rweddy

Are you sure this is still the case with Legacies?My 91 you do not need to turn the pistons in, like my older GL's had to be.

That is all I was trying to explain! Thank you!!http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential9.htm The first post was asking if his car was screwed up since he was going up a steep dirt hill and only one wheel was spinning..... wanted to know if it was broken.

NO REASON TO YELL!!! FYI Jeeps had VC and full time AWD in the CJ7 in 78. A VC is a VC. Beleive what you wish I have real experience with this and next time we take the outbacks wheeling I will take some video to post when we get crossed up and have one wheel drive.

Having the vehicle up on jacks does not create enough forces to overwhelm the VC. You need to have it in a situation where there is a lot of pressure on it. IE going up hill in an off-road situation. This is the same as a LSD, if will work on the road or in most situations, but when you exert an extreme amount of torque on the unit it will become overpowered and only one wheel will spin. Like I stated before this is common knowledge by the off-roading community, you can pick up a "How to Off-road" by Mark Peterson (not sure the author is correct) and it has diagrams showing this.

Or you can talk to anyone else with off-road experience. I have been wheeling and wrenching vehicles for a very long time. There is a reason they do not take AWD vehicles off-road. Or come with me to a off-road trail in Colorado. I will show you there with hurting the vehicle.

My 96 5spd 2.2 gets 32 mpg highway with all synthetic. My father in laws 02 2.5 auto gets 28 on the highway with dyno oil.

That is awsome!! Is that a subaru???

Yep this is why the subaru is such a great on-road vehicle in snow ice etc. But off road a solid axle is much better since it affords great articulation and power to be put to the road. I can also tell you that I have had several of my 4wd subarus w/lo range in some very hairy off-road situations and they do great!

Yep I agree. If you nip it in the butt now you will not have block issues later.

Limit slip and VC are traction aid devices. LS uses clutch packs, VC Fluid. If they could not be defeated, defeated, slip, etc the car would be un-drivable. When you go around a corner they must allow the inside tire to turn at a slower rate then the outside tire that has more ground to cover. These are things you do not find out or will not find out until you truly off-road a vehicle. AWD is great for on the road and minor off-road use.When you really start pushing these, put them in extreme situations they will and do get defeated. When I first started taking my Jeep CJ on trials I would get the vehicle crossed up going up hill and only one wheel would spin on the front and rear even though I had LS in both axles. So to get a truck lock up you need to have a mechanical devices that locks them mechanically together. ARB, Detriot lockers, etc makes devices like these. They cannot be used on the street or are not very good because the do not allow for wheels to turn at different speeds since they are designed to make both wheels turn at the same rate all the time. So when you go around a turn there is issues. The inside tire turns slower than the outside tire when you make a turn. I am not bashing subaru’s AWD system at all. This thread was started asking why when going up a steep lose hill not all four wheels were spinning. And I was just explaining why they wont in this situation.

These are things you do not find out or will not find out until you truly off-road a vehicle. AWD is great for on the road and minor off-road use. Limit slip and VC are traction aid devices. LS uses clutch packs, VC Fluid. When you really start pushing these, put them in extreme situations they will and do get defeated. When I first started taking my Jeep CJ on trials I would get the vehicle crossed up going up hill and only one wheel would spin on the front and rear even though I had LS in both axles. So to get a truck lock up you need to have a mechanical devices that locks them mechanically together. ARB, Detriot lockers, etc makes devices like these. They cannot be used on the street or are not very good because the do not allow for wheels to turn at different speeds since they are designed to make both wheels turn at the same rate all the time. So when you go around a turn there is issues. The inside tire turns slower than the outside tire when you make a turn. I am not bashing subaru’s AWD system at all. This thread was started asking why when going up a steep lose hill not all four wheels were spinning. And I was just explaining why they wont in this situation.

Sony, Kenwood, JVC, etc never make adapters. Next time goto a shop and get the wiring adapter or call a company like crutchfield. They all have adapter for every car. It is a plug on one side that goes into you factory wiring loom, then wires on tother that you hook to the wires from your deck. FYI

You have not had your vehicle in a hard core off-road situation. There even a LSD becomes overpowered. If you try to climb an AWD subaru up a very steep lose section you will not go and if one wheel is in a hole that wheel will spin. Or it will try to claw its way up with one tire. The VC can transfer power but is 90% to the path of least resistance. Same concept as a 4wd vehicle with lsd, if you get one tire in a hole or up in the air on both front and rear the wheel up spins. That is why they sell locking differentials. And to get one wheel to spin on the front and rear you need to have a way to lock the VC so it will distribute 50% power front and rear.

Goto a local stereo shop and get the wiring kit. This will make it so you can plug into the factory plug and not have to cut the factory wires. These will also be marked for what wires do what. Much better way to install. Cost like $15 dollars. I actually have one from my old car if you need on let me know. R

All four wheels off the ground. When snow gets really deep you can get a vehcile up off the ground.

Since there is not locking mechanism in the VC it will become over powered. IE only one tire will spin. AWD is great for on road conditions but if you get high centered or try very steep dirt roads you have one wheel drive. When it snows a good amount next time in Colorado I will high center my car and take a video so show this.

I have a lot of experience off-roading vehicles. Jeeps, Landcruiser, etc. AWD vehicles are not made for this use. It is not a failure of the VC is is the way it works period. You will not be able to get three wheels spinning on a Subaru in a off-road situation. You live where it snows. Get your AWD subaru High centered and only one wheel front left or right will spin. Without a center diff lock this is a matter of physics.

Yes he was telling me that his jetta was better in the snow than is "AWD" subaru!!

Be careful, a guy I worked with bought a awd subaru that was fwd with awd emblems on it.

If a stick, drop the clutch at 5k and listen. An auto run motor to 5k in N then drop into drive. Just kidding of course, look at rear axle.

A cheap fix is to go get a rubber pond liner and cut it to fit the rear end. It cost under 20 dollars and can go from the rear to back of the seats.

Remember a Forester is just a impreza with a raised roof. Since a impreza is a car.... but a CRV is a civic with a raised roof...

I know there were 4wd but I think they were auto only. It has a factory sunroof, or that is what I am being told.

I found a wagon for sale, it is an 83 and seller says it is a 4 spd 4wd GL-10? Is this possible? Thanks

This is normal. Gear oil is very thick so it takes a bit for dyno oil in the tranny to warm up enough to shift. And it only warm up from moving not from running the engine. The fix is to run synthetic fluid. But do not run conventional GL5, ie Mobil 1. Get good tranny synthetic fluid, imo Red Line 75W90NS is the best.