RaceComp Engineering Kool Brake kit install

[Dean]

Edit:
Well, thanks to Mike for pointing it out while we bled brakes, this is going to drag on the ground under suspension compression, so I get to redo it tomorrow...

Apparently, both he and Matt had them like this and tore the crap out of them.

So the routing under the sub frame is a perfect example of how NOT TO DO IT!!!

More after the redesign tomorrow...


Original:
Thanks to Matt's thread and both his and MikeK's recomendation, I bought a one of the RCE Kool Brake kits.

We will see how it goes, but I decided to go down and under the lower control arm and up the subframe and then into the hole in the lower bumper that is for the stock brake cooling.

I didn't have to crush the hose at all but at full lock it does get very tight between the bracket on the hub and the end link mount and comes withing about 1.5cm of the wheel as you will see.

I did have to trim the rear corners off the under tray to make it fit afterwards, but it tucks up nicely under the hose and is quite snug.

I'd like to thank the American public for requiring cup holders in their cars and the fast food industry for supplying them with the perfect tapered plastic cups to use for can size holders and in my case ducting inlets.

I still think this kit is overpriced. The hose is <$100 at Summit, and the brackets are fairly simple and hardly the greatest fab work in the world and not worth $100/side IMHO. For that price, it should at least come with zip ties, preferably the cool unlocking ones.

We will see how they work this weekend.

[100_Percent_Juice]

That is so crazy it has to work. I have seen something similar to this once, only it was on a honda, and it was a cold air intake... so I guess it wasnt similar at all.

[cody]

I can't believe you trimmed the undertray I sold you.

I'll be interested to hear your impressions after tracking with this. Were you getting fade with the EBC Yellows or something?

[Dean]

Well, thanks to Mike for pointing it out while we bled brakes, this is going to drag on the ground under suspension compression, so I get to redo it tomorrow...

Apparently, both he and Matt had them like this and tore the crap out of them.

So the routing under the sub frame is a perfect example of how NOT TO DO IT!!!

More after the redesign tomorrow...

[Dean]

Originally Posted by cody

I can't believe you trimmed the undertray I sold you.

I'll be interested to hear your impressions after tracking with this. Were you getting fade with the EBC Yellows or something?

I didn't, I cut the slightly melted one I already had...

[MattR]

The Ducts help 10x!!!!! I notice a huge difference when I run with them and without. Dean, as much as I would love to see the routing work down low like that, I tried and tore the shit out of mine, and I drove MikeK's car to Taco Bell with them like that and tore the hell out of those too. You have to find a way to route it more inboard.

[sperry]

Unfortunately, there is simply no good way to route brake ducting on the Impreza... especially if you're using 3" hoses. You might be able to run a big collector into 4 1" hoses and route them, but now you've got a squid of hoses to deal with under there every time you work on the suspension/brakes/etc.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by MattR

The Ducts help 10x!!!!! I notice a huge difference when I run with them and without. Dean, as much as I would love to see the routing work down low like that, I tried and tore the shit out of mine, and I drove MikeK's car to Taco Bell with them like that and tore the hell out of those too. You have to find a way to route it more inboard.

Welcome to 2 posts ago. I revised it to be very tight to the side of the sub frame and then duck under as the subframe bends up. Yes, it rubs at lock, but nothing I can do about that.

I am going to try it this weekend and then start to work on the Khamis Collector which I think may be a better solution.

[MattR]

What the hell is a Khamis collector?

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by MattR

What the hell is a Khamis collector?

A boobytrapped snack machine?

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MattR

What the hell is a Khamis collector?

This thing:

[Dean]

A Khamis collector is a short/light scoop that hangs off the end of the end of the RCE bracket that sticks out from behind th wheel to gather air flowing under the car instead of using hoses.

The additional unsprung weight should be close to zero compared to the weight of the hose, and it should work fairly well on cars without front splitters/lips/skirts. I expect it to be a track "clamp on" kind of like the SuperTrapp now is.

You could even use the Subaru "Brake Ducts" to point air at it.

And Mike keeps talking about doing something like that, so thus the name.

Unfortunately to clear at full lock, it has to make a hard turn just after the exit from the RCE piece, so nothing "off the shelf" so far looks like it will do the trick. I am looking at some 16 gauge aluminum mandrel bent pieces, but wish they were 20 gauge or so. I need HVAC thickness, not intercooler piping thickness.

Dryer vents are almost the right size and shape... But not quite.

[MattR]

I've thought about that too, but the right material is important. Sperry tried that before and said the vibration they caused could be felt through the steering wheel.

[sperry]

Yeah, how'd Khamis get his name on something I built and used over a year ago?

I had some PVC collectors modeled after the simple brake ducts used on F1 cars (a simple 90 deg bend that peeks out from behind the wheel into the air stream under the car). The problem was it needed to be attached to the steering control arms, and at speed they'd vibrate a bit and translate the shaking to the steering wheel. It was annoying. I ran one session at RFR with them, then pulled 'em off.

Perhaps if they were attached to the control arm instead of the steering rods, the vibration wouldn't be noticeable, but then there's a routing issue with getting the air to the center of the rotor when the wheel turns. Though, I didn't have any of those fancy RaceComp brackets to work with.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

Yeah, how'd Khamis get his name on something I built and used over a year ago?

I had some PVC collectors modeled after the simple brake ducts used on F1 cars (a simple 90 deg bend that peeks out from behind the wheel into the air stream under the car). The problem was it needed to be attached to the steering control arms, and at speed they'd vibrate a bit and translate the shaking to the steering wheel. It was annoying. I ran one session at RFR with them, then pulled 'em off.

Perhaps if they were attached to the control arm instead of the steering rods, the vibration wouldn't be noticeable, but then there's a routing issue with getting the air to the center of the rotor when the wheel turns. Though, I didn't have any of those fancy RaceComp brackets to work with.

I know he didn't invent the idea, neither did you, but at least to me, he has mentioned it in relation to the RCEs a number of times, so that is what I called them.

If you would prefer them to be called the "Kind of like what Scott did, but he took off because they shook the steering wheel collectors", KOLWSDBHTOBTSTSW Collectors for short, then so be it...


And hopefully by attaching them to the RCE stubs, we will not have any of the issues you experienced.

[100_Percent_Juice]

Instead of using round hose that is big and bulky and drags on the ground, why dont you use a flat maybe rectangle shape hose. Or maybe even make one out of heavy canvas that wouldnt easily break off on an impact but would flex with the changes in suspension height.

[MattR]

Originally Posted by Dean

I
And hopefully by attaching them to the RCE stubs, we will not have any of the issues you experienced.

That's what I'm hoping, I may try to figure something out for that.

[Dean]

What we are looking for I think is something like this with a shorter straight section and preferably, very thin walled aluminum. These exhaust "turndowns" are going to be to heavy IMHO.

[wrxkidid]

wheres knucklesplitter? i bet this is something hed be interested in fabbing up.

[100_Percent_Juice]

Dean if you are interested I have a whole dvd collection about making things out of fiberglass. You could make up some brake ducts that would probably last longer then that tacobell cup. And you could give me your fog covers and run it through there. Also I was thinking you could use 2 of these...

I think it would work better then the hose you were using. IMO

[Dean]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

Dean if you are interested I have a whole dvd collection about making things out of fiberglass. You could make up some brake ducts that would probably last longer then that tacobell cup. And you could give me your fog covers and run it through there. Also I was thinking you could use 2 of these...

I think it would work better then the hose you were using. IMO

Ha ha... I have done fiberglass work before, I think for this application, it is going to be heavier than some thin walled aluminum.

[100_Percent_Juice]

seriously though, I think you could mod 2 of the ram air things and make it work perfectly since they are made for flowing air.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

seriously though, I think you could mod 2 of the ram air things and make it work perfectly since they are made for flowing air.

As long as you only brake on one side.

They are way to big and heavy for what we are planning.

[wrxkidid]

edit: i looked at the pictures some more and figured out i fail at engineering car parts.

[100_Percent_Juice]

Thats why you have to mod them you silly bastid. Im gonna make a set and then I will sell it to you when you see how awesome it works.