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jamal posted:The problem I have is that the strut's lower mounting point is farther out. So on a narrow tracked car there is an amount of binding that occurs due to the extra side loading on the strut. I did not notice this (I have GD sti struts on my older Legacy) until I put in stiff rear suspension bushings in. Now I can feel it and the suspension is stiffer than it should be. I have also heard of guys with GG wagons using sedan suspension breaking the valves inside their dampers. Hm, where do you think this binding is occurring, and why do you think there's increased side load to the strut? I could see that you'd be giving a tiny increase in a mechanical advantage to the wheel against the strut if there was an opportunity for an increase in side load, but I don't see how it could actually happen unless your lateral links or control arm first bent or somehow weren't attached. Running GD suspensions is really common in stage rally and RallyX both for the increased selection and a bit of extra height for fixed perch setups. I've definitely heard of issues with mixed parts like Cat mentioned in terms of travel/length - people doing things like running stock RS springs on an STI strut have had issues with it, but it's never been "severe" - just some clunking from a strut jumping in the perch. I've heard of people running GD laterals and having axles pop out, but that would be a very different thing. On tarmac I could see some differences, we don't do the same kind of side stress on loose surfaces that happen on tarmac, but I can't picture where a problem would come from. You guys have me worried about this setup now, but it's already seen an awful lot of abuse without issue.
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Jan 27, 2014 13:17
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I have a set of 04 STI sedan suspension in my 03 wagon right now and I haven't noticed anything abnormal, but I'm running studded winters with completely hosed bushings all over the car from the ignorant PO. I guess we'll see how it is this summer and with an upgraded RSB, the car feels a little less predictable than it used to be with totally dead rear struts but can actually turn now instead of Uncle Bucking around a corner. It could probably also do with an alignment but I marked the camber bolts and kept them as close to before as possible.
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Jan 27, 2014 17:34
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Well I ordered 4 new struts from rock auto for my 04 wagon. I got the KYB GR2 ones. I am gonna try to tackle this on my own. Other than a spring tool, is there any weird tool I will need to procure? Is there anything other than the strut itself I should look at replacing? From what I can tell from the service manual, it is pretty simple. The car is 10 years old though, and I have no doubt some fasteners will be a bitch. I am also planning on reusing the springs unless that is a bad idea...
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Jan 27, 2014 21:34
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It might be worth it to replace the strut tops as well - go to Group N parts if you're looking for an upgrade - but I think they'll probably be fine. If your struts have never been out you'll need a sharp olfa knife to cut the carpet/sound deadening under the rear strut top covers to get at the nuts. Reusing the springs is fine (it's probably worth checking for damage/broken coils but that is pretty rare in my experience). Some spring compressor tools are hard to use with the way the Subaru struts are so check with us before you buy anything expensive (most parts stores will just loan you some). I assume you have a torque wrench? It's easy to overtorque the strut top nuts without one, and it's easy to undertorque the upright bolts as well. If you live in a particularly salty place it will probably greatly benefit you to have an impact or at the very least replacement bolts. I also found it helpful to have a paint marker so I could mark the camber bolts before removing them. Seat Safety Switch fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Jan 27, 2014 |
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Jan 27, 2014 21:39
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Mercury Ballistic posted:Well I ordered 4 new struts from rock auto for my 04 wagon. I got the KYB GR2 ones. I am gonna try to tackle this on my own. Other than a spring tool, is there any weird tool I will need to procure? Is there anything other than the strut itself I should look at replacing? From what I can tell from the service manual, it is pretty simple. The car is 10 years old though, and I have no doubt some fasteners will be a bitch. I am also planning on reusing the springs unless that is a bad idea... It's simple, you shouldn't need any special tools. Pay attention to the washer on the top mount and how it all goes together when you take it off, or you'll be scratching your head when you go to put it back together. Check the top mount and make sure it isn't all cracked/worn out. I would plan to replace your bolts/nuts because they're 10 years old and probably pretty crusty, alternately you could just clean them up and re-use them. Watch out on the torque on your top mounts, the nuts are like 14ft/lbs and you can snap the studs pretty easily if you try to overtighten. Oh, use a sharpie and mark off your camber bolt position so you can set them back roughly correct. Wouldn't hurt to get an alignment after anyhow though. Hardest part for me is always getting the bolts back in the bottom - it's really helpful to have another human present for this part to apply force to the knuckle while you try to align the strut and get the bolts in. E:f;b
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Jan 27, 2014 21:43
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Can you use one or more c-clamps to hold tension in the springs while you do the work? I've done this before and haven't died but always was curious as to what the community opinion is.
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Jan 27, 2014 21:54
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VelociBacon posted:Can you use one or more c-clamps to hold tension in the springs while you do the work? I've done this before and haven't died but always was curious as to what the community opinion is. I suppose you can, but when you can get actual spring compressors from Advance or Autozone for free, there really isn't a reason to go that way.
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Jan 27, 2014 21:55
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dayman posted:I suppose you can, but when you can get actual spring compressors from Advance or Autozone for free, there really isn't a reason to go that way. Live in a different country; it's more of a pain to do this here in Canada. I also don't really want some 15 year old working the parts counter to be taking down all my credit card information any more often than neccessary.
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Jan 27, 2014 21:57
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VelociBacon posted:Live in a different country; it's more of a pain to do this here in Canada. I also don't really want some 15 year old working the parts counter to be taking down all my credit card information any more often than neccessary. That's a bummer. In the US, they basically charge you the off the shelf full price of the tool up front, but refund you when you return it. You can even use cash if you want. C-clamps are not really ideal because of the potential to slip off the spring (as I'm sure you're aware). I guess it all boils down to how you value the chance of getting your bell rung by an errant flying clamp versus dropping 15-30 dollars on a set of compressors.
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Jan 27, 2014 22:14
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Sounds doable. I have an impact, and my dad has a torque wrench, and I was planning on the advanced auto rental for the spring tool. Let's just hope the rust is not too bad. Thanks again thread!
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Jan 27, 2014 22:21
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dayman posted:dropping 15-30 dollars on a set of compressors. I wish, $75 @ Canadian tire for a set of spring compressors: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/strut-spring-compressor-kit-0251147p.html#.UubMjRDnZaQ Partsource (Like Autozone but Canadian) used to lend out tools in the manner you described (leave a deposit and get refunded when you return) but they changed their policy that now you need to have purchased parts that require that tool from them to be able to lend it. So if you sourced your parts anywhere else or you need the tool for a different job you're SOL. I'm hoping I can find a spring compressor on sale somewhere, just have to keep an eye open for them.
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Jan 27, 2014 22:22
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Zip ties? Google image search "zip tie spring compressor". Its shadetree mechanic stuff, but the physics are sound....
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Jan 27, 2014 22:27
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Mercury Ballistic posted:Well I ordered 4 new struts from rock auto for my 04 wagon. I got the KYB GR2 ones. I am gonna try to tackle this on my own. Other than a spring tool, is there any weird tool I will need to procure? Is there anything other than the strut itself I should look at replacing? From what I can tell from the service manual, it is pretty simple. The car is 10 years old though, and I have no doubt some fasteners will be a bitch. I am also planning on reusing the springs unless that is a bad idea... Rears: - Get the car up in the air with the wheel off, you should be faced with this. No, the jack is not holding the car, it's on stands (and the wheels are under it).  - Unclip the brake hose union from the bottom of the strut. They're a bit of a bugger when they're rusted - pulling from the top will probably result in skinned knuckles, I drift them out (hit the clip, not the hose union!) from underneath.  - On my saloon, the top mount was behind the rear seat, I don't know whether you have to remove the seat on an estate. Three nuts on top, with a pressed-steel cover sandwiched in there also.  - Bottom bolts are positioned a bit awkwardly for getting a socket onto them, but it's not exactly rocket science. Actually, rocket science isn't really rocket science. Brain surgery, that's rocket science.  - Top nut being undone to release the spring. See what I mean about the hollow socket? I found there was no need for spring compressors on the rear, but I did use them on the fronts.  Fronts: - Very little difference, except you have a small bolt holding the ABS sensor cable onto the front of the strut bottom.  - And another bolt holds the brake hose on the rear, rather than it being a clip. The upper of the main strut bolts are the eccentric ones for camber adjustment.  Tips: - Douse everything with penetrant a couple of days before doing it. - Wire-brush the worst of the rust off the threads, but also off the heads of the lower strut bolts on the front - the eccentric one has markings on it to help you clock it to a given angle, as has already been said, highlight it with a pen or something (Tippex works really well). - Your new struts may not have the rubber seat liners for the springs to sit on, so grab your old struts' ones if necessary. There's no reason not to re-use the springs, unless you were considering new ones anyway or they're damaged. Wipe all the road grime off and you will find coloured paint blotches on them, which tells you (or more accurately, the nerdier people in this thread) exactly what they are.
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Jan 27, 2014 22:28
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InitialDave posted:The only thing I'd recommend that isn't "normal" for a toolkit is if you have a hollow "vortex" socket set, so you can get a hex key down the inside to hold the strut still while you undo the main top nut. It's a good excuse to buy one. This is fantastic. Thank you!
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Jan 27, 2014 22:34
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Mercury Ballistic posted:This is fantastic. Thank you!
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Jan 27, 2014 22:39
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Well the best lessons are learned in blood or some other valuable commodity.
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Jan 27, 2014 22:47
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Other things to note, you can get away with using an impact socket and vice grips with a hex wrench instead of a capless socket like pictured above. Get a lady foot pry bar to stake your struts.  Jam that in one of the holes. The taper will help you get the pry bar in even if you aren't even close. Send the pry bar in then pivot the knuckle on the pry bar to match up the opposite hole, I pin the lower and bolt the top. Then you can drop the pry bar out and pivot the knuckle on the top bolt and easily send the bottom bolt in. Saves a mess of time. Putting lift struts on my friends GC would have been impossible without them.
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Jan 27, 2014 22:50
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Slow is Fast posted:Other things to note, you can get away with using an impact socket and vice grips with a hex wrench instead of a capless socket like pictured above. I watched some videos, this was advised to prevent going nuts getting them to line up. I'll let the thread know how it goes when I find the time to make this happen. Two working parents and a 6 month old make it tough to get time to even fix the car.
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Jan 27, 2014 22:53
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On the other hand, I found it dead easy to get my lower bolt holes lined up and pop the bolt through, so your money may vary. The whole job took me an afternoon of working slowly and cleaning things up as I got to them, so you should be fine. Do one end then the other another day if you're tight on time.
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Jan 27, 2014 22:55
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Any tips for installing a catback exhaust? I hope ramps give me enough clearance (I don't have stands)
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Jan 28, 2014 02:58
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BoyBlunder posted:Any tips for installing a catback exhaust? I hope ramps give me enough clearance (I don't have stands) The spring bolts like to snap when you remove them, so you'll save yourself some profanity by having a replacement set ready to go. Don't tighten everything up until you've got it all sitting how you want it in the hangars. Some dish soap in the rubber hangars can also save some profanity.
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Jan 28, 2014 03:06
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si posted:The spring bolts like to snap when you remove them, so you'll save yourself some profanity by having a replacement set ready to go. Don't tighten everything up until you've got it all sitting how you want it in the hangars. Some dish soap in the rubber hangars can also save some profanity. Thanks! Can I just walk into the dealer and ask for some exhaust spring bolts, or do I need a part number?
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Jan 28, 2014 03:49
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BoyBlunder posted:Thanks! Depends on what you're installing. Is it a stock downpipe or a stock-flange catback? If you're installing something that uses the ball-style donut gasket flange then you want the OEM spring bolts again as far as I understand. If you are going to an aftermarket downpipe + aftermarket catback combo, you usually switch to a flat gasket and regular bolts and washers. If you do just need the OEM ones then yeah, you can just go to the parts counter, give them your car info, and they should know what you're after. jamal or someone who's more familiar with a variety of setups can probably tell you what's the way to go with different setups. I have a Cobb style downpipe and an SPT catback, so I use the stock donut gasket setup and spring bolts. If you have an Invidia downpipe and catback, I believe those are both 3" flat gaskets, and you can just use regular grade 8 or whatever your preference bolts and nuts with a washer.
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Jan 28, 2014 03:53
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I think you can even buy the spring bolts from a parts store as an "exhaust repair kit."
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Jan 28, 2014 03:54
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With the recent suspension chat I've got a bit of a handling question for all of you knowledgeable types. The car is a 2003 WRX wagon, bone stock with 137k miles on it. My problem is that it seems to be very reluctant to turn in, I wouldn't really call it understeer in the sense I'm used to as it doesn't slide outwards in a corner once it's started turning but it just really really doesn't like to start the whole cornering process. Related I think is I've been really surprised since I got the car that the backend doesn't move as much as I would expect, I used to have a 1998 impreza coupe (base, not an RS) and even with the much lower power the rear would step out fairly easily when I wanted it to on any surface approaching loose or wet. The WRX really doesn't like to do this unless the road is really loose, and when it does it's a lot more unpredictable than the coupe used to be. With the coupe I could slide it in the snow nearly effortlessly and it always had this sort of lazy predictable understeer once you got it sliding which you could pull out of with throttle, the WRX starts by plowing straight ahead into a turn and then as soon as you look at the loud pedal to get it rotating it switches to immediate severe oversteer. Part of this I think are the lovely tires that came with the car when I bought it (which are going to be replaced in the next few weeks now...), but I feel like there's something else wrong here. I'm going under the assumption that most of the suspension components are fairly worn out. I have a bunch of records from the previous owner, but they're all drivetrain related with nothing about suspension in there. Does this sound like something specific that's worn or broken, or are my expectations for the car wrong? And what can I do to improve the handling here? I'm starting to plan what I want to do with the car in the spring when things start to warm up again, and my first priority is to make it handle better and more predictably. Thanks for anything you can tell me!
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Jan 28, 2014 05:21
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Tires, alignment, and the wagon has a really tiny rear swaybar. And everything in the suspension is worn out by now.
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Jan 28, 2014 08:31
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Mercury Ballistic posted:Well I ordered 4 new struts from rock auto for my 04 wagon. I got the KYB GR2 ones. I am gonna try to tackle this on my own. Other than a spring tool, is there any weird tool I will need to procure? Is there anything other than the strut itself I should look at replacing? From what I can tell from the service manual, it is pretty simple. The car is 10 years old though, and I have no doubt some fasteners will be a bitch. I am also planning on reusing the springs unless that is a bad idea... Rock auto does not gently caress around. Basic shipping and 4 struts are delivered in 28 hrs. Must be a local warehouse.
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Jan 28, 2014 18:44
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I'm having trouble deciding whether I should commit to my car for a couple more years or replace it soon. I know I've kind of alluded to the same issue in earlier posts in this thread, but I was hoping you guys might help walk me through this since it's sort of like evaluating buying a used subie. I've had a 2005 WRX wagon with about 140k miles since 2006 and ~15k miles. I've been good about regular maintenance and I've had good luck not needing much major service. In the past couple of years, it's had a new AC system (compressor, dryer, etc), new pads/rotors, new timing belt/water pump, and new front axles (torn/missing passenger CV boot). No wrecks or other catastrophes. Currently, there isn't much that is obviously wrong with it, though I do sometimes get coolant and/or gas smell in the cabin, so I expect there may be one or more slow drip-sized leaks under the hood. I check the fluid levels regularly and haven't noticed anything unusual. Finally, the power steering has been a little wonky from a cold start lately, but I put that down to the below-freezing temperatures we've had in DC for the past month. As for upcoming maintenace, based on the mileage and the age, it seems like at the very least I'll need a clutch and a turbo within a year or two, right? I'm also planning on doing new plugs when it warms up outside. I don't race or track the car; it's my DD and I use it to move bulky stuff and/or my dog on occasion. I am planning on going to a track day with a buddy eventually, but I don't think I'll need to think about anything track-specific for a long time. If I kept the car, I think spending a little time and money on it could make it more enjoyable in the near term. A new head unit, probably floor mats, wash/wax/detail, maybe go to stage 2 and an AP or other bolt-on mods if the motor is still trustworthy. I don't have much experience wrenching on the WRX, but I used to do a fair amount of my own work on a couple E30s, so I'm willing to learn. I'm also having trouble coming up with what exactly could even replace this car... I'd really really really like to buy an STi, but a new one would probably end up slightly out of my price range and I'm hesitant to buy a car like that used (especially with the fragile pistons on newer models). This ended up being more stream of consciousness than I'd hoped. I know that financially I'd be better off keeping the WRX. My only concern with keeping it is whether I'm locking myself into several thousand dollars of repairs over the next year or two, and whether a car with such high mileage is a worthwhile platform. For instance, if I might have to replace most of the suspension like jamal mentioned in reference to fralbjabar's 2003, might it make more sense to just buy something new(er)? I appreciate any opinions, especially if you can spitball which components may be just worn out by this point.
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Jan 28, 2014 20:21
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So the earlier WRX sold before I could get myself down there to check it out. Thoughts on this one? quote:I have a 02 wrx , 2011 wrx trans , 2011 wrx wheels , vf39 sti turbo, down pipe 3in full exsaust , sti injectors, JDM LSD front diff "new" , sti springs, 06-07 wrx seats . Act street clutch, 2011 center diff 20k miles. 150k on the body. Not a lot on the motor! Plus full reseal was done 5-6k ago. Typhoon intake, a lot is powder coated on the motor to match the color of the car
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Jan 28, 2014 22:07
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So the Pre-Launch digital brochure came out for the STI. The interesting thing in it is the comparison page, where they identify the Evo GSR, Golf R, A4 2.0T and 335i xDrive sedan as the STI's rivals. Interesting that, aside from the "default" competition of the Evo they are aiming at three kind of mid-level German sport sedans (no S4?,) and even with the old engine the new STI should set itself pretty far ahead of this competition. That said, it seems like the WRX also compares pretty favorably to this group and that the STI could start to play further upmarket with some more power. The WRX's competitors are listed as the Focus ST, GTI, Mazdaspeed 3 and Civic Si. It's just an interesting niche they're playing in right now and I think that's why they feel they have the time to recoup some costs before putting a new engine in the STI or coming out with the hatch.
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Jan 29, 2014 03:19
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got a link?
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Jan 29, 2014 03:22
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http://dbrochure.subaru.com/brochures/subaru.wrxsti.prelaunch.2015/
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Jan 29, 2014 03:25
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DJ Commie posted:Replying! Sure! What are you looking to get for them? Also, do you still have the OBS? I could maybe use a few parts..
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Jan 29, 2014 06:04
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So a while back I was being jealous about the fun winter weather some of you get and how the south gets nothing but humid sweltering heat. Yesterday I got my wish and two things happened. 1. I got out in the WRX and realized just how good it was at getting me somewhere in what we consider dicey conditions. So good in fact that I forgot that it was snow and ice outside and then nearly broke my neck immediately upon exiting the car. Yes, I drove the wheels off of my Subaru and it never even so much as hinted at poor roads. My Borns however promptly tried to kill me. 2. I don't want snow in the south anymore with the amount of crazy that exists here and comes out like a plague when we get an inch of snow. Since about 1pm yesterday people have been sitting on highways, ditching cars for bars, crashing cars into overturned semis, etc... My friend finally made it home from his office, that was only 8 or so miles from his home, after 5 hours of trying different streets. He finally just used his JK for what JKs do best and crossed streets more than he drove on them and got home. Still like snow though.
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Jan 29, 2014 13:15
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I've been hearing/reading about how the south was hit hard with the snow and I was wondering - are a lot of people down there just running summer tires, or was it just unpreparedness? I can't imagine being in Alabama with my stock summers on my WRX and then getting hit with snow. It'd be like driving on hockey pucks.
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Jan 29, 2014 13:48
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DEUCE SLUICE posted:So the Pre-Launch digital brochure came out for the STI. The interesting thing in it is the comparison page, where they identify the Evo GSR, Golf R, A4 2.0T and 335i xDrive sedan as the STI's rivals. Interesting that, aside from the "default" competition of the Evo they are aiming at three kind of mid-level German sport sedans (no S4?,) and even with the old engine the new STI should set itself pretty far ahead of this competition. Perhaps Subaru is making A4 and Golf drivers realize that their cars are slow piles of garbage.
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Jan 29, 2014 13:51
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BoyBlunder posted:I've been hearing/reading about how the south was hit hard with the snow and I was wondering - are a lot of people down there just running summer tires, or was it just unpreparedness? I think the biggest issue for Atlanta was that everyone left their offices at the same time and hit the roads all at once. The actual volume of cars overwhelmed the roads and while everyone sat still the weather descended on them and put slush on the roads which turned to ice. We don't have vehicle safety inspections here either, just emissions. So it is not uncommon to walk through a parking lot and see worn out tires on cars. In the end these cars or ones with UHPS tires got stock going up a slight grade or crashed into each other and that effectively closed off roads. Then people got desperate and deserted their cars in the middle of streets and walked to shelter. Atlanta doesn't have any really winter weather equipment either. We don't have a fleet of snow plows, or a decent supply of sand/gravel/salt to put down. I had not trouble getting around in my WRX on the OEM tires. My wife in her Outback had no issues.
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Jan 29, 2014 15:05
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BoyBlunder posted:I've been hearing/reading about how the south was hit hard with the snow and I was wondering - are a lot of people down there just running summer tires, or was it just unpreparedness? Never been to the South, but from what I hear it's the land of freedom and no government bullshit, which means no vehicle safety inspections, which means that everyone drives on bald tires.
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Jan 29, 2014 15:34
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BoyBlunder posted:I've been hearing/reading about how the south was hit hard with the snow and I was wondering - are a lot of people down there just running summer tires, or was it just unpreparedness? It's mainly unpreparedness by local governments. The weather forecasters in Birmingham didn't think this was going to hit them at all. So everyone was at work/school and then everyone freaked out when it started to get bad and tried to get home. Of course the roads weren't salted or anything so it was nothing but sheets of ice. The fact that we have no inspections so people's tires were poo poo and that no one ever has to drive in this kind of weather definitely didn't help things. As for winter tires, we don't run them down here because this happens once every 5-10 years and normally they just shut down everything and people take a day off. That being said I had no issues with my '13 WRX on stock summer tires this morning taking the wife into work at the hospital in Columbia, SC. The interstates were salted here and the icy back roads weren't a problem. I stopped at the local high school to play in the parking lot for a little while on the way home. 
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Jan 29, 2014 16:36
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| # ? May 13, 2024 09:02 |
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http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2014/1/29/5357246/heres-how-hothlanta-happened-again A fun read on how Hotlanta added an H to the name this week. My office has already surrendered another day so I get tomorrow off as well.
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Jan 29, 2014 18:43
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