Nate's OBS: Out Front

if you don't know how to countersteer buy a parts car!
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actually, it's more like, "if you don't know how to countersteer, all you'll have left is a parts car."
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I'm assuming upgrading the front a bit as well will prevent it from being as snappy?
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maybe on pavement. but on rough dirt, big bars inhibit a Suby's suspension travel which is entirely counterproductive. on the LDR rally car, we often disconnect the swaybars entirely, esp on snow.

 
don't bother with the front strut bar. they aren't worth it. especially where the strut towers are so close to the firewall. all it amounts to is under-hood bling

 
So I thought that sways and strut-bars would be the way to go, but the last page makes me think no
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. I don't do much off-roading, so I may still get a front sway bar (22mm probably, but I'm going to have to figure it out) and later a WRX rear sway.

 
I think Nigel is talking about really using your car. If your just driving around on the street, then get a big rear sway bar. I did it, and it was a huge upgrade. It cornered so much better. Do not upgrade the front before the rear.

 
Tires by far are the biggest contributor to finding more cornering force. By bolting on a set of stickies, you-in minutes-make the biggest possible gain in cornering power. Generally, putting the biggest tires that will fit inside your wheel wells without rubbing is the way to go. Choosing an ultrahigh-performance tire is also important.
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Taken from Modified.com's article on suspension and handling
 
If your just driving around on the street, then get a big rear sway bar. I did it, and it was a huge upgrade.
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well, 'just driving around on the street' is where I first discovered how snappy the back end can be. I'd recently mounted a take-off WRX rear bar on my 00 RS. I was haulin down a mountain road, pitched into a bend, and hit some sand/gravel washed over the pavement. Back end snapped around, I did well not to collect the guardrail. (which was scary enough, but still better than launching downhill into the woods arse-end-first)

so beware monkeying around with big rear bar, is all I'm sayin.

..and also, it seems a couple of posters above have got terms confused....front strut bar and front sway bar are quite different things.

 
So no 20mm WRX bars have popped up reasonably close for a reasonable price, so I haven't had to worry about that
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.

Now that its sunny out and my car isn't covered in road-salt, I'm starting to see a few places where I need to sand out some surface rust and touch-up the paint. Namely the front of the hood and places where the previous owner opened the door into other people's cars, on the back of the front doors (right on the edge), there are some rust spots.

Anyway, I figured this would be a good time to try and body-match my door handles and the black trim pieces. Does anybody know of a spray paint that will somewhat match either of the two paint colors?

Gabe, have you had to find paint for your OBS?

 
Sweet, thanks. Unforunately, I only have the code for Silverthorn Metallic, not the bottom color.

Last weekend I wanted to tighten one of the bolts on my stock mudflaps (the plastic isn't too flappy though), and I couldn't get to it with the wheel on. I couldn't find my tire iron either. I'm going to look for it, but it might be time for my first parts-yard trip.

 
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Sweet, thanks. Unforunately, I only have the code for Silverthorn Metallic, not the bottom color.
Last weekend I wanted to tighten one of the bolts on my stock mudflaps (the plastic isn't too flappy though), and I couldn't get to it with the wheel on. I couldn't find my tire iron either. I'm going to look for it, but it might be time for my first parts-yard trip.
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Go to a body shop and they'll be able to match it for you.

You should really have a tire iron. Go to a autoparts store and get a nice one.

 
I can't figure out when to stop tightening the clutch cable bolt... I was able to loosen the locking bolt and I'm trying to see if I feel a difference anywhere when tightening the other bolt. So far no luck.

 
I can't figure out when to stop tightening the clutch cable bolt... I was able to loosen the locking bolt and I'm trying to see if I feel a difference anywhere when tightening the other bolt. So far no luck.
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What exactly are you doing with the clutch?

You have the hydraulic clutch, right?

 
Nope, cable. I wouldn't have to tighten it if it were hydraulic.

What I ended up doing was just testing for where there was noticeable slack in the pedal. I think I ended up putting it right back where it was. After I put the airbox back on, I fiddled with it trying to figure out at which point I was able to put it in gear (when the synchros let me, I figured the clutch was engaged, which makes sense because when I pushed the shifter a little harder and it went in, the car didn't move).

 
Nope, cable. I wouldn't have to tighten it if it were hydraulic.

What I ended up doing was just testing for where there was noticeable slack in the pedal. I think I ended up putting it right back where it was. After I put the airbox back on, I fiddled with it trying to figure out at which point I was able to put it in gear (when the synchros let me, I figured the clutch was engaged, which makes sense because when I pushed the shifter a little harder and it went in, the car didn't move).

 
I thought they were all hydraulic after '96. But talking about the locking bolt and the other bolt I was confused because they're actually called nuts. I thought the hydraulic one might have bolts, dunno. Never dealt with one.

Anyway, you should have about 1/4" of play on the clutch fork (forward to backward). Then tighten her up and you're good!

 
Sorry about the nut/bolt thing
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. The weird thing is that there is never any play, even when I loosen the thing up a lot. Maybe I need more upper arm strength, or maybe I'm doing something wrong. The clutch fork is the one with the little rubber accordion sticking out of the transmission, right? The thing that the end of the cable is attached to. I ended up just going by slack in the pedal where I didn't feel/hear the clutch engaging, then I tested it going back and forth in the driveway.

I guess the only thing else I can do to tighten it, assuming I did everything right this time, is to get a better clutch once this one wears out.

 
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