lesstutrey

I can live with pushing it open for a while but, please, I know someone knows this, or has a link.

Howdy. Been a long time subaru lover, and a first time owner since last winter (you total a fwd sport's sedan in snow, you go for the AWD). Picked up a 2002 OBW VDC all loaded up with everything but auto dimming mirrors. Now i'm in the process of subaru lust and winter prep. Got a list of mods i'll be doing to make myself more... suitable for more than just the drive to school (and if i get this job, maybe i'll go even bigger or go for an old sub to have a lot of fun with). Ordering a 2" lift kit from High Guys in the near future, as well i will be putting primitive skid plates on at the same time. Eventually i'll get some aftermarket springs and struts, but money is always a factor, and i can't afford to do all that at once. Right now i'm just doing winter prep, got a snow shovel, a tri-fold shovel, a army surplus trenching tool, a 48" high jack, a 3 ton WLL homemade rear recovery system and am headed to purchase some 2 ton d-shackles. Just need a shackle block, wire and a high jack accessories and i'm good... maybe a 2 ton come along a well..

My dual moonroof 2002 obw vdc has developed the dreaded problem most of them do: the moon roof won't open, but it will close, i'm fairly sure it doesn't just start closing on its own accord. The rear sliding open roof still works just fine, and heck i hear the motor go to drive it up (thank god there are those delays so i know when to push up) I know it's been covered, and everyone says need new parts bla bla bla. Ok, i am looking at OEM parts and need to know what i need to order to fix it. It doesn't leak, the rear window works fine, and it closes just fine, it just doesn't tilt open. I am willing to spend time fixing it as i have christmas break this year for downtime on my car, plus i plan on sticking lifts (if i can ever get them) in, so time is not really an issue. Plus i have couple friends who are starting out a body shop, and they always need work, and will do it for cheap, so i can have them do it while i sit around the shop and assist. I just need to know what to order so i can go about fixing this. From what i can tell the plastic lifts or whatever broke (probably from me trying to force a frozen window open) Anyone got the part numbers/piece names i need to order?

there a way to hook up the stock 50w x 5 amp up with an aftermarket head unit? That has been the main thing keeping me from putting a new head unit in. That and the fact the McIntosh has no problems in my 02, aside from the dirty pot for the volume control that gives a little static when i change volume. I would like to keep the decent amp they put in the car powering the speakers, but also want to add a 12" woofer in the back with the amp mounted where the current 6x9 sub is... also have to figure out wire routing for that.

Went to the hardware store today to see what i could do. First i thought i would take a ball hitch mount, tap 2 1/2" holes in it and attach one of the typical 5 ton hooks on to it. Use an extra nut and lock washer as a spacer for the drop on the hitch. Figured i'd be able to tow with a ball hitch on there as well. Looked into that, but thought i found something simpler upon going to screws and bolts isle. It also happens to be where they keep chain and wire fittings. I notice a 3/8" forged hook with a 3.25 WLL and a 1/2 clovis pin. I took the hook and compared it to the hitch i had with me. Seemed like an nice easy fit. No drilling required, just stick the pin in the hitch and blamo. Got my stuff home, and went to put the hook onto the hitch, no dice! I noticed flashing from the forging process (that had been grinned off somewhat) was preventing me from getting the hook on. I i filed down the flashing, i know it weakened the overall strength of the hook, a little by taking about 1/16 of material out, but at 3.25 tons it should still have plenty of strength, and heck the hitch is only rated at 1.75 ton. Guess what? Still didn't fit. I noticed something, the edge of the hitch was flat, and hitting a curved surface, preventing it from going that 1/4" deeper i needed the hook to go to allow me to pin the thing on. Had a couple thoughts, grind down the hitch so it was shorter, file the hole on the hitch a bit bigger , and then the good idea came to me:lol:. Make the end of the hitch match the curved part of the hook! So i took the hitch down to my grinder, and gave the edge a curved lip. Not much of one, mostly just at the direct back. Figured this weakened the hitch as much as possible, instead of shaving 1/4" entirely off, i only did it on the edges. Took the hitch back to my vice, smacked the hitch a few times with a rubber mallet and presto, in place Due to the location of the hook on the hitch, it will not turn. It will only go straight back, no play at all. Had to slightly hammer the clevis pin in, but since it's not a key on a gear, i figured that was ok. Also while at the store i came across the same 48" high jack they had been selling for 70$ on sale for 40$. Had to buy it. Grabbed a tree saver, and a snow shovel for the car (already have a tri-fold shovel most of you are familiar with) but i just needed something for volumes of snow, not heavy stuff. Now i need a 2 ton come along and snatch block to work in conjunction with the high jack, and a high jack accessory kit, so it's more useful than as just a jack, and to get my car up and lifted, and some LT tires on it. And i guess a portable air compressor.. Here is my beautiful rear hook. Recovery Tongue 1.25" by lesstutrey, on Flickr

Looking for 2" lift for my '02 OBW VDC 4eat. Get at me with price and i'll hook it up. Shipping to 60178

Goyale: got a question for you 1. still making lift kits because i want one... it's a 2002 OBW VDC with 4EAT. PM me? Everyone else, and i guess goyale too, PLEASE LINK ME TO A D-Shackle that fits my outback. I noticed the 5/8" ones at like 1 5/8" thick at their widest point, so way too big. Is there a 1/2 or 3/8 shackle that does the 5000WLL and fits through the 1" eye on the front of a outback? For my rear hook i'm gonna buy a mount with a slight rise, or drop depending on if you flip it, tap two 1/2" bolt holes though the part where i get steel from the ball hookup section and the actual tongue, and put a 10,000lb hook on that. Maybe have my friend put a couple more tack welds on the connecting parts. Also looking at a cushioned 1.25" tongue, stick a d-shackle in that, or mount a hook similarly but only to the tongue since it doesn't have a thicker part (and costs 3 times as much at a regular ball mount). I'll make sure the holes i tap will be EXACTLY the right size with probably a rubber mallet to make sure they go through as to minimize weakening of the tongue as much as possible by replacing empty space with bolts. With the tongues i have 5/8" thickness and 3/4" hole, so i can use them like a proper clevis mount, not have to worry about sticking the loop through the 3/4" ball hole. Dunno who made em but i saw hooks that hooked to the bottom tie down points on the front.. brucey from OB.org had one, and i stumbled across the site that made them, can't find it now though.

How about a two inch adapter that is actually rated for towing (not just one rated for bicycle carriers) and then a solid 5/8" hitch pin for the 2" receiver, and recovery strap having the hitch pin go through the loop? Someone on the outback site said they did that with their truck, granted it had a native class III or IV hitch, the pin aught to hold up to pulling, i would think.. except for the the warnings that say this cuts your hitch rating in half, but i think that's just for the 2" to 1.25" down-ward adapter . Adding a 2" clevis tongue puts me in the park of thinking about just putting a class III hitch in, if i can find one that mounts on an 02 OBW, so that's why i think the 5/8" hitch pin would be solid.. The rust on the passenger side appears to be from scratching the ground, i'm gonna sand it up and paint it. Possibly order a bolt replacement kit from draw-tite. I noticed something else in that picture of the passenger side, by the tow eye. According to the install guide that bolt is WAY bigger than the stock one. The stock one matches the bolt on the drivers side. So they already upgraded the hitch a little. Like i say, previous owner went to a FJ Cruiser, so i'm sure she wasn't cutting corners on hitch install, and probably had the dealer do it. And what size D-Shackle should i order for the front.. or anyone got a link?

integrity of mounts on the thing isn't gone. No rust really except those spots that probably scraped the ground one or two times. I might paint the ends to stop the cancer a bit, i'm hoping not to have to use it for hauling myself out, it's a just in case scenario. I will use it to haul a 220lb tank on a motorcycle trailer, though i doubt that's gonna put much strain on it, since i'll only be driving 40 miles round trip and pulling 500lbs or so tops. Will make sure it's all bolted up, though i know the top bolts are on the left side. Yeah, mine's a 2002 OBW VDC too, regetta red with tan leather interior Can't wait for lifts and skid plates.

Can't find a tongue like that for 1 1/4 hitch. Best i can do is strap a d shackle into a hitch. It would have it mounted so the pin is perpendicular with the road.. and would give side to side play. the 1 1/4" hitches are 3/4 hole and 3/4 thick.

according to my manual there is one tow hook in the rear of my car. However the hitch i have hooks into that. It's got a bolt going right through it. I don't even know if the bolt is needed, seems like it's there to add strength to towing ability. Think i can just plain ditch it? Based on how these things install, this shouldn't be a mount point at all really... Or do you think the increased strength this adds makes recovery with the hitch possible? On the other side there is a screw in one of the two "tie down" eyes that connects to the hitch as well. Perhaps i could permanent mount a d-shackle there? Here is the the "tow eye" on the left side of the car, the only one that is supposed to be a tow point.. IMG_2056 by lesstutrey, on Flickr IMG_2055 by lesstutrey, on Flickr here is that screw on drivers side "tie down" loop. IMG_2058 by lesstutrey, on Flickr

Thanks for the link on proper recovery. I have a 2" 30' 15000lb strap, i went as high as possible in 2" at the store i went to. What size shackle fits the 2002 OBW, can it take 3/4" ? I am still stumped as how to pull my car out from the rear. I need to use the hitch once in a while so i can't lose it. Hitch is rated at 3500lbs, however car is 2000lbs towing limit, so yeah probably rip off if i did that. What are my options then. I can weld something on if need be.. but dunno where a good point would be. I just need to figure out a rear tow point in case i go headlong into a ditch. I could also reinforce the hitch to some other point is need be to make it stronger so it won't rip out... It's funny you link to an FJ Cruiser site, my OBW was a trade in for a 2010 FJ Cruiser before i purchased it.

I thought about a couple things here. If i went to make a d-shackle hookup out of a piece of 1 1/4" steel the hole needed for a shackle up to par would have a pin too thick to have strenght left on the hitch after it was drilled out. 1/2" pin leaves me 3/8" of steel on each side of the hitch... is that even enough for it not to break when loaded? I could probably just take a regular hitch and drill it out if i wanted to go this route. Actually looking at 1/2" shackles in the 4000-6000 pound range they have 5/8's inch pin.. so a 1/16th less per side on the drill spot.

I have a 2002 OBW VDC with a tow hitch. Pretty sure the hitch is factory, though it's a class II, but for some reason it has a bolt right through the tow eye in the rear. Anyway, what is the best method to pull my car out from behind, given i have a 3500lb rated hitch, that i think is factory. My tow strap is loop ends, no hooks. Should i weld something in? I am also looking into purchasing a d-shackle (or pair) for my front eye. When hooking up the d-shackle should i be hooking the pin through the eye, or run the shackle through the eye... it seems like i should be putting the pin in the towing eye. I also looked at a winch hook instead of d-shackles, it was like 6$, G43 steel at 5/8" giving it roughly 13,000lb SWL with a half inch or so clovis pin that doesn't screw into place (just a little key pin). Would that work in place of a d-shackle for front tow point hookup? I am avoiding hook tow ropes at all costs. Current plans: Primitive 3/16 FBA and 2" strut lift in the near future, king springs this spring or fall, bigger tires, and a full size spare, when this set wears out, and of course finishing up all the off-road survival gear i need. I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures of mods, and be hitting trails in the Midwest next summer, and the snow this winter.