Actually, the uppipe is not on my list. I need new brake pads 'cos the stock ones got worn out somehow - probably something to do with Kumhos and autocrosses.

The JICs seem a good all rounder and wotm.com is selling them for $1620 (I still have to confirm this) which puts them in the same cost bracket as the Tein Flex.

All of the outboard stuff is easy to fix in a day, but I might as well just do it all in one go if I decide to go that route.

 

Click Da Link

Yes, a 12 year old kid (Jake Mottaz, Pete's son) in a Go-Kart DID manage to PAX #1 for the day! Needless to say, it was definitely a "Miata" type course!

Lorry : if we need a "Mod Lorry's Car to STX Specs" day, count me in to help out on it!

 

Thanks for the offers of help - it'll be like a makeover for the suby!

Ed: The JIC top mounts are camber but not caster adjustable right? Did you end up staying with these or swapping out for something else?

As far as front sway bars go, it looks like its gonna be a fixed bar anyway. Several sites say that Whiteline have deleted the adjustable front bar. I guess everyone was setting it to 22 anyway.

Is everyone running the Whitelines or did anyone go the Cusco (or whatever) route?

 

Yes, HOWEVER....

If you reverse them (i.e. mount left top mount on right coilover and vice versa) you can make them so they adjust both camber and caster at the same time.

I didn't go this route, but I should have

Used them. They work fine, and are fairly quiet for solid mounts.

As for the front bar : if they offer only 22mm fixed, just get that. You're right, we all pretty much end up there anyways . Rear I'd still get adjustable so you have another variable to play with here

Cusco bars were too expensive for my blood

 

Lorry,

you should come over to the blue side.... STX is calling, no, taunting your better sense of financial responsibility...

Fricken go-cart course. If I had wanted something like that I would go to speedring.

 

A couple of ideas....

First off, Rob's front caster (and yours too) is most likely VERY close (if not identical) to mine. Those settings I listed are basically stock caster, and unless you reverse the camber plates the caster is NOT adjustable. Goto those fancy-schmancy MRT caster/camber plates like Chris has, and your caster becomes adjustable again ....I think Chris is running almost +5° Caster in front. The extra caster WILL help on laying down power coming out of a corner. FYI, this is basically also what the (non-STX legal) Anti-Lift kit from Whiteline does.

Second, I'm running stiffer springs up front. Might simply be an issue where my car has enough "push" back down to keep from chattering much, while yours (or Rob's, or stock) will let the inside front wheel lift/slip more coming out of a turn (which is what is causing the chatter).

Downside to the setup I have (spring rates) is that it makes corner entry understeer worse, since the front is stiffer. So you're giving up some on corner entry to get more on corner exit. This also gets into why it'd probably be a really good idea (tm) for me to goto 24mm on the rear bar (and a bit stiffer shock valving) to try and get the car to turn in better while hoping to NOT lose this advantage up front. I'll definitely try this before going in and changing springs, mostly because it is cheap (i.e. free) to do

Just some thoughts, but I do plan on trying the 24mm rear bar setting at the next event to see what happens.

 

I'm running 4.8 degrees caster...

I would not recommend the 24mm swaybar setting, it causes a tendency for snap oversteer.

 

Yeh, I was thinking that some caster might be worth trying. Although Joe, I dont get nearly the chatter you do (in my car)....could be that your driving style and left foot breaking make it come out more..also I dont give it as much throttle comming out as you do. different strokes for different folks.

I have only driven the WRX in stock, option susension, and JIC equiped configuration. So I realy cant comment with any athority about other set-ups. I am a firm believer in the smaller front sway bar though. But hey, what do I know...hhehehe