THSCC Forums

I am driving a WRX this year in DS and it is my first ever time running an non front drive car. Any tips to setup the suspension properly, such as aligment or front sway bar. I am already running BFG G-force TA KD on the stock wheels. Any tips would be much appreciated.

Well, I can post what works *well* for Subaru WRXs. Take it with a grain of salt or get ahold of Simon Wright as he has a WRX in DS as well:

- Get as much camber as you can out of the front with the stock eccentric bolts. WRXes don't have 'crash bolts', so you are limited to what you can do up there.

- Rear Camber is non-adjustable.

- Get a BIG FSB (24/26mm Whiteline is a good choice). We loose a LOT of dynamic camber with body roll, and that seems to help keep the camber curve in check.

- Simon actually went with Koni adjustables, so you can ask him about those, if you like. I have no experience, so I will leave it at that.

- There is a 'tenuous' Street Tire agreement in DS this year where everyone is running Azenis/> 150 TW, so you need to check in the DS thread to see what the resolution is there. If you are going to stick with your stock tires, I guess that point is moot. Otherwise, Azenis seem to be the 'spec' tire for DS.

- Run some rear toe. This will help the rear of the car rotate on turn-in.

Other than that, I would just hit up Simon for some info, and wish you good luck.

- brian

When Brian states running rear toe, you will want toe *out*. WRX's tend not to rotate too well, so to out is necessary to help this. Another common thing to do is run insane pressures in the rear as well. I know a bunch of DS WRX guys who ran 60+ psi with over a 1/2" of toe out in the rear to get the rotation they wanted.

Needless to say, most have moved their WRX to STX or sold it. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

FWIW, I find 1/8" of toe out in the rear of the STi to be adequate on street tires to get it to rotate (running the fairly sitcky OEM tires they come with). That's running street pressures, too.

I do think you'd have to go up on stickies with the toe out and the pressure, but not as much on the STi as the WRX due to the added power, probably.

Personally, in DS on fairly sticky street tires, I'd start with zero toe up front and 1/8" toe out in the rear. And like was pointed out, max camber up front. I've heard of people loosening pretty much the entire front suspension up, adjusting it to max camber with the eccentrics, and then lift the car and use ratchet straps to pull as much camber into it as you can and then tighten it back down. There's some question as to the legality of that for stock, but I really don't see how that isn't legal if you don't *bend* anything.

Oh yeah, get the biggest Whiteline bar you can get. On my STi, I have the "race only" 27mm bar, I believe. I also used the stock endlinks because the Whiteline links are shit. They'll help take the bar *out* of the equation with those big rubber bushings they have. Same goes for the mounts, but I haven't had a chance to fab a new mount to replace those yet. You're sorta splitting hairs at that point, but the first time we put the STi on track with the whiteline endlinks it also popped one off. The stock endlinks may not be strong enough for the long haul, either.

Take all that with a grain of salt, though...I've not really raced that car at all. And I'm a two-bit hack anyway.


--Donnie

I agree - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

Where are Whiteline products readily available. I know they are an Australian company and I can't seem to find any US distributors. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again for all your suggestions.

I bought my Whiteline bar from a company out of Canada. I would do a Google search and you should be able to find distributors. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

I got a Whiteline 24mm-26mm adjustable FSB from Jason Porter, who's now at: http://www.topspeedsales.com/

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Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

If you are on NASIOC at all, this is Porter's company that Tom is now sponosred by (.. or was?). They are based out of Atlanta Ga, and he is a great guy.. I would highly suggest them.. that is where I got both my bars from.

- brian

Be sure to get the STi Group N upgraded engine mounts while you're at it. (j/k)

Did you have the crystal gray sedan? I was driving the crystal gray wagon (& the Forester XT).

Basically, big front bar (preferably adjustable) + most neg. camber up front + rear toe-out + Konis + high rear tire pressures. Doesn't make it great, but it makes it a lot better. And when you get ready for R compounds, the Hoosier 215/40/16 is the tire to have for a WRX.

Until you get into the top ten or twenty indexed times, though, I'd say stick with the stock struts (which are really good, btw) but go ahead & do the alignment and the front bar. Use the stock endlinks if they're the metal ones, but if they're the plastic ones like the wagon has, get the cheap Whiteline wire endlinks (mine have been through many rallyxes & are perfectly fine, so I don't exactly agree that they're shit). Dale at www.boxer4racing.com can get you just about anything Subaru-related.

Yes I was driving the Crystal Grey sedan. Thanks for all your ideas and opinions. I am looking forward to seeing how these changes will affect the car.

Well, I didn't mean to imply all Whiteline links were shit, but the ones that came with my 27mm bar were. They're big aluminum pieces with big rubber bushings pressed into them. A few laps at VIR south and just a little side to side swaybar movement popped one of the rubber bushings out. No way to fix it with the minimal tools we had, so I had to leave it disconnected for the rest of the day. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how bad that sucked.

Anyway, the bar really needs collars added for side to side location and it needs firm mounts and firm endlinks. Provided they don't break, the stock endlinks from the STi are doing fine. It still needs some mounts fabbed as the rubber used for those bushings is pretty soft and thus is absorbing some of what the bar should be doing. The collars are easy...just need to get some from McMaster or somewhere.


--Donnie

A lot of the guys with WRX's don't use the Whiteline links because they are just that, shit. Bryan and my friend Bill put some on his WRX when they put on the Whiteline front bar, and one broke with just daily driving. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

I've never heard of whiteline links with rubber bushings. All of them I've seen have had polyurethane.

I've heard a few stories of endlinks breaking while pulling into the driveway, but I've abused the Hell out of 2 sets of them & never had any issues.

but if the front links on the sedan are still the metal ones, you don't need to change them anyway.

Donnie,
Part of the difference between rotation on the WRX and the STi isn't just due to the power but rather the power delivery. Specifically the torque split between front and rear. The WRX is 50/50 (like an EVO) while the STi is 35f/65r.

The current suggestions are just fine for the WRX, although on a sedan I'd use the stock endlinks in the front as they are metal pillowball endlinks. (I've only heard of 1 breaking from anyone on the Subaru board.) Wagon front endlinks are el-cheapo plastic, which is soft and squishy and should be replaced stat. Dunno if sedan links fit or not in the front of a wagon; Kevin Allen could probably answer that better than anyone.