16 replies to this topic

[snowstormer]

how do the ea82 cars handle on the road with lift kits installed? [pk davis 3" most likely.] i want to lift an 87 gl wagon. just curious if they handle any differently cruisin at 65 etc. any input is appreciated. thank you.

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Its not an ea82, but my EA81 drives GREAT on the highway. I have a '84 GL Wagon with a 3/3 Lift and 26" Cooper Discoverer STT's (mud tread). The car actually cruises more comfortably because my rev's are lower at high speeds (due to the larger tires). Acceleration is almost non-existant, but on long trips its nice. The handling is good as well. Not as good as stock, but very very smooth. Even with the loud tires.
The ride is alot smoother on my wagon than my brat.

-Brian

[Qman]

Highway driving will depend on what type of tire you'll be running. Accelleration will be less than stock. But every lifted Sube I have been in has done fine on the highway. Will not be a speed demon by any means. Your center of gravity doesn't change very much and that helps retain most handling characteristics. Depending on which wheels you use(read- offset) it may be just as stable as before the lift.

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Yeah, ken brought up a valid point. Handling characteristics will depend alot on which tire/rim combination. The tires I chose are 205/75R14 Cooper Discoverer STT's mounted to 14" Puegeot Alloy Rims. I built the car with highway driving in mind, as at the time, it was still my daily driver. Im sure if I replaced my rims with 15" steels and got some 29" Swampers, the characteristic's would change alot.

-Brian

[MilesFox]

my 83 wagon had a 6 inch lift. handled like Dook as the home made contraption cheap no-feed walmart welder and scrap metal collapsed in the as end (fixed it), and whole front would want to drive out from under one side of the car or the other. .went baja'nin a field and my steering fell off, involuntary donuts! but it had ea82 suspension (how did that happen?)
but anyway, i took the lift out, and the ea82 suspension (gave me about an inch or two of wheel travel, ride height, is that a lift?) gave a decent ride across the vast nation we go to jail in! except it tore up my tires from my eye-ball off center chop and weld tie rod mod ification.

you asked.............

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Not to bag on Miles lift, but if you purchase your lift from PK and install it properly, it will handle like a stock rig.

-Brian

[MilesFox]

i'll admit my lift was dook, but what would you expect for something cheap and eperimental. my lift wa sessentially the idea of a lift. i took it out because it was a rolling wreck!
whatever is your bag. at least i had fun with it!!!!

[snowstormer]

sounds good junkie and qman. just wanted to make sure i could drive it down the hiway to work every now and then.[50 miles one way]. im gonna go with the pk davis lift. i want to put the lift on my clean arizona gl that i swapped a 5spd dual range into. just have to save up a few more dollars. hopefully before winter hits i will join the ranks of lifted subes! hey miles, when i need something fixed on my rusty wisconsin beater, you are the man!

[Tin Soldier]

Originally posted by snowstormer
how do the ea82 cars handle on the road with lift kits installed? [pk davis 3" most likely.] i want to lift an 87 gl wagon. just curious if they handle any differently cruisin at 65 etc. any input is appreciated. thank you.

I liked the way my EA82 handled after the lift. It didn't feel too tippy or anything like that, plus I felt taller and thus in my mind a lil safer running near trucks.

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Miles, i have nothing but the utmost respect for what you've done. Lord knows there's no way in hell i can fabricate a lift. expecially a 6" lift. But i was just letting it be known, that if he buys a PK lift, and installs it properly, he will not experience any of the problems you described.

No bag intended.

-Brian

[ByTheSea]

Downhill at 90 is interesting on the lift. The biggest single issue is that with a lift you'll run bigger tires. Wait till the first time you need to lock em up at freeway speed. YeeHaaaaaa!!!!!! Darn thing just keeps going. But don't hesitate to run a lift from PK or Brett. You will grow to love it. I'm a complete mother hen type with my kids and we run over 20K miles a year on a lifted 92 wagon and use it off road all summer in addition to rallyX and TSD rallies 6-8 times a year. I just got back from a trip. 200 miles down in 3 hours, beach riding all day and then 200 miles home.

[TheSubaruJunkie]

I put rear disc brakes on my lifted wagon. It stops better than my brat. It will still lock up all 4 and if I do, its hard to control it. But with the 4wheel disc's, you can control your braking alittle better than with rear drums

90mph is fun tho with a Subaru thats 6" higher than stock

-Brian

[MilesFox]

hey brian, you neet to move out of that nazi strict state you live in. rich neighbors in suv's dont like to hear angle grinders going off in the middle of the night, or revving of open ports. (sorry to stereotype) i did in now way take you "bag" comment the wring way! i just though i would put my 2 cents of experience in.
i was fortunate to have my bos's building to use, but a driveway with an extension cord works just as good!

either way i drove my car all over, so my point is it was driveable regardless. just a matter of how bad a heap you can keep under control on the road! towing trailers with notheing but the parking brake while passing the sheriff in a half painted dog-tracking under-rated for a 2 axle trailer is not the best of ideas. but it has been done!!!!!!

hey snowstormer, i'll stop by when i get my car back from idaho(and i will have a valid license this time) keep an eye out for the wrench I left behind, and dont let that junkyard rip you off!

[snowstormer]

hey miles. got your private message but screwed up my reply. im about 5 hours north of lacrosse wi. stop by when your in the neighborhood.

[NoahDL88]

I didn't notice anything different with just the lift but if you put the bigger tires on it makes stopping harder i even took the sway bar off, it dosn't handle that much worse, i havn't had any problems, if you keep in mind that its a little bit higher you shouldn't have any problems.

[MilesFox]

Originally posted by snowstormer
hey miles. got your private message but screwed up my reply. im about 5 hours north of lacrosse wi. stop by when your in the neighborhood.

well, next time i go out west i would consider US route 2, rather than the interstate 90/94.
that would take me more northward and probably closer to ya. how far is us 2?

[electryc_monk]

the short trip to denton from Calebz Casa de lux was a funny feeling with the PK 3" lift on the GL-10 wagon first off.

But, I can tell you that after the trip to Burningman two weeks ago - thats a 3000+ freeway miles trip i REALLY like how it handled the trip. I still have the air ride suspension too.

The tires are 185 70R13's as i haven't had time to plan the XT6 conversion yet sooo. its still the stock wheels etc.

The one odd funny note for visibility is that it does feel neat to be eye level with alot of the "newer SUV's" around town.

The route we took from Denton Texas to Northern NEvada.

287 to Amarillo then i think is was I-52/64 over to I-25 in NM then up to Denver and across the Vail summit and a sunrise dip in the sulfur springs of Glenwood Springs.....

then a right turn at Solina in Utah up to Salt Lake city and across on I-80 till the Nevada small highway up to Black rock city.

Speeds of speed limit and occasionally significantly over were often seen but at all times the ride was just as good as stock height.

There had been a couple times i saw "Dip" signs and well we did a dip-see-doo... and got a little air but not much we were heavily loaded with camping gear so.... it was fun...

the trip back was taking the Moab exit in utah and then sliding over to Hwy 666 down to I-40 was it??? and then back down 287 to denton... all in all a wonderful drive and the turbo didn't seem to knock even when i had to use $2.38 a galloon of 87 octane as it was the only fuel at the station that day of the trip.

there were a couple $2.12 89 octane fillups as well. lets just say that i am just now getting around to totaling the gas cost of this drive. thankfully i'll be spliting it up with someone else the visa card isn't to happy with the level of spending on it now.


Side note.... I did a search for PKDavis and found non and seeing as how we are "advised" to not send an "ATTN" subject message I'll await a reply to this thread as to WHAT his ID is now and then email him directly about this spare stock steering knuckle awaiting an address to be sent to him..... (wink wink) He did say he was sending me a couple of Ozified decals for the car and I have yet to recieve them some 3+weeks later (knowing grin of patience)