WRX Wagon Aluminum control arm install

[Big Sky WRX]

^ added it to the first post

[DefZer0]

Hey Big Sky,

Just wanted to first say thanks so much for this awesome info and taking the time to post it here for us newcomers to soak in!
I am in need of replacing my wagon steel arms and have the option right now of getting regular sedan arms or some Spec-C's. Will I need anything else besides a sedan front sway bar and endlinks to make either work?
I know you listed washers and what not for the GC arms, does this apply to these sedan arms as well?

Thanks again!

[Big Sky WRX]

no washers needed, they will fit just like the wagon ones (just longer in length)

correct- sedan sway sway bar and sedan links

you will see more neg camber (usually a good thing) w/ the increased front track, definitely want an alignment done post install

[DefZer0]

Awesome!! Thanks so much! :bow:

[snarpalous]

Thanks for a Great Post! It was great having the pics and torques specs all in one place. I am Starting this task today. I bent one of my steel ones. Hopefully its not too much of a bear.

[mangostick]

So speaking of control arms this thread revival got me thinking. I have a 2010 wrx and I'd like to run the 2011 sti front control arms. However I cannot find anywhere the differences in geometry between the two. I know their different. I know one has a rear spherical bearing vs rubber bushing. I know they're aluminum vs steel, I know all the bushing dia are larger than the wrx.. but no one has any solid data on the EXACT geometry differences in the arms themselves. Wider? Longer? Ball joint cone differences? Bolt dia differences?

Any takers? I just pissed away almost two hours of my day on the web looking everywhere and didn't find diddly squat but arguments about how alk's work (which I already know and reading some of that made my head hurt). So as asked, anyone know the difference in the GR wrx vs GR sti front control arm measurements?

[dagger108]

OK, let me start off by saying that I am a total newb ... the impossible to remove left front bushing nut ... I was able to break the front bushing bolt loose with my foot on the breaker.

Someone had way over torqued mine (front bushing bolt). It took an 18" breaker bar with an 18" extension, and all 180# of me laying on it to come off. There were 3 "gunshots" (think ball joint seperation) along the way.

[dagger108]

Should have added a "thanks" in the previous post! I'm not doing a full FCA replace (most everything else in the suspension though), but it is great having the pics and torques specs all in one place. Also new enough that it is just good to read and gain info even from these "old" posts. Thanks for all your input BigSky, and sorry about waking the dead (links). "But I'm not dead!"