I have a little OBD2 dongle that's a VSC/Trac eliminator from Mig developments. Looks like it's now discontintued though.
I also have a set of Method MR502 VT-spec (et15), which has the same tie rod clearance issues you're running into. I use a 10mm slip on spacer on the front, which clears it, but you lose lug nut threads. I've heard aftermarket Cusco tie rod ends will give more clearance, but I haven't tried it.
25mm bolt-on spacers also work with Speedline gravel wheels, which are 15x7 et53
In reply to doctorscholls :
I'm amazed the +15 offset still has a clearance issue, it doesn't look like it should be so bad with the template but... that's just cardboard. How is the fender clearance with the wheels pushed out as far as that last picture shows?
Well, it's scheduled. The plan is to drop the car off for recall service on Monday the 18th so I have two weekends to look at/fix stuff before then.
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
You will not defeat me this way, Subaru, my electrical diagnostic skills were forged in the fires of pre-OBD 80s bullE36 M3.
This makes me chuckle every time I read it, thank you :-)
Staying tuned for dealer feedback- and everything else of course.
With two weekends before dealer time, I'm doing some suspension research. Here is what I'm hoping for- up front, inverted Bilsteins in Rix inserts, just like I did on the Merkur, would get me a very nice 8.something" of travel:
In the back, a 7" travel coilover (extended length shown by tape measure) would get me an amazing 9+" of travel:
The stock suspension travel, as I measure it, with no springs or bumpstops, is 6.25" front and 6" rear. In limited 2wd, you are allowed to move your shock/strut mounts up 3.5". I'm looking to add around 3" of travel to both ends. There will be much head scratching this weekend.
Buying a subaru with issues the dealer will fix is a high level move.
also motivating me to do more on my car.
theyseemebrolin said:Buying a subaru with issues the dealer will fix is a high level move.
also motivating me to do more on my car.
I vote for a roof-mounted fuel filler system ;)
So I'm going to get a little bit ahead of myself and talk about some math while making the assumption that I can actually use the suspension parts I want.
Spring rates: I did this two ways and came up with about the same answers both times.
Both techniques, rounding to the nearest 25lb/in spring increment (because that's how they're sold) and rounding down in the rear (because that seems to be the way RWD gravel cars get set up) give us a ballpark 225lb/in up front and 275 lb/in out back. I then confirmed with Odd Bird racing, a team running a BRZ with similar travel on an actual professionally built rally suspension- they run 200lbs/in up front and 250lbs/in out back. Close enough to tell me my math is OK!
Damping: Honestly, if you want off the shelf inserts up front that are already valved more or less correctly, you're going to be using Escort stuff, and it only comes in a few flavors through Gartrac or motorsport-tools anyway. For the longer travel version, you can buy 260/60, 300/70, or 300/100 valving (Bilstein numbers are weird but those are basically the rebound/compression forces in lbs at a velocity of 10in/sec, at least by my understanding). It doesn't totally matter what the numbers mean, because they're the same format as those old setup sheets I mentioned in the spring section. 300/100 is the closest to what heavier cars seemed to use up front, and it's also what I had on the shelf for the Merkur anyway.
In the back things are more difficult. I can figure out the Bilstein rates I would want using the "scale the old setup sheets" trick but the common circle track coilovers don't usually use that style of notation, and I'm cheap so I'd like to use something I can order off the shelf from Speedway or Summit if I can get away with it. Using this sheet as a cross reference I will probably try to figure that out as I narrow down what I can/can't fit in the back. Currently my best guess is that I could use an AFCO coilover with a 4-6 valve but that is subject to change.
John Welsh recommended I punch the VIN into a service record lookup I didn't know existed (thanks John!) which revealed that the car was originally purchased in California and serviced by the dealer there for two years until it moved elsewhere. It also yet again confirmed that this car hasn't had the valve spring recall performed yet, but had no other information since it apparently didn't go back to a dealer (or at least one that was using the online recordkeeping system) after leaving California.
Just to clarify for others... On the Toyota website there is a section for "owners". In that section you can put in the vin of your Toyota and it will return back to you the service records from any Toyota Dealership in the country.
I have used this function in making pre-purchase decisions on Prius. You do not have to be the owner. All you need is the vin and it will kick you back the service records.
The assumption I made here was that it should work for Scions also.
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
If you're going to look at Escort stuff from the UK, you might look at demon-tweeks.com. You can see the prices in USD and their shipping costs are significantly lower than gartrac or motorsport-tools. That's where Josh got his rear shocks on the rally car and where i'll be getting mine.
In reply to shagles :
Too late, I ordered some stuff for test fit! Ah well, I'm not even going to look at the shipping difference, it's fine. I have ordered tires from demon-tweeks but it didn't cross my mind this time. The upside is that all the Gartrac stuff should work together, at least.
I've been measuring all morning- here, look at my homework:
Luckily the stock tires are pretty close to a 195 Maxxis gravel, so I just used them for this figuring a 185 should be about the same.
On the rear, there's only about 8.5" of useable travel anyway, but the good news is that they collapsed length of most 7" travel coilovers will physically fit with a 3.25" shock tower added. Full bump would look like this:
Putting ride height around here:
Up front, things should work if I find an extra 2.25" somewhere, although I have to decide whether that's in the top mount itself, a taller tower, or by "choking up" on the strut and covering some of the threads with the mounting ears. Full bump would stop a little short of this:
Putting ride height around here:
It's worth noting that the"full bump" positions here represent a 2 or 3" bumpstops being squished completely flat so they're a little dramatic.
Cutting fenders isn't allowed in limited 2wd so some fender rolling will also be needed, especially if I wind up with a drastically different offset to clear the tie rod and brakes.
Where'd you get the length specs on the bilsteins? I can't find them anywhere.
In reply to shagles :
A tape measure and the set that I have sitting here, let me know what you need I'll make you a drawing.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:Another wheel update- these 16" Impreza wheels fit like they were made for it:
Those guys are available for $15-25 apiece depending on season/sale, from PMP in mertztown, if you want a whole buttload of them.
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
Ah ok. I'm trying to find specs on the fronts for the ti and escort turreted rears.
taking advantage of those subaru discounts I see...
So switching from scheming mode to unberkeleyenization for a moment, this exhaust cutout has to go- at least it has a skid plate I guess:
Oh look it's pointed at the fuel lines, great:
Need to chop that thing out and patch it back together, I'll add some little armor bits while I'm at it. I think I'll actually retain the stock donut joint thing, with a fresh gasket it should be pretty good.
There's a dude on instagram that goes by the handle "liftedbrz" or something like that. He also rallycrosses it. He seems like a bit of a knob; but, reaching out to him might be worth a shot for some of your questions.
Can't wait to see the final product either.
Speaking of, there's a dude who's been bringing a lifted BRZ/86 to the DC rallycross events occasionally. I'm not sure he'll have any answers for you, but he seemed nice enough.
Dear "tuner car" people, please try to be less of a caricature of yourselves:
I have removed several stickers but the interior "chopped" is my favorite. The receipt for wheel spacers was under the spare tire.
Looking at where my rear shock tower has to go, this will be interesting:
On the other side, in the wheel well:
I usually think fender liners are stupid on rally cars but this one may force my hand, they protect the fuel filler at the back (note to future me, get the exhaust away from there) and up front there is actually a hole into the engine bay that they cover:
I'll have to decide whether to attempt to make the fender liners durable enough to survive (Subaru drivers yanking the remains of a mangled fender liner out of the wheel well are a common sight at events) or just make some little strategic cover pieces instead.
People who own/race these- can you tell me how important this plastic undertray piece is in terms of airflow through the radiator?
All I see is a really bad approach angle and a big thing that's going to get broken and shoved into the radiator. How about the piece above it, does that one need to stay? Seems more robust at least:
Without them, it looks a lot more like something you can stick a skid plate on, with room for a nice kick up at the front so it goes over things instead of just into them:
Typically, those deflectors are important for making sure air goes through the radiator and not under it, but if you build your skid plate correctly, it might be able to serve the same purpose.
I have visions of an English wheel in your future and you fabricating metal fender liners. 
That exhaust cut-out contraption is factory? Seems really strange...
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