2004 Forester XT

Alright.

I've got some stock height King springs on KYB GR-2 shocks/struts with STI mounts assembled and waiting to go on the car.

I've got some aluminum STI lateral links shipping as I write this. I'm also in discussions to get an STI rear bar (20mm as opposed to 18mm) with the same seller.

I'm trying to source a 2004 STI steering rack for a reasonable price. If I can't find one, I'll settle for a regular WRX rack.

I've got some 2009 17" WRX rims in the shed. Tires are still being considered, but I'm going to go with a 225/55-17 size to get a little more meat on them for the street. I'll keep the stock size for the rallycross tires.

When this rallycross season is over, it's time to make the Fozzie handle a little bit better.

WHEE!

Nice, I have had a few subarus and would have loved to Rallycross them. Oh well. Look forward to updates.

Brett_Murphy wrote: I'm trying to source a 2004 STI steering rack for a reasonable price. If I can't find one, I'll settle for a regular WRX rack.

Looks like a fun car!

For what it's worth, I had a 2004 WRX that I bought new and I remember thinking that wouldn't want a quicker steering rack.

I think that the Saab-aru came with the faster ratio STi rack, though they're not exactly easy to find in the junkyard either.

Super! I assume that you're already on dirtyimpreza.com, right? They like Fozzies over there, too.

I had an '07 WRX and recall that it had pretty quick steering already. I would tend to agree with Woody.

I'd have to have a rack out of a 2004 or earlier WRX or STI. I think the fitment changed after that, but I'm not 100% sure. I'll be safe and stick to those.

It is my understanding that the steering racks had the following ratios. I guess since it sits a bit taller, they wanted a safety net or maybe they did it so that the feel was a bit more gentle. I don't know.

04 STI 15.2:1 and 2.7 turns lock to lock.

02-04 WRX 16.5:1 and 3 turns lock to lock.

Forester 19.1:1 in the center to 15.2:1 near the ends and 3 turns lock to lock

In any kind of spirited driving on dirt, the variable rate rack makes it really difficult to apply a steady steering input since the ratio changes underneath you. On initial turn in, it feels like you're in a battle ship, then suddenly you go from no response to "whoah, sideways now".

Fun fact: Early Foresters (including mine) do not have a rollover warning on the visor. I think they are considered "wagons" by the DOT and not SUVs.

I'm on the http://www.subaruforester.org and the NASIOC. I keep meaning to join dirtyimpreza, and keep forgetting. I'll fix that now.

hey, cool! not enough love for one of subaru's greatest sleepers in the projects section as far as i'm concerned

you gonna be running any rallycrosses with the THSCC later this year? i'm hoping to be at the november event myself.

I'll be at the October event. I'm not sure about November, I'm on-call at work that week right now, but the on-call schedule is changing and getting posted on Monday. =)

Oh, I should mention this as well:

I have a Primitive skidplate on the front. I tore the fasteners for the cheap OEM plastic undertray apart going through some deep sand at speed.

I'll give the 3/8" model full marks. However, the one I got has the hole drilled in it for the oil filter/drain. Considering how easy it is to put on and remove, if I was going to get one today, I'd go for one without the holes drilled in it.

I'm actually thinking about getting some scrap aluminum and welding a patch over the holes to keep stuff out.

Subaru's new ad campaign:

Subaru Forester. It's not just for lesbians.

In reply to Brett_Murphy:

Didnt the direct racks on Subarus start in 2006? I think you might be fine with most any GD/GG steering rack that isnt direct mount. Since you have a SG Forester you dont have to worry about the spline count like with earlier models.

Cool, we have a black 04 XT as our main vehicle. It's an auto because we deal with a lot of traffic and my wife doesn't really drive stick, but still pretty fun for what it is. Rallycross looks like a blast, I would love to give that a try someday with a car that isn't our main means of transportation.

The steering rack sounds like a good upgrade, that would be one of the first things I'd do. We have some 17x8 wheels with 235/45/17 Hankook V12s and the added grip and response really highlights the crappy steering and body roll.

I just picked up a 2004 STI rear sway bar and ordered all of the right mounting hardware from the dealership down the road.

Walking in with a sheet full of parts numbers and quantities made the entire experience remarkably fast and painless.

After the November Rallycross, the Forester is going to get an extensive suspension upgrade.

I've got to pick up a 2004 WRX steering rack at a local salvage yard in the next few days. That'll be a bit bigger project, I might farm it out to a shop and have them replace the up-pipe while it is there to get rid of the stock unit with the catalytic converter in it.

I don't know if you're on Dirty Impreza.com, but RallyCross Fozzies are more than welcome there! Sweet ride.

pinchvalve wrote: Subaru's new ad campaign: Subaru Forester. It's not just for lesbians.

Hahaha love it!

Nice forester, I have always wanted an XT. Looking forward to updates!

I'm registered on DirtyImpreza, but I pretty much only lurk.

Rallycross tomorrow, I'm going to try and capture a video using my phone and a suction cup. I suspect the video will be 5 seconds of racing footage, and then a 55 seconds of the passenger side footwell.

Alright, my suspension is completely shot, I'll have to put on my big boy pants and bolt on the replacement, STAT.

I ripped out my fender liners at the event on Sunday.

Look how hard the front is diving:

hey Brett, sorry I didn't say hi. i didn't realize who you were until i saw you get in your foz at the end of the day. you were tearing it up out there! it was diving a good bit though, i just figured you had a lot of traction.

i'm the guy who found your fender liner out in the grass

can't wait for the next event. the drug has me now.

Let's see the before and after shots showing the change in ride height!

Scotty- Sorry I missed you. I was hauling the guy I bought the Merkur around for all my runs to try and get him to show up next year. He's interested =) Were you driving, or were you just spectating?

I'll post up some pictures when I get the work done (probably this weekend). I was on street tires, traction was not the issue.

A timing error completely screwed me out of third place. Crap happens, it was a fun event, but I'm really irritated because I can't really see if I was getting faster every run or not.

Also, by popular demand, I am going to let my 4 year old daughter make a smiley face out of my number Zero.

Brett_Murphy wrote: Scotty- Sorry I missed you. I was hauling the guy I bought the Merkur around for all my runs to try and get him to show up next year. He's interested =) Were you driving, or were you just spectating?

no problem, sounds like a good cause! i was in the silver '05 RS in SO4.

sorry to hear the timing was all out of whack for you. i wonder if it had anything to do with my runs having such a big time spread...more than i anticipated anyway. i heard someone say new equipment is in the works for next year.

I was putting in times in the 65ish second range, and had one outlier of like 120 seconds. The guy riding with me video taped all of my runs, and none of them were that long. It was weird.

Apparently I broke one of the belts in my right front tire.

That was all the excuse I needed to go out and get 4 new tires today, mounted on 17" WRX wheels.

Because of the different offest of the WRX rims, I had to run 9mm of spacers to keep them from rubbing on the suspension. I'm a bit worried that I'm not using enough of the wheel stud now. There is also a bit of a gap in between the studs and the rim of the spacers, so I'm worried that I'm putting too much stress on my studs.

Combine the two, and I think I'll have to try and find some longer studs or spring for different spacers.

WRX wheels and tires (225/50/17)

looks bangin'....almost has a sort of euro flair to it. sucks about the old tires blowing a belt but you ended up with a real nice score. what was your spacer solution?

Brett_Murphy wrote: I was putting in times in the 65ish second range, and had one outlier of like 120 seconds.

120? maybe if you rolled it and had to flip it back on the wheels

i was between 71 and 63, and i'm really suspect to believe the 63 wasn't me, especially since i had some fast people right in front and behind me.

I got 6mm and 3mm spacers and jammed them in there on top of each other for 9mm of spacing, total. They were all I could find in the area on an hour of notice at 4 PM.

I do NOT like it. I want to find one piece, hubcentric, 10mm spacers and use those.

I also want longer studs, but Carquest didn't have any that fit.