Love:Hate relationship with RE92's...

[BAC5.2]

I swapped some GR2's in place of my horribly blown stock struts on thursday. I used my stock springs and rear top hats, but I used my spiffy Noltec camber/caster plates up front (kiss my ass Group-N. No rubber with my Noltec's).

Since my friend and I don't have time to align the car for a few days, I just bottomed out the camber bolts on the strut, and set the plates for max camber and caster. From the stock center point of the strut, I'm aproximately 1/2" inward, and 3/4" in the positive caster direction.

Because I'm likely at more than a degree of toe (for every .1 degree of camber change, .4 degrees of toe occurs), I tossed my WRX wheels with RE92's back on.

Immediately, the car felt better. More solid, better tracking, it was cool. Really confident, and the added caster really helped stability (a significant amount, actually).

The downside, however, is that due to my awful current alignment (FAR to much toe), and the poor choice of tires, I break loose like I'm in the rain.

Not only that, but the slightest breath on the throttle mid-turn, and I am getting the back end around and having a good time. There's my love-hate part.

I love it, because, well, I'm drifting an AWD car (due to lack of RE92 grippiness. I could do this with my stock stuff). The hate part, is because with my sweet tires, I'd be ROLLIN.

I went for a cruise with about a dozen or so WRX's tonight, and we were going slow-speed backroads. I'd drift around every turn we'd take. Even going through an intersection, I'd just roll into 2nd and start to rotate massively. Accelerating from a stop to turn right, I can get WAY out there. It's a lot of fun, but horribly slow.

A turn I can take at 80 or so, I had to take at 50, and even then, I had to keep reeling in the rear of the car. Much more stable and controlled than before, and the car responds MUCH better to steering input (espically when sliding).

I can't wait to align it! Gonna shoot for 1/16th toe out, 2.5-ish degrees of camber, 4ish degrees of positive caster, and get some bolts for the rear, try to push them out to 2 degrees and zero toe.

[jamal]

woah, that's alot of camber/caster/toe/everything. I'm thinking I might max out the rear camber bolts when I get an alignment and have them installed, because I hear they're less likely to slip that way. I'm really curious as to what I'm at right now. When I ghetto-slotted my rear strut towers, I did it so the tops were as far inward as they could be. I've been driving with the RE92 for awhile, they're low on tread, and I'm not worried, as I still have some left. I just never got around to getting an alignment, because I was waiting for that bolt and to put in my rear sway, which finally just happened, and now I'm waiting for new tires, which I've been planning to do for awhile.

Still trying to decide because I want all seasons with the grip of performance summer tires, but at a fairly low price. So far, Kuhmo Ecsta ASXs are first pick, but I hear they have fairly soft sidewalls, Avon M550s are up there, but are only available from tire rack, and I'd like the Pirelli PZero Nero M+S, but they're expensive.

I like being able to trash on the RE92s, though. If I want, I can just get another low-mileage set with wheels for less than new Kuhmos.

[BAC5.2]

I need to pick up some rear camber bolts or get rear camber plates. The stock rear bolts, at least on my car and all the WRX's and Impreza's I've worked on, have been straight, without any camber cam.

Just so you know, every .1 degree of camber change, attributes to .4 degrees of toe change, so changing your camber settings yourself is pretty bad for your tires.

[scottzg]

Just so you know, every .1 degree of camber change, attributes to .4 degrees of toe change, so changing your camber settings yourself is pretty bad for your tires.

its handy when you're doing ghetto alignment testing.

[THAWA]

You were still on stock struts? Wow, I thought better of you Phil .

[BAC5.2]

Actually, they were NEW stock struts when I bought the car.

I've been lazy and cheap. I know, I know. Chastize me if you must, but greater things are in the works, and there's no reason to lose faith.

[scottzg]

Getting wheels is what initially prompted me to do something about the suspension. a 185/70/14 hides a lot of sloppiness. Having your nice rim and tire package on factory suspension would annoy the crap out of me.

Get an alignment.

[BAC5.2]

I have no problem doing the alignment. I just have to find some time to go over to the shop and toss it on the rack and align it. Fortunately, I can do my own alignments on a Hunter Laser rack. No more ghetto alignments for me .

[THAWA]

Hunters are nice . What's in the works?