This past weekend I installed some new parts, just in time for the new AutoX season. My setup already had springs and sways, but was missing some good stuff, so here's what I added: 04 STi Aluminum control arms (the castor adding kind) PDE camber plates (thanks slowsoul!) Koni shocks (thanks Alex!) - this install isn't that hard with the right tools, don't do what the guys on the nasioc walkthrough did, use a vise or something, makes life much easier/cleaner. Then I got it aligned yesterday, a huge improvement over my previous (basically stock) alignment. All are with 0.00 toe. Before: Front -1.1, -1.1 3.0, 3.5 Rear -1.5, -1.6 After: Front -2.5, -2.4 5.5, 5.7 rear is the same (still stock) The tech said that I have a ton more room for negative camber as well, apparently he had to set the stock bolts into "positive" territory just to get me down to -2.5. I decided to go with -2.5 because I figured it would be a huge improvement over the previous alignment and I didn't want to go to aggressive just yet. And oh yeah, honestly I really don't know much about tuning with adjustable shocks, so right now they are at the softest setting and I'm planning on just leaving them there until the TNT event on the 28th. Even so, its a noticeable improvement over stock shocks.
Did you end up needing new axles with the control arms? And are you running wagon front strut bodies on the STI arms, if so thats why you have such amazing potential for neg camber.
Usually you don't need new axles. There is less engagement but typically no issues from it. It sounds like he put koni inserts into his wagon bodies as well from the vise comment.
Toe in/out is what really eats tires. I have heard from MANY people running ~2/3 negative camber and they say tire wear is not that big of an issue. Gran Turismo East Still using stock wagon axles, no problems there. I have read that the actual difference in length from sedan to wagon axles is much less than the 10mm difference in track width. Yes I am using the wagon strut bodies; eventually I will get rear lateral links or camber plates and race tires someday, then I can run some really aggressive numbers. The koni install is not really that hard, if you use the right tools. A large diameter (2"+) pipe cutter works great for the fronts. We had to hacksaw the rears though because the lower spring perch was in the way.
I had the konis in the strut bodies the very next day after I got them (Saturday). It took me a while to do the control arms because I was missing a metal cone washer that goes between the arms and the ball joints, it took me two days to order that part.
damn you and your camber! :bowdown: that's awesome Matt! can't wait to see that bad boy at the T&T. you already had that thing moving before, its going to be one quick little beast now. do you plan to go any wider on the tires? i know its your DD but i'm thinking thats the last thing you could do to really get the last bit out of your new setup.
It is amazing how often we (some of us anyway) forget that TIRES are a part of the suspension system. So I thought I had some busted koni's because no matter what I did, the ride was bouncy, then I put on my "race" tires (hankook rs2), no more bouncing at all. HOLY CRAP my DD tires (random goodyear stiff sidewall) are SHIT. They were never great, but I knew jack about tires 3 years ago when I got them. They are noisy, bouncy and (thank God) almost worn out. I want a cheap and quiet tire to replace these old goodyears - stock size 205/55/16. These would be for daily driving ONLY, so my main concern is not performance, I just want cheap and quiet (soft sidewall). Also, I am looking for new street class race tires. I have heard good things about the Dunlop Star Spec - cheaper than RE-01r and comparable performance. Are there any other tires that I should consider? At least 225 width for 17" rim. BTW classing is not that important to me, I just want to run street tires.
Matt, the falken ze-912's are supposed to be a nice all arounder DD tire. i've had friends run fuzions and the General UHP tire as well with no real issues (those are cheap). mini-review - FWIW i had a chance to drive the wagon on saturday. the konis are a sweet setup combined with the extra caster/camber. super balanced, and a nice match to the pinks. not harsh at all but still controlled, even on soft. i love those sway bars.
As long as you rotate your tires regularly, the camber shouldn't be a problem. If you don't rotate them though, you will eat the inside edges of the tires very quickly.
Just get the non-directional tires and you should be fine. If you have have rotational tires, camber could still eat them. I'm running the Bridgestone RE760's. Even though they look uni-directional, they aren't. I'm not sure how they pulled that off w/ that tread pattern, but they did...They were really cheap, and it shows. Granted I came from RE070's, but the grip is nowhere near. That being said, road noise is much lower and I can tell the ride is much softer. The sidewalls are uber-soft...I took them Auto-x'ing once and you could see where the sidewalls bent over and took it look a biatch.