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Drifting/ RWD conversion
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:47 pm
by 92BlackBeauty
Has anyone converted their SS to RWD? I would love to see what these cars could do on a drift outing...I have heard that it is just a billet piece that replaces a piece in the tranfer case and eliminates the splines that drive the front axles...is there a kit made to do this?
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:32 pm
by MRtuningCO
some one on nasioc has a rwd bg outback that is used for drifting, do a search over there.
or buy a 240
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:39 pm
by bmxkelowna
did you see any subarus in f&f3? no, for a reason
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:47 pm
by DLC
BACS5.2 has done this, do a search.
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:35 pm
by tzedek
every car related forum, and even ones that have nothing to do with cars I have to read threads like this about drifting. damn the fast and furios

Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:47 pm
by 206er
if you can find a better write up than this please show it to me.
http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/showthread.php?t=27532
I think that rwd is an interesting thing to try, but this is better used for putting an ej drivetrain into a rwd car. subarus are blessed with awd, might as well use it.
you could get the weight back behind the front axle because of how short it is, its very low CoG, very light motor, etc. perfect for a locost or whatever else light rwd that it will fit in. Ive been dreaming of a justy with rwd and a high compression ej25 in it...
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:56 am
by evolutionmovement
A Shogun style Justy would be sick.
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:31 pm
by BAC5.2
I did it. It was pretty fun.
With your current setup, there is no kit short of converting your stock center diff.
Convert to an RS rear-section of the trans (the two aluminum rear cases, the center diff, and the transfer gears) and then you can easily set it up.
PPG makes a rear-drive conversion spool that drops in, in place of the center diff, and away you go in RWD.
I did it, I may or may not do it again. The car handles pretty well RWD, but the way my alignment is set up, it rotated a LOT under almost every type of condition. Did nice burnouts though. Wheel hop wasn't really an issue, but I don't have stock suspension.
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:45 pm
by 206er
what part of the suspension would wheel hop be attributed to? soft bushings?
could you feel any difference in driveline loss?
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:22 pm
by BAC5.2
Bushings and strut valving. Using AGX's and Pink springs, I didn't have an issue. I DO have stock bushings for the time being, but even then I didn't have MUCH an issue.
The biggest factor, I would think, is the bushings on the lateral links, as those control vertical movement. The trailing arm bushings deal with fore and aft movement.
My final drive changed to 4.29:1 so I can't say much about drivetrain loss. Probably not a noticeable amount.
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:02 pm
by THAWA
bmxkelowna wrote:did you see any subarus in f&f3? no, for a reason
It's people like you that are the reason there were sequels.
And by that I mean, people that bought tickets.
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:16 pm
by BAC5.2
Rhys Millen RWD converted an EVO for the movie so it could dorifto.
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:23 pm
by Binford
I disassembled one of my spare center diffs and it uses no clutch packs to send power to the front, it's just locked in for the 50/50 torque split. It is put together in such a way it's essentially already what the WRX guys weld up in order to convert. So wouldn't it stand to reason that if I removed my front axles I would send 100% power to the rear tires?

Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:54 am
by BAC5.2
Remove your front axles and your front hubs explode.
I don't think you are looking at the center diff correctly. The diff is setup to split power 50/50, but it isn't a spool (total weld, locked 50/50 power split).
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:36 am
by Binford

Yes, I realize I'd need to put the stubs in the hubs for the wheel bearing to ride on and to keep the wheels on.
http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/showthrea ... 532&page=5
Scrolling down to the picture on this page, my diff is on the left. What is there to weld together? I may very well be looking at it wrong, IDK. I'll take another look.
Phil, did you convert an SS tranny or a WRX tranny? I'd really like to try this before it snows and the
real fun driving begins! (AWD of course.

)
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:06 pm
by BAC5.2
Looks like the older diff can't be converted. I guess you could weld the spider gears in place, but maybe not. You could switch to a WRX welded center diff and use the 1:1 output gears from a newer RS (for which you'd need the rear most cover of the transmission too).
I used a WRX trans when I was RWD (Straight cut syncro box).
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:21 pm
by free5ty1e
I'd much rather just work on getting enough power to all 4 wheels to break 'em loose and dorifto whenever I feels like it with AWD. I'm having a lot of trouble accepting that someone would want to convert an AWD Subaru to RWD... does not compute
To each their own, I s'pose.
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:50 pm
by Imprezive
Talk to Nate AKA Drftsub. I plan on making mine RWD soon.
The cool thing is if you can snag an extra center diff to keep as your RWD converter diff you can swap out the two whenever you want AWD/RWD. Summer vs. Winter. know what I mean?
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:30 pm
by Binford
Imprezive wrote:The cool thing is if you can snag an extra center diff to keep as your RWD converter diff you can swap out the two whenever you want AWD/RWD. Summer vs. Winter. know what I mean?
Exactly. I just installed a 6-puck unsprung clutch with my LW flywheel and pressure plate and I'm afraid I'll break another tranny (which I just installed this last weekend). I figure if I'm RWD, the tires will spin before I break a gear, possibly. Don't get me wrong, I
love AWD down the dirt roads and trails around here, but I don't do any real agressive driving on pavement.
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:54 am
by Imprezive
What kinda of flywheel are you running? How heavy is it?
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:30 am
by Binford
Imprezive wrote:What kinda of flywheel are you running? How heavy is it?
Read my sig.
http://www.optionimports.com/su00a-531.html
This is it, but I got it used with the matching pressure plate for much less than that.

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:44 pm
by BAC5.2
You'll break something when RWD. You are sending double the power to the rear of the car.
RWD is pretty fun. I would have liked to be RWD for a little while longer with better tires and a more aggressive (RWD spec) alignment. It handled well, but it was a totally different feeling.
Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 4:40 am
by Josh Long
One of my buddys did this with his turbo swapped RS. He breaks rear axles nearly every time he drives it (Autocross).
It is funny to see a subaru do a RWD burnout though.
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:08 pm
by drftsub
Breaks axles every time? that must suck, I have yet to break an axle and I have been running rwd w a "spooled" rear diff ( welded, more consistant for drifting ) for a year now and have yet to break anything. If I were breaking them that much I would either convert to sti rear diff/axles etc or get some custom axles made.
But...
The transfer shafts in the rear of the trans are the part that will most likley break. You could get an extra set out and send them off to get cryro treated to help in strength, or maybe get some custom ones made that are stronger.
My car handles well rwd, it is predictable and tracks well, although right now I am looking at building a bellhousing for a true rwd transmission and moving the engine back to get some better weight balance, run a r200 rear diff to get some more strength for the new engine setup.
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:18 pm
by drftsub
Binford wrote:
Yes, I realize I'd need to put the stubs in the hubs for the wheel bearing to ride on and to keep the wheels on.
http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/showthrea ... 532&page=5
Scrolling down to the picture on this page, my diff is on the left. What is there to weld together? I may very well be looking at it wrong, IDK. I'll take another look.
Phil, did you convert an SS tranny or a WRX tranny? I'd really like to try this before it snows and the
real fun driving begins! (AWD of course.

)
Yes make sure you have stubs in the front hubs if you pull your axles out.
ok, on the diff ,
the older one is actually better to modify if you are going to do it as the "top" positivley engages with the body.
open it up, pull EVERYTHING out till you get to the last splined output ( under the spider gears ) clean that and the housing very well. weld that part to the body, if you really like you can add some material in there to support it to help with strength too .
that is all you have to do, once welded allow to cool ( dont "toilet temper" it ) and thats it.
I have converted a wrx trans, and a 98 2.5 rs trans ( which is the same type of conversion as the SS ) so it does work.