RallySport Direct's BRZ: The Albino Rhino - Page 3

RallySport Direct · 09-05-2012, 04:00 PM

We are sure its a combination of both the transmission mount, rear subframe shifting, and the rear diff bushings.
Not to worry, both Cusco and Whiteline already have bushings for the trans and rear subframe. And its only a matter of time till the rear diff bushings are out.

Kirill
RallySportDirect.com

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

RallySport Direct · 09-07-2012, 07:36 PM

Video Blog Update #2!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBBvV727LQ

Thanks,
Rick

ben_art · 09-07-2012, 11:02 PM

i think i saw some lightning back there

tjmmason93 · 09-07-2012, 11:44 PM

Subscribed, love what you guys are doing I must be honest, hearing that Toyota paired up with subaru to come out with a non-turbo RWD vehicle to attract the "teen scene" wasn't very thrilling to me. Have always been a subaru fan and always owned AWD. But the write up's have really been quite encourageing to atleast be a little more accepting to this "new item" I must ask though I have herd rumors that the brz is a little different then the Toyota ft-86 and the FR-S. I was speaking to a buddy of mine works at subaru dealership. He informed me that the subaru suspension is actually tighter and stiffer then the frs and ft-86. He also stated that he believed the transmission was actually 2in farther back ? Then the other vehicles as well. He wasn't sure about the tranny but I figured I would ask here seeing as how this is where the learning process begun.

RallySport Direct · 09-08-2012, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben_art

i think i saw some lightning back there

haha yeah, there was a beautiful storm rolling in behind us, made for a cool video though!!

Thanks,
Rick

RallySport Direct · 09-08-2012, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjmmason93

Subscribed, love what you guys are doing I must be honest, hearing that Toyota paired up with subaru to come out with a non-turbo RWD vehicle to attract the "teen scene" wasn't very thrilling to me. Have always been a subaru fan and always owned AWD. But the write up's have really been quite encourageing to atleast be a little more accepting to this "new item" I must ask though I have herd rumors that the brz is a little different then the Toyota ft-86 and the FR-S. I was speaking to a buddy of mine works at subaru dealership. He informed me that the subaru suspension is actually tighter and stiffer then the frs and ft-86. He also stated that he believed the transmission was actually 2in farther back ? Then the other vehicles as well. He wasn't sure about the tranny but I figured I would ask here seeing as how this is where the learning process begun.

Take this with a grain of salt as my knowledge on the difference between the BRZ and the FR-S is pretty limited. I do think the suspension is different between the two models, in regards to what specifically, I am not 100% on that, but I have heard the BRZ is a bit stiffer. Now for the transmission and engine, they should be 100% identical, but someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong

Also, do your self a favor and go test drive one if you have not, it truly is an amazing car in 100% stock form. Not fast in anyway, but more than enough to get yourself into trouble/fun. The chassis, suspension, driving feel and feedback is just incredible though, and unlike anything I have ever felt, and worth trying out, even if you have no intentions of buying one.

Thanks,
Rick

tjmmason93 · 09-08-2012, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RallySport Direct

Take this with a grain of salt as my knowledge on the difference between the BRZ and the FR-S is pretty limited. I do think the suspension is different between the two models, in regards to what specifically, I am not 100% on that, but I have heard the BRZ is a bit stiffer. Now for the transmission and engine, they should be 100% identical, but someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong

Also, do your self a favor and go test drive one if you have not, it truly is an amazing car in 100% stock form. Not fast in anyway, but more than enough to get yourself into trouble/fun. The chassis, suspension, driving feel and feedback is just incredible though, and unlike anything I have ever felt, and worth trying out, even if you have no intentions of buying one.

Thanks,
Rick

U can't hate something uve never tried I suppose lol ill have to give it a shot when they become more popular and u can actually test drive one without buying it

RallySport Direct · 09-13-2012, 07:24 PM

Whiteline Front Sway Bar 20mm Subaru BRZ 2013 / Scion FR-S 2013

Whiteline Rear Sway Bar 16mm Adjustable Subaru BRZ 2013 / Scion FR-S 2013

I was really excited when Whiteline told us they had a set of sways for our BRZ, and no more than one day later I got an email with a tracking number. So I cleared my schedule the day they were supposed to arrive here as I was super anxious to get these on. As you may already know, when we installed the Bridgestone RE-11 tires, the car lost its “Magic”, meaning that the rear end was not eager to break away for you on command, but we did receive massive grip. In fact, the car had so much grip that I nearly had to see a chiropractor after our Eibach spring test with the RE11’s as the grip flying through the cones just forced my head to whiplash back and forth. Not that the raw grip is ever a bad thing, but I missed the way the stock tires allowed the rear end to be so alive, it would almost dance as you threw the cars through corners, and was just an amazing experience. So I was really hoping and dreaming that the sways would give us back that magic that the factory BRZ had… and it did!

First lets touch on the install, as this was the first time I installed swaybars on the BRZ, and I figured it would be like the 08+ WRX/STi’s and to be honest, it was for the most part. We jacked the car up in the air, took off the skid plate, and started to rip that tiny front stock bar out. I removed the nuts that attached the sways to the endlinks, then the 2 bolts on the swaybar mounts. The stock bar came out with ease, but getting the new bar in would not be quite as easy. After struggling with it for a few minutes, I decided we just needed a bit more room, so I removed the brace that connects the front subframe to the unibody chassis of the car, once this was gone and out of the way, it allowed the new bar to slide in with ease. I greased up the bushings, put them in the right location and put the swaybar mounts back on, then installed the front endlinks. LAst, I dropped it back on the ground and torqued everything down. Now onto the rear, which I knew was going to be easy, so I left it for last. Once I got the rear end up in the air, it was as simple as removing the endlinks, and removing the swaybar mounts. Everything is easy to get to and you have plenty of space to work. The rear swaybar was about the easiest thing I have ever installed on this car. All in all I would say the front bar took around an hour or so, and the rear about 20 minutes. Once everything was torqued, I cleaned myself up and decided to take the car out for a quick test drive.

There is a stretch of road near work that I drive on every single day, now I am not sure if the city/planners/engineers had messed up, but there is a long 45MPH stretch of perfectly straight road, which eventually makes it way to a very tight, sharp, and bumpy S-turn, and guess what… no reduction of speed, so you can blast around it at 45MPH if desired, and I guess "technically" not break any laws by definition. Now I know if a cop saw me take this S turn at 45MPH, I am quite sure he would give me a ticket, but at least we would have something to argue about right? So anyway, not only do you get this nice tight S-turn, but it is followed by a very nice and curvy 35MPH road which I always find to be a great stretch of road to test out any car. It has a few tight technical turns, some off camber corners, and some nice bumpy corners. Cruising down this road, I could not help but break a smile, the magic was back!!! I had the rear 16mm swaybar on the middle setting, where the front is a 20mm non-adjustable bar. This combination proved to be just the ticket to bring the craziness back into this car. No longer did I struggle to make the rear end feel alive, now it was as simple as tossing the car into a corner, and let that rear end dance around as I controlled the madness with my right foot. It literally made me giggle like a school girl and all my worries that we may never get that feeling back quickly disappeared with the faint sound of tire squeal. My mad car is back, and it is glorious! I would even go as far as to say it is better, as you no longer get the feeling like you are driving on all seasons with the soft sidewalls, instead you get the razor sharp precision from the stiff and sticky RE-11’s, but at will, you can make the rear of the car do your evil bidding, but at the same time, it just feels so right. Everything is at peace with the world now, as I have my crazy puppy dog car back, or should I say crazy, baby albino rhino? Either way, I could not be happier with the car at this point. Other than the power, it is everything I was hoping the car would be. If you ever find yourself messing up the awesome feel of the stock BRZ with grippy tires, do not hesitate to throw on a set of front and rear swaybars, not only will it reduce body roll, which is what I should have really focused on in this write-up, but they will bring the fun back to the BRZ, which apparently means the most to me! Now I am sure we will upset the handling again in the future, but fear not, I will fight tooth and nail to bring the lunacy back to this car, as I don’t want to take away from what made this car so special to me in the first place.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Rick

vision.dynamix · 09-13-2012, 07:33 PM

Whoa, are those collars on the factory bar?

RallySport Direct · 09-13-2012, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vision.dynamix

Whoa, are those collars on the factory bar?

Yep! I thought that was pretty cool they have them from the factory.

Thanks,
Rick

RallySport Direct · 09-14-2012, 07:38 PM

Cusco Front Strut Tower Bar Type OS w/ Master Cylinder Brace Subaru BRZ 2013 / Scion FR-S 2013

I’m not going to lie. Looking at the engine bay in the BRZ is less than inspiring, sure it is clean and laid out well, but nothing in there really invites you to take another look, and I at least wanted to put something in there that made it pleasing to the eye. Enter the Cusco Strut bar with the built in Master cylinder Brace. Not only do I love the Cusco blue color, but I figured some added rigidity in the front of the chassis and the addition of the master cylinder brace would be a nice modification to the car all around. Installation was a breeze at worst, but to me, it was a pleasure to install this.

I think this was the first modification I have done to the car where I was not on my back, and elbow deep in grime.

This should have only taken me 20 minutes at most, but after dropping a nut to the strut tower bar on the top of the skid plate, and spending 5-10 minutes trying to fish it out, it ended up taking about 30 minutes to install, and still taking my sweet time. We hooked up a camera in the engine bay to give before and after movement of the master cylinder, and even in person it was amazing to see the brace in action, it truly minimized the movement of the master cylinder.

Now, just cruising around town you may never notice this, but come in a bit hot into a corner and threshold brake, it becomes apparent why these braces are in existence. The BRZ brakes never felt bad in stock form, but after adding the brace, you could feel that the brake response was better, and you gained even more pedal feedback, which is always a plus. Now I was skeptical that the strut tower bar would make a difference, but after cruising though the work “test course” the front end really did feel more… planted? I don’t really know how to put this into words, as "planted" is not right, but basically you can feel that the front end is less independent of the rest of the car, and just more “tied in”, if that makes sense. Don’t think this bar made a night and day difference, because I would never say that, but if you are looking for something to add a bit of shine to the engine bay, the added rigidity to the chassis, and master cylinder brace makes, this a awesome mod all around. This Cusco Strut bar would be something I would recommend personally.

I would like to see if this bar makes any difference on a bone stock car, but I feel like with all of the extra grip we have added, we may be able to actually take advantage of the extra rigidity. Overall I thought it was a fun install, a great looking bar, and did add some extra feel and feedback to the car!

Cusco Strut Tower Brace with MCB on The Albino Rhino BRZ - YouTube

Thanks,
Rick

WRX-Sora · 09-14-2012, 11:00 PM

absolutely gorgeous car

RallySport Direct · 09-19-2012, 10:39 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5cRBZMQ0xk&feature=player_embedded

Thanks,
Rick

vision.dynamix · 09-19-2012, 10:50 PM

Rick are you bringing her out to Subiefest?

RallySport Direct · 09-21-2012, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vision.dynamix

Rick are you bringing her out to Subiefest?

If you had to choose one, me or the BRZ, what would you pick?

j/k.

I don't think we will be bringing the BRZ out, but we will be coming out, and if I play my cards right, I should be tagging along as well!

Thanks,
Rick

Jadickinson08 · 09-28-2012, 01:34 PM

Very nice additions to the car is rally sport direct making a turbo kit for the brz?

RallySport Direct · 09-28-2012, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jadickinson08

Very nice additions to the car is rally sport direct making a turbo kit for the brz?

No, I don't think we will be. Now I do not know if we will or will not add one in the future, but I sure do hope so haha!

Thanks,
Rick

RallySport Direct · 10-09-2012, 09:25 PM

Just wanted to let you guys know we installed the new Invidia N1 with Ti tips on the BRZ Today! Check out the pictures and let us know what you think.

Please stay tuned for more updates as well.
Thanks,
Rick

Jdub.csu · 10-10-2012, 12:52 AM

Sound clip?

RallySport Direct · 10-10-2012, 01:16 AM

We will be working on the video shortly, and I will post it up as soon as we get it done.

So far I am very impressed, the exhaust looks great with the rear diffuser, and sounds great as well!

Thanks again,
Rick

Boxer112 · 10-10-2012, 03:05 PM

Sex!!!!

Boxer112 · 10-10-2012, 03:13 PM

I've read that BRZ's are having issues with hesistation and actually shutting off, have you experienced any issues?

RallySport Direct · 10-10-2012, 11:03 PM

Got the exhaust video done!

Invidia N1 Cat Back Exhaust Titanium Tips Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S - YouTube

Let us know what you think

Thanks,
Rick

04STIscore · 10-11-2012, 01:30 PM

subscribed, great work so far!

vision.dynamix · 10-11-2012, 01:35 PM

Double

09-13-2012, 07:24 PM	#58
RallySport Direct NASIOC Vendor Member#: 33174 Join Date: Feb 2003 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Salt Lake City Utah Vehicle: We are Open Late! 888-457-2559 Every day!	Whiteline Front Sway Bar 20mm Subaru BRZ 2013 / Scion FR-S 2013 Whiteline Rear Sway Bar 16mm Adjustable Subaru BRZ 2013 / Scion FR-S 2013 I was really excited when Whiteline told us they had a set of sways for our BRZ, and no more than one day later I got an email with a tracking number. So I cleared my schedule the day they were supposed to arrive here as I was super anxious to get these on. As you may already know, when we installed the Bridgestone RE-11 tires, the car lost its “Magic”, meaning that the rear end was not eager to break away for you on command, but we did receive massive grip. In fact, the car had so much grip that I nearly had to see a chiropractor after our Eibach spring test with the RE11’s as the grip flying through the cones just forced my head to whiplash back and forth. Not that the raw grip is ever a bad thing, but I missed the way the stock tires allowed the rear end to be so alive, it would almost dance as you threw the cars through corners, and was just an amazing experience. So I was really hoping and dreaming that the sways would give us back that magic that the factory BRZ had… and it did! First lets touch on the install, as this was the first time I installed swaybars on the BRZ, and I figured it would be like the 08+ WRX/STi’s and to be honest, it was for the most part. We jacked the car up in the air, took off the skid plate, and started to rip that tiny front stock bar out. I removed the nuts that attached the sways to the endlinks, then the 2 bolts on the swaybar mounts. The stock bar came out with ease, but getting the new bar in would not be quite as easy. After struggling with it for a few minutes, I decided we just needed a bit more room, so I removed the brace that connects the front subframe to the unibody chassis of the car, once this was gone and out of the way, it allowed the new bar to slide in with ease. I greased up the bushings, put them in the right location and put the swaybar mounts back on, then installed the front endlinks. LAst, I dropped it back on the ground and torqued everything down. Now onto the rear, which I knew was going to be easy, so I left it for last. Once I got the rear end up in the air, it was as simple as removing the endlinks, and removing the swaybar mounts. Everything is easy to get to and you have plenty of space to work. The rear swaybar was about the easiest thing I have ever installed on this car. All in all I would say the front bar took around an hour or so, and the rear about 20 minutes. Once everything was torqued, I cleaned myself up and decided to take the car out for a quick test drive. There is a stretch of road near work that I drive on every single day, now I am not sure if the city/planners/engineers had messed up, but there is a long 45MPH stretch of perfectly straight road, which eventually makes it way to a very tight, sharp, and bumpy S-turn, and guess what… no reduction of speed, so you can blast around it at 45MPH if desired, and I guess "technically" not break any laws by definition. Now I know if a cop saw me take this S turn at 45MPH, I am quite sure he would give me a ticket, but at least we would have something to argue about right? So anyway, not only do you get this nice tight S-turn, but it is followed by a very nice and curvy 35MPH road which I always find to be a great stretch of road to test out any car. It has a few tight technical turns, some off camber corners, and some nice bumpy corners. Cruising down this road, I could not help but break a smile, the magic was back!!! I had the rear 16mm swaybar on the middle setting, where the front is a 20mm non-adjustable bar. This combination proved to be just the ticket to bring the craziness back into this car. No longer did I struggle to make the rear end feel alive, now it was as simple as tossing the car into a corner, and let that rear end dance around as I controlled the madness with my right foot. It literally made me giggle like a school girl and all my worries that we may never get that feeling back quickly disappeared with the faint sound of tire squeal. My mad car is back, and it is glorious! I would even go as far as to say it is better, as you no longer get the feeling like you are driving on all seasons with the soft sidewalls, instead you get the razor sharp precision from the stiff and sticky RE-11’s, but at will, you can make the rear of the car do your evil bidding, but at the same time, it just feels so right. Everything is at peace with the world now, as I have my crazy puppy dog car back, or should I say crazy, baby albino rhino? Either way, I could not be happier with the car at this point. Other than the power, it is everything I was hoping the car would be. If you ever find yourself messing up the awesome feel of the stock BRZ with grippy tires, do not hesitate to throw on a set of front and rear swaybars, not only will it reduce body roll, which is what I should have really focused on in this write-up, but they will bring the fun back to the BRZ, which apparently means the most to me! Now I am sure we will upset the handling again in the future, but fear not, I will fight tooth and nail to bring the lunacy back to this car, as I don’t want to take away from what made this car so special to me in the first place. As always, please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks, Rick Last edited by RallySport Direct; 09-13-2012 at 07:53 PM.

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09-05-2012, 04:00 PM	#51
RallySport Direct NASIOC Vendor Member#: 33174 Join Date: Feb 2003 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Salt Lake City Utah Vehicle: We are Open Late! 888-457-2559 Every day!	We are sure its a combination of both the transmission mount, rear subframe shifting, and the rear diff bushings. Not to worry, both Cusco and Whiteline already have bushings for the trans and rear subframe. And its only a matter of time till the rear diff bushings are out. Kirill RallySportDirect.com * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

09-07-2012, 11:02 PM	#53
ben_art Scooby Newbie Member#: 172635 Join Date: Feb 2008 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: Laguna Beach, CA Vehicle: 2003 WRX Wagon PSM	i think i saw some lightning back there

09-07-2012, 11:44 PM	#54
tjmmason93 Scooby Newbie Member#: 300250 Join Date: Nov 2011 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: va Vehicle: 2004 Impreza WRX JBP	Subscribed, love what you guys are doing I must be honest, hearing that Toyota paired up with subaru to come out with a non-turbo RWD vehicle to attract the "teen scene" wasn't very thrilling to me. Have always been a subaru fan and always owned AWD. But the write up's have really been quite encourageing to atleast be a little more accepting to this "new item" I must ask though I have herd rumors that the brz is a little different then the Toyota ft-86 and the FR-S. I was speaking to a buddy of mine works at subaru dealership. He informed me that the subaru suspension is actually tighter and stiffer then the frs and ft-86. He also stated that he believed the transmission was actually 2in farther back ? Then the other vehicles as well. He wasn't sure about the tranny but I figured I would ask here seeing as how this is where the learning process begun.

09-13-2012, 07:33 PM	#59
vision.dynamix NASIOC Supporter Member#: 139955 Join Date: Feb 2007 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: #BostonStrong Vehicle: # OneBoston	Whoa, are those collars on the factory bar?

09-14-2012, 11:00 PM	#62
WRX-Sora Scooby Newbie Member#: 325550 Join Date: Jul 2012 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: new jersey Vehicle: 2002 wrx subaru blue	absolutely gorgeous car

09-19-2012, 10:50 PM	#64
vision.dynamix NASIOC Supporter Member#: 139955 Join Date: Feb 2007 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: #BostonStrong Vehicle: # OneBoston	Rick are you bringing her out to Subiefest?

09-28-2012, 01:34 PM	#66
Jadickinson08 Scooby Newbie Member#: 333570 Join Date: Sep 2012	Very nice additions to the car is rally sport direct making a turbo kit for the brz?

10-09-2012, 09:25 PM	#68
RallySport Direct NASIOC Vendor Member#: 33174 Join Date: Feb 2003 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Salt Lake City Utah Vehicle: We are Open Late! 888-457-2559 Every day!	Just wanted to let you guys know we installed the new Invidia N1 with Ti tips on the BRZ Today! Check out the pictures and let us know what you think. Please stay tuned for more updates as well. Thanks, Rick

10-10-2012, 12:52 AM	#69
Jdub.csu NASIOC Supporter Member#: 283784 Join Date: May 2011 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Colorado Vehicle: 2012 SWP WRX HATCH White	Sound clip?

10-10-2012, 01:16 AM	#70
RallySport Direct NASIOC Vendor Member#: 33174 Join Date: Feb 2003 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Salt Lake City Utah Vehicle: We are Open Late! 888-457-2559 Every day!	We will be working on the video shortly, and I will post it up as soon as we get it done. So far I am very impressed, the exhaust looks great with the rear diffuser, and sounds great as well! Thanks again, Rick

10-10-2012, 03:05 PM	#71
Boxer112 Scooby Specialist Member#: 78751 Join Date: Jan 2005 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Harlem, New York Vehicle: 2006 WRX STi Black	Sex!!!!

10-10-2012, 03:13 PM	#72
Boxer112 Scooby Specialist Member#: 78751 Join Date: Jan 2005 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Harlem, New York Vehicle: 2006 WRX STi Black	I've read that BRZ's are having issues with hesistation and actually shutting off, have you experienced any issues?

10-11-2012, 01:30 PM	#74
04STIscore Scooby Newbie Member#: 305390 Join Date: Dec 2011 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Lynchburg, VA Vehicle: 2004 STI JBP	subscribed, great work so far!

10-11-2012, 01:35 PM	#75
vision.dynamix NASIOC Supporter Member#: 139955 Join Date: Feb 2007 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: #BostonStrong Vehicle: # OneBoston	Double