Buyin' a new car - from the inside out

New brake pads

Installed StopTech Street Tuner pads this weekend, and replaced the rotors. The Carbotechs had worn the old rotors too deeply. 91442 miles.

 

I'm smiling. I thought it had been more than three months since my last check in.

First impression of the Stoptech pads is that they grab more at low speed and low pedal pressure than did the Carbotechs. Probably more so than stock or Hawk HPS, too, but my memory for these things isn't consistent. After that initial grab, then braking is proportional to pedal pressure.

The boxes that they came in claimed no need for bed-in. Nonetheless, I intend to do some bed-in exercises. Can't hurt. Then, I'll try to give another report.

 

Sigh. It's been more than a quarter since my last check-in.

At 95K miles, I get a new noise in the front left. It doesn't happen when the car is absolutely cold; I need to drive for 10 minutes before it starts. It's a squeeky-grindy noise, and it sounds like it's coming from the wheel - perhaps the hub.

Continuing my critique of the StopTech pads - they're still very grabby on initial bite. With more pressure, the braking is very confident and consistent. My only complaint is that initial bite.

I've added 17" Rota G-Force wheels in gold. Hoping to clean up the old stockers and offer them for sale.

 

The squeaky-grindy noise was my front left wheel bearing. Had to replace the hub and the bearing. Ka-Ching!

 

I only replaced the one. I asked the tech whether this was an indication of a trend, and he couldn't say "yes." He said he'd seen one corner go twice before the other side went bad once. He did take a listen to the other side and didn't hear a reason to be concerned.

But now I hear sounds when turning left that I don't hear when turning right. And the sound is in the right rear when I'm turning left. Front left first, the right rear? We engineers see patterns everywhere. I'm a cheap guy, but I would have been less jumpy if I had just replace the four.

FWIW, I have evidence that something is outta whack in the front left. A stock alignment is no longer available on my front left - they can't get the camber to as few (negative) degrees as stock calls for. Now, it isn't outrageous. If I always went for a "track and autocross" camber, I would never know that there was an issue. But, my life has been boring recently, so I've gone for the stock and they couldn't do it. Something bent.

Every couple of months, I think of replacing the car. But, there's nothing like it. My wife doesn't want to try to climb out of Lotus Elise or Exige, I don't want to pay for a Porsche, and the Bimmers I'd want are too costly, too. Then, I take the beast to the car wash and realize it really is a lovable lump. Maybe, when my daughter leaves home, I'll put a roll cage in it to tighten it up and ... whatever.

 

Wow. This is a little frightening. My last post was exactly a year ago. And this thread is turning into something that resembles an endurance log. I am now up to roughly ten years and 108,000 miles on this WRX. A couple of weeks ago the car was in for new valve cover gaskets and a new oil cooler seal. Now the engine revs when I put the foot down and the turbo spins up in fourth and fifth gears - I'm guessing it's time for a new clutch.

 

Yup. New clutch.