17th Mod, Rear Sway End Links

The stock rear sway end links are made of a nylon plastic.

They are prone to breaking when used with a stronger rear sway bar, like I have, see link. http://brewmasterjeff.blogspot.com/2007/04/9th-mod-rear-sway-bar-upgrade.html

This mod was to replace the stock end links with these stronger ones (Yellow).

The parts also cam with slightly stronger bolts, and locking nuts.

16th Mod, Front Sway Bar End Links

These are stronger than stock end links.

The idea is that when you make the sway bar stiffer the end links can't take the extra strain, and wear out quickly, and break.

This picture is looking at the inside of the driver front wheel looking back.

The end link is the I shaped piece.

It is connecting the sway bar (RED) to the swing arm that is connected to the wheel hub.

The yellow parts are the dust sheilds that are covering the bearing ends.

15th Mod, Front Sway Bar

This mod was to replace the front sway bar with a more rigid one.

The stock sway bar is 20 mm, this one is 25mm, and 215% or 260% stiffer than stock.

They have 2 sets of holes and if you mount the end links to one set it is stiffer than the other.

I set it to the stiff, 260% side.

I am taking it to the track tomorrow, but so far it is cornering like it is on rails!!

14th Mod, Hood Dampers

These are really cool, they are two small gas shocks that attach to the hood.

When you pop the hood, you only have to lift it about 1/3 of the way then they push it up the rest of the way, and hold it up.





Mainly just cool, but at autocross you open your hood for inspection, and to cool the engine between runs, so it will be nice to not have to fumble around with the prop rod.

13th Mod, CG-Lock

I learned about this part on HSPN.TV, it is called the CG-Lock.

What is does is allow you to pull on the shoulder belt, and tighten the lap belt.

This helps keep you in your seat while you are driving hard at auto cross or off-road.

It installed in moments, and was under $50.

You just sit down, clip your belt. Push yourself down and back in the seat, tug the shoulder belt until the lap belt is tight.

To release, you release the seat belt, then release the lever.

One of the cool features is that if you need to let someone else drive you car you can pull the top plate off, and the seat belt acts normally.

12th Mod, Floor Mat Fix

People that have the Rubber Subaru mats like I do complain they do not stay in place.

There are many theories, but on mine the rubber spikes wore off in the middle of the mat where my feet are, then it just slides around.

What I did was rip a piece of plex down to 1 3/8” on a table saw. Then I used the table saw to put facets on the end to round it.

Then I drilled a half inch hole at the rounded end.

I applied foam double sided tape to the bottom of the ridge that runs most directly toward the peg in the floor.

Then I attached the strip of plex leaving the hole 1 and ½ inches from the edge of the mat. Then I drilled 4, 1/8” holes through the mat, and plex. Then I ran 4 rivets through the plex. My rivets were ½” so I had to cut them down a little. I used wire cutters and a Drimmel for that.

Then I put the mat in the car, putting the peg through the hole.

After driving with it a couple days, I found the plex was popping off of the peg. The peg has a slight bulge about half way up. I should have drilled the hole a little smaller, and then forced it over the peg. Instead I found a rubber grommet, and forced it onto the peg which should keep everything in place.

11th Mod, Painting Covers

Once I modified my grill for the intake mod I realized I would need to paint it.

So I decided to match the belt cover, intake duct, and fuse cover.

I painted them today. The color is a black metallic flake. it is pretty subtle, but in the sun it really pops.

10th Mod, Grill Reduction

I have not butt dyno'd it yet.

Here is the intake modification concept.

Under the front of the hood of my car there are two gaskets. One is on the leading edge of the grill, and the other runs alone the top of the radiator cross member and over the intake snorkel.

So the air going into the snorkel has to go in through the grill, hit the radiator, and back up through the narrow gap between the radiator and the back of the grill.

What I decided to do was remove as much material as I could without destroying the grill.

I cut out the left 2 sections, the third one couldn't hurt, but I doubt it will help.

You can see in this picture what I have done.

The white tape represents the contact points for the gaskets. You will notice 2 large holes on the left, and a small gap on the right. The left hole looked like the right, stock so you can see I have openned up the gap by 200%-300%.