3rd Generation Sedan (BE) rkrenicki's 2004 US "RS30" - The End.. 2019-12-20 [Archive] - Page 5

rkrenicki

04-24-2016, 08:10 PM

I have Stoptech pads on my wagon. The stopping power is nice. But they make a good bit of dust. There is a noticeable amount after the driving the car a few times after cleaning the wheels.

You werent kidding. I am amazed at the amount of black crap on my wheels today. I had just cleaned them off a few days ago too. I really like the stopping power, but the dust is excessive.. I think I will look into other alternatives when these wear out. Judging by the dust, that cant be very long from now..

Wasn't the S401's spare yellow? Just saying... you may wanna grab a can of paint.

Nope, it is the same wheel, but has vent holes in it. See 4th picture: https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?9942-Yamazaki-s-02-S401-nothing-new&p=259051&viewfull=1#post259051

98legwag

04-25-2016, 08:59 AM

You werent kidding. I am amazed at the amount of black crap on my wheels today. I had just cleaned them off a few days ago too. I really like the stopping power, but the dust is excessive.. I think I will look into other alternatives when these wear out. Judging by the dust, that cant be very long from now..

I have thought the same thing. The Hawk HPS pads I put on the 3.0R do not create nearly as much dust but they are a fair bit more expensive.

KNaph

04-25-2016, 08:44 PM

rkrenicki

04-26-2016, 05:05 AM

I run the Stoptech pads and yeah they're ridiculously dusty. I can drive for probably an hour or so and have my wheels super dirty after a wash, perks of having white wheels I guess.

They grabbed really well when I first got them but I every now and then I get some pad deposits on the rotors and I have to go and rebed the brakes in. The nice thing though is when you get the transfer layer back onto the rotors and they feel really good again. I was curious about the Hawk HPS but I read a lot of reviews that they squealed a ton so I never bought them.

It looks like part of the issue is that Amazon seems to have these pads mislabeled. On the Stoptech/Centric website, it says that Stoptech Street pads are 308 prefix, and 309 are Sport/Track pads.. but on amazon it lists the 309s as "Street Performance Pads"..

I am not sure what I want to do about these now. I see a number of complaints about uneven rotor deposits using the 309 pads for street use. I may end up looking around for 308 pads, which it appears that Tirerack might carry. I may just be purposely hard on the brakes, just to prevent uneven deposits.. and when they wear out in 20k miles, I will just look for less aggressive alternatives.

98legwag

04-26-2016, 09:19 AM

I have the street pads and they do dust a lot.

Edit- well I looked into it. When I bought mine they only made the 309 pads. Now they have both.....

KNaph

04-26-2016, 03:07 PM

It looks like part of the issue is that Amazon seems to have these pads mislabeled. On the Stoptech/Centric website, it says that Stoptech Street pads are 308 prefix, and 309 are Sport/Track pads.. but on amazon it lists the 309s as "Street Performance Pads"..

I am not sure what I want to do about these now. I see a number of complaints about uneven rotor deposits using the 309 pads for street use. I may end up looking around for 308 pads, which it appears that Tirerack might carry. I may just be purposely hard on the brakes, just to prevent uneven deposits.. and when they wear out in 20k miles, I will just look for less aggressive alternatives.

I'll have to look at which ones I got, but it's not too bad, I usually drive around like a normal human being but if I find myself coming up to a red light or something with no one behind me then I'll mash the brakes. I think one solid heavy braking scenario is good enough to clean the rotors off if the deposits aren't built up too much.

I'm curious to see what pads I have since my brakes grab really really well after I get a lot of heat in them, but just normal daily driving they seem really tame. I've had mine for a little over a year now and they seem almost new, so I'm not entirely sure.

Strykr

05-18-2016, 02:30 PM

I was wondering if you ever for the sport shift function to work? I didn't see any posts about it ever being functional.

rkrenicki

05-18-2016, 02:33 PM

I was wondering if you ever for the sport shift function to work? I didn't see any posts about it ever being functional.

I never replaced the transmission. It is on my "to-do list", but I really do not know when it would happen.

Strykr

05-18-2016, 02:56 PM

I never replaced the transmission. It is on my "to-do list", but I really do not know when it would happen.

It requires a trans swap? Wouldn't it just be a tcu and valve body swap?

rkrenicki

05-18-2016, 07:21 PM

I did consider once a valve body swap, but I didnt want to be stuck in a position where I damaged the trans in a perfectly working car. Since the cheapest way to get my hands on a sportshift valve body would be by getting a used sportshift transmission, I might as well swap the whole thing and not risk damaging my non-sportshift unit.

Then again, I do have another car here now... so perhaps I can reconsider it...

soba noodle

05-18-2016, 08:01 PM

Matty2Hotty

05-19-2016, 01:24 AM

I got a sportshift steering wheel in perfect condition for cheap in storage

Yamazaki

05-19-2016, 06:01 AM

Personally I wouldn't bother with 3rd gen sportshift - it's semi-retarded anyway (cannot use is it as you go, have to flick the selector into tiptronic mode first, sluggish too). 4th gen tiptronic is a surprisingly different story.
For some reason, the sport shift in the US is way more responsive than the sport shift in Japan. All of the RSKs that I drove in Japan with a sport shift took forever to shift and I wondered why Subaru even bothered. However, my neighbor's '04 Baja has a very responsive sport shift. It's what I think the sport shift in Japan was supposed to be like. I guess in Japan, they figured if you care about driving, you'd get a manual license anyway.

98legwag

05-19-2016, 09:07 AM

For some reason, the sport shift in the US is way more responsive than the sport shift in Japan. All of the RSKs that I drove in Japan with a sport shift took forever to shift and I wondered why Subaru even bothered. However, my neighbor's '04 Baja has a very responsive sport shift. It's what I think the sport shift in Japan was supposed to be like. I guess in Japan, they figured if you care about driving, you'd get a manual license anyway.

They have a different license for manual trans cars? I never knew that.

rougeben83

05-19-2016, 10:27 AM

They have a different license for manual trans cars? I never knew that.

So does Germany and a couple of other countries in the EU...

What pads were those stoptechs for? Brembos?

soba noodle

05-19-2016, 06:47 PM

soba noodle

05-19-2016, 06:48 PM

So does Germany and a couple of other countries in the EU...

What pads were those stoptechs for? Brembos?

Same in NZ - if you passed your driving test in a manual you can drive anything, if you did it in an auto you can only do ATs.

rkrenicki

05-19-2016, 09:14 PM

So does Germany and a couple of other countries in the EU...

What pads were those stoptechs for? Brembos?
I have the 309 series stop tech pads both front and rear.

rkrenicki

05-19-2016, 09:18 PM

I got a sportshift steering wheel in perfect condition for cheap in storage

I already have one, it's the only Japanese steering wheel I have ever had in this car. But thanks!

subieadam

07-28-2016, 05:50 PM

Nice brakes man!

rkrenicki

08-08-2016, 11:44 AM

It has been a while, but there hasn't really been a lot of news to report.

I was dealing with a bouncing speedometer issue at stoplights, but I apparently mis-wired my Dakota Digital speedometer adapter last time I had the dash apart...

A few weeks ago, I was preparing to have some guests over for a cookout and the table umbrella on my deck was taken by the wind.. which was promptly deposited on my car. Luckily, it mostly landed on the already-dented fender, but it did scratch the hood a little bit. I was intending on repainting it soon anyways. I guess I will need to replace the fender sooner than I thought.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/08/2016070220104648-1.jpg

And lastly, I really need to figure out some different pads, I had almost forgotten that my wheels are supposed to be silver! I picked up some Meguiar's Wheel Cleaner on saturday, since my wheels and calipers were essentially flat black in color. They are amazingly shiny now, but I did end up using half the bottle to get them that way. I also now have a very large black/brown streak down my driveway...

I still cannot find anyone who has the 308 series Stoptech pads, other than TireRack. I was hoping that RockAuto or Amazon would have them by now.

rkrenicki

10-04-2016, 09:42 AM

So, this happened the other day. A bit of planning went into getting this picture ;)

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/10/709642DC29024451ABCBB0B7D3B68BD6-1.jpg

Oh, and my new springs showed up today. The S401 springs are coming off, and normal RSK springs are going on. That will raise the car up a little bit and make the suspension a little more compliant. I am trying to decide which struts to use.. The Bilsteins are sportier but I do not know how many miles are on them. My KYBs have less than 10k miles on them..

At this point, I am going for comfort, so I am leaning towards the RSK springs on my KYBs. I just need to get new top hats for the front to make that happen.

rkrenicki

10-13-2016, 01:53 PM

At this point, I am going for comfort, so I am leaning towards the RSK springs on my KYBs. I just need to get new top hats for the front to make that happen.

This is what I ended up going with. My new Impreza tophats showed up yesterday, so I put the struts together. I have not yet put them on the car, but it should be done by the weekend.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/10/0A8D1F948A8746C7ACCE22E9CE0DD79A-1.jpg

rkrenicki

10-16-2016, 07:11 PM

I swapped in the rears the other day, and the ride difference is quite substantial... Much more so than I expected. I am starting to wonder if there was a problem with one of the rear bilsteins all this time.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/10/6D099D07FA364254A624163890EFC918-1.jpg
The KYB seems to have a slightly longer full-extended length. The Bilstein is 41cm from the top of the tophat to the center of the bottom bolt. The KYB is 43cm.

This combination of strut and spring raised the back of the car up by 10-11mm. That just about lines up with what I expected from Garage Lion's website (http://landl.sakura.ne.jp/MyCar/S401/spec/page_09_sus.htm)

rkrenicki

02-27-2017, 08:51 PM

Even with the improvement in the ride, the car is still too low and just a little bit too harsh for me. I keep scraping the front bumper on various things and I have decided to put the outback springs back in. Once I am done recovering from my recent surgery, that will be the next thing I do.

Otherwise, I put the Blitzen wheels on the car as they are going to be my new summer setup. The tires have some pretty severe cupping on them from suspension issues that were present on the Blitzen, so I will need to replace those tires very soon.

rkrenicki

03-06-2017, 09:34 PM

Maintenance day!

I am going to be going on a 1500 mile trip later this week, so I decided to get some things done on the car. I put the Outback springs back in on the weekend, and it improved the ride significantly. I do not remember it being such a large difference before, but it is great now.

I also changed the oil, changed the air filter, topped off the washer fluid and coolant, and I FINALLY changed the front diff oil. I have no idea how old it was, but *I* have put over 90k miles on this car, and I have not changed it before today. I have changed the rear twice (once when I bought the car, and once a few months ago) because it was relatively easy to do it. I bought the T70 bit a year or so ago, but I never took it out of the package until today.

After some research, I have settled on a set of tires. I will have that taken care of after the Sambar is all settled in.

98legwag

03-06-2017, 11:04 PM

Which struts are the Outback springs pair with?

rkrenicki

03-07-2017, 08:27 AM

The KYBs, as I know how old they are and in what condition that they are in. The Bilsteins are still a big question mark for me, as I seem to have a substantially harsher ride anytime I use them.

Muse

03-07-2017, 06:20 PM

I can confirm that the Outback springs and Legacy KYBs feel great. cushy, but not floaty, still handle nicely.

Jacobpockros

03-10-2017, 12:41 AM

I've been thinking about doing billy's but am in the same situation as you since I know the amount of use on my KYB's. I've done H&R springs, King, Tanabe, and now currently running Tein. The H&R's handled the best but looked bad on the sedan since they were made for a wagon. Front height was high and rear height almost looked stock. The King springs gave the best stance but were softer than oem and literally felt dangerous. The Tanabe's were nice but once I found out that the Tein's had a higher spring rate I bought them and found them to be the best compromise for looks and performance.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r247/jacobpockros/Subaru%20Legacy/IMG_2216_zpskudncf07.jpg (http://s146.photobucket.com/user/jacobpockros/media/Subaru%20Legacy/IMG_2216_zpskudncf07.jpg.html)

rkrenicki

03-10-2017, 08:33 PM

The problem with all of those, is that they are also lowering (from RSK height) springs. I wanted to raise the car back up a bit as well, so the Outback springs was the best way to go for my needs.

Jacobpockros

03-10-2017, 09:09 PM

The problem with all of those, is that they are also lowering (from RSK height) springs. I wanted to raise the car back up a bit as well, so the Outback springs was the best way to go for my needs.

I never bottom out with my Tein springs and the ride is still comfy. However, I'm not familiar with your neck of the woods (or roads).

rkrenicki

07-05-2017, 09:12 AM

500 or so pictures later.. I fixed all of the images in this thread.. thanks photobucket!

98legwag

07-06-2017, 01:14 PM

Mine seem to be still showing up for now

rkrenicki

07-11-2017, 04:08 AM

I missed the photo, as I was having a conversation with a coworker.. but I rolled over 200k today.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/20170710151416-1.jpg

rkrenicki

11-08-2017, 01:46 AM

I have developed a bit of a knocking noise in the rear suspension that I have not yet had the time to track down. I sort of think it is one of the lateral arm bushings, but I am not really sure.

rkrenicki

02-16-2018, 10:02 AM

Turns out that the knock was a loose axle nut, which caused some slop in the hub. I also had a bad tie rod end, so I replaced them both last night. I am getting an alignment as I type this, and I am curious to know how bad it is by counting turns on the tie rods.

Jacobpockros

02-21-2018, 03:14 PM

I swapped in the rears the other day, and the ride difference is quite substantial... Much more so than I expected. I am starting to wonder if there was a problem with one of the rear bilsteins all this time.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/10/6D099D07FA364254A624163890EFC918-1.jpg
The KYB seems to have a slightly longer full-extended length. The Bilstein is 41cm from the top of the tophat to the center of the bottom bolt. The KYB is 43cm.

Are these the length of the shocks without the springs at full decompression?

Also, can you confirm if the bottom of the shock to the spring perch is the same length?
Thanks.

rkrenicki

02-07-2019, 01:04 PM

I have begun to de-modify this car, as my daughter is now of age and has her drivers license. This car will be going to her once it is all straightened out.

I already removed the STI rear control arms, the entire D-type front end, and a couple of other special bits here and there. I have a few other things to take off, but by in large.. this car is now in "maintenance mode".

rkrenicki

05-17-2019, 04:15 PM

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Well, the de-modification is in full swing right now. I have a growing pile of Japanese parts, some of which will be for sale.. some of which will go (back) into the blitzen. I need to put stock(ish) brakes back on, and then back to 16" wheels too..

rkrenicki

06-08-2019, 09:15 PM

Not much news when it comes to this car, but I did install an attention-flasher into the third brake light on the wing, and I rolled over 222,222miles the other day.

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thenines'

06-09-2019, 11:21 AM

UG- a CEL :(

rkrenicki

06-10-2019, 11:20 AM

Yep, a P0420 that crops up from time to time. I think I need to actually change out the cats, but they are spendy for sure.

thenines'

06-11-2019, 05:38 AM

Yep, a P0420 that crops up from time to time. I think I need to actually change out the cats, but they are spendy for sure. Had that same code on my '99 and '03-just a bad tank of gas :blob3: Nothing worst then an expensive "kitty"

rkrenicki

12-20-2019, 07:58 PM

Welp, I think this car has reached its end. A semi cut off my wife while she was driving it, and while she avoided hitting the truck, she lost control and ended up hitting the center median. The whole front end is toast along with the radiator support panel. I believe that the rails are bent down as well, so that calls it. The car is still driveable, but is tracking a little oddly.. radiator is not punctured but is VERY close to the engine.

So, the Blitzen is no longer for sale, I will be swapping over the registration to it and this car is going to most likely get parted out. :( I am just happy that I removed the Japanese D-type front end a few months ago.. The only Japanese bits that ended up getting destroyed here are the run of the mill D-type headlights, of which I have another set.
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ryu_haneda

12-20-2019, 08:44 PM

Hey, glad to hear your family is okay, sorry about the vehicle. With that said, looks like you had a solid run with that vehicle!

How are you doing, by the way? I ducked back in over the summer, there are some pockets of activity on here (...and I may be way overdue for another magazine issue, lol).

rkrenicki

12-20-2019, 09:28 PM

It was just a few weeks shy of 8 years on this car for me... by far the longest I have ever had a car myself. It is still here, and it will live on in other projects for sure!

Activity has certainly died down on here, just like all of the other car forums out there. Facebook has essentially taken all of that traffic as of late, but it still gets used for a lot of reference information though!

thenines'

12-23-2019, 06:12 AM

Glad your wife is OK :blob3: That, I believe, is a "change your underwear" accident. I miss the traffic on here too, I just will not jump on the Facebook bandwagon, I enjoy my privacy too much, and I do realize I'm missing out on all the great people/events going on.:-(

dodik

12-23-2019, 01:41 PM

Glad everyone is ok, sad to see the car in this shape.

98legwag

12-24-2019, 05:26 PM

Glad everyone is OK

rkrenicki

06-28-2020, 12:56 PM

Today, I started to really work on the process of getting rid of the car. I stripped the entire interior (less the dashboard itself) and brought it to the recycling dumpster. Anything non-metal from inside the car is gone. Next step is to strip out all of the wiring.

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