WRX handling

[fragmin]

Hi,
I have a 2001 WRX (JDM) street car (bug eye). After changing all the bushings to polyurethane bushings (energy suspension) the handling of the car has just not been right. When driving and making a hard turn into the corners he steering feels light in my hands with no feedback from the road with a feel similar to hydroplaning but the car takes the corner with no slipping of the wheels. I have tried several alignment setting but it only feels better for a few miles then its back. I had one of our best race drivers drive the car and he agrees that its not right, his first thought was that the alignment was off. There is a "dead" zone in the steering when first steering hard where it feels like the car is not responding but on acceleration the car exits the corner "properly". Prior to the change of bushings the steering was sharp and precise with a constant feed back from the road, now i fear driving at my usual speeds as have no feel for what the car is doing and I only know when the wheels are slipping when I see the car sliding. The only other suspension modification is KYB adjustable shocks and this was long long before this started.
Alignment setting 0 toe F & R
camber -1 F -0.5 R

I would really value your opinion on how to solve my problem

[Wojtek]

Can you confirm that you did no other suspension modifications, including tyres and their pressures, at the same time as you replaced the bushes?

Can you also advise which bushes were changed?

I am not familiar with the brand of bushes you fitted, material hardness, built in compliance. Can you offer any comments, info?

What were your original wheel alignment settings?
(if you liked your original handling, and if wheel alignment settings were altered, then the answer may lie with here)

Regards,
Wojtek.

[fragmin]

The changes were front control arm bushings, front and rear sway bar bushings, rear trailing arm bushings.
No other Changes were made at that time. I have even varied tyre pressures since but it made no difference
Cant find any specs for the bushings they were black (Energy has impregnated selected black polyurethane components with graphite–to add a lubrication property)(They are american www.energysuspension.com/index.html)
I wasn't paying attention to the original alignment settings, I usually just go to the same place and they use the settings recommended by the computer. These last settings I found searching online forums.

[fragmin]

I forgot to mention that I even changed the power steering pump trying to solve this but no difference

[fragmin]

Two other guys independently have suggested that I replace the rear trailing arm bushings back to stock as the PolyU ones are too stiff and will lead to this problem

[Wojtek]

I'm not sure about this being related to the bushes. If the bushes are too stiff, then I would imagine this would make the car more nervous.
However, I would suggest that you dial in more negative camber, especially in the rear. Try -1.25deg front, -1.0deg rear.

Regards,
Wojtek.

[fragmin]

ok I'll try this first

[fragmin]

I'm trying to find the page with whiteline alignment recommendations that everyone talks about but all the links I found are dead, is it still available

[Wojtek]

http://suspensionparts.info/showthread.php?t=871