Offroad evo's
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Joined: Jun 2011
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From: san antonio
Offroad evo's
Anyone have any evo's that they take offroad or rally? I'd like to hear some input in rim/tire selection and suspension setup. Also any body mods they chose to make like skid plates etc...
here is my post from a few weeks ago: https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...oss-setup.html
Also, check out dirtyevo.com
Also, check out dirtyevo.com
Best Suspension for rally in the states are Ohlins and AST. You can get Proflex or Reiger too but you will have a problem to find people enough knowledge about them to set them up or for maintenance.
Rims: the best hands down is Speedline Corse, tires BFgoodrich. Rims cheap-,tires ... be ready ... :O)
dont even think about, approach drag or road racing shops for a build. Find a genuine Rally shop around you for the custom work. Cage from customcage UK. only.
etc.
Make a budget first based on prices, then double it. If you think it is still right for you , i think we will give you a most help we can over the net. Good luck and i hope i see you soon on the dirt
Rob
ps : i have not made any dedicated build thread yet, it is in progress now , but here is my last build for a last event. start page two and just look the pictures as we progressed.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...-i-come-2.html
Last edited by Robevo RS; Jul 9, 2011 at 04:10 AM.
I posed the same question a few weeks ago... I finally changed my mind about not going rally. One big piece of info was the rim/tire combo. If you're really serious about it, you'd need to downsize your brakes to fit a 16" rim at the least. Suspension coils, you're looking over 2-3k for some gravel coils which will enable you to actually raise ride height (you also get a drop but by only 1 cm only, if I remember correctly). Search for my post, and you'll get some more info in there as well.
I posed the same question a few weeks ago... I finally changed my mind about not going rally. One big piece of info was the rim/tire combo. If you're really serious about it, you'd need to downsize your brakes to fit a 16" rim at the least. Suspension coils, you're looking over 2-3k for some gravel coils which will enable you to actually raise ride height (you also get a drop but by only 1 cm only, if I remember correctly). Search for my post, and you'll get some more info in there as well.
Honestly, don't give up on it because of a brake/wheel swap is needed, rather look at getting into rally-x first, then see where you're interests lead you. Here's my take:
For rally-x, how much you spend on setup is a personal decision. I can say without a doubt that here in Colorado there are guys who are quite successful on OEM suspension...and even 17" rims, but they run hardish snow tires, not rally tires. If it were me, I'd start with a set of junkyard Diamante brakes and get some good pads. I'd also leave the stock suspension however, that may only hold true for Colorado events (your local events could be held on much rougher surfaces...or it could be smoother). Skid plates are a "nice to have" but again, may not be necessary for your local series.
Its the "next steup up" where the costs can skyrocket. Roll cage, rally suspension, proper small brakes, 8-12 wheels with tires, seats, harnesses, fire suits, HANS devices, skid plates, etc. Honestly, this is why I recommend most folks buy a used 2wd car for $5-15k. On a personal note, this is also why I've just been able to afford hillclimbing my car, but have yet to make it out to a rally. Rally is expensive, and only gets more expensive as you get better, because you'll be pushing harder. This is precisely why I've built a 2wd car to go rally instead.
Here in Colorado thru my involvement in the rally-x, hillclimb, and rally community, I've met a great bunch of people that are always willing to lend a hand. Including the price of the car, M3 drivetrain swap, roll cage, and everything, my BMW compact is just about done and I'm less than $20k into it. Its taken me almost 2 years to complete, so there's another reason to consider buying your first car if you can swing it. This car will likely cost 1/3-1/2 as much to run and maintain as the Evo.
For rally, you need to look at sustainability and your ability to continue to fund your racing. As cool as it is to have sponsors, don't kid yourself into thinking that you're the next hotshot and as soon as you build a rally car sponsors will be knocking down your door to hand you fistfulls of cash.
Rally isn't on TV in the us (X-games is RallyCross, not rally), so most of your sponsors end up being local businesses who might give you a couple bucks off XYZ.I'll say it again...sustainability is the key. Have fun guys and I hope you enjoy getting bitten by the rally bug - there's nothing better!
Sure it may not be as fast as the Evo down the straightaway, but I can tell you the smile on my face is every bit as big when I step out of this car as it is climbing out of the Evo.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdgOaRiCEdk
Dave
If you're going to run 15" wheels on an Evo X, there are several options for the front brakes, from the very nice Wilwood kit to just running the floating two-pots from various other Mitsu cars. What I haven't seen yet is a nice, simple solution for the rear brakes, since the stock rears on an Evo X also don't fit inside 15" wheels. Has anyone tried the floating one-pots from other Mitsu cars? We know that the fronts bolt right up, but I haven't seen someone clearly say that the rears will bolt right up, too.
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If you're going to run 15" wheels on an Evo X, there are several options for the front brakes, from the very nice Wilwood kit to just running the floating two-pots from various other Mitsu cars. What I haven't seen yet is a nice, simple solution for the rear brakes, since the stock rears on an Evo X also don't fit inside 15" wheels. Has anyone tried the floating one-pots from other Mitsu cars? We know that the fronts bolt right up, but I haven't seen someone clearly say that the rears will bolt right up, too.
Rob
My coworker in Austin convinced me to go away from rallying my IX. I travel a lot for work and this is why my Evo is still under 16k. When I'm away, the car is in the garage.
Rallying still has my interest, but if I'm going to get into it, it'll be in an older A4. I think investing in a rally beater is better than upgrading my Evo for rally only. If I really get serious about it (highly doubt it), I'd consider buying a beat up VIII and having it purposely built for off-road use only.
Honestly, if I lived in a more outdoorsy/snowy area, trust me the car would be more rally-esque. But since I don't, it has to deal with the pavement just like all the animals at the zoo, metaphorically speaking.
But back on topic, my coworker in Japan does rally his Evo X RS or whatever it's called in Japan. Upgrades were brakes, wheels, under tray, roll cage, strut tower braces, and IC piping for performance.
Rallying still has my interest, but if I'm going to get into it, it'll be in an older A4. I think investing in a rally beater is better than upgrading my Evo for rally only. If I really get serious about it (highly doubt it), I'd consider buying a beat up VIII and having it purposely built for off-road use only.
Honestly, if I lived in a more outdoorsy/snowy area, trust me the car would be more rally-esque. But since I don't, it has to deal with the pavement just like all the animals at the zoo, metaphorically speaking.
But back on topic, my coworker in Japan does rally his Evo X RS or whatever it's called in Japan. Upgrades were brakes, wheels, under tray, roll cage, strut tower braces, and IC piping for performance.
You will need to fit 15" wheels - nobody makes 16" gravel rally tires anymore.
Honestly, don't give up on it because of a brake/wheel swap is needed, rather look at getting into rally-x first, then see where you're interests lead you. Here's my take:
For rally-x, how much you spend on setup is a personal decision. I can say without a doubt that here in Colorado there are guys who are quite successful on OEM suspension...and even 17" rims, but they run hardish snow tires, not rally tires. If it were me, I'd start with a set of junkyard Diamante brakes and get some good pads. I'd also leave the stock suspension however, that may only hold true for Colorado events (your local events could be held on much rougher surfaces...or it could be smoother). Skid plates are a "nice to have" but again, may not be necessary for your local series.
Its the "next steup up" where the costs can skyrocket. Roll cage, rally suspension, proper small brakes, 8-12 wheels with tires, seats, harnesses, fire suits, HANS devices, skid plates, etc. Honestly, this is why I recommend most folks buy a used 2wd car for $5-15k. On a personal note, this is also why I've just been able to afford hillclimbing my car, but have yet to make it out to a rally. Rally is expensive, and only gets more expensive as you get better, because you'll be pushing harder. This is precisely why I've built a 2wd car to go rally instead.
Here in Colorado thru my involvement in the rally-x, hillclimb, and rally community, I've met a great bunch of people that are always willing to lend a hand. Including the price of the car, M3 drivetrain swap, roll cage, and everything, my BMW compact is just about done and I'm less than $20k into it. Its taken me almost 2 years to complete, so there's another reason to consider buying your first car if you can swing it. This car will likely cost 1/3-1/2 as much to run and maintain as the Evo.
For rally, you need to look at sustainability and your ability to continue to fund your racing. As cool as it is to have sponsors, don't kid yourself into thinking that you're the next hotshot and as soon as you build a rally car sponsors will be knocking down your door to hand you fistfulls of cash. Rally isn't on TV in the us (X-games is RallyCross, not rally), so most of your sponsors end up being local businesses who might give you a couple bucks off XYZ.
I'll say it again...sustainability is the key. Have fun guys and I hope you enjoy getting bitten by the rally bug - there's nothing better! Sure it may not be as fast as the Evo down the straightaway, but I can tell you the smile on my face is every bit as big when I step out of this car as it is climbing out of the Evo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdgOaRiCEdk
Dave
Honestly, don't give up on it because of a brake/wheel swap is needed, rather look at getting into rally-x first, then see where you're interests lead you. Here's my take:
For rally-x, how much you spend on setup is a personal decision. I can say without a doubt that here in Colorado there are guys who are quite successful on OEM suspension...and even 17" rims, but they run hardish snow tires, not rally tires. If it were me, I'd start with a set of junkyard Diamante brakes and get some good pads. I'd also leave the stock suspension however, that may only hold true for Colorado events (your local events could be held on much rougher surfaces...or it could be smoother). Skid plates are a "nice to have" but again, may not be necessary for your local series.
Its the "next steup up" where the costs can skyrocket. Roll cage, rally suspension, proper small brakes, 8-12 wheels with tires, seats, harnesses, fire suits, HANS devices, skid plates, etc. Honestly, this is why I recommend most folks buy a used 2wd car for $5-15k. On a personal note, this is also why I've just been able to afford hillclimbing my car, but have yet to make it out to a rally. Rally is expensive, and only gets more expensive as you get better, because you'll be pushing harder. This is precisely why I've built a 2wd car to go rally instead.
Here in Colorado thru my involvement in the rally-x, hillclimb, and rally community, I've met a great bunch of people that are always willing to lend a hand. Including the price of the car, M3 drivetrain swap, roll cage, and everything, my BMW compact is just about done and I'm less than $20k into it. Its taken me almost 2 years to complete, so there's another reason to consider buying your first car if you can swing it. This car will likely cost 1/3-1/2 as much to run and maintain as the Evo.
For rally, you need to look at sustainability and your ability to continue to fund your racing. As cool as it is to have sponsors, don't kid yourself into thinking that you're the next hotshot and as soon as you build a rally car sponsors will be knocking down your door to hand you fistfulls of cash.
Rally isn't on TV in the us (X-games is RallyCross, not rally), so most of your sponsors end up being local businesses who might give you a couple bucks off XYZ.I'll say it again...sustainability is the key. Have fun guys and I hope you enjoy getting bitten by the rally bug - there's nothing better!
Sure it may not be as fast as the Evo down the straightaway, but I can tell you the smile on my face is every bit as big when I step out of this car as it is climbing out of the Evo.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdgOaRiCEdk
Dave
My coworker in Austin convinced me to go away from rallying my IX. I travel a lot for work and this is why my Evo is still under 16k. When I'm away, the car is in the garage.
Rallying still has my interest, but if I'm going to get into it, it'll be in an older A4. I think investing in a rally beater is better than upgrading my Evo for rally only. If I really get serious about it (highly doubt it), I'd consider buying a beat up VIII and having it purposely built for off-road use only.
Honestly, if I lived in a more outdoorsy/snowy area, trust me the car would be more rally-esque. But since I don't, it has to deal with the pavement just like all the animals at the zoo, metaphorically speaking.
But back on topic, my coworker in Japan does rally his Evo X RS or whatever it's called in Japan. Upgrades were brakes, wheels, under tray, roll cage, strut tower braces, and IC piping for performance.
Rallying still has my interest, but if I'm going to get into it, it'll be in an older A4. I think investing in a rally beater is better than upgrading my Evo for rally only. If I really get serious about it (highly doubt it), I'd consider buying a beat up VIII and having it purposely built for off-road use only.
Honestly, if I lived in a more outdoorsy/snowy area, trust me the car would be more rally-esque. But since I don't, it has to deal with the pavement just like all the animals at the zoo, metaphorically speaking.
But back on topic, my coworker in Japan does rally his Evo X RS or whatever it's called in Japan. Upgrades were brakes, wheels, under tray, roll cage, strut tower braces, and IC piping for performance.
The same time the SUBI RS is dirt cheap to get and run + maintenance.
It is a very capable car hands down.
Rob
1000% agreed on rallying an A4. Its a bad idea from the start. Too heavy, too much weight up front, and did I mention heavy as a barge?
I had a friend who was a VW / Audi nut and after successfully campaigning a Corrado and Jetta, he decided to step up to AWD. Not only was the car expensive to build, but it was expensive to maintain, and he pretty much dropped out of the scene after that debacle. Even my A6 eats front control arm bushings - I'm lucky if I get two years out of a set used for commuting duty. At ~$1000 a full set, I'd bet you'll be replacing those arms every rally or two.
Rob hit the nail on the head with the GC8 Impreza chassis. Great platform, and you can swap parts to make the car better and better as funds allow. I would disagree with the choice to turbo one in the future - those cars have no chance to be competitive with the newer machinery in Open class...on any sort of reasonable budget.
Open-Light, basically open class but no turbos or superchargers allowed is a great class to consider, and you can run one as a novice. I'd personally push you towards a 2wd car...unless you're a former X-games millionaire.
www.max-attack.com <---This is where its at for privateer funded rallying in the US. I helped on the film crew at Olympus as my car wasn't completed in time, but I'm really looking forward to mixing it up on the stages with 20-30 other guys IN MY CLASS. Most regional events you'll be lucky to have 8-10 people in your class.
Dave
Hey hey hey Rob, don't go overboard with the generalizations.
1000% agreed on rallying an A4. Its a bad idea from the start. Too heavy, too much weight up front, and did I mention heavy as a barge?
I had a friend who was a VW / Audi nut and after successfully campaigning a Corrado and Jetta, he decided to step up to AWD. Not only was the car expensive to build, but it was expensive to maintain, and he pretty much dropped out of the scene after that debacle. Even my A6 eats front control arm bushings - I'm lucky if I get two years out of a set used for commuting duty. At ~$1000 a full set, I'd bet you'll be replacing those arms every rally or two.
Rob hit the nail on the head with the GC8 Impreza chassis. Great platform, and you can swap parts to make the car better and better as funds allow. I would disagree with the choice to turbo one in the future - those cars have no chance to be competitive with the newer machinery in Open class...on any sort of reasonable budget.
Open-Light, basically open class but no turbos or superchargers allowed is a great class to consider, and you can run one as a novice. I'd personally push you towards a 2wd car...unless you're a former X-games millionaire.
www.max-attack.com <---This is where its at for privateer funded rallying in the US. I helped on the film crew at Olympus as my car wasn't completed in time, but I'm really looking forward to mixing it up on the stages with 20-30 other guys IN MY CLASS. Most regional events you'll be lucky to have 8-10 people in your class.
Dave
1000% agreed on rallying an A4. Its a bad idea from the start. Too heavy, too much weight up front, and did I mention heavy as a barge?
I had a friend who was a VW / Audi nut and after successfully campaigning a Corrado and Jetta, he decided to step up to AWD. Not only was the car expensive to build, but it was expensive to maintain, and he pretty much dropped out of the scene after that debacle. Even my A6 eats front control arm bushings - I'm lucky if I get two years out of a set used for commuting duty. At ~$1000 a full set, I'd bet you'll be replacing those arms every rally or two.
Rob hit the nail on the head with the GC8 Impreza chassis. Great platform, and you can swap parts to make the car better and better as funds allow. I would disagree with the choice to turbo one in the future - those cars have no chance to be competitive with the newer machinery in Open class...on any sort of reasonable budget.
Open-Light, basically open class but no turbos or superchargers allowed is a great class to consider, and you can run one as a novice. I'd personally push you towards a 2wd car...unless you're a former X-games millionaire.
www.max-attack.com <---This is where its at for privateer funded rallying in the US. I helped on the film crew at Olympus as my car wasn't completed in time, but I'm really looking forward to mixing it up on the stages with 20-30 other guys IN MY CLASS. Most regional events you'll be lucky to have 8-10 people in your class.
Dave
Dave dont get me wrong on the german cars i do like them specially the M3 . but for the budget they are not too friendly. They are fun to drive but unless you have a factory backed up team they are unsuccessful in rally. The last time audi did something big it was 20 + years ago where they were the only 4wd cars. As soon as the 4wd started to float the field they started to fade out. Although even today one of my favorite is the Audi S1. But when really comes down the Integrale S4 is the ultimate beast for me, period.
It remains to be seen how competitive the BMW can be (alot will depend on the guy behind the steering wheel), but I'm hopeful it may be a decently competitive Group2 car...though those Fiestas at 3x the cost are going to be stiff competition. Who wants to fund a $15k Drenth sequential so I can try to keep up?
Its easy to see how racing can turn into a nuclear arms race for cool technology & big power, but the one thing that helps equalize 2wd cars is the lack of traction. LOLDave
back to the OP: The first few mods I see being handy for a EVO owner is, relocating/ protecting front mount oil cooler, and ACD hardware. These are two things the subaru did not have, that absolutely made it worry free in the backwoods. If you biffed a corner in the subie, you select R, and carry on from first.. lol.. in the evo.. well, you could damage two systems mounted on an arrow head up there that would lead to failure of necesary equipment, Center diff, and engine.. even in the subie the radiator is well encased within bumper space and crash beams. in the evo.. there is an intercooler ahead of everything just to put the hurtin on ya . Back to what i was saying.. hypothetically, a evo would take some more creative use of space than a few others out there, which in an already cramped engine bay just makes it a bit harder to find anyone who has likely taken the plunge and off roaded their evo for fun. If you scope out dirtyimpreza, you'll find tons of STI's and WRX's plus a gazillion RS's that just take it in and out every day from some people and keep ticking... I miss my Subie every time i think about off roading /winter and then want to go switch it up for autocross. The evo just cannot be trusted off road with out lots of prep sad face 
with that said, MR suspension has treated me well during my onroad, yet on crappy road pleasures especially during winter time.
. Back to what i was saying.. hypothetically, a evo would take some more creative use of space than a few others out there, which in an already cramped engine bay just makes it a bit harder to find anyone who has likely taken the plunge and off roaded their evo for fun. If you scope out dirtyimpreza, you'll find tons of STI's and WRX's plus a gazillion RS's that just take it in and out every day from some people and keep ticking... I miss my Subie every time i think about off roading /winter and then want to go switch it up for autocross. The evo just cannot be trusted off road with out lots of prep sad face with that said, MR suspension has treated me well during my onroad, yet on crappy road pleasures especially during winter time.
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Joined: Jun 2011
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From: san antonio
back to the OP: The first few mods I see being handy for a EVO owner is, relocating/ protecting front mount oil cooler, and ACD hardware. These are two things the subaru did not have, that absolutely made it worry free in the backwoods. If you biffed a corner in the subie, you select R, and carry on from first.. lol.. in the evo.. well, you could damage two systems mounted on an arrow head up there that would lead to failure of necesary equipment, Center diff, and engine.. even in the subie the radiator is well encased within bumper space and crash beams. in the evo.. there is an intercooler ahead of everything just to put the hurtin on ya . Back to what i was saying.. hypothetically, a evo would take some more creative use of space than a few others out there, which in an already cramped engine bay just makes it a bit harder to find anyone who has likely taken the plunge and off roaded their evo for fun. If you scope out dirtyimpreza, you'll find tons of STI's and WRX's plus a gazillion RS's that just take it in and out every day from some people and keep ticking... I miss my Subie every time i think about off roading /winter and then want to go switch it up for autocross. The evo just cannot be trusted off road with out lots of prep sad face
with that said, MR suspension has treated me well during my onroad, yet on crappy road pleasures especially during winter time.
. Back to what i was saying.. hypothetically, a evo would take some more creative use of space than a few others out there, which in an already cramped engine bay just makes it a bit harder to find anyone who has likely taken the plunge and off roaded their evo for fun. If you scope out dirtyimpreza, you'll find tons of STI's and WRX's plus a gazillion RS's that just take it in and out every day from some people and keep ticking... I miss my Subie every time i think about off roading /winter and then want to go switch it up for autocross. The evo just cannot be trusted off road with out lots of prep sad face with that said, MR suspension has treated me well during my onroad, yet on crappy road pleasures especially during winter time.
thats some good info man. Thanks. Any idea of where people typically relocate the intercooler?