Wisefab track kit plus 114.3 hubs

[Nigelr32]

Hi everyone,


I have a problem with the tiny front bearings on the FRS platform on my track car and the fact they're swaged rather than bolted together pisses me off. I also want to use 114.3 wheels.


I can assure you all the sti rear hub is a direct bolt on fit as long as you redrill your rear disc brakes, but the sti front is a bigger bearing with larger pcd on the bearing/upright mounting holes.


Now, I'm sure you've all heard of Wisefab and their lock kits for the front of the frs platform, well, they are now doing a track kit, so no big lock, just lightweight arms and uprights with corrected geometry for lowered cars. I'm sure there will be more in the kit and the price will be very reasonable compared to other brands.


I have asked Wisefab about the possibility of redesigning the front upright to suit the sti bearing or a bigger stronger bearing?. I would like to know, how many of you would possibly consider this as an upgrade for your car? If you don't do lots of track miles and don't have big brakes generating lots of heat, you won't need the bigger bearing , but you might want 114.3 pcd?


Thanks for your time..

[CSG Mike]

It's a great idea, but I've not yet seen a wheel bearing failure on this platform.

This is coming from a guy who replaces wheel bearings on his s2k several times a year...

[Nigelr32]

Thanks Mike. I am basing my opinion on two known failures on big tyres track cars, never road cars. I also read the Subaru boys are changing the 5x100 bearings more than 20 times more often than the 114.3 x5hubs.

The way I see it, I want alloy uprights, roll centre correction and adjustable everything, so I may as well use the biggest bearing I can get off the shelf that fits.
Brypar makes a upright for this application, but it costs $Aus4000 for the uprights alone, and they don't have double shear bottom mounts!!

[clubracer]

The Subaru 5x100 hubs are a completely different design to the 86/BRZ 5x100 hub. The old Subaru 5x100 upright uses a tapered design with a press in hub. The 86 design uses a bolt in bearing/flange which is inherently stronger/stiffer and doesn't suffer like the early Subarus.

[Nigelr32]

Originally Posted by clubracer

The Subaru 5x100 hubs are a completely different design to the 86/BRZ 5x100 hub. The old Subaru 5x100 upright uses a tapered design with a press in hub. The 86 design uses a bolt in bearing/flange which is inherently stronger/stiffer and doesn't suffer like the early Subarus.

What?? Tapered design??


I think you'll find there is an error in your comment my friend. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Front-HUB-...25.m3641.l6368


I think the biggest issue with the '86 front bearing is the fact it's not bolted through it's centre, rather it's swaged over on it's inside face. All of the 4wd Subaru's will have the bearing torqued up with a 30 or 32mm nut on the outer cv joint.


Take a look at the V sport car, Timmy.. it doesn't use stock bearings. That is not the only car to find issues with the stock bearings.

[Bach415]

Personally, I would be only interested in the 114.3 hubs since there isn't any other vendor that makes em besides hardrace/megan

[churchx]

And isn't getting 114.3 hubs to theoretically increase bearing safety compromising brakes instead, as there is little chance for 114.3 BBKs of other cars to have same braking bias as stock toyobaru brakes? I'd say that overall there are more cons then pros to idea of such 'upgrade', even more so that pure track beings like CSG Mike hadn't acknowledged that they seen frequent failures of those beerings on this platform too

[Nigelr32]

Originally Posted by churchx

And isn't getting 114.3 hubs to theoretically increase bearing safety compromising brakes instead, as there is little chance for 114.3 BBKs of other cars to have same braking bias as stock toyobaru brakes? I'd say that overall there are more cons then pros to idea of such 'upgrade', even more so that pure track beings like CSG Mike hadn't acknowledged that they seen frequent failures of those beerings on this platform too

AP Racing brakes come with 100 x 5 and 114.3x 5 pcd drilled in the bells, so there's no problem there. So the GT86 BBK kit will fit either way, front and rear.

[xwd]

The few W2W road racing cars here all seem to use the stock bearings with no issues. They don't really run on really wide slicks though.

I just ordered some custom wide 5x100 wheels, so while I'm really interested in the Wisefab knuckles, I'm not all that interested in doing 5x114.3. If they are nice enough though I could be persuaded to switch.

[Gear_One_Performance]

While we don't run on super wide slicks (245 Hoosier R7's square) we haven't had any issues with wheel bearings yet. The car has about 1500 race miles and 600 street miles on it all on the original bearings. We've even bent a few wheels and still no effect on the bearings. Now we might just be getting lucky here and we have a full set of spares if we need to change one out during the race but knock on wood so far they've been okay.

[Nigelr32]

Originally Posted by Gear_One_Performance

While we don't run on super wide slicks (245 Hoosier R7's square) we haven't had any issues with wheel bearings yet. The car has about 1500 race miles and 600 street miles on it all on the original bearings. We've even bent a few wheels and still no effect on the bearings. Now we might just be getting lucky here and we have a full set of spares if we need to change one out during the race but knock on wood so far they've been okay.

I find this very interesting.. An 86 running 295/35 18 tyres in WTA uses a hybrid hub which I think is a Subaru 4wd hub, but in a GT86 Bearing? They have experienced wear. There is also a member on here who has done in his bearings.


It may well be luck, or variation in the manufacturing process. All I know for sure is the swaged over design, which I machined off to see how tough it was, is very soft so I would imagine it would creep under high loads on high neg camber?


Brypar have made an upright for the '86 to accept the Subaru bearing, I wonder why??

[Nigelr32]

Originally Posted by xwd

The few W2W road racing cars here all seem to use the stock bearings with no issues. They don't really run on really wide slicks though.

I just ordered some custom wide 5x100 wheels, so while I'm really interested in the Wisefab knuckles, I'm not all that interested in doing 5x114.3. If they are nice enough though I could be persuaded to switch.

You could go for the wisefab knuckles today!! They already make theb track kit to suit the frs bearing.

[Northwest86]

We have guys doing 30-50 track sessions a year on stock hubs. Running 255 Z221s (Rather sticky) and they're doing fine. A small number of people will no doubt have issues but so far there doesn't seem to be weakness. I have considered machining up a set of 114 hubs because I know of a few people who would like them but have never bothered since I've never had enough serious interest for what It'd cost me to make a full set. And I certainly don't care about 114 wheels since I'm perfectly happy with Volks.

[mrk1]

Traditionally I am a big fan of a larger bearing, STI vs WRX, M3 vs 3er, are cars that come to mind

The life span of our stock bearings will be the tell if its worth the upgrade.