pbdavey

Please take this with a grain of salt as this applies to USDM Imprezas, and I don't know if it holds for other markets.
MY04 RS/WRX is a 16.5:1 while MY04 STi is a ~15:1 (slightly different than MY05 STi/WRX 15:1). I have an RS so I am familiar with what the MY04 and earlier WRX is like, but I test drove a MY05 WRX and it's much nicer. Mazda MX-5/Miatas actually use 15:1, nice and quick, but still a somewhat typical production car ratio for sportier cars.

My advice is test drive a newer WRX to get a feel for the rack before you go into it.

I haven't done this conversion yet, but I may, so I can't answer many technical questions about the conversion.

Ash

iTrader: (12)

sorry it took so long for me to ring back in.

I am having a couple issues with my 04 STI rack in my 02 WRX wagon.

It's really my fault. Fittment was a clean swap. position and mounting are almost identical... almost.

first problem... where the head of the rack goes up to meet the steering column the clearance on the cross member is so close that it occasionally taps against it.
This is no problem if you just grab a hammer and bend the edge down a little bit BEFORE you put the steering rack in. I now have to take mine back out to do it...sux.

second problem... I had noltec steering bushings on my stock rack so natually I used them on the STI racking. Thinking nothing of coarse about the fact that the STI rack rubber bushings were glued to the rack as I ripped them off. Right now my steering rack is sliding back and fourth in the bushings about an 1/8th of an inch each way. I'm not sure how to fix this accept to take it out and glue the noltecs to it too. Spinning tire arround a corner will cause the car to pull to one side a little for about a quarter mile before it goes back to center.

Any suggestions??? If anyone's local to san jose cali you're welcome to join the adventure.

Ash