[JJ]

Who else is thinking about immediate alignment at delivery (OK maybe a few months after)? I am. What specs would you go with? Here are mine:

Camber: -1.0+ Front (Rear non-adjustable)
If possible have about -.5 more neg camber in the front versus the rear. This works out great on any Sube I've heard of.

Toe: A tinch ~(1/16th on each wheel) toe out all around. Will help car rotate.


I know my RS is different, as it is a GC8, but it is set at:

Front: -2.25 Camber, 1/8 Toe Out Total
Rear: -1.75 Camber, 1/8 Toe Out Total

AND IT HANDLES GREAT!

 

[Guest]

How is your tire wear?

 

[JJ]

Very nice and even...

 

[CloNeGTS]

Dunno. It seems many cars, even though similar as the WRX and STi, develop their own formula. I'll be looking to turn in the camber as well, but all the other settings may take a season or so for the autoxers to really feel the suspension out.

Especially if there are going to be many different ways to drive this car fast.

 

[sakura-iro]

my wrx was delivered with the alignment way out. it cost me a very expensive re-011. i will definitely make sure the next car i get leaves the lot at least within factory spec. after that, who knows.

 

[CloNeGTS]

'factory' alignments are a joke, as are what Tires Inc and the big tire chains call an alignment. They take a hammer and hit the tire until it falls within a range of a few degrees.

If you want a good alignment, ask around a local SCCA region for an alignment shop that will do race setups. Find a good shop and you should be able to tell them your exact settings and get that within a few tenths of a degree. I always got my full alignments for around $70.

 

[Marine06]

I agree with Rob, ill wait it out a bit until the autoxrs have felt out the suspension. Btw, where do you get your alignments done?

 

[JJ]

Another thing on alignments:

Find a shop that will allow you to sit in the car while it is being aligned. You would be amazed to see the difference that it makes!

For instance, on my RS, we set it up -2.25 symmetric up fron on the camber. When I got in the car, I through that off by around .25 to -.3 camber. I was amazed!!

At the very least I would be willing to pay a little extra to my dealer to put it up on the rack pre-delivery and just check the alignment to make sure it is not out of whack. They charge $65.00.

 

[CloNeGTS]

I get mine done at a local mom and pop shop. Nothing but alignments. I'd just ask the local regional autoxers where they go. A shop can thrive solely on the SCCA crowd if they are really good at what they do.

 

[sakura-iro]

Re: The Warranty Issue

i hassled with my dealer for oh... about two years with this one. i strongly recomend that you follow JJ's suggestion and that you be there when the work is being done.

 

[Guest]

I am with JJ on this one, find a performance shop and get a proper alignment.

I may go with a proven USDM STi performance handling kit after someone goes to the trouble of putting one together and testing it thoroughly. Probably just some bushings and stiffer anti-sway bar, if that.

 

[Pizzo]

I don't know, I'd like to have coilover adjustability for the track. I will probably get something that I can swap springs easily with and if I can get shocks with remote reservoirs that could adjust coil and rebound without taking the whole assembly out, that just might be perfect. ;-)

 

[Guest]

Re: Seriously need some help here

I don't know, I'd like to have coilover adjustability for the track. I will probably get something that I can swap springs easily with and if I can get shocks with remote reservoirs that could adjust coil and rebound without taking the whole assembly out, that just might be perfect. ;-)

Let us know what you end up going with and share the results. Was it worth it? Is it performing as advertised, price, etc.? Throw in some pics too.

 

[Pizzo]

Re: Curious to know the average age of STi owners.

Will do. I might have to make my own, though, I don't like waiting. ;-)

Adjustable spring perches, Eibach Racing Springs (you can specify rates, cost is around 100 or so for a pair) and koni race shocks. I don't know who makes it for this application, though, but I assume we can use WRX coilovers since the chassis is the same, no? Might have to play with spring rates and rebound, though.

 

[RaceEngineer]

Unless you are English, my experience has tought me that toe out in the rear is generally a BAD thing especially on strut suspensions. Inheriantly, the rear end of a strut car has some degree of bump steer toward toe in durring bump, toe out in droop. Starting with toe out will cause a rear steer situation, while great if autocrossing in tight turns, it is extreamly unpridicatable on open roads with twisties & at the track. As a rule I always start with a little toe in at the rear to neturalise the rear of the car on turn in and let the front tires do the work. As a rule I start with as much toe in at the rear as I have toe out at the front & work outward.

Camber is totally dependant on the tire you are using and the amount of sidewall flex the structre will allow. Supper stiff sidewalls counter act the philosophy that more camber is necessarilly better. Untill I can get my hands on an STi & evaluate the Potenza tires, I would be hesitant to make any arbitrary camber changes

 

[Grant]

Not prepped pics

Camber is totally dependant on the tire you are using and the amount of sidewall flex the structre will allow. Supper stiff sidewalls counter act the philosophy that more camber is necessarilly better. Untill I can get my hands on an STi & evaluate the Potenza tires, I would be hesitant to make any arbitrary camber changes

Yeah, but I've never heard of a street car (especially one with struts) only needing the -.5 camber the STi has stock. Doesn't the STi have rubber top shock mounts? What about lower control arm bushing material? My Supra (dual wishbone) needs -1.7/-1.3 f/r with little body roll, stock bushings and BFG KDs to get 10F hotter on the inside.

Best way to tell is with a pyrometer of course... I wonder how much the optimal camber will change with a pillow ball mount on the top of the strut and harder bushings on the bottom.