June 16, 2024

Nankang CRS 245/40R17
Enkei RPF1 17x9 ET45 +5mm spacer
Endless ME20/CC-Rg Brake Pads

Finally making some progress after last month's fcukery. Brought the car to another alignment shop to have the stock bolts put back in and reset the factory alignment. The factory bolts freed up a little more space at the knuckle which allowed for just enough clearance from the tire and spring. Got to really shakedown the CRS here at much higher speeds and cornering loads, while the car turns without anymore issues. 17 years of tracking I've never had a code brown moment like that having the steering wheel pinned and unable to turn while facing the wall. The idea of the tire flexing and touching the spring being "acceptable" is unfathomable. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had tested the car here at Cayuga last month instead.

Subaru / Toyota market this car as a track enthusiast vehicle, and I'd like to believe that it would have some track capability out of the box. I know stock isn't optimal, but just because I'm an experienced driver doesn't mean I want to go crazy with mods all at once. I've always made it a point to change one thing at a time so that I can feel the difference and document the progression, which is pretty much what this channel is. I want to see the value of the performance gained from each mod before I move on to the next. Based on the results from this event it seems like the ZD8 can be pretty competitive as it sits. Or is stock still shit?