This time next week i'll have my new improved wrx. At first I was just going to get the CB exhaust and short throw shifter. But then I saw the suspension upgrades they had. So i got the lower chasis brace as well as the front strut tower bar. All in all it's gonna be a more nimble, louder lil beast by the end of it. Right now I'm trying to figure out what I myself can install and what I should shell out some more cash for. Ive got a jack and braces.
hows the weather in that part of CA? the SPT CBE doesnt use stainless steel flanges so they will rust and break if you have snow and salt after awhile.
i hope that short throw is not the OEM one you could of got on your car as a factory item. its shorter but nothing like a real aftermarket short throw. you wont be WOW at it at all and its double the price of a good aftermarket like kartboy.
thoughs braces arnt going to do much either as a DD. infact i heard the tower brace doesnt do anything for these cars.
sorry to sound like such a negitive nancy but theres a lot better stuff you might have wanted to go with instead.
CBE: 30-60 minutes
Short throw: 15 minutes
Strut tower bar: 15 minutes
Lower chassis brace: 15 minutes
You basically need a socket wrench set and like 2 hours free. A second set of hands will help a lot with the CBE. Even if you've never seen a wrench before you can do these no problem.
Lol... those are aggressive times. maybe for somebody that has done the install before. CBE I'll agree with an hour. Short throw I say two hours for a newbie because it's probably the whole assembly with the linkage (45 mins if it's just the shifter), strut tower bar yes 15 minutes, lower chassis brace I say 45 minutes. In the end I see your two hours and raise you three lol.
Regardless, if you have time, it's all a super easy install as long as you have a wrench and a brain.
Changing just the shifter takes like 7 minutes.
1) Remove shiftknob/console cover - 2 minutes
2) Remove bolt - 15 seconds
3) Pop out shifter (pull back against metal) - 3 seconds
4) Grease new shifter - 15 seconds
5) Pop in new shifter (line up and hit it with your palm like Mr. Miyagi) - 15 seconds
6) Reassemble (one bolt) - 30 seconds
7) Screw on shift knob and screw down console - 2 minutes
The whole linkage might take a couple hours, I've replaced a shift linkage that took 4+ hours before. Strut tower bar is a high estimate at 15 minutes unless your bolts are stuck. I pulled the lower chassis brace number out of thin air, I just cant see something taking 45 minutes when it basically amounts to bolting a piece of metal to another piece of metal.
In any case, I agree with your conclusion, times may vary but it is highly unlikely you will run into a showstopping issue installing these parts. Don't strip anything, don't crossthread anything, and take your time (unlike me). !Thumbs Up
Haven't worked on cars but I have seen a wrench. I'm pretty sure I can handle this stuff even as a newb. I'm certainly not used to being under cars yet. As for the weather, it's all good. I don't see much snow. Ive seen enough positive reviews about this stuff to be confident. I'll let you know how it turns out. Plus the price for all of this with the discount I got is cheaper than any other set up I can find similar to it. And thats when I don't include the momo shift nob and spt heat shield.
Yeah I factor in the "staring at the piece" time that a first timer usually does when they first start a project. My shifter probably took me 25 minutes the first time.
The shifter install seems like it will take me a while. Like you guys said I'm gonna stare at these parts a while ### I definitely want to do it right. The other stuff seems more familiar. Installing the brace might be a little tricky. I think you have to do that with the wheels on the ground or something. The dealer won't install the strut bar but that's the easiest one anyways. I'm so ready for a cb exhaust!!
Isn't this brace just bolted through the subframe using the subframe bolts? I think it's just four bolts. Get some Rhino ramps, a breaker bar, a ratchet, and 17/19mm sockets and you'll have the thing on in 10 minutes.
After I'm done with this. Its time to paint the tail lights. Nice thread by the way RcrsWetDream. Got to reflash somehow too. Think i'm going the OS route.
The design of the 08+ lower chassis brace requires unbolting parts that will shift (lower suspension arm front) if you have the suspension loaded. Must be done using jacks and jack stands. According to a thread on Nasioc.
That makes sense. In that case jack it up. Don't forget to torque the subframe bolts back to 180+ lbft. I think the bolts on the suspension are probably around 50lbft.
It will save you a lot of hassle if you get some low ramps (or make some) so you can drive up on them and use the jack plate in the center of the car in the front to put your car on stands. I made some steps out of plywood that go 4" high, gets the car high enough to use a standard jack.
With a torque wrench. For the bolts on the subframe you'll be torquing to REALLY F***ING TIGHT (184 lbft). For the other bolts you'll be torquing to normal tightness and then a little tighter (40 lbft).
buy a really expensive tool called a torque wrench. good ones are $100-$250. the digital ones are the most expensive.
PS if your doing your shifter be careful. when you pull up on the plastic peice that covers the e-brake, you need to put your hands under the plastic and pull up. the e-brake has a whole bunch of sharp ass metal. no JOKE ripped my middle finger nail clean off!! hurt like a mother, 3-4 months to grow back, wear heavy gloves.
It's more expensive because your buying the whole assembly instead of just the lever part. Don't ask me why they do that. They giving it to me for 221. and its got a warranty and if for some crazy reason it does cause problems with the other components, subaru will fix it.
Got the CBE on today and just took it for a test drive. The sound is just what I was looking for. It seems louder by a couple db inside and has a much deeper smooth purr on the outside, but not much louder than the stock. Acceleration in first and second has improved. This after I went stage 1 with the AP. What a difference that made. Now my car sounds like it actually wants to be running.
my new momo nob is perfecto. I got the round steel and black cushioning one. Says momo subaru on the top. Feels so much better than the stock. Looks so much better than the stock. Now I feel like I don't even need a STS.
Just put the front strut tower bar on. After a good test drive through plenty of turns I've noticed a couple things. The front stays much more level during turns. On straightaways it seems more stable and less likely to turn with out my input. Steering response is sharper.
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