gathermewool

That's freaking crazy! I'm going to pull my bulbs every oil change from now on to see what they look like. I did check that the head-light driver cooling fans are still running normally and pushing air, so that's something.

Nicely done - looks very nice!

I didn't say WEIGHT was transferred; I said that GRIP was transferred. Weight does transfer, but that's not what we're discussing specifically, even though weight DOES affect grip in a very large way. We're talking specifically about grip transfer, all else being equal, with stiffer sways. A lot of what you're saying is true, and before I continue I want to say: I think we're talking about the same thing, but in different languages. You seem to be literally talking about HOW something like a RSB WORKS mechanically, whereas I'm describing its effect on driving dynamics, i.e., grip. All else being equal: Stiffer rear end = grip transfer to front = less understeer or more oversteer This all has its limits: have you ever seen someone lift an inside wheel during auto-X? I have. ow much grip do you think THAT tire has? Do you think the increased contact patch of the outside tire will compensate for a tire lifted or with less weight on it? The answer: depends......AND.....stiffer isn't always better. Well, unless you just want to look like one of those jackholes who's riding on the bump stops, has massive sways and super low-pro tires, etc. He or she may feel like they're driving a go-kart (quite literally if riding on bump-stops), but they likely didn't take into consderation grip and may have made their car more prone to spin out in a hard turn than if they were stock (assuming tires with same grip in all conditions).

I sometimes wonder if the massive premium I paid for DiodeDynamics' bulbs will be worth it in terms of longevity. Now I wonder if they're safer, as well... Thanks for the PSA to check aftermarket LEDs on occasion. When was the last time you checked these? I'm under my hood every 1-3 weeks or so to top off the battery with my DC power supply, and to check fluids. I'll have to make sure to check the that the cooling fan is working on the headlights and that there are no signs of degradation on either my headlight/foglight LEDs.

So, you think under-steer and over-steer are a completely separate dynamic from overall grip (simply front/rear for this argument), and a change in one isn't due mostly to the other?

It does, in fact, transfer grip to the front. The front suspension will allow loading of the outside front tire more-so than the outside rear tire, as well as make the inside front tire less-prone to lifting. This = effective transfer of grip to the front...

Totally got my mistype. Thanks!

That's if you have a problem with stock, which I haven't seen much of. If the endlink is bent permanently, all it's doing is pre-loading the suspension a bit. You're still getting the benefit. It should, however, be replaced immediately due to concerns of full-on failure.

I had a 25mm (hollow) bar on my '08 STI and eventually installed Perrin pillow-ball endlinks. I had to replace them within short period because they were rattling so badly. The replacements were perfect, but my point is: not all aftermarket links are perfect. To answer your question, yes, I have seen many of the aftermarket links and what you need to realize, is that there's a huge difference between what's more than adequate for the vast majority of applications (stock links) and what's possibly more than adequate for a few more applications (aftermarket links)... I haven't seen any broken links, to be honest. What I have seen, is bent links. In this case, the bar is still doing its job, and the remedy is to replace that link. IIRC, these things bend only when something catastrophic happens, like hitting a pothole or something.

The stock endlinks work fine. I see no need for an upgrade.

yes

You'd mostly be wasting your money upgrading if your goal is better handling.... If I upgrade, it'll be to the global platform...

A FEW years in the Ascent??? I'll say it's proven when there are no issues in the next few years.

For normal driving, this is a VERY modest upgrade. When you get on it in the twisties (take a hard turn), is when you'll notice the benefit. Sway bars are ONLY for when you're turning (i.e., the suspension is loaded). A RSB will transfer grip from rear to front, minimizing oversteer, making the car feel more tail-happy. Note: there's plenty of built-in under-steer, so don't worry about the car becoming unsafe with a 20mm OEM replacement. I'm not going to cover imperfections in the road, for which a thicker anti-sway bar will increase harshness slightly.

DOT 5.1 is also fine. Why are you spending so much on brake fluid???

Same here. I had to stay very close to 3k RPM in order to keep the boominess down. I couldn't stand it. FWIW, I've never read about anyone saying they didn't like how the Q300 sounded.

Mufflers?

Not just the CVT. The Nameless ABE I had on my '08 STI droned like crazy at normal, around-town RPM. I had to shift to a lower gear to keep it from droning.

Contact WL. Let us know what they say...

I've seen it posted on some Subaru forums. If you google camber kit and various models you may eventually come up with something. I think it's just a new trailing arm with adjustable geometry.

Or sometimes the second year. The '15 Forester XT (and '15 WRX) had some of the same yet-to-be resolved issues as my '14 FXT. We truly were their guinea pigs on that one! Luckily, everything was resolved and we stuck it out instead of trading at a huge loss.

Man, I really want those wheels for my FXT!

They're all out of spec. You'd have to buy an aftermarket part to fix it. I can't remember the part.

I've had nothing but good luck with TFT. They've even patched three punctures for me for a few bucks each!

I hadn't driven the first three years there. It was like learning to drive all over again when I got a Focus my senior year! A lot of the rich people around Great Neck especially just didn't give a damn. When rich douchbags tried to cut me off or merge into me when I had the right-of-way, I'd roll down my window and yell, "how much does that car of yours cost? How much do you think this Focus costs!?"