im also wondering about this, what exactly does it do? i know that it adds like.5 negative static caster or something like that but what does that equate to in driving. anti-lift sounds like it should keep the back inside tire on the ground, am i even close?

 

It keeps the front inside tire from spinning as much. After I installed it it felt like a front LSD

During the slow tight rechnical portions of the winter rallycross series, my car would understeer grossly on gravel. Now the front end just grabs and the rear kicks around in a nice pivot when I stomp it.

Jim

 

How hard was the anti-lift kit to install?

 

Not very. But be mindful of the fact that the ALK puts you in Street Modified or higher classes for auto- and rallycrosses. It's not legal for STS or STX since it is not specifically allowed. This means that if you install it, you have no chance of winning your class unless you are either ready for the F1 circuit, or you spent another $2000 in suspension mods.

 

Speaking of autocross (Solo II), I was wanting to compete in some events, but I'm not sure what class I'm supposed to be in. Could you help me out? I have a 2002 WRX with an AEM Cold Air Intake, a Borla Cat-Back Exhaust, rear camber bolts (set to factory specs), and a Kartboy short shifter w/bushings. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Andy

 

So is it accurate to say that ALK's main purpose is to counter understeer?

And how does ALK get its name? Does it really counter "lifts" when accelerating?

 

I think you belong in STX, depending on whether or not the camber bolts are legal there. I'm not sure about that. The shifter, intake, and exhaust are all ok though. Try here for the rules.

 

i found out since i posted in this what the ALK does.
it counters the lift of the front wheels while accelerating, thus allowing the inside front wheel to stay planted much firmer, allowing more traction on exit

 

Thanks for the help BAN SUVS.

 

Anytime.

 

Lol...Craftsman tools explode without warning as a matter of habit. I have a ziplock bag full of gnarly Craftsmen tool fragments, and I guess eventually I'll get to bringin' them in. As far as the ALK goes, i really can't comment on anything but the theory (closest i have to experience with it is a buddy who has one sitting around waiting to be installed on his WRX). I guess the easiest way to understand how it works is to understand that it allows less lift, and thus, less weight shift in the front end. So it acts kind of like a 22mm anti-sway bar on the front, with a 20mm on the rear. Contrary to popular belief a great deal of oversteer can be manufactured by having this being "in effect" a larger anti-sway force on the front than in the rear. Think about it...if you want the rear to come around, it has to act like the end of a pendulum. The rear can be made to act as a pendulum by having it be "swingable", or most weight-shiftable (if that makes sense?). So the ALK keeps the front end flat while the lighter rear end remains more subject to lateral momentum.

I tried...this is the best explanation I can come up with after 3 Labatt Blue oil cans and 3 Icehouse tallboys...lol...peace out

 

This isn't quite right. You can kind of think of the ALK as acting like an anti-roll bar mounted front to rear- it prevents weight shift rearward, just like a regular anti-roll bar prevents it side to side. This helps your front tires bear more torque. I haven't installed one yet, I'm waiting for it to get written into SCCA class rules, but I have heard that it makes brake dive worse- which isn't a lot better than lift on the throttle. If that's true I'd think twice before I got it, but if it isn't I'd say the ALK is a good mod.

 

BAN SUVS I have always appreciated our little give-and-take that we have every now and then, but I think you quoted me a little out of context...I was simply trying to use a familiar metaphor to describe the handling effects, but nonetheless you make a good point...the ALK sort of statically perches the car forward a bit, more than usual, so that when braking force is applied it further pitches the car forward, because to begin with, the ALK adds a bit more forward slant to the car's posture...