Whiteline Anti Lift Kit
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 1:54 am
Well, I decided to try these guys out. So I bought a pair off of http://www.subaruwrxparts.com. It was the cheapest deal I'd found so far. They were 150 for the pair.
Description:
The kit basically adds .5 degrees of castor and helps to keep your car from lifting while accelerating and dipping while decelerating. It also helps turn in response.
For install notes and tools needed see below.
Impressions:
Whiteline says that there is an increase in NVH (noise vibration and harshness), but at first I didn't notice any at all. Now that I've driven on them for a few days i have to say that I do notice it. On smooth roads it isn't bad. Going over speed bumps isn't that bad either. I think the biggest notice is the minor bumps in the road and changing lanes while going over cats eyes on the free way or street. There is a bit of a more solid feel now, and a more solid thump as you go over stuff. The large stuff isn't so bad cause the suspension takes it, but the smaller stuff is what you feel. All in all, it isn't that bad. If you already get a lot of creaks, expect some more. My car was pretty solid in that area before, so now it is a little worse, but not bad.
I did notice that the nose of my car is more planted in acceleration and braking. It doesn't dip or raise as much as it used to.
The biggest effect that I noticed, though was the turn in response while cornering. There is a considerable loss in understeer. So in other words, less understeer with this kit. I took a 20 mph corner at a good clip and was off the gas at the entry, and floored it just as I started to come to the apex. I wanted to see how it would take the corner. I was amazed at how much more the car turned into the corner. It was definately noticable. I'm on stock springs with gr-2 struts, so I had some body sway, but the car was planted. I also lost all tire squeel/noise once I hit the gas. Normally if I took that corner as fast as I did, I'd hear some sort of noise through the whole turn. I'm running Pirelli PZero Nero M + S's as well, and the grip nicely, so I was pushing the car pretty hard through that one turn. Needless to say, the kit impressed me in that department. I think with better suspension, you'd see even better results.
Would I do it again? Yeah, I think so. The NVH isn't exactly making me jump for joy, but it is a minor inconvenience compared to what I am getting out of the kit.
Install:
Tools needed:
breaker bar (optional, I didnt need it)
torque wrench that can go to 180 ft-lbs (max torque recommened by Whiteline)
22 mm socket (removal of arm to bushing bolts)
24 mm socket (new arm to bushing bolts, supplied)
19 mm socket (all bushing to frame bolts)
extension (helpful)
ratchet
screwdriver (optional for prying)
hammer(same as above, I used the handle to pry)
(rag recommended)
Removal -
The install was quite easy. It is only 3 bolts for each side. Two that hold the rear control arm bushing up to the frame and one bolt to allow it to slide off the back of the control arm. The hardest part was getting the passenger side off. The mt crossmember gets in the way a bit as does my CES exhaust. The twin dump dp makes the thing a bit wider and gets in the way of the bushing coming off. I was able to get it off with some careful prying with a screwdriver.
Install -
The install on the driver's side was cake. The passenger side was a bit tougher than the removal, but I was able to do it without removing anything. Some careful prying with a screwdriver really helped in that area as well. The big problems were torquing the bolts on the back of the control arm that holds the bushing in. Because it is so close to the frame, I was unable to get my torque wrench with a socket in there, so I torqued it down to spec before putting weight on the wheels.
The whiteline paper said to keep everything loose and let the car sit its full weight on the wheels and then torque it down. I did that with the bushing to frame bolts, but not the bushing to arm bolts. What I DID do was put up a 24 mm box end wrench on the end of the end of the bolt after it was on the ground and tried to put my weight on it. Since I'm sitting at 160 right about now, and wasn't able to budge it, I figured I was ok. Whiteline wanted those bolts to be at 140 ft-lbs.
The big hitch for me was the bushing to fame bolts. They were said to be torqued to 184 ft-lb. I was able to get one to 180. The two on the driver's side of the car I was only able to get to about 160 because of the way I was laying under the car. I wasn't able to get much of a better angle either. The inside bolt on the passenger side came out with its threads flattened. So I got another bolt from a mechanic and tried for a good while to get it to go in straight. After it started to get tough I backed it out and noticed that the threads were starting to flatten there too, so I tried for a while longer to get it in correctly and ended up giving up. I got it in, but I didn't torque it down to any insane amount for fear I'd ruin somehing. It is over 100 ft-lbs and talking to the mechanic, he thought I should be just fine.
-Ryan
Description:
The kit basically adds .5 degrees of castor and helps to keep your car from lifting while accelerating and dipping while decelerating. It also helps turn in response.
For install notes and tools needed see below.
Impressions:
Whiteline says that there is an increase in NVH (noise vibration and harshness), but at first I didn't notice any at all. Now that I've driven on them for a few days i have to say that I do notice it. On smooth roads it isn't bad. Going over speed bumps isn't that bad either. I think the biggest notice is the minor bumps in the road and changing lanes while going over cats eyes on the free way or street. There is a bit of a more solid feel now, and a more solid thump as you go over stuff. The large stuff isn't so bad cause the suspension takes it, but the smaller stuff is what you feel. All in all, it isn't that bad. If you already get a lot of creaks, expect some more. My car was pretty solid in that area before, so now it is a little worse, but not bad.
I did notice that the nose of my car is more planted in acceleration and braking. It doesn't dip or raise as much as it used to.
The biggest effect that I noticed, though was the turn in response while cornering. There is a considerable loss in understeer. So in other words, less understeer with this kit. I took a 20 mph corner at a good clip and was off the gas at the entry, and floored it just as I started to come to the apex. I wanted to see how it would take the corner. I was amazed at how much more the car turned into the corner. It was definately noticable. I'm on stock springs with gr-2 struts, so I had some body sway, but the car was planted. I also lost all tire squeel/noise once I hit the gas. Normally if I took that corner as fast as I did, I'd hear some sort of noise through the whole turn. I'm running Pirelli PZero Nero M + S's as well, and the grip nicely, so I was pushing the car pretty hard through that one turn. Needless to say, the kit impressed me in that department. I think with better suspension, you'd see even better results.
Would I do it again? Yeah, I think so. The NVH isn't exactly making me jump for joy, but it is a minor inconvenience compared to what I am getting out of the kit.
Install:
Tools needed:
breaker bar (optional, I didnt need it)
torque wrench that can go to 180 ft-lbs (max torque recommened by Whiteline)
22 mm socket (removal of arm to bushing bolts)
24 mm socket (new arm to bushing bolts, supplied)
19 mm socket (all bushing to frame bolts)
extension (helpful)
ratchet
screwdriver (optional for prying)
hammer(same as above, I used the handle to pry)
(rag recommended)
Removal -
The install was quite easy. It is only 3 bolts for each side. Two that hold the rear control arm bushing up to the frame and one bolt to allow it to slide off the back of the control arm. The hardest part was getting the passenger side off. The mt crossmember gets in the way a bit as does my CES exhaust. The twin dump dp makes the thing a bit wider and gets in the way of the bushing coming off. I was able to get it off with some careful prying with a screwdriver.
Install -
The install on the driver's side was cake. The passenger side was a bit tougher than the removal, but I was able to do it without removing anything. Some careful prying with a screwdriver really helped in that area as well. The big problems were torquing the bolts on the back of the control arm that holds the bushing in. Because it is so close to the frame, I was unable to get my torque wrench with a socket in there, so I torqued it down to spec before putting weight on the wheels.
The whiteline paper said to keep everything loose and let the car sit its full weight on the wheels and then torque it down. I did that with the bushing to frame bolts, but not the bushing to arm bolts. What I DID do was put up a 24 mm box end wrench on the end of the end of the bolt after it was on the ground and tried to put my weight on it. Since I'm sitting at 160 right about now, and wasn't able to budge it, I figured I was ok. Whiteline wanted those bolts to be at 140 ft-lbs.
The big hitch for me was the bushing to fame bolts. They were said to be torqued to 184 ft-lb. I was able to get one to 180. The two on the driver's side of the car I was only able to get to about 160 because of the way I was laying under the car. I wasn't able to get much of a better angle either. The inside bolt on the passenger side came out with its threads flattened. So I got another bolt from a mechanic and tried for a good while to get it to go in straight. After it started to get tough I backed it out and noticed that the threads were starting to flatten there too, so I tried for a while longer to get it in correctly and ended up giving up. I got it in, but I didn't torque it down to any insane amount for fear I'd ruin somehing. It is over 100 ft-lbs and talking to the mechanic, he thought I should be just fine.
-Ryan