chazmataz

so how are things going? haven't had any update in....5 days, know its x-mas eve but was just curious if there have been any progress.

just my 2 cents worth. sounds like a neat build. but, one thing you need to consider before even thinking about changing suspension (I.E. swapping suspension for 5-lug conversion) is whether that is allowed in the rules for the class your running in, of course this only applies if your concern with points and winning a championship. that kind of modification wouldn't be allowed in a stock or some cases even a street prepared or improved touring class (SCCA). I'm assuming you can run coil overs. looking at that picture tells me you use a bigger sway bar, not sure whats available for a subaru but you can always have some made. Again this is just my 2 cents. doesn't mean much but thought i would mention it and i'm not sure what group your autocrossing with either. my background: before i gave it up for due to life issues (divorce, kids and being single father of 2) mid 80's to mid 90's. i use to autocross and road race a datsun 510, been thinking about autocrossing my 61 austin mini though when its finished.

Well all i have left to say is: Nice pictures for even at night. looks like you had a well rounded mix of off road vehicles and glad to hear you guys had a good time. i usually don't have the chance to take pictures when i'm night wheeling or i don't think about it because its usually in the snow and cold (atleast this time of year). BTW. Was there any carnage?

So what jeep are you talking about? you can get a cherokee for around the same cost as a cheap subaru ($500-1,000). you can get a lift for same jeep for around $400-800 and they will do just as good as a subaru only with better center clearance. on the other hand i did my lift for nothing just used odds and ends from around our shop. a buddy of mine welded my diff. got the wheels for free. i won't mention how much i got my 235-75/15's for though. it doesn't take much to get most other rigs to out perform a modified subaru. what do you consider your average lift kit and what do you consider your average 4x4. subarus don't have much flex to begin with so in reality we are not gaining any flex with our lifts and in some ways that subarus are lifted kills some of the little flex that we do have. so do you have any real experience in real offroading and been around other real 4x4's? i go wheeling with jeeps some stock and some modified, land rover defender once in awhile( this is a very capable 4 wheeler stock and slightly modified), a highly modified and bobbed chevy truck, highly modified toyota and some misc. other rigs thrown in here or there. my 86 wagon keeps up pretty well in most cases enough to complete surprise some of the new crowd and piss off some too. are you talking about a stock subaru? i have out wheeled jeeps and samuris before. with my modified 86 GL wagon

i've been through a frozen water/mud hole or two never really got any pics other then this one. the chunks we're about 1 1/2" thick, i was a little tough especially when i stop in it to get pictures taken. this is an old picture to.

Yeah, maybe an H1. but all an H2 is is a glorified chevy suburban and an H3 is a glorified chevy trailblazer, they are nothing like there big brother. the true hummer not a rebadged GM product. they are no more capable of a 4x4 then whats under there yuppie bodies. both have weak rack and pinion steering systems, very weak inner tie-rods always need replacing. thats probably what broke on the first H2. i would know i've lifted and repaired enough front ends on chevys, dodges and fords to know.

on the front my bumper was installed with i think 1/8" flat in stock location with 3 bolts going all the way through the unibody into the engine compartment with another plate on the inside and tubing inside the the unibody frame it it won't crush when bolted up. on the rear i have 2x2 inch square tubing i think its 1/8 inch thick going into the stock bumper mounting hole and did the same thing as the front, bolts running all the way through with 1/8" flat steel on either side of the stock unibody metal to sandwich everything together. this may be overkill but i think it would be strong enough for anything, i know the front bumper is over kill but it was free and so was the mod and fabrication that was done to get them to fit. they we're originally on a full size ford bronco. i do admit that the front bumper is a little heavy for the car but works for now until i deside to make my own.

wow! someone must be using the search engine to did this old relect of a psot up.

I have and still do run in deep snow and mud, hell i've even have had them submerged. Never have had any problems with my covers being off. But to each there own. I'm just saying.

i've had my covers off for i think about 4 years now maybe more. i've had 2 belt failures since then, the first one not sure why it went second one the idler froze, my fault for not investigating the sound. its been offroaded hard for going on 7 years now but its not a DD. but it is a part time DD. it makes it alot easier and faster to change out the belts with them off. try it without and if you don't like it you can always put them back on. but it is as was mention above, the ultimate decision is yours and yours only.

happy b-day. so did you get it running?

nice pictures! looks like everyone had fun. i hate to say this again but hopefully i can make it next time.:-\

my green 84 wagon expire at the end of jan. also but my grey 86 expired the of nov. well i'm moving to just outside DEQ which is where my grey 86 has been registered for 6 years now but i just don't have the money to renew. i get paid on thursday so maybe i can then, my hours have drop off at work so things are tight right now. need a good snow storm to boost business. i would have gone up north today if i had the gas money but it just wasn't in the budget. oh wait i don't have a budget. let me know if you want to go on a weeknight. monday or tuesday night would work for me. i'm hoping to have my lights finally hooked up this tuesday, i also need to replace bothf ront axles and take out the RX springs i put in. to stiff but they defininately raised the front up, i like the height but not stiffness and the stress on the axles since its my DD and exploring/camping/trip rig.

well despite it being cold it sounds like you still had fun. to bad the nw backroads x-mas tree run next weekend is on a saturday otherwise i would probably go. well we'll see how things go for the next run. i'm strating to prepare to get moved, i've got to do brfore the end of my lease but keep me posted. might even be up for a night run, i changed my days off to tuesday. probably only go out in my green 84 wagon, tags are currently expired on the 86.

didn't even think to mention that. i usually just upload them to the sight in an album from my computer.

there may be a more direct way but i go into "user cp" click on "pictures and albums" then click on "add album" then it should pull up a window to add title and description. once you hit submit then i think it goes into where you can upload pictures.

Dang! I knew i should have got on the computer last night. Well its to late for me to start that way. Get some good pictures to post.

i second seeing your rig. post up some pictures.

WOW! That sucks sorry to hear about that Zap. I'm out too. Don't have the funds for gas, not as bad as Zap. Just not getting many work hours business is slow and getting hours cut.

WOW!!!!! Yep you still have a lot to do. So i take it you'll be working instead of eating. LOL!

nice progress! its coming along nicely. so when are you going on a test run?

as far as i know no on here has done a monster lift with a t-case for several years so you'll probably have to figure out the cost for yourself. have you looked in the frequently asked questions about lifting, i think i remember seeing something in there about how much steel would be needed and what kind for bigger lifts. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24980 as far as is it worth it? well i think that might be something you will also need to figure out for yourself. i know its alot of work and i think some of the original members that had big lifts has moved on to toyotas. i know turbone still runs his, rooinator was trying to sell his and i think there is atleast 1 or 2 others on here that might still have theres. i know i've been thinking about doing this for awhile myself. hope someone that has done one will post up some pics of under there car showing the mods. another note on cost/be worth it: it probably be cheaper to buy rooinators then build one if its still for sale. i know if i had the money i would buy it.

thats not necessarily true. the only way that would work is if you got the cross member in exactly the same place and the toe was correct before you started. that front cross member can be moved around some which will also effect caster and camber to some extent. the holes in the cross member and the holes in the subframe are not exactly sized to be in the same place all the time, there is some slop to them. you move them around to change caster angles specificly. unless the blocks on the struts, the cross member and the strut rods are exact and put exactly in the same spot they can change your alignment. its best to have it check after its been lifted especially if your concrened with tire wear. i've lifted many of rigs and not just subarus and an alignment has always needed to be done even on brand new rigs. but then again thats my 1.5 cents worth and its up to the individual to deside if they want to have their alignment checked after modifing their suspension/vehicles geometry. if i'm going to spend the money on tires considering what good offroad tires cost now days i would want them to last as long as possible especially if i'm driving on the street with it and its not just for offroading. that would also include rotating them periodically. as i've stated in my earlier post om differences from front to rear.

Early subarus ( atleast EA81-EA82) had Positive camber (I.E. \ /, top of tire stick) to start with, the early 80's can have as much as 3 degrees factory specifications and if i remember right the 85 up (EA82) was as much as 2-2.5 degrees +. i haven't done my 86 wagon in awhile though. its just with bigger tires is looks way worse then it would with 13" tires and wheels. keep your tires rotated and this will help with the edge wear. my 86 wagon has about 2 degrees + ( \ / ) in the front and about 1.5-1.75 - ( / \ ) in the rear. i just watch my tire wear and rotate as needed. this helps offset my wear, evens it out front to rear. also i just elonged my strut tower mounting hole in towards the motor when put my spacers in, this is an old auto cross/road racer trick to increase - camber for cornering. best thing to do is get your alignment checked and see if it is within factory specs.

Holy crap! munched it real good! that really sucks. Oh yeah, i forget about one. it goes by welches then crosses the salmon river and follows it up the canyon a ways. might have to give that a try next.