36 replies to this topic

[porcupine73]

That looks really sharp. I'd love to do that to my Legacy.
Have you noticed any changes in the fuel economy?

Hi Tide13. Not sure if you mean for SuperRu or for me, but for the '96 no I havne't noticed much of any change im mileage. I did, however, notice a lack of power for take off on my '96 with the larger tires installed.

Others have said they notice no difference when larger tires are used, but there is a difference. It seemed slightly underpowered before. Now it seems reallllyyyy underpowered!

[Tide13]

Porcupine73: I was asking SuperRu but regarding your car wouldn't taller tires increase mpg?
My '95 Legacy gets about 30mpg (averaging 60mph using cruise-control) on long drives. My buddy's Outback gets under 25! I thought it might be because of increased drag due to higher ground clearance. Are the Outbacks heavier?

Anyway, if there's no significant change I'm definitely going to do this to mine!

[johnceggleston]

Porcupine73: I was asking SuperRu but regarding your car wouldn't taller tires increase mpg?
My '95 Legacy gets about 30mpg (averaging 60mph using cruise-control) on long drives. My buddy's Outback gets under 25! I thought it might be because of increased drag due to higher ground clearance. Are the Outbacks heavier?

Anyway, if there's no significant change I'm definitely going to do this to mine!

if you have installed larger tires, that will in theroy make the car more fuel efficient, fewer tire rotations per mile = fewer engine rotations per mile. BUT... you have also thrown off you speedometer and you odometer, so all of your calculations are off. if you can clock your car and figure out your percentage of error in your speed and distance, then you may be able to allow for the error when figuring you MPG.

or if it used to take14.3 gallons to drive to grandma's house and now it takes 13.8 gals, then you are saving gas.

[codytotheh]

will this trick work on a leg. sedan? would there be more lift due to slightly lighter car ??

[grossgary]

will this trick work on a leg. sedan? would there be more lift due to slightly lighter car ??

i asked this awhile ago and noone could answer, you can search for my thread about it. so i was the test mule and it worked. yes you can put outback strut assemblies on a legacy sedan and it sits level.

[greg donovan]

Here is a pic of our 95 with 04 Forester struts.



The wheels are Forester XT's with 225-60-16 Sumitomo's. The tires rubbed in front so they didn't stay on long. When we wear out the stockers I think I'll try some 215's on my daughters car.

that wagon looks great.

did you use the forester springs too?

[SubiPilot]

This really looks sweet!

I was wondering has anyone tried 15" rims to see what the fit is?

And also, does the speedo/odo need to be recalibrated after the swap for the larger rims?

[porcupine73]

The speedo will read differently with different size tires, but does it have to be recalibrated? Not necessarily, I mean you get get a general idea of how much it is off from the tire size chart calculations, or if you have a GPS just do a few runs and see what you get. I have larger tires on some soobs, smaller sizes on others, you just have to remeber i.e. OK at 60mph on the speedo I ama ctualy going about 55mph, etc.

[johnceggleston]

The speedo will read differently with different size tires, but does it have to be recalibrated?

1996 - 99 legacys
i used to think that the TCU was programmed to convert wheel revolution speed into mph for the speedo and wheel revolutions into miles for the odo, but this is wrong. the speedo is designed to read the info directly from the speed sensor. i don't yet know if there is any TCU invlovement in converting wheel revolutions into odo miles, i think there is, but i've been wrong before and unless there is a really good other reason to send the info through the TCU i doubt it does.

i just put a 96 leg L speedo in a 97 leg GT and there is a substantial error (about 1 mph error for every 6 mph of actual speed). the final drives are different and i assume therefore that the speedo drive gears are different, even though the tire diameter difference is about 1/2 of 1%.

has anyone measured the speedo error in a 2.2L car that has a 2.5L trans (in other words when you swapped the trans you got the wrong one and swapped the rear diff as well.)??

as stated above, tire size will mess with your speedo and there is no way yet discovered to 'recalibrate' the speedo.

Edited by johnceggleston, 30 April 2009 - 06:43 PM.

[EastCoastEJ22T]

that wagon looks great.

did you use the forester springs too?

He used the complete 04 forester strut assemply (strut,spring,mount) he says the fronts swapped in easy, but the rear was a really tight fit. I tracked him down over on http://www.subaruforester.org. I have the same style wagon, and just picked up a set of 04 XT take offs. Will post up some pics after the strut swap.

[greg donovan]

He used the complete 04 forester strut assemply (strut,spring,mount) he says the fronts swapped in easy, but the rear was a really tight fit. I tracked him down over on http://www.subaruforester.org. I have the same style wagon, and just picked up a set of 04 XT take offs. Will post up some pics after the strut swap.

awesome. i would love to see that.

i think i am going to do the same. found a set of 01 forester struts/springs/mounts for a good price that i am thinking of getting and putting on my 95 wagon.

best part is that my wife thinks it looks pretty cool.

[EastCoastEJ22T]

finally got mine done, rears were a ***************.......but it can be done, also used teflon spacers to stop the butt sag.



more pics and info here

http://www.ultimates...ad.php?t=103810


I find it strange all the completed cars in this thread are Ruby Mica wagons?

Edited by EastCoastEJ22T, 22 September 2009 - 05:53 PM.
edited for pic