Hmmmmm.....
Perhaps now that I have a lift rather than doing this on the ground, I should revisit that forward locator. Reason I'm thinking this is that I've already dropped the weight off the rear axle (never could figure out its purpose in life) and the quad shocks. I'm not sure why I removed the quads since I remember that reversing them gave me better tire clearance.
I removed the forward locator because it belonged to the racecar, which I'd like to sell soon, and because I was having some problems with it such as the head of the bolt rubbing the exhaust crossover hard enough it looked bound to rub a hole through it eventually, and never quite figuring out the correct arrangement of its forward rubber bushings. It has to stay mounted solidly enough to prevent/limit axle twist, but also has to allow it to pivot when the rear suspension moves up and down.
Seems a perfect application for a heim joint, plus I never liked how little ground clearance there was with the one I've got, but since the car has to get into the trailer Wednesday, I don't have time to fabricate a new one.
Sounds like putting the forward locator back in would not only be the quickest potential fix (along with removal of the upper control arms), but then if the problem persists, I can place the blame squarely on the bushings in the lower control arm.
After having slept on it, I'm also wondering if I shouldn't put a stouter front sway bar in. The current setup allows up to 4cm difference in height between sides in the turns and if I stiffen the front, perhaps it'd be less inclined (pun intended) to use up all the travel the rear can work with.
Really hate all this trial and error. I could live with it if it were a racecar and I was trying to get rid of a problem that costs me tenths. But this isn't a racecar, it's a toy. And the problem is probably worth seconds rather than tenths. The worst part being that it was just fine with the stock control arms and bushings (until the bushings were cooked out of the uppers) then when I had the control arms and bushings replace, the car suddenly lost its best trait: just enough push that it required trail-braking, but would absolutely lunge out of turns. Initial turn-in hasn't changed, to my recollection, but it's extremely tail-happy mid-turn and you can't use throttle to correct oversteer because with the inside tire barely (if at all) touching the pavement, no weight transfer is happening. It's a wonder I haven't spun it yet.
Another possibility I just might have time for is to make an appointment with HP Motorsport, who happens to be in Omaha (where I'm running this weekend) and from whom I've bought nearly all the goodies, and have them reinforce the top mount and put in the single upper with the heim joints. That way I wouldn't need the front locator at all. And again any remaining problems would be the fault of the lower control arms/bushings or a need to stiffen the front of the car, which has gotten nothing but the cc plates, springs (all 4 are the Eibach blue road-race springs) and poly sway bar bushings.
I just checked out of curiosity, and I think the bushings that sandwich the front swaybar ends are actually rubber still. Can't imagine why I wouldn't have replaced them since they surely came with the kit, but they feel like semi-hardened rubber and with the car on the lift, the top ones are squished ike rubber.
And to make sure my preparations for Omaha are more interesting, the WRX has a flat rear tire. Joy. I've got a tire changer and cement and patches, but Snap-On didn't deliver the tire-spreader and buffer that were supposed to arrive last Tuesday. Guess I need to call my tire guy and while getting new tires for the Mustang (which it'll probably need sometime this weekend), pick up the Toyo's he told me he's got that I'd love on the Scoob and that he can sell me dirt cheap because nobody runs that size.
