An often forgotten upgrade for most enthusiasts is chassis tuning. Sure, more power is added through forced induction, intake this, header that and so on. But with increased speed comes increased demand for chassis tuning. Although unseen, a vehicle’s chassis is twisted and bent in minute increments every time the chassis takes a load from braking, acceleration, cornering and so on. During cornering, for example, the chassis is twisted in different directions and there’s a kinetic energy transfer from the compression of the tire sidewalls, lateral load and suspension compression to the suspension mounting point. This kinetic energy is then converted into mechanical energy, twisting the chassis as a result.

To prevent this kinetic energy transfer and keep the wheels glued to the ground as much as possible, chassis tuning is necessary. Obviously, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a pretty stout vehicle from the factory - one look under the car at the suspension arms, for example, would give a huge clue as to the overengineered and overbuilt nature of this vehicle. But any vehicle will benefit from the addition of a myriad of chassis tuning parts that are available in the marketplace.

We called up WORKS in San Rafael, CA, for their delicious and track-tested chassis tuning components. Considering that they are US-based, have several real engineers on staff and have a development facility right on the grounds of the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, we were sold. Also worth mentioning is that all of their product installation instructions included torque specs of every bolt and nut that need to be tightened / retightened after the installs. THAT is some thinking from a manufacturer’s standpoint. Major props go out for taking this extra step for their customers.

The first piece to go was the stock front strut tower brace. Although the stock piece does add stiffness to the front end, especially important as the Evo is a rather front-heavy vehicle (blame the cast iron block for the added weight), there’s no sense in keeping the stock piece when there are better alternatives available.

The WORKS front strut tower brace is well-crafted, made from thick aluminum and extra big hardware to keep things together. The brushed finish is a nice compliment to the silver hue of our Project Evo. The endplates feature recessed areas for the strut nuts so that there’s more than sufficient thread for them to clamp onto. A really nice touch. Installation took about 10 minutes with ordinary hand tools.

For the WORKS adjustable rear sway bar, we needed to get the car on a lift. This installation required dropping the exhaust and one of the lower control arms, so putting up high in the sky was a convenient option. 2mm thicker than the stock unit and adjustable to dial in more or less understeer, this was the ticket. The sway bar kit also includes urethane bushings to replace the stock rubber units, which tend to be softer and less resistant to the elements.

To install the sway bar, we called upon an old friend. Edgar Mendoza, a mechanic at Garage Boso in Gardena, CA. Edgar performed an engine (Nissan SR20DET blacktop), tranny and ECU swap in this author’s Nissan 240SX, so we were well aware of his mechanical skills.

The sway bars were set to their most aggressive position to dial in as much oversteer as possible. The Evo, as a 4-wheel drive vehicle, has a natural tendency toward understeer. As we plan to attack the track with it, we needed to eliminate this tendency and perhaps dial in more oversteer for a more entertaining driving experience.

Things are really beginning to come together on this project. Up next, we’ll install the WORKS rear strut tower bar + drop bars + Evo RS trunk bar combination. This will add even more rigidity to the rear of the car in our pursuit of chassis tuning. We’ll also throw in some additional bracing under the car, tying all the elements together.

Finally, we’ll see some power adders introduced to the car for the first time in the near future. We’ll be adding an intake and exhaust - two of the biggest choking points in a turbo vehicle - and throwing in an ignition module for good measure. Then we’ll head up to WORKS for a flash tune on the stock ECU to create more power out of the engine.

SOURCE BOX

WORKS
811 Francisco Blvd E
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 226-2500
(415) 226-2501
www.worksmitsu.com

Garage BOSO
123 E. Gardena Blvd., #C
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 715-1380
www.garageboso.com