2.0 RX upgrade advice?

[Jamie_uk]

will a KnN air filter make a difference?

hoping to get a bit more noise and more poke at lower revs, untill you get to 3-4k there is no pull whatsoever. 

handling is most important for me didnt buy this car for straight speed so if i can improve cornering speed that would be great

had a 1.2 8v clio before this so open to all advice. 

thanks

[HawkeyeLawrence]

Unfortunately the non- turbos don't have much scope for power increase, but a drop-in air filter is one engine mod i'd recommend! I have a pro-r foam filter in my '07 rsport and it does improve throttle response a little (I try to avoid K&N as i've heard stories of the oil on them causing havoc with the MAF sensor)

As far as suspension goes, you can make them handle just like their snail powered cousins! Common suspension mods are performance springs/coilovers, antiroll bars and bushes... Can't say for the '07-> models but i've fitted some prodrive springs to mine and it made such a difference!

Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk

[Jamie_uk]

thanks for replying,  ill take a look for one of them air filters. 

http://www.scoobyparts.com/suspension/strut-braces/m2-hatch-saloon-front-strut-brace     had a quick search for reviews some saying it improves cornering and stability alot and one that said it makes the back end slide out.   

http://www.scoobyparts.com/sti-style-lip-front-spoiler-08-10-hatchback       been looking for one of these, is there any benifit aside from looks?

[awebb320]

if the is no pull before 3k then bank 1 sensor 1 (air&fuel) could be starting to break down. wont throw a light until fully gone

 

Alex

[Jamie_uk]

that would be my luck, gonna go give it a kick about, is there anything i should look out for or anything im able to check? 

[CRG77]

I've just installed 30mm lowering springs to my RX and it is a huge improvement. There is now a lot less body roll.

[Jamie_uk]

What's the height like for speed bumps? Got some pretty nasty ones about that come pretty close already. 

 

Did you get much body roll before? I haven't really noticed much atall unless I fly round a tight corner and even then it doesn't move much . Though I'm comparing it to the Clio I had and the vans I drive which roll a lot

[Jimmymac101]

My RX hatch is fairly high off the ground but it corners fairly well for a car with standard suspension. 

Uprated lowering springs will always offer better cornering and drivability so is fully worth the money :) 

James 

[Jamie_uk]

ok cheers ill bear it in mind

can anyone shed some light on these please, looking at the pro r filter, is there a difference between that and the pipercross?  pro r gives no measurements 

http://pro-r.co.uk/products?filter[brand][0]=6&filter[brand][1]=1&filter[model_year][0]=&filter[order]=0&filter[per_page]=5&page=2

http://www.thepipercrossshop.co.uk/pipercross-rectangle-performance-panel-filter-length-220mm-x-width-218mm-pp1577_p22540506.htm

 

thanks

[CRG77]

Height for speedbumps is not to bad. Haven't had it scrape yet. Handling is a lot better with stiffer springs but it isn't rock hard so it is still comfortable when driving.

[Jay762]

either of those filters is fine - just fitted a K&N - doesn't have oil on or come with oil in box for this model - Other K&N's I have had did come with oil though.

The RX does roll more than the STi I had - It improved with new tyres (HL rated) and also with the spacers, I will be considering the strut race just to make make a square out of the front end and firm it all up as a structure

The lowering springs pictured in the other thread do give a nice amount of drop.

Not sure the front spoiler addon will fit the RX due to shape of bottom of valence, but if you have bad speed bumps locally it may not stay attached for too long

[Jamie_uk]

Has the k&n made any difference or change of noise? Mpg or throttle response? Even if slightly 

 

for now I think I'll pass on the lowering see what the braces do when I find the right ones. If I caught the underside on a speed bump I would probably get upset and there wouldn't be a speed bump there anymore lol 

 

was as going to change tyres, came with ovation winter tyres XL but have decent tread on and the grip is surprisingly good considering budget winter tyres. Haven't slipped once 

[Jay762]

might be placebo affect but throttle response feels slightly smoother (teh filter I replaced was quite black as well though) - I am expecting improvements when I replace the exhaust for a freer flowing alternative then get it tuned to match the intake and exhaust changes - wont be huge mpg or acceleration to be gained but looking for optimum NA performance without manufacturers risk tolerances for rubbish fuel etc (eg this engine has to perform in all conditions on all continents)

[Jamie_uk]

Ok cool I'll get a filter ordered just gotta pick between pro r and k&n. 

 

Had a look for exhaust but all the parts I can find are for wrx and sti not alota info on standard models.  Same with suspension or braces etc

thanks for the help I appreciate it

[Jay762]

I will be going to Cobra sport as I want a full stainless option with a little more noise than standard, they come up less cost building a bespoke system than something like the Blitz or Hayward and Scott (If I find the link for the original system I wanted ill post it but Im sure it was close on 1k) - If I remember correctly they sorted Stants out ok when he needed something for his Foz

[Jay762]

Looking at what was completed to this wrx the exhaust system replaced looks exactly the same as what is on my RX - so my initial research had covered WRX systems from cat back

I think this is the system I was thinking of

http://www.blitz-uk.co.uk/ProductItem-2515.aspx

[Jay762]

Pretty sure the braces are all the same fitment from 08 - 10 WRX, STI etc

[Jamie_uk]

ill take a look cheers. just think it needs a bit of a growl to it and a bit more low end pull. 

ill send some emails out and see what some of the sites say about fitment or other parts. 

[CRG77]

I got this for my RX and got the mid silencer removed and sounds a lot nicer and louder now http://scoobyworld.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24_207&products_id=1439

[Jamie_uk]

Nice looks easy to change aswell, haven't had much Experiance with working on cars though pretty sure that's obvious lol but keen to get started. What was it like before you removed the mid silencer?  How loud is it? Drive to London in it so 4 hours on a motorway love a good noise but don't wanna go overkill

[CRG77]

8 hours ago, Jamie_uk said:

Nice looks easy to change aswell, haven't had much Experiance with working on cars though pretty sure that's obvious lol but keen to get started. What was it like before you removed the mid silencer?  How loud is it? Drive to London in it so 4 hours on a motorway love a good noise but don't wanna go overkill

You won't notice much noise if you just swap the back box which is what I originally did. But with this exhaust and also removing the mid silencer you get a nice loud noise. It's not too loud that it gets annoying but it turns some heads when you drive past. I does look really nice on the car and makes it sound more like a subaru. I will try add some pictures when I can. 

[Jamie_uk]

Thanks look forward to seeing them