    I have some Cobb CT-1 wheelstires (and possibly stock wheels/tires) I would like to sell, as well as some stock parts. Where is the best place to list these things (and avoid crackpot offers from jr. high kids on some of the "forums")?

    thanks

    HG
  • kmartinkmartin Member Posts: 427
    Can anyone recommend a moonroof instlaler and/or brand in the Phoenix area? Thx! -km-
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Edmunds does not have a classifieds section, so try Nabisco or even E-Bay.

    -juice
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    I am searching for a lowering spring for my 03 wagon and was wondering what the ride penalty was. I have 215/45's and 20mm rear bar. I am happy with the ride and my current over/understeer ratio but would like to stay a little flatter thru the turns. Are the stock struts capable of dampening the motions of a stiffer spring? I also want to put 225/45's and have heard different rubbing issues with a 17x7.5 48mm offset on wagons.
    I am going to be tracking the car with the bmw club but I also need a relatively civil ride for the street.
    Don
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I don't think I'd try 225/45-17s on a lowered WRX wagon. I would use a 215/45-17 (and ignore the small speedometer error).

    A good street suspension is the SPT/Eibach springs with KYB AGX struts. However, if you're going to have the vehicle on the track it will still feel pretty loose out there. I'd say live with it because making the car more track optimized will quickly erode ride quality and most likely your enjoyment during daily driving.

    Trust me, I had that suspension combo on my Impreza when I sold it. Before that I had Tein HA coilovers with damn stiff springs, and before that stock springs with KYB AGX struts. I really, really liked the performance and streetability of the Eibach/AGX combo for what it costs.

    ~c
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    track the car a bit first, learn something about how the car behaves in that environment, and go from there. Altering spring rates without adressing the damping is not usually a great idea. Better on a soob than say a honda, but still an idea I would approach with caution.
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Colin is wise, so is Loosh... the wisemen have spoken :)

    bedabi had Prodrive on stock shocks before going to the KYB AGX.
    His observation:
    "I had Prodrive springs with stock struts for a while. It worked out OK for a while, but the struts kept bottoming out over larger bumps and potholes. But the combo was definitely better than stock."

    Eibach/KYB AGX on 215 for NY street driveability:
    Tires Front 34 psi/ Rear 33 psi
    Dampening set Front 1 / Rear 2

    -Dave
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    thanks for the responses.
    Has any of you 'wise' folks tried just stiffer swaybars front and rear? Do endlinks make a significant cahange?
    Thanks,
    Don
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Don-
    Here's an interesting link http://www.sentra.net/tech/garage/suspension.php

    Swaybars, I'm happy with the 20/20 setup like yours.
    Endlinks, I could not detect any difference from stock. I believe if you're not going larger than 20mm RSB, the OEM is plenty stiff.

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Left front Axle/CV joint :(

    Other than that it's been pretty much static. Although I need to put in the CB and gauges.

    -mike
  • jimmyp1atworkjimmyp1atwork Member Posts: 42
    In a way, I hope the replacement of those items was the result of the damage sustained recently, because those were both new as of less than 10k miles ago and might even be under the one year warranty (albeit here in Texas). What's the story?

    Jim
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I would wager related to the pothole incident which put a strut through the hood. I think it was the left, but didn't bother to scroll back and look for that message.

    Very surprising the control arm wasn't tweaked also if it is all that same corner. And the wheel bent!

    ~c
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    What's the damage for something like that. For someone like me who doesn't want to lower the car to keep dirt road performance, is that still the best way to go?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm thinking it was starting to go before the pothole which was on the same side, but the pothole that put the strut through the hood probably finished off the axle and CV.

    I'm running '99 RS rims on the car, so no dent or anything on the rim. I too am suprised that the LCA didn't sustain any damage. It may also require a ball joint as well but we shall see if the CV fixes the clunking.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If anyone can fix it himself...mike can.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My buddy is gonna help me, said it should be a cake walk. $50 for the axle/CV setup.

    Funny thing is my buddy who blew his motor in his 96 Impreza L and is waiting for a WRX harness to drop in a WRX motor is driving the SVX, and the CV went in that too.

    -mike
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    I recently replaced half axles (cheaper than just the cv boot/joint) on my Legend and ended up with a vibration similar to that of a off balanced wheel. Although the supplier reordered (total of 3 times) the half axles until I got balanced ones, it was a royal PIA.
    What is the trend with our subies? Rebuilt or new from dealer or any other source?
    Don
  • rangnerrangner Member Posts: 336
    Hey y'all

    I hsve a set of OEM pads from the dealer that I bought with subie bucks some time ago. But my original rotors have developed a wobble--so i'd like to replace them.

    I was thinking of brembo slotted, but concerned the slotted would need a high performance pad and would eat through the OEM pad too fast.

    Eric
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I find during normal use slotted rotors don't chew up pads all that badly.

    You could probably have your stock rotors machined and fix the problem, btw.

    ~c
  • rangnerrangner Member Posts: 336
    I thought about that, but figured it would be about as expensive to turn them as to get new ones. I've heard of people having problems with the OEM rotors warping anyway.

    Eric
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Well I finally got the correct tubular FSB from Cobb. I gotta say, 1 hour for installation is a pipe dream. Dropping the subframe is one thing, but getting that bar and those bushings to work with the stock brackets is not a walk in the park. It took about 30 minutes per side, AFTER I got the subframe apart. I eventually got some bricks and the jack, using the jack to apply the super-human force needed to get the bracket close enough to the frame to thread the bolts.

    I'm a happy camper, though. After a good 3 hours of work, the car feels great. Turn in is a bit crisper, and the whole car feels neutral. Not slightly tailhappy like it did before, using just the rear bar on the mildest setting. The combination of FSB and RSB set on mild results in a nice, neutral, eager setup. I'll continue to shake it down this week and get a better feel for it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Kewl.

    Would it help if they provided longer threaded bolts?

    It was a peice of cake to install the OE 18mm bars, in fact I helped Hutch and it took us 10 minutes, maybe.

    -juice
  • ozman62ozman62 Member Posts: 229
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Oh, never mind. Totally different story.

    The rears are cake.

    -juice
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.