i see definite room there for spacers and some BBS sweetness...

just sayin, just sayin... looks great

Looks nice Troll.

damn nice process. what are your future modds? i didnt see a turbo on there

Looks good to me. I can't wait to see the RGR's on it!

ok back to post the big update. decided to go 5x114 and lose out on the RGRs :(. this weekend i installed:

-STi R180 Rear Differential
-STi Rear Crossmember
-STi Aluminum Lateral Links
-STi Control Arms
-STi Front and Rear Axles
-STi Front and Rear 5x114.3 Hubs
-STi Front and Rear Brembos
-STi Silver BBS 17x8 Wheels
-STi Struts, RaceComp Engineering Springs, Group-N Tophats
-Perrin 22mm Rear Swaybar for STi

I had some very appreciated help here and there from Fred (WKDerf) and Anthony (auk113), and PoolMike swung by to check things out and so did Phil from 201 Motorsports, so thanks for the help guys.
I did go at most of this solo though, and it was very time consuming. All in all things went well but it was just so involved that start to finish took 2 days for me to complete, plus bleeding the brakes the next morning. I took my time, had to figure a few things out along the way, and as you can see was working on jackstands with hand tools, so I'm happy with the job and confident that everything went back together as it should which is the most important thing.
The rears were quite stubborn and took a while to get off. The lower strut bolts were rusted solid onto the hubs, the rear control arms were super tight, and that damn lateral link bolt was corroded to the links. Rough way to start an install but I got them off, eventually.
The rear diff wasn't that difficult to drop out after I got the hubs and coilovers out. A handful of bolts and the entire thing lowers as one piece.
The e-brake cables were the end of me. I spent the rest of the night trying to figure them out, and ended up calling it a night because I was exhausted.
Next morning after some reading and research I realized that the length of the ebrake cables changed slightly through the years. After some experimentation and a lot of dis- and re-assembly of the e-brake assemblies at the hubs, I was able to use my WRX e-brake cable with the STi rear end to make it work.
Front hubs were pretty quick getting off. Got that figured out, but it used up about half of my day. Wish I would have known about that problem, and that solution ahead of time.
Front axles and axle seals went in as planned. New hubs bolted on as planned.
Suspension went in as planned all around as well. Decided to try a more streetable but still just as capable setup to see if I like it... STi struts, RaceComp Springs, and Group-N Tophats. Less bling, but I'm over the wow factor of coilovers, I just want something that takes care of business and the components I chose this time around get very good reviews from auto-xers and serious suspension guys.
Bleeding 2 valves on each caliper is a bitch, but we got through it. The pedal feels pretty good but when I have a chance I'll bleed them again just to get it in tip top shape.
Thats about it... everything feels great, and the look is super clean. Looks a little too much like a stock STi to me right now, but I'm on the look out for some more interesting wheels so hopefully I'll find something I like.

below are SOME of the photos, for the complete gallery visit http://s324.photobucket.com/albums/k...etrain%20Swap/

before:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2892.jpg

before:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2896.jpg

stock rear hubs removed:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2901.jpg

stock rear end being lowered out of the car:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2902.jpg

emptyness:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2904.jpg

front hub removed:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2913.jpg

new rear diff, aluminum lateral links, axles, hubs, brembos, swaybar:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2919.jpg

done and done:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...p/_DSC2940.jpg

why didnt you just buy a STI and swap a wrx motor in it, that would have been cheaper.

ha ha jk jk

i like the BBS's on there

bugeyes fo life!!!

but yeah, i have thought about getting an STi and doing a bugeye conversion on it :). just not trying to pick up a huge new car payment right now, it would seriously interfere with the whole house hunting thing.

troll you should sell me your winter wheels, i love the way those rs wheels looked on your car for your winter stance :)

Nice job Troll. That was a huge job. Sorry I couldn't stick around and help out the other day.

Remind me to install some lighting in the garage over there. It's like working in Grey Skull Castle with a freakin' candle.

Nice job Troll, do you plan on gettin RGR's in the new lug pattern or are you keepin the STI wheels on. What are u doin with your old brakes (they are the 06-07 brakes rite)

stuff FS that i havent had a chance to list yet: RS 6 spoke wheels and Dunlop Wintersport M3 winter tires, red Subaru 4 pot front and 2 pot rear brakes with everything needed for install plus extra aftermarket front pads and rotors, Perrin rear swaybar, mounts and endlinks for a wrx, and probably some other stuff that i'm not thinking of.

and no i probably wont be getting RGRs sadly, unless anyone finds a set of 18x8.5 in 5x114 fs used or cheap, since thats the only size that will fit my hubs/brakes now. i'd love to rock them, but they're almost 700 each. i'm on the lookout for some cool wheels, but for now i like how the stock STi bbs look.
thanks for the responses... big project so i'm hoping to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor now. maybe try to get to that autox on the 15th :)

TROLL! How mcuh for the rs wheels?

Nice! I heard all about it but didn't want to post until you did and I saw all went well.

Totally sick. And bugeye conversions on STi's are nice, but this is way, way cooler IMO. Keep up the good work, good luck with the next stage of modding :mrgreen:

Nice werk! and JackStands > Lifts:lol:

hello 06 bugeye. :wink:

Hey, if we lower the car more and you let me pick your wheels, this car is going to turn out nice!

ha last time i worked on a lift my back was ****ed up for like a week after... not used to bending upwards... and my shoulders couldnt handle it either, holding them above my head like that so much... i'm not in good enough condition to use a lift i guess, haha. not to say that i'm not sure as hell now though. i try to wear gloves but i didnt have them on the whole time and the bloody knuckes show that.
and d, find me some sweet wheels. someone just posted 18x8 BBS LMs on NASIOC, but they are a +50 and need a spacer to fit. they are also $2800 with almost used up tires. :eek: sexy though, real sexy.
unfortunately i cant adjust ride height any more... but i like it how it is i think. i'm trying out this strut spring combo and if i end up liking it i'm keeping it. this setup is all business... it should rock in the auto-x and such. if i dont like it, i've got a set of 05+ STi Tein Flexes waiting in the wings :mrgreen:

Oh ****, that's right! No more coilovers. Dude, listen, you have to get coilovers to clear some big boy wheels.

18x8 is too skinny, not to mention that offset SUCKS! If you go 18x8.5 or 17x9, a nice set of 255's would look sick!

Dude, you will clean up on autox with some beef, now lets get something real aggressive on there.

troll hit me up about the rs 6 spokes gimme a price!

looks good bryan... im interested to see where you take the car from here... what kind of power are you making?

The second looks much better than the first. Good work...im guessing the small wheels in the first pic are your winter wheels?