Okay, so I have the infamous 'memory steer' on my 03 WRX wagoon, so I'm going to change out the steering rack bushings. Now, I thought I was going with the Whitelines only because I've heard such positive feedback and they seem to be the most popular, but after reading up on the various bushings out there, I'm not so sure. I don't want the Noltecs just cause I've heard of some horror stories installing them, plus they're practically like the Whitelines. I've looked into the Group N bushings, because they are stiffer and made of different material, but will they be noisy or too 'rough'? I also saw STi bushings somewhere, although I can't remember where.

So what do you guys suggest?...Whiteline, Group N, or STi?

Oh, I do not track this car, might autocross it, mainly do mountain pass driving, and it's my everyday driver.

Thanks all,
Smitty

 

to my knowledge its pretty much the same as whiteline and at a frcation of the price.

http://www.kastleskorner.com/store/p...oducts_id=1262

 

^^^+1 I have them...they are good and cheap. Don't waste money on the other stuff.

 

Those are not the same as the Whiteline they are less firm than the compound used by Whiteline.

Mike

 

The Whiteline steering rack bushings will do the job. Nice steering response after install. No noticeable increase in NVH, either.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

i like whiteline, you really feel the difference after the mod and cheap too!!!

 

yup, agree with bpang1...we installed the Super Pro on our cars one weekend...there was an immediate difference in steering response...I can still feel the difference after 4 months...With Blake's help, it took all of 20 minutes to do...

 

What was it that you heard about whitelines that made you reconsider? (directed to the OP)

Also, how long do these bushings last? That is to say, would you need new ones in after xxk miles?

 

All that I've heard about the Whitelines are good things. But I know the Group N bushings are stiffer and made of hard rubber (I think), whereas the Whitelines are polyurethane (which could crack). Isn't stiffer good for better steering response? Also, I'm not sure which ones would last longer...I would imagine polyurethane would outlast rubber, until the urethane bends out of shape, and then the rubber would be better because it's more spongelike and springs back to its origianal shape. Any input? Or am I overthinking this?

 

When you remove the factory steering rack bushings, compare them to the Whiteline. You'll know why the steering response improves with aftermarket bushings. The factory pieces feel like gummy bears. LOL
Yes.

On the subject of durability of the Whitelines, has anyone reading this thread had a failure of the bushings?

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

i ask because i have been told I need new ones. I do drive hard, but... i dunno (no track/autox or such, just daily driver and some long/fast miles). There is a slight amount of steering wonkiness, but nothing extremely noticeable. I would chalk it up to alignment before bushings (granted, they are related). They've been on only like... i would say not quite 30k miles? I think closer to 20k really...

Stiffer/harder (god, this is getting nws =p ) is better... there really is a world of difference. The stock pieces were like your legs after two hours on treadmill (aka: george clooney neck syndrome)... The whitelines were like a marine standing at duty.

It just sort of struck me as being a piece you swapped and left in there for a long while rather than something you had to change every minor service or so. So i was curious on what anyone else had to say about longevity...

Edit: on thinking about it... I remember when I first got them put in... and I couldn't help but feel how crisp, how much more precise the steering was. Lately it doesn't feel that way so much... although that may be an issue of having become accustomed to them.

 

Interesting...this is exactly what I am afraid of. Some of it could be contributed to you being used to it, ofcourse, like you said. I wonder if your play in the wheel could be fixed with shims of some sort. I mean, the reason you have that play is because it is deformed.

 

There are no group n steering rack bushings.

Urethane bushings do NOT 'crack'.

Urethand steering rack bushings do not add any NVH.

"Feel/wonkieness" issues are almost always caused by alignment issues.

I have installed ....several....sets of both Noltec and Whiteline with NO issues at all, with either brand.

There is NO WAY to 'shim' anything related----forget it. The reason for issues with the stock bushings is that they are so soft that the rack shifts and sticks, shifted.


....and because the rack CAN move with whatever bushing installed, ANY bushing installed CAN wear out.....replace as necessary.

 

are soo soft...i can't believe they did anything...

When we pulled on it to get it out...it actually stretched out like a rubberband and then tore...came out in pieces...

Now my STI is only 2 years old and although it is in Hawaii, rarely sits out in the sun for long (car doesn't get baked too often)...now if my bushings looked like that after only two years, in a temperate climate...what will it look like on cars in much harsher climates?

My suggestion is to change them out immediately...I'm very glad I did...