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I took to time to visually inspect the tires today. I could litterally see the inward toe on the driver side rear. Looks something like this: overhead view | | / | Also the camber from the rear dead center of the license plate looks something like this: rear view / | Definatley a botched alignment job. I don't know what specs they aligned it to but it's pretty bad when I can spot the toe and camber problem from 20' behind the vehicle. Looks like it's needs an alignment and the shop that did it previously need some straightening out. They'll give me a free alignment but I don't want them to touch it. They've done enough. I'll bite the bullet and pay someone else and demand a final spec printout and compare to factory specs before I put any miles on it. Suck to get burnt like that but you live and you learn. Thanks for all the replies on this matter. You all got me pointed in the right direction. The car is parked and I'm stuck driving the Focus for the mean time . Thanks again guys -Chris

I'm running my snows now and have been monitoring them very closely. I have not seen any abnormal wear at this point but I'm arming myself for a full out verbal assault on the the alignment shop. Those tires weren't cheap and they didn't even last one full season. This is unacceptable since I've only put 15k on my car this year.

Thanks for your reply. No sheet to speak of. I asked and was told "It was the front end". That's all. As far as the differences between tires the front were worn a bit more than the rears but the wear was even. The rears had a 'wavy' wear (that's the best way to descibe it) or in other words, uneven. The suspension is the stock setup, no camber bolts or adjustments otherwise. Stock springs and struts. At this point I'm inclined to question the integrity of the shop that did the alignment. I've not hit any large bumps or otherwise damaging obstacles to the best of my knowledge. But for this type of wear, I would suspect I would have to be jumping my vehicle. Unfortunately, I don't have the wheels and tires where I reside, they are stored an hour away from my residence. I will take pictures this weekend though and I will be checking the clearance of the tire and strut and will get some pictures of the strut to inspect for rub marks. Thanks again -Chris

I have an 04 impreza 2.5 ts wagon with 17"x7" BBS wheels with +48mm offset. I have 215/45/17 Yokohama AVS ES100 tires. This weekend I went for a safety inspection and they told me my tires were bald and I have less than 10,000 miles on them. I told them they were crazy. I looked at them and the inside edge was totally worn down. The car failed. I had an alignment done a month and a half ago and I mounted the wheels 2 months ago. The tires looked brand new when I mounted the wheels after the winter. I only ran them for half the summer last year. Question: Is it possible that these wheels could be rubbing on the lower spring perch on the strut? Or, is it just an alignment problem? I didn't inspect the strut for rub marks yet but I've read that the +48 offset is wrong and it should be +53 and the tire is pretty close to the strut when the car is in the air. However, these wheels were a dealer package for the Saab 9-2x (impreza). Any help would be much appreciated since I don't want to mount a new set and have the same thing happen again.

My '95 impreza doesn't have it and a few of the wires across the rear window have popped (like a fuse, no more continuity). This causes certain sections of the window to stay frozen. I assume the timer is to correct this problem since the rear window is so expensive to replace. My '04 impreza has the timer and I've yet to have a problem with the wires in the rear window.

The 2.2 is bomb-proof. I think that's a great price, given the uni-body isn't mangled. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I beleive the ej22 to be non-interference, right? If so, then the t-belt should be replaced but if it goes before you get to it, it shouldn't harm any internals. The 2.2 liter engine is the best subaru motor hands down. I would not hesitate to buy this vehicle at that price. Some well-cared for ej22's go 400,000 miles plus. Has your mechanic seen it? That generation impreza is great, except for the paint but anything rusts up here in NE. I guess I don't understand why your mechanic would say that.

Be careful as one turbo is set up to spool at lower RPMs and the other for higher RPMs, reducing lag. Might be best to get a pro-tune. Do you have a boost controller or are you doing this via an engine management system?

Take 'em off!

Heat shields maybe.

I had a similar incident in a Dunkin' Donut's parking lot. I parked away from all other vehicles and went into the store while my girlfriend waited in the passenger seat. I was waiting in line patiently and moments later and old feller came in. In total disregard for eveyone else in the store he jumps to front of the line and snags a coffee. I was pissed but didn't say anything. I finally came back to my car and my girlfriend told me some old guy in a Mercedes park next to me and smacked my car with his door when he got out. She said she didn't get his info because there was no damage upon first glance. We got home and I took a gander. Low and behold a dent the size of a quarter and a scratch to match it. He cut the line to escape before the reprocussions, no doubt. What ticks me off the most was that judging my his Mercedes SUV, he probably had enough for the body work in his pocket. It was the G-class not the more common and less expensive M-class. I would have beat the tar out of the old man if I had witnessed it. I wax this thing once a week and take a great deal of pride in it's exterior condition. The interior is another story though. Good luck

I don't know anything about hydraulic clutches, as this is first car I've owned with one. As far as flywheels go, I know that less weight = less inertia. And less inertia should account for less friction on the clutch disc. Oh well, faster revving would be a perk anyhow. No harm in trying. I was looking at the Cobb flywheel and clutch but I think the clutch can be had for cheaper elsewhere. It looks the same as the ACT kit but I'm not sure if it is the same. Everywhere else I look only has them for STI and WRX (ej20t) applications. Whether either of these will work is unbeknownst to me. Thanks Chris

I have come to terms that I suck at clutching in my Subie. Both my '95 cable actuated clutch and my '04 hydraulic clutch. It always seems so inconsistent. I'm not the "Fast and the Furious" type of driver but I like to get on it when the light turns green from time to time. I've been looking for a new clutch. Something with a moderatly heavier pressure plate and tougher disc. Problem is I can't seem to find one for my car ('04 impreza ts, 2.5 SOHC 5 spd). Everything out there fits either the ej20t or the sti (ej257t?). It seems that the clutch for an ej20t would not work but what about a clutch for the STI?? Also, I was thinking about a light weight flywheel. This would reduce centrifical/centrifugal (not sure, I'm no scientist) force on the disc and limit slipping when engaging or disengaging the clutch, correct? Just need something that's gonna last a while. Like I said I'm not all "Fast and the Furious" but I like shifting in corners, getting sideways on gravel/snow, accelerating quickly but I don't try to burn out and I've never just dropped the clutch or anything like that. Any suggestions?

I've been seeing a new legacy around town and I always assumed the owner had thrown a set of outback springs in it because it sat higher than normal. Lately, I've been seeing more and more of them at this ride but without outback badging or paint schemes. Anyone know if this is a new option or something? here's a pic

Yeah, mine's red and I'm certainly not gay. Just ask my 5 month pregnant girlfriend.

It's quite common to see the "bull dyke" driving them up here in the hills of VT as well. They either have no hair or they have a mullet and they're pimping around in the wagons. Don't really see them in the sedans so much. A much newer trend comes to mind though. That is, old ladies driving around in brand new WRX wagons. It's crazy, they're everywhere. I wonder if they really get that turbo working or not. Can't say I've ever seen them on a spirited drive.