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Thanks, this is what I wanted to know

Okay, I'm hoping this isn't a dumb question, but after searching I'm still not 100% certain as to the answer. What I basically want to know is this: on an EA81 vehicle with a dual-range transfer case, are the 4WD modes true 4WD or AWD? That is, is there a centre diff, clutch, or other arrangement allowing for slip between the front and rear axles? From what I've read they appear to be 4WD as opposed to AWD, but I'm still not entirely sure and my nine-year-old memories of my past Brat are pretty flaky at best.

Personally, I could care less how he describes the nose of the car, and no female reproductive anatomy I've ever seen looks a thing like that. If anything, the front and rear both copy current Alfa-Romeo design, which in my eyes isn't necessarily a bad thing. What's a real shame is that there's a great chassis under there that he's not doing justice to in his review. No, you can't chuck it around like a WRX - but think tall Legacy and you're not far off. I liked it; it's just a shame that reviewers (or Subaru) can't figure out that it's not an SUV and it's not a minivan. This is a crossover like the Pacifica, and a damned good one at that. Improve the headlights (throw's too short, even on high), make the software for the transmission more performance-biased, and swap out those red-illuminated buttons for some green or blue ones and we'll be on the right track.

Thanks to everyone for the replies - you've given me some good food for thought. I'd still be interested in hearing about the seat swaps, though... Nice job! I really like that one. Okay, now I understand what's going on; it actually sounds like a fairly similar setup to what I used to have on my Peugeot 505. Out of curiosity, what size are the tires you've got on there now? I have a set of those rims laying around, so figure I'll use them once I've actually got the car and it would be nice to know what I can get away with Seeing it in close-up helped, too - there's more space between the wheel and arch than I realised. Yeah, the only other idea I had on that was a selectable underdrive (nice from the standpoint of being able to retain 1.4:1), but they're expensive. The 2.70:1 Klune-V Suzuki Samurai unit may be able to be adapted, but would probably also take a lot of work. I'm also not sure you'd want to run it in compound low; something tells me that the Sube's drivetrain wouldn't like that much torque.

Still looking for a Gen2 Brat (and I can't believe how expensive they've become since I last looked a few years ago) - but I'm already planning out modifications to it. To give some background, this is going to replace my daily driver Cherokee as a commuter / medium-duty trail machine, with the Jeep being kept for heavier-duty off-roading and load lugging. I've been doing a lot of reading up on the stuff that people are doing to their Subes, but have a few questions. - Transfer case / transmission. First thing on the list would be an EA82 5-speed swap (I'm only looking for a manual); does anyone have any tips on regearing the D/R case to a lower low range? 1.4:1 would make some of the hills I'd be running *very* scary on the descent; 1.8 or 2.0:1 would be much better. For simplicity's sake, I'd really prefer to avoid going the divorced Nissan t-case route. - Skid plates. I'm guessing this is a DIY thing from what I've seen so far - haven't found anyone with them in production. Similarly, is anyone doing rocker protection? - Seats. Virtually every Brat I've looked at has shot seats; I'd like to replace them with Forester seats as seen in this Craigslist ad. Does this involve fabricating brackets / adapters, or are they a straight drop-in? Are there any other models that swap straight in? - Suspension. I realise this is a fully-independently-sprung vehicle, so lifting is quite a bit different to the live axle world. While I understand that lowering the subframes is done to the keep the axle angles sane, what I'm not getting is how this affects the driveshafts - are they a double-cardan type, or is there a slip yoke on the t-case? Also, going hog wild on height (4" should be plenty) isn't the intention here, but from looking at some of the pictures in the articulation thread, it looks like there're some wheel movement issues under flex. What has me particularly curious is this picture: looking at the rear tire, it appears to be being pulled forward from centre. Finally, can anyone recommend from experience a lift kit in the 4" range, preferably with links to it? I've looked at Allied Armament's kit and it seems good, but I'd like to do some comparison shopping. Thanks!

Yeah, I wasn't expecting numbers in the 900s or anything Just thought it might make for an interesting set of numbers. Thanks for the link, btw.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried putting a Sube on an RTI ramp? Get a shot stock, then at various degrees of lift, etc.

Thanks for the replies - this is all good info. It looks as though the only real major upgrades I'd want to do off the bat is the EA82 5-speed and a set of Peugeot rims and tires - I do enough freeway miles that the higher gearing would be worth it, and I've been into Peugeots for years so actually have a set of 505 alloys in storage. Is there anything else I might want to consider? How bad are A/C swaps to do into a non-A/C car? We've got plenty of junkyard sedans and wagons with air sitting here, but if I'm going to be realistic about finding a Brat I probably shouldn't rule out non-A/C cars.

Out of curiosity, what make the EA81 hold up better? I agree with you on small HP differences not mattering at trail speeds, but the main reason I want fuel injection is so that I don't stall out on certain hills. We have a couple around here that will cause carburetted vehicles problems with fuel starvation. Nope, that's definitely right out. Thanks for the heads-up. Cool. I'm assuming the tranny more or less swaps straight out between the EA81 and EA82?

Apologies if this is the wrong forum for this question - obviously, I'm kinda new here so hope I'm getting this right and won't be offended if it needs to be moved Basically, I'm trying to understand the different powertrains that went into various Subarus over the years with an eye towards possibly doing a swap whenever I eventually locate a Brat. From the memories of the '86 I had, a 5-speed is probably going to be first on the shopping list - and I found the guide to swapping one in the USRM; hopefully this will come in handy soon. What I'm curious about are my drivetrain options. Basically, I'd like an injected engine for some of the steeper trails around here; street performance isn't what I'm after so turbos are pretty much right out. Is the EA82 the injected version of the EA81? I found an early-'90s Legacy sedan in the junkyard with the 5-speed and what I think was this engine, but I'm not sure - all I know is that it was injected and had the 5-speed with dual-range transfer case. Can anyone point me towards a good comparative guide of the '80s engines in terms of spec, output, and displacement? Also, is there a similar guide to transmission and final drive gearing anywhere? Thanks!