Glenner55

I had the head gaskets done on my 98 GT wagon at about 130K. Done by a Subaru dealer in VT for $1200 about a year ago with no need for any other engine work. Now have 169K with no issues to date. New gaskets seem to solve the problem and there were no other signs of excess wear when the took the heads off. Glenner55

I have had auxilliary driving lights on virtually all my cars over the years including both our current Subarus. They only get used when the road ahead is clear of traffic and I need extra vision as I live in Vermont and travel on mainly rural roads. The set up I now have has large Marchal Charlie driving lights monting atop the front bumber just inside the headlights. They are wired to a seperate circuit and switch that draws it's power, through a relay, from my high beam circuit. This means when switched on they only work with the high beams on and are easily "dipped" by just turning off my high beams, as in no fumbling around trying to hit a second switch. These are very large lights that throw out a lot of light over a long distance. They have had "Rockblocker" yellow film applied to them to protect the lenses and the yellow tint helps when driving on snow covered roads. I have my wife's OBW set up the same way and it is the ideal way to have extra light that is easily controlled and ONLY used when there is no one coming at you as you will blind them in seconds. My experience with the smaller high intensity lights has not been good and find that a large lamp with a big reflective area works best. On the plus side you can run relatively low wattage (55W) bulbs and not tax your electrical system. Of the lights I've used Cibie Oscar Plus and these Marchal Charlie (950's) are the best. The smaller Hella 500 series are good but have less coverage. Glenn

We ran Dodge Caravan wheels on one of our Subarus this past winter for the snow tires. Same 5 by 100 bolt circle and offset was very close so no clearance problems. They have to be off a older Caravan to have the right bolt circle dia. They went on a 96 Outback wagon and were 15" dia by 6" wide Glenn

For what it's worth we have three Legacy/Outbacks in the family. I drive a 98 GT wagon 5 speed, wife has 96 Outback 5 speed and we also have a 98 Outback automatic. We live in Vermont so drive in snow much of the year. Handling on the GT is much better than either of the Outbacks due larger to ride height and to a degree tires as GT uses 55 series 16" while Outbacks run 70 series 15" tires. We run snows on all of them and NEVER get stuck even when staying at a house that's a mile down a private drive. I think that the newer Outback have switched to a 16" tire but still a higher profile than the GT's Personally I prefer the GT as it never is driven off road hence clearance is not an issue. The Outbacks handle much better than you typical SUV but not as well as the GT or any other standard Legacy for that matter. Hey there's a reason why race car sit low to the ground and the same effect applies here. If you think the extra 2" of clearance is going to help you then pony up for the pricier Outback otherwise save some money and get a better ride in a Legacy. Note that the Legacy's have pretty much the same features as your base model Outback. The fancy bits that go on the LL Bean limited models is basically window dressing to justify the price. It never ceases to amaze how people who spend 95% of their time on paved roads feel the need to have their cars hoisted up off the pavement. One last note all three of our cars are well over 100K miles.

Years ago these were available as an aftermarket add on lamp. If I recall both Hella and Cibie made them. I had one on the back of a 1972 BMW, it was wired to a seperate switch ad only used in heavy fog/snow conditions. Leaving it on all the times makes it look like you are braking. Glenn

I am running Dodge Caravan 5 by 100mm 15 inch wheels for the snows on my wife's 96 OBW. Offset is about 8mm off stock and has moved the wheel outward. Width of rims has a bearing for clearance issues obviously. Dodge wheels are same width as stock summer alloys. Some concerns have been expressed about effect on wheel bearing life and handling. To date don't feel any handling differences, have only had them on for a few months so bearing life is still in question. My mechanic "blessed" the setup saying the offset difference was not so large as to have any measureable effect on bearing life. See other posts about wheels that fit the Subaru 5 by 100mm bolt pattern. Clearance of calipers and fitting over the center hub piece are other things to watch for. If rim center hole is larger than stock, wheels will be mounting "bolt centric" relying on bolts for centering, not the center hole. Following brands use 5 by 100mm on some of their models, Dodge, Toyota (Matrix), VW (Jetta/Golf) Subaru does use one of the largest offsets so accurate measurement is crucial to check offset. Good Luck, Glenn

I had the HG's done in my 98 GT for $1200 here in Vermont so price seems high. Work was done at a Subaru dealer. I've got 9K miles on the car since the work and so far no problems. Car overheated a few time with guage pegged by only very briefly so no damage occurred. Glenn

I passed on a set of those based on ratings off TireRack site by peole who have used them. Some issues with delaminations and comments about good hard pack and ice performance but weak in deep snow. Depends on what you're most often faced with for road conditions. I've used Semperit Sport Grip for two winters great tires for a reasonable price were $52 each in 205/60-15 used on a 98 GT, remove 16 inch OEM wheels with the 205/55-16 for the winter. Directional tread pattern word well here in VT with heavy snows. As for wheels I've found that certain Chrysler wheesl fit Subarus. Have a set of Caravan alloys off an older model (1989 I think) with same bolt pattern, 5 x 100. Wheels have slightly larger center hole meaning they are mounted bolt centric, not hub centric. Offset differs by about 8mm so slightly wider stance and perhaps some marginal extra loading of the wheel bearings. Set up was "blessed" by my local Subaru mechanic. I do remember Subaru using a Ronal wheel on the Outback SUS a few years back, car had wider than stock look so suspect they were not standard offset as well. The four wheels cost me $100. Good Luck Glenn

Try rallylights.com they are Susquhena Motorsports a Hella distribtor, I know that have some brackets for mounting Hellas in the OEM positions at least for the STI cars.

Have the same issue with wildlife on the roads up here in Vermont. I have added aftermarket driving lights mounted on top of the bumper of my 98 Legacy GT wagon. They are wired to a seperate switch and tied into the high beam circuit hence they will only run when I am on the high beam settings and "dip" with the high beams so as not to blind oncoming traffic. With the switch in the off position I only get high beams for when the extra light is not needed. Lights are Cibie Oscar Plus long range (longue portee) driving with a clear lens and 55 watt H2 bulbs. Because the reflector is so big (8" diameter) they throw LOTS of light yet don't tax the electrical system and are wired through a relay. Have used Cibie lights on and off for twenty years and nothing else even comes close. A bit hard to find but can be had on-line from Daniel Stern lighting or Cibie USA in California. Second option is a BIG set of round Hella light, the new designer series looks nice but doesn't put out much light as there is no substitution for the large surface area of the round reflectors. They've saved me several times as they lights up the road for about a half mile and are great at picking up deer and moose at night. Be sure to mount to a solid surface to avoid vibration or brace them with an extra support off the grille. I use the Xtrvision bulbs for my headlights, which are standard wattage, they do increase distance a bit but typically not enough to get you real long range coverage. Glenn

I believe there was a recall on Legacy brakes from that year, may want to check with the dealers. If you haven't found these guys yet you may want to call Auto Creek in Vergennes. They are Subaru specialists, I've used them in the past and they really know their stuff also have used parts available if needed. Glenn

I've replaced just one tire in the past with no adverse affects, key is to measure the circumference of the tire accurately with a tape measure or piece of rope, then measure the rope flat on the ground. I'm running three matching snows and one mismatched snow, of the same circumference, on my wife's 96 OBW. We bought a used 92 Legacy Turbo that had mismatched tires on the back axle, the different size made the transmission slip and buck at high speeds as the car always thought the rear of the car was turning slightly. A similar thread pattern is the way to go so you're getting comparable levels of traction on all four wheels. Have the shop remove one of the tires to measure it or use the damaged one if it's still around. Glenn

Did some research on the internet to find other maufacturers using the 5 bolt by 100mm pattern on their wheels. Among them was Dodge, Chevy, VW and Pontiac. Went to the local wrecker and found a matched set of 4 alloy wheels off an 89 Caravan that fit. Mounted one with 205/60-15 snow on the front right and drove around their parking lot. No clearance issue perfect fit in fact. There is a slight difference in offset but no more than many aftermarket wheels including the Ronal wheels offered as a dealer option a few years back. Haven't taken exact measurements yet but will check distance from rear edge of wheel to mounting surface, look to be sitting about 6-8mm furthur out than stock Subaru 15's. Different dimension on my OEM 16's but they are a half inch wider than the Dodge wheels so hard to compare. Think the oem 15's have a 48mm offset while the Dodge wheel is speced at 50mm. OEM 16's on the GT's are listed as 53mm offset. Anything with much more offset may not clear the rear struts as it moves the wheel inward while much less offset will push the wheels out resulting in fender clearance issues not to mention affect on wheel bearing wear. These wheels clearing the calipers fine. Caravan wheels are 15 by 6 inch with their "snowflake" pattern, same as used on many Dodge cars, Daytona etc. Lots of these sitting out there at scrap yards around the country. Will use these on our 96 OBW with studded tires as I have winter wheels with snows already for my GT. Didn't get a chance to check any other wheels from Chevy etc. but offset is likely to be the main issue, that and perhaps the centerhole diameter. End result being anyone looking for cheap winters or perhaps a "plus 1" setup on older Legacys may want to spend some time at the local wrecker. Word of caution being to take the time to fit one, with a tire mounted, on the car at the wreckers before you hand over any cash. I paid $100 for the four cean wheels, no curb damage so cheaper than any steel wheels I could find. If you're on a real budget the steel Dodge wheels might also work. Having the snows mounted this week and will bolt them on once serious Vermont snow arrives. Will report back to this thread with any issues. Regards __________________ Glenn 98 GT, 96 OBW

See my post copied below, can use dodge/chrysler rims on Subaru opens up lots of possibilities at the junk yad. Did some research on the internet to find other maufacturers using the 5 bolt by 100mm pattern on their wheels. Among them was Dodge, Chevy, VW and Pontiac. Went to the local wrecker and found a matched set of 4 alloy wheels off an 89 Caravan that fit. Mounted one with 205/60-15 snow on the front right and drove around their parking lot. No clearance issue perfect fit in fact. There is a slight difference in offset but no more than many aftermarket wheels including the Ronal wheels offered as a dealer option a few years back. Haven't taken exact measurements yet but will check distance from rear edge of wheel to mounting surface, look to be sitting about 6-8mm furthur out than stock Subaru 15's. Different dimension on my OEM 16's but they are a half inch wider than the Dodge wheels so hard to compare. Think the oem 15's have a 48mm offset while the Dodge wheel is speced at 50mm. OEM 16's on the GT's are listed as 53mm offset. Anything with much more offset may not clear the rear struts as it moves the wheel inward while much less offset will push the wheels out resulting in fender clearance issues not to mention affect on wheel bearing wear. These wheels clearing the calipers fine. Caravan wheels are 15 by 6 inch with their "snowflake" pattern, same as used on many Dodge cars, Daytona etc. Lots of these sitting out there at scrap yards around the country. Will use these on our 96 OBW with studded tires as I have winter wheels with snows already for my GT. Didn't get a chance to check any other wheels from Chevy etc. but offset is likely to be the main issue, that and perhaps the centerhole diameter. End result being anyone looking for cheap winters or perhaps a "plus 1" setup on older Legacys may want to spend some time at the local wrecker. Word of caution being to take the time to fit one, with a tire mounted, on the car at the wreckers before you hand over any cash. I paid $100 for the four cean wheels, no curb damage so cheaper than any steel wheels I could find. If you're on a real budget the steel Dodge wheels might also work. Having the snows mounted this week and will bolt them on once serious Vermont snow arrives. Will report back to this thread with any issues. Regards __________________ Glenn 98 GT, 96 OBW

Did some research on the internet to find other maufacturers using the 5 bolt by 100mm pattern on their wheels. Among them was Dodge, Chevy, VW and Pontiac. Went to the local wrecker and found a matched set of 4 alloy wheels off an 89 Caravan that fit. Mounted one with 205/60-15 snow on the front right and drove around their parking lot. No clearance issue perfect fit in fact. There is a slight difference in offset but no more than many aftermarket wheels including the Ronal wheels offered as a dealer option a few years back. Haven't taken exact measurements yet but will check distance from rear edge of wheel to mounting surface, look to be sitting about 6-8mm furthur out than stock Subaru 15's. Different dimension on my OEM 16's but they are a half inch wider than the Dodge wheels so hard to compare. Think the oem 15's have a 48mm offset while the Dodge wheel is speced at 50mm. OEM 16's on the GT's are listed as 53mm offset. Anything with much more offset may not clear the rear struts as it moves the wheel inward while much less offset will push the wheels out resulting in fender clearance issues not to mention affect on wheel bearing wear. These wheels clearing the calipers fine. Caravan wheels are 15 by 6 inch with their "snowflake" pattern, same as used on many Dodge cars, Daytona etc. Lots of these sitting out there at scrap yards around the country. Will use these on our 96 OBW with studded tires as I have winter wheels with snows already for my GT. Didn't get a chance to check any other wheels from Chevy etc. but offset is likely to be the main issue, that and perhaps the centerhole diameter. End result being anyone looking for cheap winters or perhaps a "plus 1" setup on older Legacys may want to spend some time at the local wrecker. Word of caution being to take the time to fit one, with a tire mounted, on the car at the wreckers before you hand over any cash. I paid $100 for the four cean wheels, no curb damage so cheaper than any steel wheels I could find. If you're on a real budget the steel Dodge wheels might also work. Having the snows mounted this week and will bolt them on once serious Vermont snow arrives. Will report back to this thread with any issues. Regards

Caravan wheels on 98 GT. Just went to the local wrecker and got 4 15x6 Dodge Caravan wheels for mounting winter tires paid $100. Wheels from older Dodge and Chrylser cars use the 5 by 100 bolt pattern. These came off a 98 Caravan and are their "snowflake design" bolted one on with 205/60-15 snow mounted using front wheel to check for clearance and they fit fine. A bit more offset which is to say they they increase track marginally (8-10mm) but no more than the aftermarket Ronal wheels that Subaru has offered. Thought center hole might be an issue but had plenty of clearance. Will be using them on my wife's 96 OBW for her studded snows as I'm tired of having to pay for remounting every fall and spring at $40 a whack. Given the number of Chrysler/Dodge cars out there they should be easy to find. May not work on newer models as I suspect they require the 16" diameter to clear brakes but might as my GT has 16" oem wheels, best to try for fit before you pay to have tires mounted etc. I run a 15 OBW alloy wheel in the winter on the GT and have just adjusted aspect ratio to get to same rolling diameter for the snows. 205/55-16 summers equal 205/60-15 winters. Glenner

Not sure who handles these mail order but I just bought STI wires, a seperate company not as in STI branch of Subaru. Working well perfect fit with exact length etc. Might try a search in Google they were easy to find here in Vermont through local foreign parts specialist. Paid about $40 for them.

What the car (transmission and drivetrain) "sees" is diameter of the tire not the brand or even tread type. I used differnet brand snows on my son's 92 Legacy Turbo. Tires were paired so that the same make and model were on the front axle, different brands on the back. I carefully measure the tire circumference and they were within 1/8 inch. Car ran just fine with no bucking in the transmission which is what you need watch for. Previous owner had mismatched tires (different diameters) on the rear and there was a noticable bucking as the drive system tried to account for the different numbers of revolutions per wheel. In essence it thought the car was always turning even when running at 80 MPH on a highway. Subaru transmissions especially on the older Turbos were known to have problems handling the torque created by the turbo engine. The car still runs fine at 198,000 miles and will be turned into an ice racer this winter as the body is shot. If you can match the diameter of the two new tires to what you have alraedy the car will not "see" any difference. Your math is fine, and the dimension difference tolerated is 1/4 of an inch in circumference. However, what we are doing is judging by the size of the potential repair bill, compared to the expected saving up front. Risk vs. Consequence. The risk is small, but the consequence is large.

Have the same question as regards any other wheel that will fit a Subaru. Specs on the stock wheel is 5 by 100mm bolt circle and an offset of either 42 or 48mm as I recall. The 5 by 100 is used by the following manufacturers that I know of. Dodge Neon and Stratus, Volkswagon Golf and Jetta, current years, Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire as well as some older GM cars like Beretta. Last issue would be profile of the wheel and if it clears the caliper also diameter of center hole. Anybody out there had any luck using other wheels. Next plan being a trip to a wreckers with a floor jack to check clearances. Does anyone know of any websites that give complete specs on current wheels. Looking for 16"s for my GT and 15"s for my wifes 96 OBW. REgards, Glenn See recent posting under Dodge rims on 98 GT. These are 15's but some Dodge cars trucks use 16's worth a try if they are 5 by 100 pattern. Also Chevy Beretta's came with a 16" oem rim, would need to check clearance.

As noted in the other postings, suggested route is to switch to a 15 or 16 inch wheel for winter use. Low profile snows will proove to be quite a bit more expensive that a more conventional (60 series) winter snow which are more readily available. Also narrower is better if you are dealing with deep snow as they bite through much better, less floatation. I use a 205/60-15 snow on an old set of outback alloys then switch back to the OEM 16 wheels and 205/55-16 summers on a 98 GT. Next set may go to a 195/65-15 for better deep snow traction. The advantage of AWD has meant I can run same width all year with little or no traction issues. Spend what you save on the conventional sizes snows on some winter rims. Glenner (winter in VT driver)

Had a similar problem with a 98 GT, bad feul guage readings and erratic CEL function. Traced to a bad ground wire from the main fuse panel under the hood by the battery. Worth a try before you change out the senders in the tank which can be costly. I know I did just that. Glenn

I had some wierd stuff going on with my 98 Gt and after replacing a number of parts traced it back to bad ground wire from the main fuse box. You may want to look at that. The issue being that the ECU is getting inconsistent voltage particularly at idle and it messes up the reading giving false check engine light signals. Apparantly Subaru has some issues with their electrics. Glenn

Your 98 Legacy wagon should have a 15" wheel and 195/65 tires. The same car for all intent and purpose is the 99 GT which used a 16" wheel and a 205/55-16 tire hence that size will fit your car. Any wider and you get into clearance issues between the inside of the rear tires and the struts. I tried going to a 215/50-16 tire on the stock GT rims and it rubbed the rear strut. Could have been fixed with a different offset for the wheel but that would have led to the outside edge hitting on the fender when you compress the suspension. The wheels off a GT or any of the 16" Outback wheels will work then it's just a matter of checking overall tire diameter to see how close you are to your stock tire's diameter as that will affect your speedo readings. There are a boatload of people selling 16 and 17 inch wheels on ebay at very low prices. You need a 5 by 100mm bolt circle and an offset around 45mm. Glenn QUOTE=rcousins]I have read that almost all wheel sizes on Subaru's are interchangeable, and I am thinking of getting larger wheels for my '99 Legacy wagon. My question is about fender clearance with larger tires. Has anyone who has gone to larger wheels experienced any problems with clearance...or maybe more importantly, with steering? Thanks for any help.

Your 98 Legacy wagon should have a 15" wheel and 195/65 tires. The same car for all intent and purpose is the 99 GT which used a 16" wheel and a 205/55-16 tire hence that size will fit your car. Any wider and you get into clearance issues between the inside of the rear tires and the struts. I tried going to a 215/50-16 tire on the stock GT rims and it rubbed the rear strut. Could have been fixed with a different offset for the wheel but that would have led to the outside edge hitting on the fender when you compress the suspension. The wheels off a GT or any of the 16" Outback wheels will work then it's just a matter of checking overall tire diameter to see how close you are to your stock tire's diameter as that will affect your speedo readings. There are a boatload of people selling 16 and 17 inch wheels on ebay at very low prices. You need a 5 by 100mm bolt circle and an offset around 45mm. Glenn

Not sure what your definition of direct fit is. I have a 98 GT wagon that I changed radios in. Took out the OEM (Panasonic) AM/FM/Cass to install a Kenwood AM/FM/CD bought through Crutchfield. Got much better sound and installation took 20 minutes in my driveway. Comes with required plug to connect to factory wiring harness, detailed printed instructions and was a perfect fit in the dash. Ungraded from factory speakers to Kenwood coax and noticed a big difference. Cost of radio and speakers was about $300, couldn't touch anything from the dealer for much more. Glenn