Welcome to the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club Friday March 29, 2024
Home Forums Images WikiNASIOC Products Store Modifications Upgrade Garage
NASIOC
Go Back   NASIOC > NASIOC General > Newbies & FAQs

Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!
Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.







* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads. 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-07-2013, 01:21 PM   #26
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by nasiocanuck View Post
OP, I was in the same boat as you a couple years ago. My first subaru was a 98 2.2L impreza, slow as ****. I looked into what it takes to turbocharge the N/A motor reliably and it just doesn't make sense. At the end of the day it'll be about the same price for a EJ205 (02-05 wrx motor) as it would be to mess around with turbo-ing stock motor. You can pick up a used 205 for like $1500 but then you have to merge wiring harnesses and worry about blowing up your tranny. A decent wrx bugeye can be had for under $8000 (for 18K you can get a good 06/07 wrx), and you get so much more for your money then you would get modding your car. I assume you're young, so why don't you take a couple years, learn how to really drive, save some money and buy a wrx when the time is right. my $0.02
You pretty much summarize my on going issue, currently. I've gotten lots of feedback about how I should just use an wrx motor, except I don't have all that time an money to put into a motor. I am pretty young, I'm only 16 turning 17 this month, and it's my first car.

What I concluded is to just make my car good for handling, because I can't do much for the speed besides exhaust and minor fixes. I think I'll just wait till I go to college to find a 06 or 07 wrx, that way it'll be faster without all the painful mods. I think I just need to wait on it, it'll eventually turn out well.

Good things come to those who wait, right? So I'll just give it some time.
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
Old 11-07-2013, 01:40 PM   #27
nasiocanuck
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 288559
Join Date: Jul 2011
Chapter/Region: W. Canada
Location: Calgary
Vehicle:
2004 WRX Wagon
Aspen White

Default

i think thats probably the wise thing to do. I learned through experience that throwing money into something you don't absolutely love is a waste. It's really worth the wait for something that will be better in every aspect.

My suggestion is to get into local auto-x. Nothing feels better than beating an STI with a slower car plus you can push your car way harder than you ever could on the street, and learn how to really drive well in the process.
nasiocanuck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 01:52 PM   #28
FL4TFTW
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 256953
Join Date: Sep 2010
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: New Cumberland, PA
Vehicle:
2014 Built DGM BRZ
2016 Fiesta ST WP Tricoat

Default

You're either going to need to save a pretty chunk of change or work a lot throughout college to afford a nice WRX.

The smart thing to do would be save all the way through college and then purchase once you are done. I assume you will also have to pay off student loans, which can get expensive.

As far as mods to your current car go - sway bars and end links make a HUGE difference in handling and body roll. And you could also find some decent cheap springs/struts. Bushings are a cheap way to stiffen everything up as well.
FL4TFTW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 01:58 PM   #29
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by nasiocanuck View Post
i think thats probably the wise thing to do. I learned through experience that throwing money into something you don't absolutely love is a waste. It's really worth the wait for something that will be better in every aspect. My suggestion is to get into local auto-x. Nothing feels better than beating an STI with a slower car plus you can push your car way harder than you ever could on the street, and learn how to really drive well in the process.
Ya, I'm probably just going to get the car that I want in a few years time, when I actually have the money. Instead of throwing money away on something that may or may not work.

I might actually look into that! I know of a few auto-x's, so I think I might look into that. They look like tons of fun, and any let me learn a few things about my car and driving.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FL4TFTW View Post
You're either going to need to save a pretty chunk of change or work a lot throughout college to afford a nice WRX. The smart thing to do would be save all the way through college and then purchase once you are done. I assume you will also have to pay off student loans, which can get expensive. As far as mods to your current car go - sway bars and end links make a HUGE difference in handling and body roll. And you could also find some decent cheap springs/struts. Bushings are a cheap way to stiffen everything up as well.
As it is, I think I'll give it some time before I get a nice WRX, so I'm gonna focus on handling at the moment. Are good sway bars and end links expensive? I've found a lot different springs and struts for sake, so m going to look into that, and improve handling around corners.

I've seen people would extend their axels to improve handling, I know it would give it a wider stance, but does it make the cornering shaper? An it seems like an expensive mod, what's your opinion?

Last edited by OBS_Greg; 11-07-2013 at 02:05 PM.
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 02:13 PM   #30
guroove
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 129833
Join Date: Oct 2006
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Buffalo, NY
Vehicle:
2005 Forester XT
Obsidian Black Pearl

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBS_Greg View Post
Ya, I'm probably just going to get the car that I want in a few years time, when I actually have the money. Instead of throwing money away on something that may or may not work.

I might actually look into that! I know of a few auto-x's, so I think I might look into that. They look like tons of fun, and any let me learn a few things about my car and driving.


As it is, I think I'll give it some time before I get a nice WRX, so I'm gonna focus on handling at the moment. Are good sway bars and end links expensive? I've found a lot different springs and struts for sake, so m going to look into that, and improve handling around corners.

I've seen people would extend their axels to improve handling, I know it would give it a wider stance, but does it make the cornering shaper? An it seems like an expensive mod, what's your opinion?
Changing the suspension geometry is expensive, and will make it harder to run in auto-x because of the rules. Sway bars are some of the best bang for the buck mods. Since this is a daily driver, I'd recommend you don't go and get the biggest available bars for your application. 22 mm should be enough.
guroove is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 02:28 PM   #31
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by guroove View Post
Changing the suspension geometry is expensive, and will make it harder to run in auto-x because of the rules. Sway bars are some of the best bang for the buck mods. Since this is a daily driver, I'd recommend you don't go and get the biggest available bars for your application. 22 mm should be enough.
Competing in auto-x's necessarily isn't my biggest concern, but making it a fun driving car around town, and taking it up to the mountains for skiing. Pretty much just a daily driver with the occasional mods for taking it out for a few drives.

I'll look into that, I'm just looking to make it more of a better ride.
Currently the body sways quite a bit when take corners, and hopefully the springs and struts will reduce that.

What are some good brands for sway bars? I don't know all that much about them
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 02:35 PM   #32
guroove
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 129833
Join Date: Oct 2006
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Buffalo, NY
Vehicle:
2005 Forester XT
Obsidian Black Pearl

Default

Sway bars will reduce body roll for a bit less than springs and struts, are a lot easier to install, and won't affect how the car rides over bumps. Ideally, you should be thinking about upgrading both, but sways alone are a more enjoyable experience. Whiteline, perrin, cusco, eibach, are a few brands of sways. Check the suspension forum and read the stickies.
guroove is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 02:59 PM   #33
SpamBot
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 287534
Join Date: Jul 2011
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBS_Greg View Post
I am pretty young, I'm only 16 turning 17 this month, and it's my first car.
Unless you've been driving for awhile, you've got a lot to learn in the driving department. Get some books on suspension systems, learn how they work, and look around for relatively affordable upgrades to improve the handling of your car (and that includes tires). Then, go to an auto-x event and talk (respectfully) to the really good drivers for a few tips. You'll be surprised at how "fast" you can go without having a lot of HP available under your right foot.

One of my all-time favorite cars I owned was a Triumph Spitfire. A whopping 63HP, but only around 1600 lbs. With a few simple suspension upgrades, that thing reminded me of my racing kart. Absolute ball to drive, and fun even at legal speeds.
SpamBot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 02:59 PM   #34
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by guroove View Post
Sway bars will reduce body roll for a bit less than springs and struts, are a lot easier to install, and won't affect how the car rides over bumps. Ideally, you should be thinking about upgrading both, but sways alone are a more enjoyable experience. Whiteline, perrin, cusco, eibach, are a few brands of sways. Check the suspension forum and read the stickies.
I found some good sway bars for my car, and not that bad of a price. They're eibach.

For suspension wise I was thinking more along the lines of eibach and tein. They have a pretty good reputation and from what I've read, they're the top two brands. So I probably will just get the ones that appeal to me more,
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 03:37 PM   #35
Torontolegacy
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 327872
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto, Ontario , Canada
Vehicle:
2005 Legacy GT wagon
Black

Default

Im running whiteline 22mm sways front and rear on my legacy gt wagon and absolutley love them. Well worth the price. Endlinks are a must if you go thicker and make sure you change as many bushings as you can front and rear. The car will feel brand new afterwards.

I went power first with my leggy. And 303whp on stock suspension will scare the **** out of you. Take it from my lessons learned. Stop and turn well before you go fast.

Nasoicanuck... Good to see a fellow canuck in the mix. Im raising my timmies to ya.
Torontolegacy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 03:41 PM   #36
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torontolegacy View Post
Im running whiteline 22mm sways front and rear on my legacy gt wagon and absolutley love them. Well worth the price. Endlinks are a must if you go thicker and make sure you change as many bushings as you can front and rear. The car will feel brand new afterwards.
Did you notice a lot of improvement in the overall handling? I found some pretty nice sway bars for not a bad price, and I think I'm going to look into it. I just can't decide whether to do springs or sway bars first
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 03:58 PM   #37
FL4TFTW
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 256953
Join Date: Sep 2010
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: New Cumberland, PA
Vehicle:
2014 Built DGM BRZ
2016 Fiesta ST WP Tricoat

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBS_Greg View Post
Did you notice a lot of improvement in the overall handling? I found some pretty nice sway bars for not a bad price, and I think I'm going to look into it. I just can't decide whether to do springs or sway bars first
Swaybars 100% first. Cheap and very easy to install on ramps.

I noticed a huge difference on my RS going from the stock 13mm rear to just the WRX 20mm bar. I also upgraded my end links to Kartboys units front and rear.
FL4TFTW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 04:12 PM   #38
isotopesope
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 265783
Join Date: Dec 2010
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: the fern behind the porn couch
Vehicle:
2017 Forester XT
Niner ROS 9

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lumberjacked View Post
If you are dead set on keeping your N/A car and not swapping in for a WRX/STI powertrain - then a lightweight flywheel, intake manifold spacer, lightweight crank pulley, intake, and exhaust are a good start. Not massive HP gains, but noticeable. Also suspension mods in these cars make for an awesome ride - you won't win in a straight line - but you'll be able to hold it together in the curves at least.

Just my two cents...
this is some great advice for you.

i had an 02 obs and really got a big bang for my buck with a light weight crank pulley. makes your motor rev a lot easier. i also ran a "torque box" style intake setup. search over at rs25.com for that. (stock airbox, drop in filter, and a 94 accord cheapo air intake tube to replace your factory piping) i also ran a stock wrx exhaust. you have to have the flange rotated by an exhaust shop, but otherwise bolts right on.

it takes BIG money to get power out of an n/a. how do i know? because i spent over 5k stroking a ej255 block out to 2.7 with high compression pistons, adding delta 1500 cams, grimmspeed phenolic spacers, porting and polishing my ej251 heads, adding a 12 pound fidanza flywheel and stage one exedy clutch.

it was a ton of fun, but was also foolish and way too expensive, when i look back on it. i should've called it good with the suspension, drivetrain bushings, intake, exhaust etc. cracking open the motor in the name of moar power is where you should draw the line. i ended up selling the car and buying a wrx. should've done that waaay before the motor build.

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBS_Greg View Post
Did you notice a lot of improvement in the overall handling? I found some pretty nice sway bars for not a bad price, and I think I'm going to look into it. I just can't decide whether to do springs or sway bars first
i would do swaybars first. your stock rear bar is a massive 13mm. you'll also want to upgrade to some HD rear swaybar mounts:
http://www.subarugenuineparts.com/pr...oducts_id=1230

before i added kyb gr-2 struts and tein h-tech springs, i added a rear adjustable 22mm rallitek rear swaybar, those subaru HD swaybar mounts, and front and rear steel whiteline endlinks, and whiteline front sway bar bushing. it was the best suspension upgrade i did!

if you're only 16, you have plenty of time to get that powerful dream car. insuring a wrx at your age will not be cheap either. i would focus on suspension and tranny upgrades (shifter bushings, group n tranny mount, rear diff bushings, rear subframe bolts, etc.) those things are inexpensive and easy installs to tackle yourself.

i would also look into some local rallyx or autox chapters. both are great ways to learn how to drive your car better.
isotopesope is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 04:13 PM   #39
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by FL4TFTW View Post
Swaybars 100% first. Cheap and very easy to install on ramps.

I noticed a huge difference on my RS going from the stock 13mm rear to just the WRX 20mm bar. I also upgraded my end links to Kartboys units front and rear.
I might do that the sway bars first, I found a set for front and back at 22mm. I'll do that and hopefully it helps a lot, then I'll focus on the springs and maybe struts
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 04:35 PM   #40
isotopesope
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 265783
Join Date: Dec 2010
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: the fern behind the porn couch
Vehicle:
2017 Forester XT
Niner ROS 9

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBS_Greg View Post
Did you notice a lot of improvement in the overall handling? I found some pretty nice sway bars for not a bad price, and I think I'm going to look into it. I just can't decide whether to do springs or sway bars first
do sways first for sure. your car will turn way flatter, without pushing.

your 02 probably has a fair amount of miles, and thus your struts are probably near needing replaced. i wouldn't even consider springs unless you're willing to also replace your struts at the same time.
isotopesope is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 04:49 PM   #41
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by isotopesope View Post
do sways first for sure. your car will turn way flatter, without pushing. your 02 probably has a fair amount of miles, and thus your struts are probably near needing replaced. i wouldn't even consider springs unless you're willing to also replace your struts at the same time.
Ya my 02 has about 115k on it, so I probably might need it.

I'm pretty sure my whole suspension is pretty ruined anyways. It makes creaking noises and stuff, so I think the struts and springs need replacing. But the main thing I'll be doing is sways.
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2013, 05:05 PM   #42
Torontolegacy
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 327872
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto, Ontario , Canada
Vehicle:
2005 Legacy GT wagon
Black

Default

That creaking is 100% bushing noise. Replace them with some nice polly bushing. Again try whiteline performance suspension parts. Wicked prices and awesome products.

As somone above me said, dont do spring unless your also doing struts. Again, check whiteline out. Im not a whiteline fanboi but for the money vs quality argument. They are hard to beat. Ive ran Kartboy products before and they havnt held up to well after a few autoX and full track seasions.

As for brakes, any metal rotor will work, if you want bling go with either DBA rotors or some stoptechs. For pads i would use a set of Hawk hps pads.

Last edited by Torontolegacy; 11-07-2013 at 07:20 PM.
Torontolegacy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2013, 03:23 AM   #43
OBS_Greg
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 372879
Join Date: Nov 2013
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2002 Impreza OBS
White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torontolegacy View Post
That creaking is 100% bushing noise. Replace them with some nice polly bushing. Again try whiteline performance suspension parts. Wicked prices and awesome products. As somone above me said, dont do spring unless your also doing struts. Again, check whiteline out. Im not a whiteline fanboi but for the money vs quality argument. They are hard to beat. Ive ran Kartboy products before and they havnt held up to well after a few autoX and full track seasions. As for brakes, any metal rotor will work, if you want bling go with either DBA rotors or some stoptechs. For pads i would use a set of Hawk hps pads.
So is the creaking noise a bushing related issue? It only occurs when I've been cornering pretty hard, or when my cars packed with people. Although it doesn't happen all the time, like I said, only when lots of weight or cornering. What causes my bushing to creak like that? Are they just old or are the shot?

Currently I don't have enough money for the struts and springs, so I'm gonna aim for sway bars at the moment. When I get that done I'll do struts and springs. This may sound like an unintelligent question, but why do I need to replace struts when I get new springs?
OBS_Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2013, 07:55 AM   #44
Torontolegacy
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 327872
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto, Ontario , Canada
Vehicle:
2005 Legacy GT wagon
Black

Default

Your bushings are all old, dry and starting to crack. Like i said, start with bushings and see what happens with the creaking. Also im not sure if your ball joints have grease nipples.... Lol. But see what maintence librication wise you can do.
Torontolegacy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Copyright ©1999 - 2019, North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club, Inc.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission
Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.