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Sriracha's Build Thread

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Location
Prattville
#1
Edit (10/23/2016): I will keep this first post updated to include the current mod list and pics.

During the build, my goal will be to make Sriracha go, stop, look, and feel better without compromising her overall character.

Current Mod List:
Cobb AccessPort (Stage 1 93 octane)
Injen Intake
16"x7" Sparco Terra wheels
215/40R-16 Yokohama S-Drive tires
ST Suspensions XTA coilovers
Eibach front sway bar
Eibach rear sway bar
Pierce Motorsports torsion beam brace
Pierce Motorsports front strut tower brace
Pierce Motorsports lower tie brace

Current pictures:









For a baseline, here's some driveway shots from when I brought her home back in June 2015:









 


Last edited:
Messages
18
Likes
5
Location
Sault Ste Marie
#2
She's a beauty...I take regular trips to my local dealer to ogle a molten ST...they're something else in real life.

It'd be great to enjoy it in its stock form for a while anyway...really take it in and appreciate it, ya know? :)

Can't wait to see how it all unfolds
 


OP
srirachapenguin
Messages
116
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16
Location
Prattville
Thread Starter #3
Thanks, anthony. I fell in love with the color when I first saw it. It just continues growing on me. I've had her since June so I've had a good chance to get to know the car in stock form. There's just about nothing to complain about, really.
 


OP
srirachapenguin
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Prattville
Thread Starter #4
Well, my first mod has been ordered and is expected to arrive this next Thursday. Slowly, but surely...
 


OP
srirachapenguin
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116
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Location
Prattville
Thread Starter #5
Mod #1 has finally happened! The mod: 16"x7" Sparco Terra Wheels wrapped in 225/50R-16 Yokohama S. Drive Tires. Here's what I've noticed so far: (1) The car handles better; cornering is the most obvious improvement. (2) The car rides more comfortably; I still would not call it smooth, but it is much more comfortable than the stock ride. (3) The car looks MEAN in a good way. So far I have not encountered too much in the way of rubbing issues with the beefy tires. I do notice a very small rub over any particularly violent bumps and/or particularly heroic corners, but those are few and far between. Overall I am very happy with the way this turned out. Sriracha drives like a completely different car now. First, a few pictures of the wheels/tires themselves:





And finally, I must finish this up with the gratuitous before and after gallery:















 


OffTheWall503

1000 Post Club
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Memphis, TN
#6
Those are some beefy tires, looks good. I will need to get new tires at some point but there's no way those will fit with the drop I have. Gotta figure out which size meets within spec, probably will be 215/45/16 or 205/50/16.
 


M-Sport fan

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Princeton, N.J.
#8
Mod #1 has finally happened! The mod: 16"x7" Sparco Terra Wheels wrapped in 225/50R-16 Yokohama S. Drive Tires. Here's what I've noticed so far: (1) The car handles better; cornering and take-off are the most obvious improvements but the car does seem to stop a bit quicker as well. (2) The car rides more comfortably; I still would not call it smooth, but it is much more comfortable than the stock ride. (3) The car looks MEAN in a good way. So far I have not encountered too much in the way of rubbing issues with the beefy tires. I do notice a very small rub over any particularly violent bumps and/or particularly heroic corners, but those are few and far between. Overall I am very happy with the way this turned out. Sriracha drives like a completely different car now. First, a few pictures of the wheels/tires themselves:





And finally, I must finish this up with the gratuitous before and after gallery:















I like that, (especially the way they fill up the stock ride height wheel well) but most on here would tell you that those S.Drives are WAY TOO wide for a 7" wide wheel (I will NOT though).

Do you notice any 'mushiness', or scrubbing of the tire against the pavement on initial turn-in at all??

I am thinking about either a 215/45, or a 225/45 on a 16x7, even though I get BLASTED on here by the 'stretchies' (i.e.; those that think even a NARROW 195/55-15 or 205/50-15 HAS TO BE mounted on an 15x8 wheel in order to even 'work' at all) for even considering those widths on a 16x7. [wink]
 


OP
srirachapenguin
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Prattville
Thread Starter #9
Thanks everyone!

OffTheWall, I definitely won't be able to do much if any drop with this fitment. These tires are a very aggressive setup and from my understanding fall outside of the typically recommended size range. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but from what I've read the consensus is to stick with a tire profile of 40 or less to avoid rubbing with a lowered suspension on the FiST.

M-Sport fan, I don't really get the "stretched" tires thing either. It seems to me like it would be bad for the tires, handling, etc...but to each their own. 225 is probably considered a bit wide for a 7" wheel, but as far as I can tell I am not having any mushiness or scrubbing issues.
 


M-Sport fan

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#10
^^^It's much less the profile than the overall diameter, combined with the width, which causes the problems once lowered.

Your setup is almost 25" tall and 9.3 wide (in section width), whereas the factory setup is ~23.4" in height, and 8.4" in section width.
 


OP
srirachapenguin
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116
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Location
Prattville
Thread Starter #11
^^^It's much less the profile than the overall diameter, combined with the width, which causes the problems once lowered.

Your setup is almost 25" tall and 9.3 wide (in section width), whereas the factory setup is ~23.4" in height, and 8.4" in section width.
That is exactly the sort of correction I was talking about! Thanks, M-sport fan.
 


OP
srirachapenguin
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Prattville
Thread Starter #12
Addendum to my initial impressions of the setup: after spending some more time driving, I will say that there is definitely a rubbing issue on the front tires. They rub over hard bumps and/or hard corners. I can see a faint line of orange all around the outside edge of the front tires where they are slowly rubbing paint from the lip of the fender. I've never had a car that had tire rubbing before. Can anyone tell me if that could lead to any serious issues or is a little lost paint the worst I am looking at?
 


M-Sport fan

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#13
IF I HAD TO go with a 225 section tire, I probably would have chosen a 225/45-16 over the 50 profile, due to it being about an inch less in overall diameter than your s.drives, and most likely would not rub at all (although, yes, sadly it would NOT fill the factory wheel well gap as well as your 50s do).

The problem is this size seems to ONLY be available in either 200 autocross, or the even less 'streetable' yet, and quicker wearing/more likely to flat due to picking up 'road shrapnel' from their sticky compounds, 100 tread wear road course donuts. [:(]

As far as damage, I would be more worried about the tread patch/belts being peeled/skinned away from the tire's carcass from the repeated rubbing and gouging (and causing a catastrophic blowout/loss of control) than any fender lip damage which could be pained/coated to stop any corrosion. [wink]
 


OP
srirachapenguin
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Thread Starter #14
Yeah...a blowout would definitely be bad! I'll keep a close eye on them and be ready to switch out if they start looking ragged...
 


OP
srirachapenguin
Messages
116
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16
Location
Prattville
Thread Starter #15
Well, I fixed the rubbing issue. Tire Rack let me set up an exchange so the car now has a set of Yokohama S Drives in 215/40/16. No rubbing at all. Here's a quick breakdown of the setup vs stock and the previous set:
Cornering - better than stock, not as good as last setup
Comfort - same as stock, worse than last setup
Acceleration/Braking - better than both setups
I'm pleased with how this set is turning out. Picture:



I think that wheel gap is just begging for a drop in the future...
 


OP
srirachapenguin
Messages
116
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Location
Prattville
Thread Starter #17
The new mod is already here. Kevin [MENTION=348]ModBargains[/MENTION] helped me get a really good deal on a set of ST Suspensions XTA coilovers. They arrived yesterday. If all goes well I will be getting them installed this coming Tuesday. I'll post up some pics and a review once I get them put on.
 


OP
srirachapenguin
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116
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Location
Prattville
Thread Starter #18
I got mod number the second installed yesterday: a set of ST Suspensions XTA coilovers. I love these things! It sort of seems like they have created an impossible transformation: the ride is much more comfortable than stock AND the handling is much better too. The car just seems to float over mild road imperfections now. Large bumps cause about the same amount of jarring as the factory setup of course, but overall the comfort has greatly improved. I can definitely carry more speed through a corner on this setup and the car seems to stay a little bit flatter, i.e. less body roll. I also notice this when accelerating and braking, the car does not squat and nose dive as much. Right now I've got it set about 1" lower compared to factory and I have the rebound set at 9 clicks below stiffest. And now for the before and after gallery:





















Apologies for the dirt, but it has been raining for about three weeks...lol
 


Siestarider

Senior Member
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Stuart
#20
Very nice stance. Would you post FTG measurement front and rear for those of us still working on ride height? Thanks.
 


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