Drift STi???

[Wayne]

Yeah I'll try to do it tomorrow night for you.

uhh thanks ?? whats with the winky face is that supposed to mean your not doign it or some other hidden meaning ??

[ZoltecRules]

I'll do it dont worry

[BlakeFuller]

AWD to RWD STi

I feel the STi would be a great platform to build a drift car. But, there are also some negatives to the vehicle:

1: The forward weight bias of the STi.
2: The steering angle is lower than a RWD car because the axles in the front prohibit large angles for durability. ( I know hoe to fix this though)
3: Cost of replacement parts. The STi transmission and some engine components can be quite costly to replace.
4: Subaru's attitude towards drifting. It may be very difficult to find support from dealers and OEM. However, the aftermarket may be very helpful.

Positives:

1. Great power and more for a low cost.
2. Exclusivity. It's cool to be different.
3. At least you're starting with an AWD car and not a FWD for a conversion like some idoits. (slight joke)
4. You can build a car that will be usable for both drift and rally and do both.



In regards to a RWD in the winter (you'll hate me for this).

A RWD car with proper snow tires (ie bridgestone blizzaks) can be extremly capable and will also teach you proper RWD weight transfer techniques.
Yet, there is no point arguing the accelerative grip of a locked center diff and two limited slips of an STi.

Happy shopping.

[hatebbobbarker]

when does number 4 apply, i only know of one car dealership supportive of drifting. but they are supportive of everything nissan (superior nissan)

from the pictures it looks like the currently drifting subie has spent a decent amount of money putting more weight in the rear.

another problem you forgot to mention is the rear axles, they were designed to take half of 300hp and now now youll probably be pushing 3 times what they were designed for @450 or so

I feel the STi would be a great platform to build a drift car. But, there are also some negatives to the vehicle:

1: The forward weight bias of the STi.
2: The steering angle is lower than a RWD car because the axles in the front prohibit large angles for durability. ( I know hoe to fix this though)
3: Cost of replacement parts. The STi transmission and some engine components can be quite costly to replace.
4: Subaru's attitude towards drifting. It may be very difficult to find support from dealers and OEM. However, the aftermarket may be very helpful.

Positives:

1. Great power and more for a low cost.
2. Exclusivity. It's cool to be different.
3. At least you're starting with an AWD car and not a FWD for a conversion like some idoits. (slight joke)
4. You can build a car that will be usable for both drift and rally and do both.



In regards to a RWD in the winter (you'll hate me for this).

A RWD car with proper snow tires (ie bridgestone blizzaks) can be extremly capable and will also teach you proper RWD weight transfer techniques.
Yet, there is no point arguing the accelerative grip of a locked center diff and two limited slips of an STi.

Happy shopping.

[Drift For Food]

I see no problem drifting an STI. You'll work the diffs and expect frequent fluid changes, but I guess you can say that about any diff when drifting. The STI provides a good amount of power and the 2.5L engine has gobs of torque to play with. The tranny is plenty strong, much better than what the 2.5 NA cars and WRX use.

A note about Subaru: They don't like to do warranty work on beaten cars. If you bash on your STI, don't expect work to be warrantied. They've gotten very, very strict about this after too many people beating on their WRX/STIs. It's really dealer dependent though. Some dealers will warranty whatever happens. Others will deny it on the spot, and you're screwed. They'll even have a Subbie rep come down and check the car for abuse.

If you can get past the warranty stuff, i.e. expect to pay money out of your own pocket for your own abuse, there really isn't a problem with the STI. There's plenty of aftermarket parts for power and handling.

I personally own an '02 Forester(Impreza chassis) with just the 2.5L NA engine. I've been drifting that thing for over a year and a half, still in stock form. It's not really powerful enough or set up handlingwise for street use, but I have plenty of fun on gravel...keeps wear and tear down too.

There's some AWD drifting posts around here too if you search, even a "sticky" post for you to read over.


Another AWD way to go would be the Mitubishi Evo. It's generally better liked and you get a 10 year warranty that pretty much lets you bash the crap out of it without the manufacturer caring. From what I've heard, Mitsubishi is pretty easy on their warranty work and almost expect you to bash on their Evos...so I've heard. Again, you get AWD, lots of power, and a big aftermarket following for your tuning delights. Both the STI and EVo are comparibly priced. A co-worker of mine owns one. He doesn't beat on it much, but he races people around town a little.


As far as the 4 points:

1) Weight bias and resulting understeer can be tuned out. You can even add weight to the rear if you want. My Forester is actually a touch rear heavy just front the extra weight in the rear from the wagon design. The Impreza wagons are also well liked as they are a little more rear heavy(autocross favs).

2) With an AWD, steering angle is of little importance. With a neutral suspension setup, you'll actually have it pointed straight and center during a drift. You don't countersteer like a RWD, and large steer angles aren't really needed.

3) Costs are no different than any other car. About the only thing I can think of is the cost of more diffs, 3 versus 1 of a RWD. Still, it's all normal wear and tear of the sport. The STI tranny is strong, actually built for the power. The WRX and most other Subaru cars use the older and dated 5 speed. Still, strengthened gearsets are available, and you could always throw the STI 6 speed in any Impreza(even my Forester). Subarus are pretty reliable in general. I beat on my Forester all the time, and it just comes back for more. I have done no additional maintainance beyond anything normal.

4) I'll agree on #4, because they have gotten really strict on abuse issues with warranty work. They'll even deny some legitimate warrany claims. It can be like pulling teeth to get warranty work done. However, it's really, really dealer dependent and can vary greatly.


Ok I typed enough

[ZoltecRules]

Just a quick note about warranties:

The safest rule to consider is that the typical warranty will replace something that breaks due to poor quality not something that breaks due to too much abuse.
The perfect example was in an article I read awhile back. Basically what happened was some guy with an Evo actually went and rallyed it, broke the driveshaft and tried to get it repaired under warranty. Of course, anyone with an ounce of intelligence could tell that the shaft broke because he pushed the car WAY past its limit. After that, the guy claimed the Mitsubishi was looking for people taking their cars to rallys, drift events, etc so they could void there warranty. This was probably untrue though.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when it comes to auto/auto parts don't try to beat the system. They'll usually get you in the end

P.S. Merlin Muffler & Brake has a "lifetime warranty" on their tires now. Who think I should try to do that with my s13?

[VDMTom]

"Merlin Muffler & Brake has a "lifetime warranty" on their tires now. Who think I should try to do that with my s13?"

Go out there and check how much labor charge is there. Before you let them work on your car.

[jwoo]

*Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored* that, there is some interesting info but i am going FR strait up. hahah i found a buick for 600bux for a daily! :-D

[Drift For Food]

Don't let the warranty stuff scare you. That stuff is pretty much a given for any manufacture. The platform you use is a personal choice. FWD, RWD, AWD, it's whatever you like to play with.

I stared on FWD, learned the basics of weight shifting, got quite good at them. It didn't feel "natural" to drift though. You always exited at half the speed you entered, always disappointing. This platform really requires a drift specific suspension setup to work, especially work with sucessive corners. I'd never say the platform isn't doable though, just isn't the best way to go.

I went to my first RWD after that, hugh difference. RWDs were ment to drift. It's also a heck lot more fun to actually exit a corner with speed...the same speed you entered at, much satisfaction. You're also not limited in techniques like a FWD.

AWD is kind of the black sheep. To most, it seems like it's out of place. I don't think peolpe know what to think. "Can you drift it? Eh, I don't know." I guess if you ever watched WRC, you know what AWD can do. Is it as natural as a RWD to drift? Nah. It's...different. I actually think it's the hardest to drift. It's not flashy like a RWD. Your rear end isn't hanging way out, and you don't have your steering wheel at full lock whipping around a corner. It's more subtle, small angles, more controlled throttle and steering inputs.


If the price of a new STI, Evo or what not is scaring you, there's always used. Go back a few years and you can save a chunk of money. There's even some older AWDs available going back to the 80's and 90's: Honda Civic, Isuzu Impulse, Mitsubishi Eclipse(Eagle Talon), Dodge Stealth(Mitsubishi 3000GT), etc. The AWD systems vary though. Some aren't really designed for that kind of abuse or by how they work may not work well for drifting. Still, it's a platform to play on if you're interested. Still, the best "natural" drift platform is of course the RWD.

[Drifterlunchb0x]

oh oh my turn to say something!!!

You can drift a STi just the way it is. Though you have to go faster and use every technique under the sun...it is very possible! I ve drift WRXs with left foot brake, clutch kick, hand brake, weight transfer, and thats awd not a biases set up like the STI.

Cusco makes a locking diff for the STI so you can make it fully RWD, you dont need to do any custom fabbing u just drop it in. I have several friends that have brought out STis to the gymkhanas and slide them around better than alot of the RWD guys!!!

My only recomendation to you, go to a rally school, they teach you how to control it and how to initiate it on the gravel. You learn that doing it on a controlled surface like pavement is not a problem. It is very possible to drift an STI bone stock.

cheers!

[mranlet]

Blake Fuller is the master, and knows more about this topic than all of us put together. Take my word for it, or just google his name if you don't know who he is...

I agree with what Drift for Food is saying about AWD drift being the "black sheep" of drifting. Angles in AWD can be huge (including negative angle - facing the way you came), but takes a lot more practice, power, and speed than RWD drifting.

I've converted my Legacy Outback Wagon to RWD (search for my "RWD Legacy" post if you don't believe me) and a whole new teir of perfornance potential has been realized. Although I had to weld both my center and rear differentials to make it work, It now drifts with superior swing and impecable balance compared to a lot of other platforms, and looks insane doing it. I converted because I just didn't get enough power out of the stock Phase I 2.5 DOHC, unlike the EJ25T STi motor. For me it was cheaper to convert to RWD than it was to build enough power to make the car AWD driftable.

The stock power from an STi ought to be enough to get the car to swing, and suspension is some of the best factory available on the market. I would say absolutely drift an STi, but don't expect to get anything out of Subaru.

Isuzu Impulse RS is probably one of the best AWD drift platforms one could ask for (160 AWD hp and about as light as a Civic) - too bad they're so rare!

[DoriSPL]

http://www2.as-web.jp/movie/file/imp...23/impreza.wmv
These are stock 06 STi's. I had a few videos of a fully modified 05 STi that was AWD and was show drifting (major camber angle and completing huge corners, even better then some of the RWD cars).

[DoriSPL]

Just found 2 awesome videos of a STi drifting:

http://www.gofastbits.com.au/videos/Drift1.mpg

http://www.gofastbits.com.au/videos/Drift2.mpg

[CoUnTer_MoTiOn]

Ok so how do you peform #2...?

I need to know how to increase steering angle.... This is the problem I am having with my car, it is a RWD WRX... Your help would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks...

I feel the STi would be a great platform to build a drift car. But, there are also some negatives to the vehicle:

1: The forward weight bias of the STi.
2: The steering angle is lower than a RWD car because the axles in the front prohibit large angles for durability. ( I know hoe to fix this though)
3: Cost of replacement parts. The STi transmission and some engine components can be quite costly to replace.
4: Subaru's attitude towards drifting. It may be very difficult to find support from dealers and OEM. However, the aftermarket may be very helpful.

Positives:

1. Great power and more for a low cost.
2. Exclusivity. It's cool to be different.
3. At least you're starting with an AWD car and not a FWD for a conversion like some idoits. (slight joke)
4. You can build a car that will be usable for both drift and rally and do both.



In regards to a RWD in the winter (you'll hate me for this).

A RWD car with proper snow tires (ie bridgestone blizzaks) can be extremly capable and will also teach you proper RWD weight transfer techniques.
Yet, there is no point arguing the accelerative grip of a locked center diff and two limited slips of an STi.

Happy shopping.

[JonnySlick]

when i had my WRX back in NC i drifted it on several occasions both in wet and dry. it was something that i didn't like to do b/c i didn't wanna' trash my at the time brand new 26K dollar car ... but there were times i couldn't resist. drifting a awd is difficult (as i sucked horribly at it) .. but it is doable. you just have to weight transfer a bit more than you would in a rwd and expect them to understeer before they kick out.

there was a guy in the north east drifting a awd RS and he did very well (at least at a grass roots level). sure if you leave it in awd form you're not gonna' have a car that will be a D1 contender ... but is that really what you're trying to make? just realize what the goal of the car is and make that your main focus. oh btw, wrx's make great grip/touge cars

on the subject of warranty; well that's really up to the dealerships. my dealership back home was way cool with modifing your subbie. they had a complete parts department on site and they were covering turbo and suspension upgrades under warranty as a "blown" stock componet. of course you had to buy the parts from them with about a 10% markup over normal msrp ... but the labor and tuning was free.