2006 Warhammer WRX

[JarHarms]

2006 Impreza WRX Limited - Steel Gray Metallic color #26d
A thread to collect some info on this WRX, sticking to chronological order as best possible. My "point" is to remain somewhat functional minded but also to try ideas, make mistakes, learn, and have some fun while I'm at it. This is not my daily driver so development can take longer since free time is a "rare" thing. I never expect this WRX to be everyone's cup of tea since I tend to steer away from current trends and car show fluff. I use a cell phone for photos since actually working on the car is my priority. At surface level I may come off gruff but I am told there is an alright guy under there. Since it's my car, my interest, and my hobby.....it is what it is. Enjoy.


Current mood Nov 2020 ..........
car is running good and the engine project hit a snag. I keep going back/forth on whether to continue on this path. Perhaps it's just stress induced from the current COVID situation or maybe not. Do I just forgo the forum/online stuff and continue my Subaru'ing solo? Or is it time to move to another platform altogether?

2020-ish


2010-ish


2008-ish Read this IPASS Jesse......



My other Subaru'ing:
>>My 2002 Forester Thread<<

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[JarHarms]

...used to be a mod list...

TOC:
-2nd 6MT rebuilt with long ratio gearing Post #31
-Killer B oil systems updates Post #48
-Quaife Fdiff update Post #50
-STI steering wheel and SMY cluster surround Post #63
-Starting STI suspension swap Post #67
-Tomei 40010 catback and oem downpipe Post #125
-Front lip installed Post #139
-Spec-C RA-R front and rear seats Post #188
-Added Ti heel plate to black STI floor mats Post #209
-Timing belt change and OEM oil heater delete Post #224
-Refined 6MT gear determination tables in APv3 Post #230
-Radium MBC brace and fuel filter Post #264
-MPH carbon trunk lid installed Post #288
-Spec-C RA-R option spoiler installed Post #291
-Re-webbed front seat belts in red Post #301
-Initial e-tuning Post #326
-Body painted trunk lid Post #329
-Process West TMIC leaking at BPV flange Post #333
-Started SWC integration Post #344
-Dual dash cams installed Post #348

[JarHarms]

Paint and Powder Colors
General:
-Generally many texture (wrinkle) powders are not UV stable unless overcoated so I suggest you ask and also verify to the mfg's specs. This property has much to do with the type of powder (epoxy, hybrids, polyester, urethane, etc). Overcoating with a UV stable clear will help preserve the base coat but at the cost of diminishing the texture. I recommend opting for a stingle stage UV stable powder instead.
-Texture powder throw a curveball so find a coater that is familar with curing textures and opt for runing a small test batch prior.

Wrinkle Reds:
If you are in a hurry then use the VHT wrinkle red spray paint and install carefully. If you want a durable finish I currently recommend Prismatic Desert Red Wrinkle powder #PWS 2762 since it is UV stable, color matches APS and STI close enough, and the common person can buy it by the pound. If your coater goes out of business then it is as simple as sourcing the same powder for the next coater to use.
-I feel that APS red powder is ever so slightly darker hue than the STI red paint. I can say that APS does not bother to properly prep before coating so it chips off like cheap paint. Why do they even bother?
-VHT's older wrinkle red spray paint was a good match for STI red. VHT altered the formulation around 2008/2009 resulting in a lighter hue and slightly orange-ish looking.
-Dupont Red Wrinkle powder #GFR-600-W2 is supposed to be a direct match for APS red and slightly darker than STI red. Keep in mind that this only comes from internet scouring. I have not seen it in person, it is not a commonly accessible powder, and I'm not yet willing to pay for coating a part just to determine its color match.
-AkzoNobel (Corvel) Robin Red Wrinkle powder #AG400QF color, legacy #12-4004 is an epoxy powder that is "close" to APS but slightly brighter hue. Probably a close match to STI red. Texture is spot on. It is not UV stable. This powder seems to be getting more difficult to find, has been sold around a bit (-> RH -> AN).
-AkzoNobel (Interpon) red texture powder #EG304G does not match either APS or STI colors, it is much too bright of a hue. Texture is finer than I had hoped but it is an attractive color. It is UV stable.
-AkzoNobel (Interpon) red texture powder #EG3027 I have no idea because the sample never arrived. I believe it to be almost as bright as EG304G and it is UV stable.
-NIC (Prismatic) Desert Crimson Red powder #PWB 6699 is the closest I have found to APS color and texture. Probably a tab darker hue than STI red.
-NIC (Prismatic) Desert Red Wrinkle powder #PWS 2762 is "close" to APS but slightly brighter hue. Probably a close match to STI red. Texture is spot on. It is UV stable.
-NIC (Prismatic) Hotsy Red powder #E-9141B is even lighter hue than Desert Red Wrinkle and the texture is too fine. It is NOT UV stable so I do not recommend it.
-NIC (Prismatic) Phone Red powder #E-9125B is a darker matte red than Desert Red Wrinkle with a slight sparkle in it and the texture is too fine. It is NOT UV stable so I do not recommend it.


-NIC (Prismatic) Desert Night Black powder #PWS 2859 is a really good black wrinkle color and texture wise.

Reds:
-The older cherry blossom red is a Panatone Magenta C color. I still need to find the RAL color.
-The newer cherry blossom red is a Panatone 207c color. I still need to find the RAL color.




Holding Tank --------------------

I've helped with more than a few installs of the newer steering racks (2006-07 WRX/2005-07 STI) into other Subarus using the older square saddle front cross members. Contrary to the internet joes toating that this requires a matched cross member.....this is just not so.

I also helped install a Qrack more than awhile ago in a 2005 WRX. I ended up ordering one for my 2006 since it was pretty sweet in the 2005. THIS scenario is a whole new PITA. Since I am going in the opposite direction than most; grafting an older rack into a newer cross members there are bound to be some issues. First off there are no threads that mention any detail of this or show any photos depicting concern areas. I looked everywhere none, zip. So I can see how one might think it just installs fine as-is.
The older rack physically mounts into the new cross member fine. The rack's LHS square cross section fits fine into the round cross member saddle as long as you do not use a rubber/poly bushing.
There are problem areas with the right and left hydraulic tubes (hard lines). The older rack routing rubs the newer cross member; this is not good for a problem free service life. So I thought why not try modifying hard lines from the newer rack onto the older rack. This is also not really possible for a few reasons 1) the end flares do not match, the older used o-ring flares and the newer uses DIN bubble flares, neither are interchangeable. Both require special flaring tools. 2) the routing is slightly different at the quill connections, the older rack has ports in the quill housing while the newer rack has ports in the rack housing. 3) the newer tubes are not long enough to support re-bending to fit. I "might" be able to re-bend the older tubes to avoid the rubbing.
I have a few sets of the older hardlines to try re-bending for more clearance. Otherwise this could require custom bent tubes. I would be looking at some o-ring to double flare insert fittings that would let me use 45 degree double flares or having to buy another flare tool. Sucks since I really want this steering rack in here.
I decided the best route was to install the Qrack with a 2004 engine cross member. Plus I gain the forward LCA-subframe mounts to use with my Oswald subframe.
Recap:
-> 2005-07 STI (2006-07 WRX) steering racks fit in round saddle cross members as-is and into square saddle cross members with some TLC.
-> 2004 STI (2002-05 WRX) steering racks fit into square saddle cross members but not really into round saddle cross members (at least good enough for me to risk it)

Originally Posted by mrsaturn7085

The JDM P/S pump for 13:1 racks was different...I noticed this when I took it out for a drive and the pump was straining at 1/2 to 3/4 lock. By straining, I mean the pump was whining at this position as bad as the OEM rack would at full lock. The proper p/n for the JDM pump is 34430FE071 (or 072).

USDM pump specs:
output = 7.2 cm^3/rev
relief pressure = 1067-1165 psi

JDM 13:1 pump specs:
output = 8.5 cm^3/rev (18% increase!)
relief pressure = 1176-1277 psi

This means that not only is the JDM pump designed for almost 20% more flow, but it is also designed to operate at a higher peak pressure. I'll be ordering one before I end up burning up the USDM pump.

--------------------------------
Impreza GD/ GG (2000/ 02 - 2007/ 04)
--------------------------------

<GGB is only for A and B. (Wagon Sti did NOT make after C)>
e.g. GDA: 2.0L Turbo AWD

G is Impreza

Body Code:
D is Sedan
G is Wagon

Model Code:
A is 2.0L 4WD (DOHC TURBO EJ205 WRX)
B is 2.0L 4WD (DOHC TURBO EJ207 Sti)
C is 1.5L 2WD (DOHC N/A EJ154 Model G only <1.5R>)
D is 1.5L 4WD (DOHC N/A EJ154 Model G only <1.5R>)
2 is 1.5L 2WD (SOHC N/A EJ15)
3 is 1.5L 4WD (SOHC N/A EJ15)
6 is 2.5L 4WD (ONLY FOR EXPORT MODEL)
9 is 2.0L 4WD (DOHC N/A Model A and B only EJ204)

Applied Model Code:
A. 2000/ 02 - 2001/ 08
B. 2001/ 06 - 2002/ 10
------------------------------Minor Change
C. 2002/ 09 - 2003/ 07
D. 2003/ 06 - 2004/ 05
------------------------------Minor Change
E. 2004/04 - 2005/ 05
------------------------------Minor Change
F. 2005/ 04 - 2006/ 06
G. 2006/ 04 - 2007/ 04
-------------------------Full Model Change

Grade:
IS: EJ152/ Wagon Only
ISS: EJ152/ Wagon Only
ISSL: EJ152/ Wagon Only
15I: EJ152
15I-S: EJ152/ Wagon Only
15R: EJ154
NA: EJ204/ Sedan Only
20N: EJ204/ Wagon Only
20S: EJ204
NB: EJ205/ Sedan Only
NBR: EJ205/ Sedan Only
20K: EJ205/ Wagon Only
WRX: EJ205
WRX-V Limited: EJ205/ Sedan Only
WRX-WR Limited: EJ205/ Sedan Only



Dumping some brake info here for later...
Front
4pot Sumitomo cast iron calipers 40.4mm / 40.4mm pistons - rotors 294x24 (295x25.5)
-red w/ flat Subaru logo - 2629FE0418A RHS and 2629FE0518A LHS
-black w/ flat Subaru logo - looking for p/n's since US shops hide that info
-earlier v5 red w/ raised Subaru logo - looking for p/n's but probably not relavent anymore
-earlier v5 black w/ raised Subaru logo - looking for p/n's but probably not relavent anymore
*raised and flat logo calipers are functionally identical except raised face sticks outwards +1.22mm (0.048") which may affect wheel clearance*
2004-07 4pot STI Brembo alloy calipers 40mm / 46mm pistons - rotors 326x30
-gold w/ Brembo logo - 26292FE022 RHS and 26292FE023 LHS
-07 Ltd black and clearcoat w/ Brembo logo - 26292FE120 RHS and 26292FE130 LHS
-08+ black and clearcoat w/ STO logo
6pot RA-R Brembo alloy calipers ?? / ?? / ?? pistons - rotors 340x32, 15.5-16mm thick pads, 54mm annulus pads, 68 annulus disks, pin bridge calipers
-temp changing silver w/ Brembo logo
6pot Brembo HD kit ?? / ?? / ?? pistons - rotors 350/34, 18mm thick pads, 65mm annulus pads, mono block bridge, 1L3.8004A5 kit p/n

Rear
2pot Sumitomo alloy calipers 38.1mm pistons - rotors 290x18
-red w/ flat Subaru logo - 26692FE0408A RHS and 26692FE0508A LHS, also seen 26692FA020 and 26692FA030
-black w/ flat Subaru logo - looking for p/n's since US shops hide that info
2004 -07 2pot STI and RA-R Brembo alloy calipers 36mm pistons - rotors 316x20
-gold w/ Brembo logo
-07 Ltd black and clearcoat w/ Brembo logo
-RA-R temp changing silver w/ Brembo logo
08+ 2pot STI Brembo alloy calipers 40mm pistons - rotors 316x21
-black and clearcoat w/ STI logo

Not certain where FHI 4pot/2pot came from. Probably based from the fact the Fuji Heavy Industries is Subaru. Sumitomo manufactures these calipers for Subaru as well as other cars makers.
The STI Brembo black caliper clear coat finish fails early on and results in some harsh looking brakes.



What is EFI? - wait 1:18 what? was that the entire video's content?
The Four Stroke Cycle - 1:40
Trigger and Sync - 2:34
Critical Sensors - 4:48, crashed right away then site went ouch

[96accord]

Subscribed.

Nice Limited WRX I have a '07 WRB WRX Limited

[JarHarms]

Most of us at some time in our WRX timeline want a proper boost meter. Do I really need one? Well no, not really but here it is. Really I just wanted something fairly accurate and that might somewhat match the OEM cluster. I have used most of the usual meter brands on prior cars and was set on avoiding garbage parts. The Defi meters used in the past have always performed well and live a long service life. Autometer (while mfg'ed nearby) are complete crap and I would not even use them if given for free.
I do not really like the clock hoods, A-pillars, or any of the other mounting pods offered for Subarus. They all just end up looking out of place and not quite my style. So steering column mounting seemed to be my remaining option. Those are tough to find for meters bigger than a 52mm, so 52mm is what I went with on this meter. Since my mind functions in English units (it just does) I wanted to avoid SI "metric" scale. I have had meters in SI units before and I do not like them as much. What can I say, the Imperial units work best for me. Defi BF's are really nice but I just didn't need their added wow factor, extra cost, and dash cluster miss-match. So a black faced imperial unit 52mm Link boost meter, V2 control, and Defi mounting cup was ordered. Then promptly installed.

The before action. *Links to save space.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ntingMeter.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ontrolunit.jpg

The after action. Looks pretty good and you would hardly notice it in passing.




Ended up using the Subaru gauge pack jumper harness which made for an easy install, factory appearance, and extra pwr/gnd taps for future electro goodies. I tried using an ACC and then switched to an IGN circuit to power the control unit but both ways still do the annoying double opening event. I never really use Defi's record or playback features, a waste I suppose. The control unit is held in with that HD velcro that is used on IPASS/EZPASS transponders. Check out Radio Shack, they carry it. It only needs two smaller pieces or otherwise you are not getting that unit out easily. This meter is still working to this day without issues. I think the only time I touched the control unit was to increase the overboost warn setting.
*This column mounting arrangement did however require a later repair thanks to an auto glass guy.

Since winter season had set in there was all kinds for road junk being flung onto the sides of the WRX. Some decent mudflaps would solve that problem. I hate OEM mudflaps since they are usually aesthetically challenged and tend to accelerate rusting. The rally style flaps tend to get a bit too much "out there" if you know what I mean. I eventually ended up with some RallyArmor flaps. The only PITA was figuring out what the difference was between regular (stiffer material) and ultimate (flexible material) versions. Their web descriptions were a bit lacking back then. Plain black was the color of choice; red and blue flaps are just effing ugly man. Just accept it.

The before action, plenty gritty. *Links to save space.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...s/DSC01593.jpg

The after action. They overhang relative the oem wheels but the summer wheel/tire combo reduces most of that overhang. Still not sure I really like this look though. I ended up modding the rear flaps to bring them inboard a bit more to my liking. After a good few years of DD use these are showing use but holding their own. They have a very little warp to them but the hard corner scrapes have finally disappeared. I must have finally worn them down past the scrape zone. RallyArmor must have renamed this version of the flap to "Classic".


We then strapped it onto AMS' dyno just to see what bone stock had to offer. Three pulls Max HP1 207.85 Max TQ1 235.36, Max HP2 208.49 Max TQ2 246.72, and Max HP3 209.24 Max TQ3 245.45. Sadly I have long since lost that dyno plot. But really I could care less about dyno stats at this point in time. It was done more for fun and curiosity. Right after that a cat back exhaust was installed. I just wanted something a little louder. The dyno run was embarrassingly quiet. Too quiet. I researched and read, then got lazy and ordered a dual tipped Borla. It works well enough, looks fairly stock-ish, and lets more rumble out. Fine enough for me although looking back I might have opted for a single tip Maddad Whisper or other catback instead.

[fastwrx25]

good choice on the tr wheels, I've always liked those wheels...any pics standing still?

[rockthebox50]

^what he said

[future_subaru_owner]

Love the overall stockness. At times wish I would have gone that route.

[JarHarms]

Yea "stockness", I tend to be pretty uninspiring on most of my cars exterior appearances. So far it has worked pretty well as I get very little attention from LEO and other motorists. I lost a bunch of early photos due to a HDD failure. I'll try to take some less-crummy photos to replace these.


Since this is a DD I figured it would be useful to scare the bejeesus out of a fellow motorists that gets out of line. Some Hella Supertone horns were installed in the usual WRX forward pointing position. Honestly I do not use them that much but they are available if needed. No photos of that since we all know what those look like. Eventually the piss poor nuts and bolts that Hella uses rusted up pretty fast and started annoying me. All 16 of these got replaced with SS 8-32 capscrews and nuts.
My "creature comfort" splurge was towards new center console trim. The WRX center console trim is too shiny for my tastes. Sure I had aspirations of the flat black Spec C trim. Cost, availability, and later finding replacement parts steered me away from those. I decided on the STI Limited console trim which has a more charcoal gray color. It really was the best option after contemplating Spec C or painting the WRX trim. The only downside was cost and the two little holes that would have located the Limited badge (which you cannot order unless you prove STI Ltd ownership). Looking back, if that 3m matte gray vinyl was around I would have gone that route and saved some cash. PlastiDip coating did come to mind but was not sure on its durability. I posted up some of my install detail >HERE<.

The after action.


The only other install things I did differently was forgo the red Hazard button and bright silver HVAC control rings. Now that I look at it, the oem radio looks kind of funny inside that darker console trim. Meh Shortly after this I ended up selling off the last of my motorcycles and other toy cars. It did not take too long before I ended up at a track event and needed something to drive. This WRX is all that I had even though the curb weight is; well it's a little "porky". It worked out fine aside from the RE92's, oem pads, and brake fluid. Knowing that the WRX would have to suffice for more track use, I shopped around for some parts to at least hold a usable session or two. I felt the steering input was better than older WRXs I have driven. I suspect it has something to do with the difference in the rack mounting design. Whiteline steering rack bushings were installed to help a little "more". To avoid the cost of a new rear anti-roll bar I replaced the oem rear endlinks (made of black laffy-taffy) with Whiteline alloy links.


The rear felt like it had some wandering during acceleration. I tried some TiC rear differential bushings in their comfort version. Whiteline rear outrigger bushings were also installed. I really wanted to avoid turning this WRX into a rough DD car like I've done with past cars though.


Another alignment was done to confirm everything was good to go. The brake fluid was purged out with some Motul600 I had around the garage and I borrowed a set of Hawk track pads from a friend (short notice). These sorted out a few of the previous issues, helped the following track visit, and made the DD use interesting to say the least. The RE92's were still problematic but held their tread longer then I expected. I would get around to better tires eventually. I was originally going to outright buy new 2004-05 tail lights since I am not a fan if of the new clear tail light fad. Tail lights are supposed to have red lenses with the appropriate clear for reverse and maybe some amber PERIOD. I ended up trading a friend for his 2004 STi tail lights. In the end we were both happy and the cost was about right. free

[JarHarms]

A good set of 2004 STi takeoffs was bought and installed with RCE v1 camber plates. I split them apart, removed the OEM grease, and repacked with some slick-o-leum strut grease I had around. That avoided any STi strut clunking later in life. Slick-o-leum is a bit thinner than the usual Mobil1 red grease that is used, but this maintains good contact with the strut cartridge surface.
**I eventually replaced these with Tokico Dspecs...but now I wish I would have kept these to have the inserts tuned up by Feal.**


The RCE v1 camber plates worked great. My only gripe was the minor issue during install where one of the chassis mounting nuts must have stripped while tightening to spec (with TQ wrench). This left me with a spinning nut on the stud that would have to be removed by cutting it off. A minor gripe at that point though. I made repeated emails and calls asking for a replacement (stud and nut only) to get "Yea we will send you one" but nothing ever arriving. I gave up with a salty experience over $1.50 in hardware. Yea I could have gone to the hardware store and got replacements but considering the cost of these plates I wanted them to match the other hardware without additional cost to my wallet. This should have been made right. Meh
**I later fixed these myself prior to selling them off.**


Eventually I wanted aftermarket wheels and some new rubber. I spend a stupid amount of time on what sizes, what was available, and what I was willing to spend. For various reasons my best compromise on function, cost, and looks were some 17" x 8.5" +48 TR Motorsport (Tire Rack) MT1's in 5x100 bolt pattern. Sadly these are not made anymore despite the fact that they were an excellent size and value. The finish is more matte that this photo suggests, but I was really pleased with how it went with the SGM paint. I am certain that these were made for Tire Rack in an Enkei foundry. I had a few different sets of rubber on these wheels, I think starting with a few 235/40/17 sizes, then later some 255/40/17 sizes, and ending on 235/45/17 tires.


On the car, not too shabby. It's just a plain WRX nothing special.

[2006subaru]

I honestly can say this is the one of the best WRX build I have seen. Kept it nice and simple and enjoyed the car for what it is.

When I had mine I was so focus on all the things it didnt have that I forgot about all the good things of a WRX. Which is a good DD and good track car on the weekend.

+1 on your car man and I am jealous mine didnt go this way.

[sc00ter]

Originally Posted by JarHarms

I've been wanting to do this but I feel like it just makes the cd player stick out like a sore thumb.

[JarHarms]

Originally Posted by 2006subaru

I honestly can say this is the one of the best WRX build I have seen. Kept it nice and simple and enjoyed the car for what it is.
When I had mine I was so focus on all the things it didnt have that I forgot about all the good things of a WRX. Which is a good DD and good track car on the weekend.
+1 on your car man and I am jealous mine didnt go this way.

Thanks, that is what I am going for. My last project car got a bit out of hand and in the end it got boring. Caged, solid mounted everything, limited traction, and loud as eff sort of makes for less-fun after awhile. Turbocharged B20Vtech was a blast. It is shocking how inexpensive Honda swaps have become today. Trick is in finding a decent chassis to start with.

Originally Posted by sc00ter

I've been wanting to do this but I feel like it just makes the cd player stick out like a sore thumb.

I hear you there. That was taken care of when I replaced some of the audio stuff just recently.


Later I was given some STi under body panels. But installing these without the rear diffuser seemed inappropriate. I ordered a diffuser along with the oem brackets. Heck you can't see them much but I thought why not?
(need to find a photo of these)

Once the rear diffuser arrived I followed up with its installation. I decided to go with using the OEM brackets that are usually welded in place during assembly. Getting them lined up correctly before drilling holes in the floor pan was tricky though. Stainless pop-rivets, POR-15, seam sealer, and urethane undercoating was used to install them and protect from the elements.


After action:
(missing, have to take a new photo)

So I have all the aero bits shown below minus the JDM transmission piece. Oh and my front under panel is the shorter one we got here in the US.

I always though this was a decent diagram of airflow around the GD body. Although I do not have the STi rear vane and spoiler...or ever plan on installing those fugly bits.

[JarHarms]

Shortly later I found a windshield crack or more accurately it was found during a tech inspection. It was originating from the edge under the glass trim and moving downwards then over to the right.
Here is the crack (center vertical one). Ignore the others as this photo was taken after removing the glass.


Huh that seems kind of coincidental.


These are locating aides used to position the windshield at the factory.


The center ones in my case is the cause of this crack due to poor factory installation. There is one on the glass and a mating one on the body frame. These two were making excessive pressure at the edge causing a high stress point. Cracks were only a matter of time.


So if you are replacing a windshield make sure your glass guy removes all of these foolish pieces or you may be returning in a short time for new glass.
Or you might have to come back for new glass when the glass tech tries to cut corners and cracks the bottom edge (of a heated windshield) trying to force the cowl trim in place. Just take off the cowl and replace it once the glass is installed azzhats. I am still pissed off about this.
Oh and I almost forgot that the Defi meter cup got broken off in the process of installing the 2nd windshield. (holy jeezebus that dash is dusty!) I had to come up with something more robust.


The steering column cover was replaced and a new dual dash bezel was installed. The unused side got filled in with a meter blank. All and all it works OK and had acceptable fitment. The surface finish is a bit shiny and I only used the upper screw mounts. The only gripe I have is that Defi has since discontinued the Link meters. That is going to make it difficult to find an extra Link meter to fill that blank spot.

[JarHarms]

A bit of time passed before I started changing more parts. I tackled the rear suspension bushings next, starting with the trailing arms. The rearward trailing arm bushings in the rear knuckle were replaced with Group N using BIG SKY's install tools. Just do yourself a favor and get on the list for this install tool. Trust me.
I know it does not look like it is the correct bushing but I assure you it gets shoved in there as designed.


The forward trailing arm bushing was removed with at self-made install tool and replaced with Group N bushings. I considered box welding these arms in to add some strength but ran out of time.


All of the rear lateral link bushings were replaced with Group N bushings. I ended up getting the SPX install tool for the 2 toe-adjust position bushings, tricky buggers. I found that those particular bushings are harder to install without tearing the rubber. I messed up two of them before ordering the SPX tools. Meh


The rear was finished up with some subframe lock bolts or as Kartboy calls then "Botox bolts". These installed fine, work great, and meet my demands for well designed/built parts. However the method of instruction delivery is poor and the TQ specs commonly used on these is way too much.
*I had removed the rear cross member and saw what I expected with these inserts. The excessive TQ spec deforms the piss out of the alloy inserts which makes them semi-permanent parts of the cross member and tricky to get the bolts out.*


These bushing and lock bolt upgrades made a dramatic difference, noticeable on the first test drive. There was a reduction of spongy-ness in the rear end with a increase in rear stability during hard corners. Well worth the effort to install these. I have helped install these for a few people who brought or shipped me their parts to install front trailing arm and lateral link bushings. They comment back on similar positive experiences.

[JarHarms]

A Whiteline ALK (comfort) was installed. I was going to attempt the free castor mod but was pressed for time. I may revisit this in the near future.
**after a recent under inspection I feel that WL's hardware rusts up too fast**


The STi take-off springs and struts were replaced with some RCE black springs and Tokico D-specs. >HERE< Since I removed the RCE camber plates I ended up using front camber bolts in the lower strut holes. Not my favorite method but it will work for now. GroupN top hats were used front and rear since I could not find adjustable camber plates I liked enough. An alignment followed as well as a new set of tires.
**I believe I am settled on front 5.0 TTFS and rear 5.5 TTFS settings**

Here is a side by side of the STi - Dspec - WRX struts.


RCE black springs, they come with Prodrive (front) bumpstops


Rear strut spacers


I made a quick tool from a leftover bolt that would hold the strut shaft while I apply initial TQ to the strut nut. Used with one of those thru-sockets and it allowed me to tighten enough to stop the shaft from spinning. After that I removed this get up and did final TQ with a regualr deep socket and TQ wrench.


Hmm, that front strut adjuster just does not look right. I have a 3/8" hole punch around here somewhere.....





In preparation for a 6MT swap, the heated seat switches needed relocation. I decided that the STi Limited locations were my best option so a RHS door trim was ordered. The heated seat wiring is integrated into the chassis harness. So this leaves you to build an overlay harness and route the RHS through your door and the LHS to the dash blanks. I started gathering up the proper harness building tools and connectors for the wiring portion. I studied the wiring diagrams heavily before cutting anything apart. I did notice that the switch makes an interesting change in one of the circuits from pwr to an additional gnd. Weird.

The LHS to the dash blanks is cake. The RHS through the door grommet is a PITA. I ended up taking the grommet and harness out, lacing the new wires through, then rebuilding the grommet assembly. This is where I had the car enough taken apart that some audio upgrades were convent (next post down).

In the end I hooked it all back up and everything turns on and off as expected. The bad news is that the extra length (resistance) of the overlay harness noticeably draws out the heating time. Others have noted this experience as well. I think this change reduces the max temperature as well. As an "A-B-A" test, I reconnected the switches at the original location. The heating time was restored.
Thankfully I built the overlay so it could be reversed pretty easily. My expectation is that the STi Limited wiring runs through the harness to different locations but keeps it a similar overall length as the WRX Limited. I put it all back together and will come up with an improved solution later on.

[JarHarms]

While the car is up on jackstands I was thinking of slightly upgrade the speakers. I spend a good deal of time in the Audio sub-forum learning what would be a good choice for me. If you have not been in that sub-forum there are some really good people in there !!

Since I was not the most knowledgeable in this area, I learned quite a bit as I ran into issues. The speaker harness adapters seemed to be kind of all over the place. Especially since there were two versions that are used or most just cut the original connector off.. >HERE<. I was not going to cut the original connector off.

New Alpine front speakers and kartboy spacers were installed using Metra harness adapters


But first, I added some BXII deadener and Ensolite foam. Seriously this job kicked my arse. I think it turned out not so bad for my first time if I say so myself. I also trimmed the door cards around the speaker grills and added some BXII and Ensolite as well. As noted in the above post. I altered the heated seat harnesses to relocate the switches to the STi Limited locations. That is the extra harness lead you see hanging there.


And why not add a new headunit while I am in there? I found this on Amazon for a hard to pass up deal. It matches the STi Limited console better now. Plus I have DVD playback and tunes from an SD card. I am enjoying the SD card feature, an cheap 8GB card carries so many tunes.


That work ripped up my fingers and really sucked but I will eventually revisit the sound dampening effort by means of the rear deck and doors. Some was put under the rear deck lid but not to the detail that I wanted to spend. I am taking a time out to learn more about dampening before I start again. So far it sounds pretty good to my untrained ears. It get the job done playing the music and AM radio I like.

[caesar]

great stuff man...good work.

[Subian]

How do you like the D-specs compared to the Sti take-offs? My JDM v7 struts clunk like a mofo.

[JarHarms]

Originally Posted by Subian

How do you like the D-specs compared to the Sti take-offs? My JDM v7 struts clunk like a mofo.

Honestly I'm not that enthusiastic about them. To be more precise they function as fine as I would expect any JPN variant dampener, acceptable that is. But I detect that clunking noise that they are known for. These were not top of the line but they were not cheap either...hence they should not make a peep. More or less I am pissed off at myself since I long ago said I would not purchase any more Tokico products, I went against that, now they make stupid noises, guess I got my just deserved. In the end I wish I would have kept my STi take off struts and had them re-valved. I already had the STi clunk issue sorted out by re-packing them with a better grease. Eventually the D-specs will be replaced with something else, I just have too much on my plate to do it now.

I got tired of the dirty gray floor mats that Subaru paired up with the black (well I guess you can call it black) carpet. Seriously, light gray over black? You can hardly blame color blindness on that mistake.
So I wanted black floor mats that fit the floor shape and not some universal fit junk. Since I really do not use this car in the winter I was not interested in any rubber floor mats. The only oem floor mats I could find were the STi ones which include an extra retention bracket that bolts to the seat. Cool, except it is embroidered with STI in cherry blossom red (which is just a manly way to say pink). Initial observation makes me think the materials may not hold up that long but I installed them and they look way better. Made in Canada too

I also installed an STi shift trim ring, given to me as a gift. It's kind of shiny for my tastes but I'll see how it goes before I try media blasting the shine out of it . I tossed my hacked 5MT shift boot to make way for a new 6MT shift boot. It all just bolts together and looks like it is meant to be there. The worn out STi knob was also replaced with a not-so-shiny new one. I LIKE! LatheWerks does excellent craftsmanship.

[96accord]

Nice updates! What headunit is that? I know Pioneer.

[JarHarms]

Originally Posted by 96accord

Nice updates! What headunit is that? I know Pioneer.

Pioneer AVH-P4200DVD, although I just saw on crutchfield's that this model may have been replaced with a 4300 that includes Pandora interface/controls. Dang

[96accord]

Originally Posted by JarHarms

Pioneer AVH-P4200DVD, although I just saw on crutchfield's that this model may have been replaced with a 4300 that includes Pandora interface/controls. Dang

Thanks. Always something newer/better coming out as soon as you get the older model lol :/

[98intrigue]

Originally Posted by 96accord

Thanks. Always something newer/better coming out as soon as you get the older model lol :/

Technology has its setbacks, haha

[future_subaru_owner]

Weird i've had tokico d-specs for 2 years, and i still don't hear any sort of clunk.