Well hello again folks,
Just got back from ISR said hello to Pam and Ed as well as picked up my 20mm rear swaybar. The install was a snap! I feel like I've earned my junior mechanic's badge now since i've desnorked and intalled a swaybar all by myself. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lol.gif now if I can just get my exhaust here..man another 15 days! arrrrgh. Thats all for now..oh BTW thanks a lot for the link about the rear strut tower bar! you know who you are. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif
~ferretboy signing out!

Your welcome.

Ferretboy:
How do you like the 20mm sway bar? Is the rest of the suspension stock? Would you recomend the 20 or if you had to do it again would you go for the 18? I like a neutral handling vechicle. Dont want it to break loose on me in the middle of a downhill turn through the mountains.

I know you didn't ask me WhiteWolf, but here is my $00.02

I put the 18mm bar on my Forester before the strut/spring swap. I noticed an immediate difference. Much of the understeer was gone and turn-in was immediate. No oversteer, either. It made a big difference. There is also a 19mm bar from Cusco that bolts in, if you want just a little bit more neutrality. That will make front and rears equal. I didn't go for it, because it was gonna cost more and I had a budget to stick to. (I still went way over :lildevilhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

I know TRi Tuning had the Cusco 19mm bars, you could try them, or just go with the 18mm FHI bar. I haven't tried it, but I would think the 20mm would make the Forester a little too tossable for my tastes.

Anybody?

Same here with the 18mm. From what I read on i-club and other sites, 18mm is a good balance with the stock suspension. I go up to Tahoe/Sierras quite often so I didn't want to make my Forester too tail-happy. This past winter, I had a chance to drive it around in the snow a lot and it seemed to be okay.

On the other hand, if you go to Cobb Tuning's website, they recommend a 20mm.

If it were up to me, I'd probably upgrade the rear bushings before going up another notch with the rear sway bar.

Ken

Have a 20mm on my 2001L. Paired this up with a front strut brace and am very pleased with how it handles given that I still have the stock tires on it. They will be my next mod.

I think that the forester being a little heavier and a little taller than the impreza should be factored into any i-club searches ref the sway bar.

I do a LOT of winter driving and find no problems managing the modified handling characteristics in snow.

Now that the snow has departed - I also find that my thruway off ramp speeds are/can be significantly higher than before I made the mods.

My .02 http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

It may be my tires, but in snow mine can get a little tail happy. It's fun, now that I've learned how it behaves.

Thing is, I have the 18mm rear bar and still have a front strut tower brace. In 3" of snow, powering out of a turn, I wag my tail a good 2-3 times.

I can't imagine the 20mm bar. May be a bit hard to control, at least with the non-snow tires I have on there now.

-juice

Sounds like the Whiteline adjustable bar might be the right choice for those who aren't 100% sure about going beyond 18mm. You can try out bigger settings, but always back off.

Ken

Juice .. Your upgraded tires probably are part of action you experience. I believe you went to 16 with a wider footprint. This in itself is better on dry but definitely adds some sport/traction loss in the white stuff.

With that said I am probably going to 215/65/15 or 225/60/15. This will be my dry upgrade and if it results in what Juice experiences, I will have to rethink the 20mm issue. As I mentioned before..I do a LOT of snow driving and don't need to be spending time in the ditches.

Another.02 from me ...I guess I'm up to .04 ...a record for me as I don't post much unless I'm into the topic... http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

Anyone have a good website describing step-by-step on how to install the rear sway bar? I'd appreciate if it includes necessary tools, parts, etc. Thanks a lot!

WhiteWolf,
sorry for not replying sooner, but puster crashed and then didn't have my password..http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lol.gif Anyways, I love the 20mm bar in the dry and yes my suspension bits are still stock. I was concerned about going with the 20mm bar, but Pam at ISR had it on hers too and it was also an auto. I usually was able to take a certain turn on the 210 fwy (Cali) at about 8 or so without too much trouble, but a couple of sundays ago, I took it at 90-92mph and boy did the Forester feel flat...very little body role. Now I understand what Ken and Ed were talking about (thanks guys) Any how, I would imagine that with better tires and 17" wheels the effect might be even better, although I can get a little noise out of my Yokohamas (stock) on quick tight turns and I notice a little more ease in breaking loose the rear, I haven't had any problems thus far. Just don't do anything dumb (square left/right in the rain hot into corner) I might consider upgrading the droplinks soon, but Pam said she didn't have any problems with the stock ones. Oh and btw, the only tools you need are a 14 and 12mm wrench, a ratchet is nice if you have one and thats it. The stock FHI bar does not need any lubrication, but others (ie. urethane bushings etc.) do. well thats all for now..whew what a mouthful!
~ferretboy signing out. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by ferretboy (edited May 02, 2001).]

clee01 ..the sway bar swap is a remove/replace piece of cake. If you can turn a wrench you can do this one.

You might want to consider also doing a front strut brace at the same time..the two together compliment the handling.

Just do it...http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

The drop links (solid ones) will only help make the stiffness of the bar noticable quicker, they will not improve the rigidity of the sway bar itself. So if you want the effectiveness of 20mm sooner (read: MORE OVERSTEER LATER!) then do it. I plan to do it to my 18mm, but I would carefully concider it for the 20mm. Better yet, go ahead and do it, try it out on a deserted dirt road, ad if you DON'T like 'em, sell 'em to me, CHEAP! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lol.gif

lakepop, i did hear that it is pretty easy and a lot of people seem to have done it. But I thought it would be nice for me to have step-by-step instruction which I can follow. I don't have the part yet so I'm not sure if it comes with installation instructions or not. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

Clee01,
This is junior mechanic ferretboy reporting in. The swaybar install is very simple (i.e. you don't really need instructions) I didn't even have to raise my car. find a nice clean spot on your driveway or lay something down and crawl up underneath and just take a look at the mounting points of your rear swaybar (2 bolts, one on each side of car at the drop links, and 2 bolts that actually hold it to the subframe where the bushings and goldish colored brackets are.) just unbolt these (droplink bolts require both 12 and 14mm wrench) drop the bar down and around the muffler and reverse the process to install the new bar and tighten up everything and go drive. I noticed some creaking at first, but once the bar settled in the sound is gone. Honestly it's pretty simple, but if you want pics here ya go! click right here (http://www.i-club.com/mods/rsway_installation.htm) Have fun and let us know how it turned out.
~ferretboy signing out. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

Yep, simple install even for this DIY-challenged individual.

One thing you might want to consider is wearing eye protection when down there. You break free quite a bit of dirt and debris while your working on the bar.

Also, don't forget to use a little lithium grease on the bushings to prevent squeaking.

Ken

lakepop, ferretboy, ken s, thanks a lot. I just ordered the 18mm rear sway bar. I can't wait till it gets here and I install it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ken S, you mentioned lithium grease. Do you know where I can get it?

Oh, one additional question, how hard/easy is it to install the strut tower brace?

You can pick up lithium grease at any hardware or auto parts store. You can use any kind of heavy lubricant as long as it won't eat away at the rubber bushings.

Ken

clee01...hard to believe but the strut tower brace is even EASIER!

Remove the strut mounting nuts ...set the bar in place....replace the nuts...VOILA...fini. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

lakepop, whoa! that's hard to believe, as you say. Ok, I'm putting an order for strut tower brace as well. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif I'll post once I install both parts. Thanks for all your help!

Go Clee Go! see Clee Mod! Mod Clee Mod! man I love this guys enthusiasm...btw spoke with Dave from Rallispec and we're waiting on a resonator, but he has my card # and will ship asap (end of next week) yay!!! <snoopydance>
~ferretboy signing out.

Hey all,


Been away all week (MA to AZ and back) and just now catching up. Sounds like a lot of you are going the 18mm FHI/STi or 20mm Whiteline route. What I'd like to know is which front strut tower braces you're using. I understand Impreza braces are a straight swap, no?


Ed


PS: Picked up nail in RF Geolandar on way home from Philly Airport about 2 hours ago. Grr...http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/mad.gif

[This message has been edited by lark6 (edited May 07, 2001).]

Impreza front strut bars are a straight swap. I have the polished oval-bar Cusco in mine.

FYI: The rear bar (I have been told by Trey) is the Legacy bar, not the Impreza bar. I have the matching Cusco bar there too. It really seems to help alot. My Forester corners as good / better than my wife's RS, and it has Tein S-Tech Soft lowering springs. (Of course, I have alot of suspension shtuff too!)

I have more sway bar install photos here, and these are Forester-specific:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1400062&a=12183852&p=44301205&f=0

The front strut brace is a simple bolt-on. Remove two bolts on each strut tower, put it in place, reinstall the bolts. Takes about 2 minutes, literally:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1400062&a=12183852&p=44300360&f=0

Get a torque wrench, though. It's useful on both these jobs, and for just about every other mod I've done. Good ones with long shafts and dial-in torque are about $60 at Sears, but any hardware store will have them.

-juice

Has anyone installed a rear strut tower brace on their Forester? From what I've read, a rear brace has more bang-for-the-buck compared to a front brace.

It would seem as though you would have to cut through the plastic covers on the rear strut mounts on the Forester to make it happen.

Ken

Ken,
Foresterperformance has a very detailed and documented explanation of how to do this for the cusco rear strut bar. I would think that this would be pretty similar with other bars as well. rearstrutbarinstall (http://www.foresterperformance.fanspace.com/Forester_Technical/Forester_TechDis11.htm)
just wanted to pass on the info if you hadn't found it already. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif
~ferretboy signing out.

[This message has been edited by ferretboy (edited May 07, 2001).]

Just saw your post as well. Yes, I have the rear bar. It really seems to make a difference. But I had the front bar first. Also had the 18mm sway bar first. Just worked out that way (I ordered everything the same day, sheesh!!!) Check the link above to my site. I translated it from a Japanese web site using Translingo.com and common sense. (Japanese DOES NOT directly translate into english. It sounds like jibberish.) Thats what I used as a go by, before I posted / translated it.

Good luck.

Thanks for the links, guys. I do recall seeing that Japanese Forester owner's website with the strut tower install.

Nice job on the translation FP -- a lot of "personal" sites often use slang or improper grammar that will confuse on-line translation programs.

Ken

Yeah, that is probably true. But they all sound like:

"What try you then is is make like remarkable Cusco Suspension Stiffening product is is then to put on love car of your desire?"

When what they would be saying in English is:

"Here is how to intall the Cusco Strut Bar."

http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lol.gif

Oh YESssssssssssssssssssss

Just put in a set of Magnecore wires and a set of Bosch +4 Plugs. Then today when I got home from work, my Ganz Cold Air Intake was sitting at my door. What a difference Forester Pulls nice through the entire rev range. I put on a set of head phones and cranked up som Black Sabbeth (didn't want the sound to effect the objectibility of my butt master2000 dyno). Getting on the on- ramp to I-90 on my way to the Indians game was a blast. I read all the posts and I can honestly say the money spent on the Ganz was well worth it. GO LARRY...GO LARRY...GO LARRY

White Wolf

Sigh,
finally got word that my exhaust will be shipping (fingers crossed) I should have it hopefully next weekend. Vroom Vroom! he he he that and the STI pedals and ISR sticker should be worth at least an extra 15Hp to the wheels...http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lol.gif
~ferretboy signing out.

White Wolf, I just read your message about a Ganz cold air system. I am just wondering where I can get one and how low the scoop sits. Also if you have experienced any problems with water infiltration. I am currently considering installing a Weapon-R Dragon Ram air system, only because it seemed like the only one that offered anything for the Forester.

LOL, loved that Japanese translation example!

For the most part, Subaru's instructions are pretty terrible, as if someone here was simply not able to translate and just took a stab at it.

-juice