EVOlutionary

iTrader: (38)

It is all really up to your personal needs. If you can do well enough for your satisfaction in the events you enter - then more power is not "needed". It's all personal preference.

In my opinion a lower powered car is easier to drive consistently at or near its maximum potential. Its potential may not be as high as a car with 50WHP more . . . but the more power you make in an EVO the harder it is to consistenly drive it to its full ability. . .

evo8dad

iTrader: (15)

Barring the above, a TBE and a JMF O2 housing will be a big power increase plus you'll gain an additional 2 to 3 psi in boost, which is key in STU. A tubular manifold (JMF, AMS, Full Race) will improve spool-up as well as add about 1 psi in peak boost. Obviously the boost will still given we can't do anything when it comes to boost.

An intake is worth a little more power. So far I've found the Perrin one to make the most power and the less effect on the maf (scaling of the maf).

Another key is a PROPER tune. Be very careful though who does the tune. I've re-tuned supposedly "professionally" tuned cars it's really alarming.

spool_sample

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like the Evo 8 version of my car - Bridgestones, DFVs, Hawk pads, and bone stock engine.

Power is fun, but for the moment I'm much more concerned with getting the car to go in the right direction. I wish I could do everything at once, but I can't. Damn you, budget!

Spool4Fun

iTrader: (9)

I was about to say almost the same thing . I have DFVs, Z1s, and WORKS blue pads. I have run with stock power for the first two years and now I'm making the jump.

I've decided to start with a drop-in, TBE with perrin cat, and a tune. My first event will be in a few weeks with the new power. After an event or two to shake off the rust (haven't driven ANY car for 3 months while in Japan), I'm hoping to see some noticably better run times when compared to some of the more consistent local autoXers. We shall see though...

TrEvoRS

iTrader: (5)

Believe me you are not alone My only mod is the tune I got just before Nationals last year. Looking at my local results, I gained little to no time. Although power gain was probably small compared to going all the way. It was worth it for the 2-step though...

I would say if money is no object and you feel comfortable at your current power level, go for it...

Aytinc

Fair

Missing things from your suspension mods that might help more than power:

• Adjustable camber in front (at least -3° is needed and they work better with -4°), assuming your Ohlins don't have camber adjustable top mounts (we're working on a camber plate specific to Ohlins DFVs)
• Bigger swaybars (these never hurt) from Cobb, Works, or Eibach. We added bars (Cobb) to our EVO X last week and it helped, even with much stiffer coilover springs and good dampers

But of course the power mods are indeed worthwhile - the AWD cars are the only models in STU that can really benefit from these exhaust+programming mods, and then actually use all that added power (with 4 drive wheels). Not only will this make you faster on an autocross track, its a helluva lot more fun on the street and makes an even bigger impact at track events. Just ... don't get too carried away. The OEM clutch can't take too much added power.

With an "STU Legal Tune" and the parts you listed you should see 275+ whp. That's a good +40-50 whp over bone stock. There are STU "STEVOs" making over 300 whp and over 350 wtq, which is even more fun.

delongedoug

iTrader: (20)

My Ohlins have camber plates and I do plan on running -3 up front and -1.5 in the rear. Sway bars were the only thing left I was thinking about, besides bushings, but I wanted to see where I was after the coilovers rather than doing it all at once so I could feel what needs to change and how much it did.

Sounds like I might end up doing the power mods. Either this year or next, we'll see.

DaWorstPlaya

iTrader: (31)

A lot of the old timers say, while tires will give you 1- 2 sec improvement depending on the course and the length of the course. Power will give you 0.1 - 0.2 sec improvement. But then again every little bit helps.

Nice to see a lot of folks using the Ohlins DFV series coilovers. Given the price to performance, they're pretty hard to beat. I have them and have been super pleased. How do you guys like the Ohlin DFVs? Are you guys using the stock Ohlins (Eibach) spring rates or did you guys swap to different rates?

delongedoug

iTrader: (20)

Yeah, I knew where to modify first and now I'm wondering if I'll even get much out of power mods in terms of times. Maybe if I ride in some more fast cars I'll feel the need to do it. Generally, my car's the fastest I've been in, which is no doubt part of why I think it's fast enough. I hopped a ride in a friend's BSP STI and it definitely had some good pull without all the fancy BSP legal mods. I do plan on keeping the car for a few more years too, so I guess I'll do it. Still on the fence and flip flopping a couple times a day.

I haven't put the DFVs on yet, but I have the stock Eibach springs and will run them 8k front/10k rear.

spool_sample

iTrader: (3)

I haven't put my DFVs on yet, either, but mine do have 9k/11k springs - a nice bonus from the previous owner of them.

Spool4Fun

iTrader: (9)

350 wtq with STU mods? I would kill for that! How much do you suppose you lose skipping the exhaust manifold and o2 housing?

DRAG

iTrader: (3)

One of my STU buddies had the same thoughts as you, and he finally bit the bullet on a TBE and STU legal tune. The end result was 57whp and 57wtq on his 03. A good driver WILL be able to use that power and the torque increase really helps you coming off of a corner where you can't keep a lot of momentum drop down in the 3500-4000rpm range in 2nd gear.

350 is really high. I've been around a lot of EVOs and I've never seen one make that on a stock boost map unless is was on a Dynapack.



I am running my X GSR for STU again this year...mostly for fun. I'm no national competitor and my car is not prepped for the class. I have springs and Dunlops and the allowed power mods. I am in need of a good suspension badly, but I need to get my head back in the game for driving. I started off great last spring in the X, then took a several month vacation from auto x to spend time with my newborn daughter and when I came back for the Peru National Tour I was mentally out of it and never picked back up the rest of the season. I gotta get my head on straight.

Other than that...I'd like to see the class go to a weight based tire size rule instead of this rubbish system in place now. My X slides in at a tick over 3850 race weight and my VIII was 3400 equally prepared (3140 w/o me). I know Mr. Fair will disagree , but the physics won't lie. If STU had been a priority I would have picked up a IX I suppose. Have fun everyone...sign up for the Peru event to get ready for the surface at Nats!!

goofygrin

iTrader: (5)

Fair might have been quoting the 350 for an X? Uncorrected numbers? With intake, exhaust and STU legal tune I think either the VIII/IX or X would have difficulty getting 350awhp corrected on a mustang like Cobbs.

DRAG

iTrader: (3)

Difficult for most guys on any dyno. I'm not saying it isn't possible, or that I know all I'm just another guy on the internet. Most guys couldn't tune an air guitar anyway We have been able to get the hp up there on a true STU legal tune, but the big torque has come from altering the boost maps.

Just a quick rundown of the EVO X Dyno Tuning front page for tq...ALL with boost modifications.

Mustang Dyno
294 - bolt-ons, boost
338 - bolt ons, FMIC, boost
248 - Cobb Stage 1
339 - bolt ons, FMIC, boost
306 - boost
302- bolt ons, FMIC, boost
294 - bolt ons, FMIC, boost
297 - boost

DYNOmite
319 - bolt ons, boost
337 - bolt ons, FMIC, boost

DynoJet
330 - bolt ons, FMIC, boost
327 - bolt ons, FMIC, boost
319 - bolt ons, FMIC, boost
344 - bolt ons, cams, boost
364 - bolt ons, FMIC, cams, boost

Dynapack
368 - bolt ons, cams, boost


Sorry to go off topic...but it is kinda STU related Certainly more probable on the IX and X with the MIVEC maps. The day I say something isn't possible some a$$hole like my buddy Fathouse comes out with a 420/420 chart on a stock car

spool_sample

iTrader: (3)

RE-11s showed up today. First glance yields a sidewall-to-sidewall section width that's very very close to 10" unmounted - quite wide. I don't have a reliable or consistent method for measuring tread width, so I will refrain from that for now.

I will post pics whenever I find the stupid cable for my camera.