15" steelies on a WRX?

Altho most probably will not, (front caliper clearance issues) you might find some that will; you'll just have to try. You might also give Tirerack a call. I managed to locate a set of 15in alloys designed for rally use that fit my WRX (just barely); Revolution made 'em IIRC. Seems like they were around $120 each. Happy hunting.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

Why not just buy some 17's for summer use and run the stock 16's in winter?

Hi Jerry and Bea!

On Mon, 6 Oct 2003 11:55:27 -0700, "Jerry and Bea"

In addition to daily driver duties, I use the WRX on dirt roads, and for rallycross. I wanted a slightly taller 15 inch tire to get a bit more ground clearance, to put more sidewall between my rims and the rocks, and because there isn't much (any?) selection of 16 inch competition rally tires. I also autocross the WRX in "D Stock" class, which requires "stock" wheel sizing and offset, but allows race tires. For this application, I run Kumho V700 tires on the stock 16 inch alloys. I have some modifications planned for the off season that will bump the car out of stock class, and into what is called "Street Prepared". At this point I will have to decide on what wheel size to use; 15, 16, or 17. Most likely I will use the 15 inch wheels with a 225-50 tire. This will result in significantly lower final gearing, which I hope will help with exits from tight turns. With OEM gearing, the rex suffers greatly from turbo lag; reluctant downshifts to 1st don't help, either. For winter use, at least when there is snow and ice on the roads, I drive my beat-up old 4X4 GL wagon with 4 studded tires, and 4 wheel chains if necessary. It just doesn't get stuck, has an electric winch to help out the less fortunate drivers, and if someone manages to slide into me, what the heck; it's just an old Subaru. Aren't you sorry you asked ;-)

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

Nope, not sorry! I run in STX with my stock rims (and tires for now, those re92's just won't cord so I can get rid of 'em) and run 17's on the street. I just picked up another set of stock rims to run winter tires on. How are you going to set up your suspension for both autocross and rallycross? Kind of opposite ends of the suspension spectrum, no?

Hi again Jerry (and Bea?)!

On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 19:13:04 -0700, "Jerry and Bea" wrote:

Surprisingly not. I have a set of STI struts on the car now. They did lower things a bit; maybe 1/2 inch, but they work super on bumpy/rutty dirt roads at speed. The chassis stays fairly flat, and tracks like it's on rails. Larger bumps, rocks, and washboards just disappear into the suspension without altering the trajectory much, if any. In fact, I'd say the WRX is a far better offroad/rallycross tool than an autocross car; not too surprising considering it's origins. I have installed a factory rear diff protector, an aluminum skid plate under the engine, and huge mud flaps. Everything else is pretty well tucked in, and not too likely to sustain crippling damage from chance encounters with terra firma. I have picked up a few bumps and scrapes to the underside, but mostly from taking the car over jeep roads goin' fishin' (where it works amazingly well, all things considered, and you wouldn't believe the looks you get from the 4X4 crowd ;-) For autocross, the superior tracking provided by the AWD makes it difficult (at least for me) to get that last little bit out of the tire adhesion; it slips into understeer so transparently that it encourages application of more throttle, especially in sweepers. While this feels fast, and is huge fun, it's just _not_ the fastest way around. On dirt, OTOH, you are always drifting (if you're going fast), and then the AWD system works for you in a big way, helping to keep you on track even if you get overly enthusiastic with the go pedal. In all honesty, I have mostly been driving my well sorted little MR2 in CSP this season, with my 16yo daughter as a co-driver. It's probably not as competitive in it's class, but it's simply more fun to autocross, and fun is the name of the game as far as I'm concerned. Plus the girl-child is a beginning driver, and I want her to learn to work the RWD car first, as it demands more precision from the pilot. Once she gains some proficiency/consistancy in the MR2, I'll turn her loose with the rex. I'll mention that I do disable the WRX ABS for aggressive driving (especially on dirt, snow, and ice), as it's way too sensitive. Bumps, washboards, and slick surfaces have it activating as soon as you touch the brake pedal, which dramatically reduces the amount of braking effect. This is a good way to explore the ditch on the outside of the turn, or to give the course workers something to do! Finally, rallycross, at least as sanctioned by the local SCCA group, is pretty much just an autocross on dirt; either a large dirt parking lot, or the south forty on Doc's farm (literally). Ruts, grooves, and loose berms do form after the first couple run groups, but basically the courses are pretty smooth, and tighter/slower than your average autocross. Dust is often a bigger issue than anything else. We had several rallycross events on ice last winter (my favorite; I actually get to win sometimes), but I've been told that the property owner got upset when some fool burned a couple donuts in their field, and may not allow us access this winter. Bummer.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101