Whoa. Lots of interesting things to unpack here. Above all it's cool to confirm that the VA subframe does bolt up (so long as you get longer bolts to account for the thickness). Along with running the faster steering rack, I wouldn't mind if I had an overall thicker subframe to prevent flex. If anyone is swapping motors and therefore swapping from an NA to turbo subframe, this could be a really good option. I have some misc questions so I'm gonna just list em out

The tie rod troubles you ran into are confusing to me. You said the GL outers on VA inners worked for the driver's side but not the passengers? Are they asymetric or something? I've only ever seen symetric tie rods on subaru's but I don't have any real GL experience so I might just be out of the loop.

Any pics or further details about the shim you had to remove fromthe whiteline control arm bushings?

Curious to hear what you eventually come up with for the steering link. Shortening the VA link sounds like a solid plan if it can just be trimmed on either end.

Any idea what the weight difference is between the GC and VA subframes?

I remember an old nasioc thread detailing putting a 2015 STi rack into a GD. Don't remember the specifics but I think the threads at the rack were different because that person chose to just make their own PS lines from scratch.

Finally, I'm curious if you considered putting a quick steer column in instead of doing all this subframe work, especially since you ended up swapping out columns anyway to figure out the steering link thing. Don't get me wrong this is all great info and I'm glad you're doing it, but if the goal is just to get faster steering wouldn't a simple column swap make more sense?

 

The tie rod troubles you ran into are confusing to me. You said the GL outers on VA inners worked for the driver's side but not the passengers? Are they asymetric or something? I've only ever seen symetric tie rods on subaru's but I don't have any real GL experience so I might just be out of the loop.

I don't have any GL experience either ill get a picture up of them once it stops raining but they have a bend to them i assume to clear the wheel. i don't know why i can't find a passanger side that has the larger tappered bolt for the hub but im tired of buying random ones hoping to find a match to the driver side. (ill get a picture to explain later)

Any pics or further details about the shim you had to remove fromthe whiteline control arm bushings?

Yes ill get a picture up with the other pictures. its a metal thrust washer on the bushing since there rear control arm bushing on 08 and ups are designed to flex (dumb as shit it my mind) and not pivot on a bolt like the pre 07 i think its to add stiffness.

Any idea what the weight difference is between the GC and VA subframes?

Heavier due to more metal lol ....... Honestly no idea its not WILDLY heavy or anything its got some placed that its double reenforced but i could still pick up the whole thing and move it around

I remember an old nasioc thread detailing putting a 2015 STi rack into a GD. Don't remember the specifics but I think the threads at the rack were different because that person chose to just make their own PS lines from scratch.

Unsure on that. my 02 Legacy lines threaded right on to the lines coming off the rack at the steering connection. So im going to see if the VA lines attach to my GC rack now that its out and that will confirm threads matching

Finally, I'm curious if you considered putting a quick steer column in instead of doing all this subframe work, especially since you ended up swapping out columns anyway to figure out the steering link thing. Don't get me wrong this is all great info and I'm glad you're doing it, but if the goal is just to get faster steering wouldn't a simple column swap make more sense?

Valid question a few things drove this plan
-Faster column cost more (im in this about 500 bucks and have all new tie rods)
-The car is a rally cross car with maybe hopes of some stage rally in the next couple years so durability is a key factor and i don't know how the gear reduction columns would do with the dust and constant vibration
-Currently nothing is really custom so its all parts i could get a dealer or junk yard (minus steering link which i thought i was going to get away with a GD column since the few GD swaps i have seen don't seem to mention a need for a steering link)
-also why not lol

 

Interesting

 

Very interesting to me that it bolts up

 

Wouldn't be all that interesting if you worked on them for a living. Subaru hasn't changed much in the last 30 years on the bottom of the car

 

Any updates? I’m in the midst of considering this or a GR subframe and yanking my GDB subframe out from the main project and “handing down” that to my other wagon.
So one of the first things that caught my attention regarding the VA subframe, it candles the engine like 10mm lower. There’s a few other considerations but the gears in my head are spiraling and blasting is so many directions trying to sort out geometry and other specs.
One issue that’s got me caught up on being flip flopping on VA vs GR subframe is the LCA mounting location. The VA mounting points are wider apart, which is appealing to be because of widening my track, BUT it changes the geometry of the LCA and the caster. I have adjustable LCA’s, but not able to adjust from the caster if you know what I mean.
As for other documentation on subframe differences there has been a thread on NASIOC I’ve been going through but not yet sat and tried to block out noise and distractions(AKA hard ignore the wife and kids) enough to map it all out.

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=46096423#post46096423

 

Sorry ill get an update this week but its done and driving in the car.

 

I need sum of whatever you're on 🤪

 

Bad ass!

 

Added a few crappy pictures I have to pull the steering link out before the next race and I’ll take a better picture but basically I couldn’t find an OEM joint that was correct gd was too short VA was long so I just cut the VA shorter and works great

Tie rods (I havnt officially aligned the car outside of drinking beer with a tap measure). But the only real DIY was on a GD and they said the outers were too long.

So I’m running VA inners and GC outers and it works alllllmost fully bottomed out but there are a few threads left and if I had to I could cut an inch off the outer tie rod and have plenty.

(I’m on GD sedan control arms so alittle wider)

Raced last month and the VA rack was great

 

So you don’t have any data yet on caster shifts or such yet from the front mounting point?

 

Should be no castor shifts.

GD control arms are still mounted in the same rear spot. so control arms have not moved just wheel is 5MM out (or whatever GD control arms are) Could have done GC control arms but the dorman Alum GD arms are cheap

 

I’d be interested to see how the specs would look on an alignment machine. Because it definitely has got to shift how the arm pivots with that new angle. I’ve got adjustable arms but I’m pretty sure they only adjust straight out.
Either way I think I’m gonna move forward with planning to do this and accept that I may want/need a different arm.

 

I’d be interested to see how the specs would look on an alignment machine. Because it definitely has got to shift how the arm pivots with that new angle. I’ve got adjustable arms but I’m pretty sure they only adjust straight out.
Either way I think I’m gonna move forward with planning to do this and accept that I may want/need a different arm.

the rear control arm mounting point is the frame of the body so that never moved. and since the front mounting lines up then the control arm never moved. not sure what new angle your referring to. if your talking about the GD control arms. GD control arms have been used on GC turbo swaps for 15-20 years just fine some just prefer the wagon so they don't have to roll fenders (depending on the wheel)

 

where is this 10 MM drop coming from i have never heard of this?

Any updates? I’m in the midst of considering this or a GR subframe and yanking my GDB subframe out from the main project and “handing down” that to my other wagon.
So one of the first things that caught my attention regarding the VA subframe, it candles the engine like 10mm lower. There’s a few other considerations but the gears in my head are spiraling and blasting is so many directions trying to sort out geometry and other specs.
One issue that’s got me caught up on being flip flopping on VA vs GR subframe is the LCA mounting location. The VA mounting points are wider apart, which is appealing to be because of widening my track, BUT it changes the geometry of the LCA and the caster. I have adjustable LCA’s, but not able to adjust from the caster if you know what I mean.
As for other documentation on subframe differences there has been a thread on NASIOC I’ve been going through but not yet sat and tried to block out noise and distractions(AKA hard ignore the wife and kids) enough to map it all out.

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=46096423#post46096423

^ this is the first I'd heard of it