I was just going to put this in the FS thread, but decided not to.
The return to stock started weeks ago trying to find all the parts etc.
The AP/ST return to stock went flawlessly, as did the harness removal. And then the trouble begins..
While inventorying parts, I realize the back rear right lower arm is bent and one of the forward rear control arms is to short! FTW! With only 2K on the car when it got dropped off at S^2 back in the day, I'm pretty sure those weren't my arms, but not much I can do about it now... And for some reason, my front struts were torn down. Don't know why, all the right parts and hats came with the DMSs. Wonder what else is missing/wrong. Guess I'll find out as stuff goes back together.
Start hunting from Rancho Cordova, and Part Outs on Nasioc etc. Guy on Nasioc says he has arms and fog light switch/relay for the STI. Schwing! So first his brother pulls off the wrong side. 1 more day... Next day he pulls the Right side, and guess what, the back one is bent! F', F', F', F'. Damn, if it is <1/4", ship it, it's better than mine, give me the best front, drop the price and I'll keep looking. Hey, I still need the fog switch, and relay and at least I'll have the right length forward one, so what they hey.
Well, then Sue's Miata breaks, and we needed to drive the WRX. Great, I'm not putting the harnesses back in, I already cut the worn driver side. Swap the STX ECUTek ECU into the car, swap wheels, oops, forgot to check brakes, fronts will survive, but rears are shot. I had a set of 50% EBC greens around, take the back end back apart, swap pads, bleed, etc... Don't have a matched set of tires which is fine for track days, but wasn't planned for autocross. What the F'... so run the 215s in the rear, and 615s in the front. It'll rotate better.
The tires actually end up being well matched, and even with the out of towners and crappy STX PAX it gets a top 10 both days. Not bad for a last run...
So the arms arrive. No note, nothing, but both arms are perfect... Don't know if he had the correct "right" the first day, or if it was the forward right that was bent, and he just gave me the forward left, but Yippey!
Put the front struts back together. OK, either these are the wrong springs, or because they are so "new" they are less "settled"? Needed to use my nylon straps as spring compressors to get them together. I thought we decided a little pressure was all it took. Guess we'll find out on the car.
So this weekend, the work started in earnest.
Saturday I was going to do the struts, rear arms and rear bar before I headed to Gardnerville to see my Brother and his family as they were stopped at my Dad's on their way to to Yosemite.
Ha. At least I left the rear seat unbolted from when I pulled the harnesses. The right rear went fine until I realized the top spindle hole had been filed for camber adjustment. Not a big deal, but again, makes me wonder if these are my struts. Figured I'd do the arms next, and then move to the other strut. So the first problem was figuring out how to get the stupid rubber covers off the inner forward arm nuts. Then realizing the the front arms, while symetrical, have different diameter inner and outer bushing sleves. Doh.. Flip that one around.
What the heck, pull the rear exhaust section while I'm under here...
The left went OK. I thought about doing the rear brake lines while I was there, but figured I'd do all brakes another day.
Rear bar went OK, but the the Poltec sway to end-link connection bolts are custom, and won't work on the stock links, and guess what isn't in my stock parts box. Arghhh.
Thanks Pete for the stock rear end links by the way. Gave mine to Tyson when he was over swapping his bar back to stock, and guess he had dumped his.
On to the front...
Well, whoever did the front struts did them with the brkaes off because they are torqued to a billion pound feet and the nuts are behind the calipers where you can't get an impact, or breaker bar on them. Guess I am doing the front brakes too... Oh joy...
Pull them off, put on the dust shields, but the holes are rusted a bit,,, tap those, break the struts loose. Swap them, swap the brakes, and pu it all back together.
Enough for one day. I'm going to dinner with the family.