Numbchux

EA81, hands down. tougher, simpler motor. the torsion bar allows substantially more travel in the back (and simpler to lift!). the downfall is the axles. BUT, all EA81s use dual DOJ rear axles. Swap some EA82 inner rear DOJs on both ends of the EA81 shafts, and you've got some pretty good travel (although, the torsion bar + longer shocks means you'll still have more travel than the axles can take.....limiting straps would probably still be a good idea). also, the 3 bolts on the leading rod/tranny xmember bracket are further apart. this was the main downfall on both my EA82s, was those captive nuts pulling out, and the EA81s have more leverage on the frame rail. And the body styles are superior. The wagons, sedans and coupes are pretty comparable.....no preference here. but the Brat is just awesome, and the short wheelbase and non-existent rear overhang of the hatch are unbeatable!

been discussed. been tried. They're made of much thinner/weaker metal than a normal wheel and will bend muuuuch easier.

the "cherry bomb" glasspacks usually sound like crap. but a nice Thrush glasspack. sounds pretty decent in place of the stock muffler.

hmmm.....looks like someone gave up http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/car/649763065.html

There are many different ways to assemble a 5-lug swap. so you'll have to do some research, and see which works best for you (which parts are most easily accessible). here's the original list: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=50400 there are some updated lists with pictures and stuff around as well, but that'll give you a pretty good start. The problem with the EA81 swap is the front suspension. the rear end works exactly the same as the EA82 as far as the hubs and brakes are concerned. But the EA81 front track is narrower. and the difference is in the engine crossmember. So, all 5-lug axles will be too long......so you'll need to have some custom axles made. Someone else will have to chime in with the details, but I'm fairly sure that you can't use XT6 control arms on an EA81 either, so you'll need to ream out the ball joint hole on the EA81 arms, or make a sleeve to put the EA ball joint in your ER/EJ knuckles like discopotato did. S'ko did it (as I'm sure you'll see in the post he linked) by putting an EA82 engine crossmember under his brat. but the lift blocks were a crucial part of that.....pretty hard to do it at stock height. also, look for posts by rguyver, he did it in his Brat. But then again......he's an amazingly skilled fabricator :slobber:

SOA part number: 28021AA501 FWD 5MT Imprezas (all 1.8l) with manufacture date between 11/92 and 7/94.

^ negative. both are adjustable. I just uploaded this page from an '88 XT FSM for my buddy who's brat has some crazy rear camber issues.

huh, never seen that page.....never looked. So I just looked at the same page in the '92 legacy FSM. the EJ22e pump puts out 36.3psi and 80l/h, and the EJ22t gets 43.4 at 150l/hr. so yea, SPFI pump is plenty pressure for either. but might not be enough volume for the turbo (although I know a guy who's running a mildly modded tleg on an N/A pump). In fact, I wonder if the MPFI pump is substantially too much, pushing 60+ psi might be hard on the pressure regulator.

you can't, which is what's limiting the travel. you need to unbolt the shock from the trailing arm.

the RX axles will work fine with the EJ trans. linkage needs to be modified. tranny mounts are different. either custom crossmember, or XT6 front and rear crossmembers with EJ center section. driveshaft needs to be adjusted 55mm (pretty sure it needs to be longer....but I could be wrong). rear diff......depends what trans you're using. if it's a 3.90 trans, just get a 3.90 EA rear diff. otherwise you'll need to use the EJ rear diff. physically mounting it is easy, as all r160 mounts are the same. but you'll run into some axle challenges, as there are a few different kinds of axles. first gen legacies (maybe others) use 23-spline stubs that are compatible with EA DOJ cups. otherwise, you maybe be looking at hybrid axles.....possibly custom races.

well, search anyway. an EJ swap is no small undertaking. and will require a lot of research. 105 was the half price special.....again, search. there are a few people that offer them. I have 2 mrose ones (no longer available), and I've got 2 buddies that just bought SJR ones. which are very well made.

nope. SPFI and MPFI pumps are the same. it's the carbed EA82 ones that don't put out enough pressure. which wasn't the point being made, he was talking about using the EA82 SPFI system to control the EJ22.

not unless you've done a 5-lug swap and are using EJ-series knuckles.

assuming you're talking about an EA82 in your profile. stock replacement......GR2s are nice. when I was looking locally, the Monroe's were cheapest. it's only the EA81s that can use longer rear shocks because they use a torsion bar instead of a spring.

you'll probably have to unbolt the shock from the trailing arm, and pull the suspension arm down to give yourself some more room.

if pug alloys don't offer the performance gains (minimal, at best). anything better is pointless because you still have crappy suspension and crappy brakes. a 5-lug swap with some subaru steelies is going to yield much more significant performance gains than any wheel you can throw on 4-lug hubs. $600 a wheel is stupid when you're still running 242mm single piston front brakes with 226mm single piston rears. and the best shock/strut combo you can use are GR2s. if you're really looking for performance gains, the only reason to stay 4-lug is for AutoX class reasons, in which case, you can't upgrade wheel size anyway. Look at WJM's RX (well.....when he was racing the RX or Wagon). he was racing on subaru 13" alloys. and yes, MOST 6-lug wheels are much heavier than a pug. I don't know about the cadillac, but vipers weigh as much as a small truck (if not more)......those are going to be some extremely hefty wheels. not to mention the fact that they're 10"+ wide.

Well, If you're going to be pushing your rig to the limit, all lifts are not created equal. I don't know how HTI sets up their lifts, but SJR makes an awesome product. and has tested everything he makes. He's had numerous rigs, and has wheeled the crap out of them. 2" of extra axle strain is a bunch, and would probably work fine offroad......but the high rpms of street driving (especially on the freeway) is what will kill them.

that's about it. outback and forester are taller, other than that, height-wise, they're all pretty much the same. there are a couple different lower spring diameters, so the lower perch differs....but height-wise, pretty much the same.

guy on RS25 posted pics of Ground control install where they removed the stock lower perch on their AGXs: more here (pretty humorous pics too!) http://www.rs25.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78808 yes, it's an $800 suspension system, and I'm not sure if KYB makes the AGXs for an outback.....BUT, the adjustables would be pretty sweet. the AGXs on the softest setting are about the same as stock. and you could stiffen them up and rally it a bit

I just hopped on rockauto.com, and all EA82 rear caliper repair kits are for a 1 3/16" (26.125mm) piston.....XT6, RX, XT turbo, GL-10 turbo, etc. not a 100% reliable source, but pretty good....

if you're using subaru rear shocks. just order up this kit for stock struts: http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=79/CA=25 and like I said, 185 or 200 lb/in for the front, and 250 for the rear. if you're using miata stuff in the rear, just send them an email, telling them exactly what you're running and what you want.

hi range is 1:1.

My camera isn't working.....but I found this old picture of my stompers, along with the STi Xmod and SWRT WRC slot car

not any places in this part of the world to get very far from civilization, so things like the chainsaw and generator are over kill. But other than that, replace that chain with a couple snap straps, and you've got yourself a list. a chain is a great thing if you're pulling with a bulldozer. but if you're stuck enough that you need to throw your weight around a bit, a chain is just going to destroy both cars. need something with some stretch to it.

cheap full coilovers? the miata stuff is for better rear shocks. has nothing to do with springs. the answer in the spring department are coilover sleeve springs. you can get crappy generic ones from ebay for pretty cheap, but chances are the spring rates will be ridiculously high (mine were 450/400 lb/in, compared to the 140/190 stock). the best bang for the buck are Ground Control sleeves. they use genuine Eibach springs, and are available in any spring rate. get them for GC ('93-'01) imprezas, 8" long springs work well. I suggest something in the 200/250 lb/in range (stiffer ones in the rear). if you'd like better dampning to match, I suggest the KYB AGX adjustables. in order to run these, you'll need to get into the miata stuff. the '99-'05 miata front shocks are virtually a direct replacement for the EA82 rears, but the spring perch is quite a bit higher. if using coilover sleeves with these shocks, run a 5" long spring (remember, you're still using subaru front struts, so keep the 8" one in the front). tirerack.com has pretty good prices on AGXs, and you don't have to buy them as a full set.