Rally's MY04 Forrie- Poverty Pack special

Purchased second hand. Rear diff and instrument cluster replaced under warranty. First change was to fit CB UHF GME radio. Car has externally mounted windscreen aerial bracket. Just purchased set of new KYB shock absorbers- the originals have had it- will install when they arrive. Next step is to replace standard steel rims with MY99 WRX rims. Then sump guard and driving lights.
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I think you are underrating a good LSD a bit, My mates i go out with have Navara's/hiluxs with rear LSD diffs from factory and they seem to work very well for them. Most only upgrade to lockers once the LSD wear out. I'd say the Kaaz being designed for performance will lock up even harder than these factory fitted diffs.
 
Well, that's good. I'm happy if my low expectations are blown out of the water. I try not to have great expectations on anything that is really an experiment. We all have different satisfaction levels. What pleases me may not please you performance wise- and vice versa.

I kept going on about how good the diffs and a 6 speed is in the WRX to a mate of mine. Next thing is he's buying them for his car. I felt bad because he was getting himself into hoch based on what I had said- what if he hated it and blown his money? Turned out for the best. Even with standard power that car is heaps quicker now- from being at the bottom of the field he is now in the top 10 regularly. I breathed a sigh of relief because what if what I thought was great he did not?

The plan is to install the rear diff in the Forrie on Wednesday after work.
 
I'm sure you'll even be happy with the performance of a torsen type front diff off road. The US army use to fit them to their hummers. they liked the strength and reliability with out special service needs.

Apparently they train the drivers to drive through the brakes when a wheel gets lifted to keep them keep moving in that instance.

In fact i think torsens diffs could work very well in a modern foz like mine with the brake pulsing abs traction control. If a wheel gets lifted the traction control should do the brake pulsing for you which combine with the torque biasing diff should work well together.
 
The rear KAAZ diff centre was installed today. Some minor grinding of the diff housing was required, but it all went in well after that. Be prepared for some rather unpleasant sounding noise if you wish to go this way. Now I understand the noise is supposed to go away in 1000km's time with an oil change and a you-beaut new oil, but I'll have to wait till then to be sure. It certainly is tight though. Early days, let's see how it goes.
 
without the other diffs, the car does tend to understeer more because there is more rear grip. That is when driving in a way you normally don't do in a Forester and are having a fang in a paddock. But it's really too soon to say.
 
Sorry i meant more in terms of performance diff to diff. eg does the kaaz lockup much more aggressively??
 
I think so, but it is hard to be sure just yet as I am still trying to run it in, which means I am coasting through corners and applying throttle only when going straight. Having said that, yes, there is more chatter on the few occassions I have applied power in corners. No doubt the STI diff is far more refined than the KAAZ one- as it must be. But the STI diff can be modified for more aggressive ramp up as well- these diffs can be set up different ways. My pick would be the STI diff. The Americans have an option not readily available here. They can get a diff which is effectively run in, without the noise- or so they say. It costs a bit more, but if it proves quieter than what mine does after it has been run it, then that diff might be worth a look as well. The SG Forester interstingly is not on the KAAZ listing- which finishes at the SF. Perhaps there is a difference in the housing which is why there was a clearance issue- or perhaps they just expect you to modify the housing.
 
Ah, it has gone pretty much as expected. I did some running in on the paddock adjacent to the workshop, then drove home and did some more closer to home. There is a new estate being opened up, and I found a small street where I could do elongated figure 8's without attracting too much attention. But then some hoon turns up wanting to do burn outs in his gutless Bitsamissing Lancer. It was so funny- the guy was such a wanker and a bogan and the car such a POS. But he interefered with what I was trying to do, and I was worried he would attract the police so I eventually went home. The noise is still as loud as ever.

Functionally, I feel it is better than the previous open diff. I have dumped the clutch coming out of driveways and there is less front wheelspin- just a quick chirp whereas before there was maybe a full turn of wheelspin. I also went up Galston Gorge through a series of up hill hairpin bends, and it once again seemed to have superior grip. Once the inside rear wheel came down there was just a chirp, whereas previously there was a turn or more of the wheel. This means that not only is the centre diff still sending drive to the rear, but the extra rear drive means the front is less stressed. It augers well for the off road adventures. Hopefully next weekend I can put the front diff in and change the rear diff oil which is supposed to quieten it down.
 
Gidday Rally

IME, the hardest parts of a car to run in properly are the diff/s and gearbox.

Back in the old days, I would get the new car and take it for about a 500 mile drive through the hills and valleys of S/E Queensland (or wherever). Lots of corners, rev variation and gear changes. That seemed to work well.

However, I have never experienced a diff making the kinds of noises that you have described ... Much as I hate to say it, it just doesn't sound right to me.
 
I knew what to expect with this diff, as others have them in their race cars. Even the supplier knows about the noise. They were originally designed I imagine for race cars, and race cars are all about function, not sophistication. For STI, their bits are for road cars, so they need function and to be quiet. It would be a different story had I bought it expecting it to be quiet and it was not, or if the noise was there when travelling in a straight line. To be annoyed about the noise would be the same as moving next to an airport and complaining about the noise.
 
Sounds good so far. Cant wait for it to be run in with an oil change so you can tell us what its like then. Also, how it goes offroad with a wheel/wheels lifted :lildevil:
 
Well, the heavy rain has made it interesting. Coming out of corners on full throttle introduces a touch of power oversteer. But because there is bugger all power, there is bugger all oversteer. Still, would not have done that before. But if you apply power too early, the thing understeers like a pig. It is real plough understeer because the rear now has more grip and the balance changes. Really missing the front diff and maybe even the centre diff. My expectation is that once the front diff goes in (if it fits) then that will get rid of the plough understeer. I must add that this only happens when you try and provoke it. In normal driving, even if a bit quicker than normal, you'd notice no difference. A mate of mine put the same diff in his STI, but with open front diff and standard centre diff (So the same as the Forrie now) and his car had a lot more power oversteer. Of course, having a lot more power meant there was always going to be more oversteer.
 
Took the car to Dave at A1 yesterday to get the noise situation attended to. There certainly has been an improvement. In some situations, the noise is all but gone, but in others it is still there, but not as loud. There is still more to be done and Dave reckons he get rid of more of the noise that remains. It's certainly a big step forward. The other day I drove the Impreza, and that really hammered home how noisy the Forie diff was. Before yesterday, the Forrie was not a nice car to live with. Now, it is a lot better and with the promise of being better yet.
 
Lol, I'd love to hear just how noisy this diff is, by the sounds of it though an kaaz diff would be out for me, can't imagine the missus putting up with the noise if it's that bad for afew weeks.
 
No, front diff is yet to be done. The noise is inconsistant, but seems most noticeable on medium radius corners such as turning into and more so out of side streets. Hairpins are better, and at times silent. Early days.
 
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