05COLEGGT Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Hi Everyone, I bought an 05 Leg GT a few months ago with 96K miles on it. Everything seems tight and in good shape suspension wise. I used to take my previous car to HPDE events all the time and was planning on doing the same with the Legacy. I've already done the basic mods like springs, sway bars, and Hawk Pads with Motul fluid. My question is what can be done to tighten up the steering a bit? I notice on decreasing radius turns that the steering starts out fine, then gets a little loose and then tightens up again. I was thinking the rack mount bushing might be to blame but wanted to get some more input from people before I swap those out with Urethane mounts. thanks! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAC5.2 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I'd spend some time reading in the suspension sub-forum. There are a bunch of guys who track their cars pretty aggressively. Whitetiger and WPMarky are the first two that come to mind. Look into the setups they have (by searching, not just PM'ing them) and see what they've done. [URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05COLEGGT Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 Ok, I'll give that a try. I did notice that the vast majority of the posts deal with suspension and don't really get much into steering issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FPerron Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Just make sure that the steering rack is in good stock condition and that the mounting bushings are OK. There is really no need to mess with the steering beyond that. If you're serious about going fast on the track, think about coilovers. With the proper coilover setup, matching sways, and Cusco front and rear frame stiffeners, the car will surprise you with its quick turn in capabilities. Spend your money on good 8" wide wheels and R-compound track tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul_Good Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 ^^^ Establish a good baseline and be sure your rack is fine first. Then you'll get a good gauge if you need new bushings or not. With that said, my steering rack was fine when I did the swap to the polys and I didn't notice any difference in steering on the track vs my stock bushings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteyjr Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Don't forget the LCA bushings. Changing those out will really improve steering feel. Makes a huge difference, possibly more than steering rack bushings. Good solid endlinks can help as well (MSI or Kartboy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I didnt see struts mentions in the OP's post. If you are truly serious about track stuff, at least get a set of konis to go witht the springs, if not a good coilover system(good means you are spending at least $2k). that will improve steering feel the most. crap struts will give you a loose steering feel when loaded. the only bushings you would want are the LCA bushings already mentioned as they will give the car more stability and dynamic camber(if you get the offset ones, which you should). FYI, its easy to turn the wheel faster that the power steering can handle on tight transitions. its just something you have to live with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Th3Franz Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Poly steering rack bushings and poly lower control arm bushings made a big improvement for cornering stability on my car. -Franz The end of a Legacy http://www.youtube.com/th3franz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZP Installs Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Poly steering rack bushings and poly lower control arm bushings made a big improvement for cornering stability on my car. Same here. The whiteline LCA bushings and the Steering Rack bushings. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Spend your money on good 8" wide wheels and R-compound track tires. What size tires work well? 225, 235, 245? Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FPerron Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 245s if your wheel offset is correct and you roll the rear fender lips. I had to do some fine adjustment with very thin wheel spacers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinlsb Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Want a killer LGT? Add a front LSD. If the car is lowered add a Roll center kit. "Belief does not make truth. Evidence makes truth. And belief does not make evidence." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosAngelesLGT Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 +1 roll center kit if lowered. Still wanting a LSD... +1 245/35 on 18x8 unless you can manage wider. Marky and I run (ran?) similar suspension setups. IIRC +48 18x8, 245/35/18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Getting the full whiteline kit. I have Enkei PF01 17x8 +42. I did a test fit with R1's @ 245, but they stuck out almost 2 inches. How much camber should I be running on a road course to make that fit? Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteyjr Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Carefull with R compounds . Some are really soft and geared towards Autocross. Hoosier A-6 don't last didly. Kuhmo V -710's a bit better but not by much. Go for Hoosier R-6's , Koni Cups or any of the other Big name road racing compound tires. I have two sets both bought on ebay used 1) Autocross -Kuhmo V 710's ($ 200 all four) 3/4 tread 2) HPDE/Road courses- Used Star Specs , used to have A-6's The wider the better, I'm lowered so I go with 225's with no issues . Would love to be on 245's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I'm have KDW 2 @ 235/45/17 on 17x7 +42. I run 50psi on the front tires to prevent too much rollover. Havent bought tires for the 17x8's yet, as the car still in the shop. 225 is "optimal" for 8 inch rims, according to the tire/wheel thread. Test fitting a 245 tire into the wheelwell, it didnt even fit on the front. Didnt even try the back. Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FPerron Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Getting the full whiteline kit. I have Enkei PF01 17x8 +42. I did a test fit with R1's @ 245, but they stuck out almost 2 inches. How much camber should I be running on a road course to make that fit? R compound tire manufacturers publish camber recommendations, and they call for a lot of negative camber. I believe I ran about -3 in front and -2 in the rear with the car lowered on coilovers. I don't recall having any problem with front fittment of 245/40/17 BFG g-Force tires on 8 inch rims. On the rear, I had to roll the fenders and then space the wheels out about 1/16 inch. The car stuck like glue and I won a class championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Hmmm...I'll have to try that. Would really like to use 245's if they'll fit. I'm getting BC coilovers put on, so will try the fitment again with it lowered. I'm fine with rolling, just dont want to have add wheel arches. The motor is "built" so I'm out of the stock class already. :-( Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosAngelesLGT Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I'm have KDW 2 @ 235/45/17 on 17x7 +42. I run 50psi on the front tires to prevent too much rollover...225 is "optimal" for 8 inch rims, according to the tire/wheel thread. Test fitting a 245 tire into the wheelwell, it didnt even fit on the front. 50psi is too high for KDW2 in my experience. 245/35/18 KDW2 fitting beautifully on 18x8 sitting on KW's http://i53.tinypic.com/15x6b2a.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 50 psi on hte right front, 48 on left front, ~38 on the rears. Its a counter-clockwise track. That put the rub line right on the triangles, and kept the chalk lines consistent. Anything less on the front and handling sucked. KDW 2 is rated for 51 cold. Looking at your pic, I wonder if the wagon has a different wheelwell size? With the 245's on it, this is what it looked like: http://i42.tinypic.com/20fuhwl.jpg http://i41.tinypic.com/bhaasj.jpg The 235's that are on it now, have almost zero clearance inside & out. Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosAngelesLGT Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I run 44-46ish front (been 3 months since I have driven it so I barely remember at this point) and 34-36 rear. Higher pressure made the tires feel greasy to me when warmer. It could be that I am overdriving them. I also have really rough edges on the rear. I am also sedan. Here are more pics of the actual fitment at 0 alignment. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=95063&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1319108860 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=95061&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1319108860 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=95061&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1319108860 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 "Greasy" ? at 44-46 in front, that was my reaction. Bumping the pressure up on the outside tire helped alot, and dropping the rears. In the end, to preserve the tires, I had to slow down. I had a "tire expert" helping with pressures to get to that point. At least he knew more than I did and had better measuring equipment. I rotate front to back, left to right for every day on the track. But still chunked the shoulders pretty badly. In hindsight, its probably not an ideal tire to run. Looking at R1's or something similiar for the coming year. And a good track-oriented alignment. To hear the Porsche guys tell it, "are you sure you should be driving a wagon that fast?" :-) On the track, stock everything down to the Michelin A/S tires, cornering at the limit: http://i43.tinypic.com/mcw4zp.jpg Extended AutoX course, overdriving the tires, stock everything including tire pressure: http://i44.tinypic.com/2rmo2s7.jpg Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinlsb Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 "Greasy" ? at 44-46 in front, that was my reaction. Bumping the pressure up on the outside tire helped alot, and dropping the rears. In the end, to preserve the tires, I had to slow down. I had a "tire expert" helping with pressures to get to that point. At least he knew more than I did and had better measuring equipment. I rotate front to back, left to right for every day on the track. But still chunked the shoulders pretty badly. In hindsight, its probably not an ideal tire to run. Looking at R1's or something similiar for the coming year. And a good track-oriented alignment. To hear the Porsche guys tell it, "are you sure you should be driving a wagon that fast?" :-) On the track, stock everything down to the Michelin A/S tires, cornering at the limit: http://i43.tinypic.com/mcw4zp.jpg Extended AutoX course, overdriving the tires, stock everything including tire pressure: http://i44.tinypic.com/2rmo2s7.jpg What bothered the PCA guys the most. The fact that it is a wagon, or the fact you are racing with your "secret weapon" roof racks? A couple of kayaks on top would ice the cake "Belief does not make truth. Evidence makes truth. And belief does not make evidence." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Hmmm...I'll have to try that. Would really like to use 245's if they'll fit. I'm getting BC coilovers put on, so will try the fitment again with it lowered. I'm fine with rolling, just dont want to have add wheel arches. The motor is "built" so I'm out of the stock class already. :-( I've been running 245 Star Specs (which are said to fit like a 255) for almost 2 years now. 245/40/18r SSR Comps 18x8 + 48 BC C/Os near full ride height -1.5 camber up front -1 in the rear f/r fenders rolled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 i run 255/35/18 Hoosier A6's on 18x8.5 wheels myself. grippity grip grip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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