Personally, I'm a Whiteline fanatic but if they don't have what I need then Kartboy is my go-to. :tup: Check out Tokico when it comes time for struts. I have their D-spec adjustable gas shocks on my '04 STi and I love them.
Round 2: My 2015 Galaxy Blue Journal
- Thread starter Eagleye
- Start date
Eagleye
Tinkerer
I went with Whiteline for the lowering springs and couldn't be happier. Jordan recommended the Kartboy links and they were cheaper so it wasn't to help him out. He simply said he has had a lot of good feedback and success in running them. That was good enough for me. After 10 years of buying from him I decided it was time to add a windshield banner to support him, so I will be trying to get that put on when this order comes in as well.
Nice!
BTW, how did you determine the endlinks were bad?
I would assume looking at them and seeing a bent/warped shape would be pretty obvious, but otherwise...
...?
Also, they probably come with new bushings, but if not definitely get some Urethane bushings.
Once again, my favorites are kartboy and whiteline.
BTW, how did you determine the endlinks were bad?
I would assume looking at them and seeing a bent/warped shape would be pretty obvious, but otherwise...
...?Also, they probably come with new bushings, but if not definitely get some Urethane bushings.
Once again, my favorites are kartboy and whiteline.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Nice!
BTW, how did you determine the endlinks were bad?
I would assume looking at them and seeing a bent/warped shape would be pretty obvious, but otherwise...
Also, they probably come with new bushings, but if not definitely get some Urethane bushings.
Once again, my favorites are kartboy and whiteline.
Basically it was a guess to be honest. After installing new springs on my Mini Cooper S a few years ago I had a weird bumping/thunk noise on the ride home and realized I did not have the endlinks tightened properly. After making them tight the problem was solved.
I pulled over the other day when I first heard these low speed thunk noises coming from the left front and took a look. Everything seemed okay so I continued on. Above 30mph or so there really aren't any noises, even when hitting small bumps. The next day I pulled the driver front wheel and loosened the endlink (it was tight as it should be) and retightened it (but not as tight). The same sound has been worse since and the car seems to handle well and does well at higher speeds even over small rises that unload the car. So I am thinking the struts are okay and will be replacing the front endlinks and sway bar bushings.
so yeah...we'll see what happens haha
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Just be honest with yourself and accept that you're finding reasons to buy more parts!
Keep us updated! :tup:
Haha, I wish.
If that were the case I would have heard an exhaust rattle or motor noise requiring many new parts
. Sadly this will do little for performance, just my sanity.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
A few quick notes:
Pictures to come because...well everyone will want to see my stupidity and possibly the other stuff as well.
1. I had a new HVAC system installed at the house. When removing the old equipment, some was put in the driveway. Yes, I somehow managed to scratch my rear passenger door and rear wheel (winter wheel thank God) on the old AC unit. It was so low I did not see it in my mirrors. In my defense, both install guys were standing outside right there as I backed around their vehicles...and said nothing! CMON! Anyway, it isn't awful, but will not buff out and would require roughly $800 to repair correctly.
2. On a better note, I finally installed my oil pressure gauge. Very happy with this so far. I was not a big fan of how I had to run the line, but it is installed after way too much time was taken to start and finish the job. I have decided to wait on the wideband gauge until I install new exhaust. Not sure when that will be.
3. I got my wife a 2018 Escape SE that she is really enjoying. My dad had it traded in (an older gentleman wanted to trade it on an identical Escape with the slightly larger motor...). Trading in her old SUV that was leaking oil everywhere we ended up with a basically brand new car (6k miles) and a small payment. So while not a Subaru or Subaru related news, it is good news during a time that has been pretty shitty around here.
Pictures to come because...well everyone will want to see my stupidity and possibly the other stuff as well.
1. I had a new HVAC system installed at the house. When removing the old equipment, some was put in the driveway. Yes, I somehow managed to scratch my rear passenger door and rear wheel (winter wheel thank God) on the old AC unit. It was so low I did not see it in my mirrors. In my defense, both install guys were standing outside right there as I backed around their vehicles...and said nothing! CMON! Anyway, it isn't awful, but will not buff out and would require roughly $800 to repair correctly.
2. On a better note, I finally installed my oil pressure gauge. Very happy with this so far. I was not a big fan of how I had to run the line, but it is installed after way too much time was taken to start and finish the job. I have decided to wait on the wideband gauge until I install new exhaust. Not sure when that will be.
3. I got my wife a 2018 Escape SE that she is really enjoying. My dad had it traded in (an older gentleman wanted to trade it on an identical Escape with the slightly larger motor...). Trading in her old SUV that was leaking oil everywhere we ended up with a basically brand new car (6k miles) and a small payment. So while not a Subaru or Subaru related news, it is good news during a time that has been pretty shitty around here.
I'm guessing it's just the signal line running into the cabin from a sandwich style adapter that the oil filter screws into.
That's how mine is at least.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
No need for an oil temp gauge, built in to the 15s. I will get some pictures and specs up on the Escape along with a review, thanks for asking.
I'm guessing it's just the signal line running into the cabin from a sandwich style adapter that the oil filter screws into.
Yes, I have a signal wire running from a sandwich adapter at the oil filter up through the fender liner (line wasn't long enough to run it from the engine bay. When the line goes bad (it will) I will replace it with a longer line that I can run through the bay. I can take some pictures if you want to see how it is run. It is pretty on point for my rigged up way of doing shit haha. But hey it works and you can't see the wires.
In other news:
- The front end noise I was hearing has returned. Very weird that it seemed to subside temporarily. Not sure what to think about that. I am going to ask the mechanic that inspects it later this month to see if he can tell where it is coming from.
- I also sold my road bike and bought a Trek gravel bike. Love it so far.
- Before I started working from home I did another golf putter design and milled it up on a CNC mill at work. I did an oil can finish on it (heated to 600 deg. and dropped in oil).
Pictures for fun:
Eagleye
Tinkerer
I think that it is a 90mm (stock), same as what I had on my Argon. I had a 110mm on the Argon at one point, that was a bit too stretched out. I have long arms relative to my body so it works well for me.
O and I have black bar tape coming. I'm all for color coordination, but it is a bit over the top imo.
O and I have black bar tape coming. I'm all for color coordination, but it is a bit over the top imo.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Responded to this in the above post, but on a different note...I give you all that info and pictures and you only ask about the stem length on the bike
Haha j/k. Just thought it was funny.
Alin
Diehard Car Enthusiast!
I forgot the VA's came stock with the oil temperature gauge!
Is the front end noise related to suspension or the engine?
Is it called a "gravel bike" because it's meant to be ridden on actual gravel? What type of tires and why are they brown/red? That may be a stupid question since I have blue tires. :lol: Is it just a random color?
Is the front end noise related to suspension or the engine?
Is it called a "gravel bike" because it's meant to be ridden on actual gravel? What type of tires and why are they brown/red? That may be a stupid question since I have blue tires. :lol: Is it just a random color?
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Front end noise is something relating to the suspension, but I cannot figure out what it is. I am thinking strut at this point.
Gravel bike meaning the frame fits much wider tires (these are 43s vs my road bike that had 25s) the geometry is a little more "relaxed" (you sit more upright vs. a road race bike like I had) and the tire color is just an option the previous owner picked to "match" the bike. I'm not really a fan but they aren't bad. I have a second set of wheels and slick 30mm tires coming for road riding so I can use the knobby 43s for off-road duty. I love having the disc brakes over the rim brakes, big improvement.
Grinder34
Track Monkey
My bike is also a gravel bike. Here's my brief history, as I understand it, of how gravel bikes came to be.
Road-racing guys do most of their racing during the nice spring/summer months. Way back, they found a way to continue to be competitive year round through the sloppier months--they raced their road bikes from town-to-town with kind of a no rules type thing. So you could get off and jump fences, ride through fields, etc... This helped them stay in shape and helped fine tune reflexes (think of racing on ice with summer tires). But as this evolved and got more competitive, people started putting on knobby, wider tires. To fit those tires, the fork had to get wider and wider. And then the pedals needed to come up a bit so you could put power down in turns--but it still very much resembled a road bike. And now you weren't hitting 50 mph (or whatever) on an epic downhill, but were occasionally slogging up a muddy hill, so the gear ratios moved to slightly slower speeds. That's now Cyclocross, and a vibrant field of cyclocross bikes.
From there, enthusiasts decided that that style of "go anywhere" bike looked fun, but cyclocross bikes were a bit to aggressive in seating position and aerodynamics, which made more relaxed cruising difficult. People wanted to be able to go down any road, even gravel ones, without having to switch from a road bike to a mountain bike. So now we have "gravel" bikes that in my mind are spiritually linked to cyclocross. On various forums i've read accounts of people basically taking their gravel bike down singletrack and solidly into mountain bike territory, so they're very capable in the right hands.
Even within the "gravel" category, I'd say there are lots of sub-genres, with some capable of putting practically full 2"+ mountain bike tires on there--while others are more road oriented. Some more comfortable, some more racy.
I ended up with a fairly comfortable one (it even has a mini shock absorber in the front to save your hands from vibrations) and so far its been fully capable for everything I've thrown at it, but that's been somewhat limited so far. I only wish I had a slightly lower gear when pulling a toddler up a steep hill.
Grinder34
Track Monkey
From specialized's website (not at home now)
CASSETTE Shimano 105, 11-speed, 11-32t
CHAINRINGS 48/32T
So again a 1:1 gear ratio. The part of my ride that I really want a lower ratio is a >10% grade. My numbers are coming from Strava, which has it at like 9.9% min and part of it at 15%...not sure I believe that. It's relatively smooth in my mind, just steep. And that ~10% comes shortly after another much shorter 7% (again, Strava numbers) hill. It's really a pain in the saddle while carrying an extra 50 lbs of baby and carrier. Out of the saddle its not as terrible, but if she's on the seat behind me it jostles her a lot doing that.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Gotcha, that is a tough climb carrying extra weight. You probably have a long cage derailleur. Maybe get an 11-34 like I have? Doesn't sound like much but it would change the gear ratio by .06, might be worth a shot. The 105 11-34 cassette is about $45. And you should not need to change the chain.
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