[thejuk]

Originally Posted by RedMM340

The Forester owner's manual lists wheel alignment specs:

Toe, Front 0 +/- 3mm
Toe, Rear 2 +/- 3mm

Camber Front -0deg25' +/-45'
Camber Rear -0deg50' +/-45'

All non-turbo Foresters from '03 to '07 have the same spec. The Turbo models just have and addition -5' camber for the rear wheels.

All major tire manufacturers are good, so just get a tire that meets your needs better. My current tires are Yokohama ATs that are noisy on the highway, but good for rough, potholed, damaged roads.

The Michelins are comfortable and quiet, or you can get more sporty rubber compounds for cornering. I prefer to get a tire with at least 2 ply sidewalls for puncture resistance.

Thanks RedMM. I am getting them changed next week.

[Guna]

Slightly off topic, has any of you used KN filter on the Forester? Does it help low end performance a bit?

[RedMM340]

Originally Posted by Guna

Slightly off topic, has any of you used KN filter on the Forester? Does it help low end performance a bit?

I am running a standard filter and plan to continue to do so.

A universal filter might be a bad idea according to some. Apparently the snorkus assembly is design to reduce some resonance frequencies. Replacing with a tube and conical filter may cause some stalling and rough running at certain rpms.

[RedMM340]

Originally Posted by mura

FYI - All Subaru 2004-2006 WRX/STi suspension bits fit the Forester.

By fitting the WRX struts and springs you can improve ride and lower the car by 1.5 inches.

See : How to turn better than an STI for cheap! - Subaru Forester Owners Forum

Mura,
Thanks for the link. I am preparing a nice shopping list for my next visit to California! #1 on my list is some sticky tires. I just came back from my second trip to Shimla, and the Forester handled the curves very well. The main limiting factor was the Yokohama All terrain tires. While nice for off-road, they are just terrible for smooth curvy roads.
Despite these lousy tires, I was able to outrun just about any other car on the curves.

Originally Posted by Alfa_Kilo

ABS and TCS systems compare wheel rotation with linear acceleration to determine wheel slip/lockup. The tyre dia is very important for this to work properly. If the tyres are too small, then the system will allow too much slip, and oversize tyres will fool the system too cut in too early.

If ABS was only dependent on wheel sensors, it would fail to detect cases where all four wheels lock up.

Alfa,
With all due respect, I think you are mistaken on this issue about tire size. Tire size is irrelevant regarding ABS operation. The following articles have made no mention about tire size.
ABS (Antilock braking system) technology
Anti-lock braking system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have run my MBZ 400E on tires as small as 23.5 inch diameter to 25.5 inch diameter at different time periods and never had a problem with ABS.

Originally Posted by headers

Wow, Gaurav, thats really neat. Now what Mods are you planning on the Forester

Headers,
I have quite a long list, including a turbo, brakes, suspension, etc. The limiting factor is money (as usual) and how much stuff I can bring in suitcases.

[WRXXX]

Dear forester owners,

I was thinking of playing around with tires on my forester for on-road usage, currently car has Bridgestone 694 A/T tires which I want to preserve for my wildlife centric trips.
But the WRX demon sitting inside me sometimes asks for more of road fun too

I am doing this for improved handling for faster cornering.

Idea 1:
I can go for a set of 16/17inch spare alloys to fit the road tires
(thinking of 225/50 R17) I am finding it a bit expensive to do so right away. (although, suggestions are greatly welcome on economic
alternatives)

Idea 2:
I am thinking of putting 205/65 R15 or 225/60 R15 at the risk of lowering the ground clearance. I think 6X15J is a bit narrow for the 225 tires.

Questions:
- Any suggestions on this whole thing ?
- Has anybody tried this before ?
- Does this affect the overall gearing a lot (or does it make it unusable) ?
- Is the reduced CG worth the trouble ? Will I loose peace of mind ?

Any advices, suggestions are really appreciated.

[iraghava]

6J is indeed too narrow for 225-section tyres. There won't be much change in Overall Diameter of the two sizes (and as a result gearing) or GC if you opt for 225/60 in any case.

[nitrous]

For tarmac/asphalt specific set of tyres, you can even run a smaller OD than stock.
You won't lose too much, but the lowered Centre of Gravity and gearing will be 2-3x more fun.

[Buffetfan]

Slightly off topic-a lot of people inlcuding me have 225 / 60 R 15 tires on the stock innova alloys that are 6J*15. The tires do buldge out a bit but the section width is within the tolerance specified for 225/60 tires.

[iraghava]

I believe stock Innova alloys are 6.5J in width.

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by iraghava

I believe stock Innova alloys are 6.5J in width.

6J is still my guess :-

See
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...bangalore.html


and also have a Toyota site reference

Toyota - Innova