as title what do i need to help reduce the understeer on a my99 uk wagon already done the suspension also will a rear strut brace help to stiffen the "rear" end as i've been told the wagons suffer from a lack of stiffness back there

 

What suspension do you have?

Geometry, tyres, stiffer rear ARB, "anti-lift" kit, front diff might all help.

Driving style?

 

If you realy want to kill understeer you will need to do some involved mods:
All this is real experience with my Sti v3, proven on track and road:

Fit front and rear Whiteline anti roll bars.
Solid rear and front drop links
Camber bolts in all corners
MRT top front mounts
Find a GOOD specialist to align the lot, ie Roger Clark, TSL, Power Station etc.

Go to the www.whiteline.com.au web site and study all the options for alignment.

Get that done, but with MAX caster afforded by the top mounts

The car will be transformed if aligned correctly.

Doing this avaiods fitting the popular Anti lift Kit which is a weak half way house in my opinion.

You can go a lot further than the above, but for a road car the only other mod would be Sti suspension.

As to the rear strut brace? I would spend my $$ on the above! (instead).

Good luck,

Graham.

 

so is the anti lift kit no good graham

 

as a start then rear arb (adj or non adj) and front and rear droplinks

 

Have a look on Whiteline's site. Find the articles from Aussie car mags and spend a few hours reading.

ISTR that the rear ARB complete with droplinks and uprated mounts was the single most effective upgrade starting from standard.

When you say you've "done the suspension" what have you done?

J.

 

The ALK is 'ok'.
I ran my car in the early days of hill climbing the car in competition, and it seemed to make little difference TBH.
As above, read the articles.
When I'd read the one on their Radical hill climber i went the whole distance including the radical settings.

The car was set by Ralliart in Dudley, West Midlands, and i needed to sign a disclaimer before they would do it to those specs, but, the result was a transformation.

No more understeer at racing pace, let alone tootling down the road.

Graham.

 

right been intouch with demon t and they want to know if i want the 20mm or the 22mm adj arb so guys which one do i need

 

get yourself the 22mm and run it on the middle setting.

 

Yep, correct info.
Graham.

 

I have rear brace on GT MY98. No major chage...
Only way how I can kill understeer is setting rear Ledas +2clicks over front. On snow I run car with 12/10clicks 320/225lbs due big toe out ( 20min on each wheel) and if I give not toom much gain to initiate front open diff spin car cat turn like WRC or handbrake turn. This setup is gret for ice but not so funny at snow and traffic in the city when car allways turn with doors ahead...or will not turn becouse front diff spinning the wheel and after few secconds goes power to rear axle and you get BMW M3 with TC off ...
So if you dont like undresteer get good front diff at first. May be stiffer rear diff bushing can help too.

My setup is LEDA, front Powerflex bushing, Cussco lower arm bar 4point + Sparco strut bar, solid MRT links + poly bushes at all front + rear and rear upper strut bar. Cusco adj top mounts goes next.
I run 20min toe out each wheel, 1,25° negat chamber front and 0,5 rear.

 

Before you start pulling diffs etc. out and replacing ARBs and fitting strut braces, maybe the bumpsteer mod. would help ?

 

Sorry, I'm back to the added caster the top mounts give as a bolt-on cure, simple and cost effective.
Wouldn't hurt to have the bump steer mod done at the same time though.


Graham.

 

dont forget to point out Graham that the MRT top mounts RAISE the ride height 10-15mm....

 

Sorry, you are correct.
Becuase i have coil-overs I keep forgetting ....

Graham

 

Graham, were you able to compensate completely for the 10-15mm rise by adjusting the AVOs? I remember another thread in which John Felstead commented he thought your car was sitting a bit too high in the front.

 

cheers guys some good help

 

Yes.
I installed the AVO's and several other parts at the same time. Ralliart set the car in fine detail, but John is an expert!
I always thought the car rides too high in front (or the rear has sagged) but it does drive well.
The AVO's will drop the car far more than enough to get the ride back together, but they are a bit rustic in performance and durability, but seem to be getting quieter as time goes by(!)

I always set my cars so the trolley jack can be placed under the car at a hill climb paddock (tarmac/grass/boggy/unsafe) just purely practical.

Gets me over sleeping policemen too

this Xmas (forward planning ) the suspension will come apart for re greasing and a fresh set-up, maybe some AST's too.
Once drove a friends RA around a sprint track. It had DMS 50mm Gold struts......just so good.

Graham.

 

Did the rear droplinks 1st on mine ( some powerflex ones ) and that made a noticeable difference.
Then fitted a 22mm adj ARB on mid setting. Even more difference and much less understeer and turn in felt better.
Have recently been to Powerstation for the ALK, bumpsteer and 4 wheel alignment. Last changes have helped the cornering and the bumpsteer really removes the need to correct the steering continually under heavy braking.

 

Cheers Graham

 

I haven't read all the thread, i had the same problem for a while.

I got the steering geometry set on my car for fast road driving at KT Greens in Leeds(Scooby Dealer) although it's available all over the place.
It was £85 and it totally eliminated it all mate.
It is incredible now.