fitted new whiteline roll bars to my 08 sti last nite , front 22mm and on the rear 22mm also. here is how it went
started with the rear first as it looked the bigger job

loosend off the drop links first and the brackets that hold the bushes to the x member

the new hatch suspension is different from the older cars, not as simple
now with the rear 22mm bar fitted on to the car with the poly bushes and the rear wishbone nut removed to allow the fitting of the whiteline brace bar

brace bar in place

you are supplied all the hardware ,washers and longer bolts for the tubed bracket that fits on the bush cup and grease for the bushes


total time for fitting 30mins ,then fitted the front.
you have to remove the plastic undertray first

when its off the car you see whats entailed ,its a lot simpler than the newage scoobies .no full xmember to remove but a strengthening bracket


8 bolts hold this on

then remove the drop links both sides and the bush loop bkts



the old anti roll bar on the deck in 15 mins

new bar checked and ready to go on the car

same as all the other scoobies classic and newage ,the bar points upward under the steering arms, some guys fit them the other way round and end up fouling the steering ,not a good idea

the bar fitted stg bkt back on ready for the undertray
total time 30mins ,ready to rock and roll

what does it drive like ,before i tell you here is what my wife says it used to handle like . A FOOKIN BOAT IN A STORM, well she is the expert .
now the first impressions are , flatter cornering more stable at high speed ,entry speed into roundaouts increased with confedence ,exit more stable and gives a greater feeling of control . i did not like the way the car handled before but after the honeymoon period of having a new car and being cautious with it i never felt like the car would go around corners even with the electronic gismos that are on it . i had one moment with her that i thought this it it big man were f***ed , on the entry to a sharp left then a sweeping right just after i encountered a slight undulation mid bend she broke away hopping to the right ,caught it then secondary slide snapped full left just managed to catch it back ///biggest moment in a while that would have never happend in my old sti (scooby glue)named after the reg no st ** pva . guess where i am going back to try this bad boy out
cheers geo

 

Nice write up. What does it do for the ride quality as when I fitted the bars to my classic it made the ride a bit harsh? Whiteline show 22mm front and 20mm rear as their standard offering, which I did think was too small and on their MRT v Whiteline STI 08 battle video the guy did say it still had understeer.

I did read one of the antilift thread that you intended to put one on your 08 but it doesn't look like you have, unless it's the black motorsport version. Do you think it would be a worthwhile mod with a good alignment?

Paul.

 

So whats the final outcome ?

Ride / comfort wise ?

Handling wise ?

Roll decreased significantly ?

If you had the choice would you go this route again or go for AST or similar ?

Thanks for the reply - many folks out there are wondering whats the best thing to do

 

hi ans to no 1 ride improved comfort not comprimised but better to drive now
no 2 handling much improved
no 3 roll stiffness increased ,front turn in sharper, vagueness now
gone.
at the moment i am going to fit the anti lift kit and springs to the standard dampers ,may fit w/line top mounts to give camber/caster adjustment .dont want to fit coil overs as yet as i want to try and keep some ride comfort .i plan to fit the traction bush pack to the subframe on the rear but i will keep you posted . i will adjust the bars on to all the settings to find out the best set up and i may try larger bars as they become available
cheers geo

 

Hi Geo, are you able to quantify the gains as Whiteline have in the past?

 

hi m8 i can only report my findings as i do the mods to the car
my wife says its a different car altogether an she knows cars
she has been around high performance cars fo 30 odd years
as i do the mods i will post up the differences as i find them cheers geo

 

hi paul after playing with the car now for 150 miles i still have slight undeersteer ,but thats to be expected .the car is transformed in the handling department .the turn in is much improved ,only slight undeersteer when pushed to the limit but controlable .next step anti lift kit and springs .
will keep you guys posted as i add the bits cheers geo