Welcome me to STX, the ALK is off!

[sperry]

Well, I finally got under the car to remove my ALK. Only took about 1/3 as long to remove as it did to install since I knew a lot more about what I was doing this time. I also re-installed my Whiteline 20-22mm front swaybar while I was under there.

Now that it's off, I'm surprised how much the ALK really helped. Without it, turn in feels sloppy, and the steering feedback feels really dulled. It's also easier to get that inside front tire spinning when accelerating out of a tight corner. The only good thing is that my car is suddenly a TON quieter and smoother on rough road.

I guess I didn't realize how big the effect was from those giant yellow polyurethane bushings vs. the liquid filled rubber ones! And I had the "comfort" bushings... the "race" ones must be harsher than track coilovers!!

So now I got a Whiteline ALK and no use for it. To be honest, I'd like to hang on to it for a time when I upgrade my car out of STX since it really helps the handling more than I realized, but on the other hand, it will prolly be a really long time before I do anything to the car that would step me out of STX, so perhaps I should sell it.

It's too bad I we can't use the ALK in STX. The real benefit from it seems to be from the bushing material, and not the +.5 deg of castor it gives you. Someone needs to make a polyurethane offset bushing. It would work just like the ALK, but since it doesn't change the "suspension mounting point" it would be legal. I guess the STi control arms have a harder bushing which might be a possibility... anyone know how to get just the bushings from the STi front control arms?

[ArthurS]

Let me know if you want to get rid of them.

[ZER026D]

I would take them to or you could get some energysuspention bushings I think they go in the stock mounts.

[Kostamojen]

I told Whiteline to make a Street Touring legal non-anti-lift-kit anti-lift-kit and they had a post over on NASIOC that they are gonna have one come out this month I think, so hopefully it does come out cause ill be the first one buying it if you dont get to it first

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

I told Whiteline to make a Street Touring legal non-anti-lift-kit anti-lift-kit and they had a post over on NASIOC that they are gonna have one come out this month I think, so hopefully it does come out cause ill be the first one buying it if you dont get to it first

Awesome!!! Keep us informed as to availability!

[Dean]

Hey, throw it in the trunk for Thurs.

I've been around cars for some time, and never heard of an ALK before WRXs. I'd like to see what it does.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Dean

Hey, throw it in the trunk for Thurs.

I've been around cars for some time, and never heard of an ALK before WRXs. I'd like to see what it does.

I can bring it by for show and tell, it's pretty straight forward:

It's a replacement bracket/bushing for the front control arms (the big butterfly looking ones). It lowers the rear mounting point for the control arms by about 1/2", which adds +.5 deg static castor to the front wheels. The bushing is polyurethane (instead of the stock liquid filled rubber) that firms up the responsiveness (and adds a bunch of NVH).

The bushing helps crispen turn in, and the castor helps add dynamic negative camber during turns. They call it and "Anti-Lift Kit" because it help keep the front end of the car down under acceleration out of tight turns (tho some drag guys say it helps in a straight line too). Bascially more traction up front when accelerating, tho I'm sure a LSD up front would be a much bigger help.