superu

I have to say it. . . . "Ahh, Moab, my back yard. . . :brow:"

My friend gets 12ish in his 4" lifted 96 cruiser (with the in-line 6... the 8's came out the following year/model change) for what that's worth, but I hear ya on the MPG.. I mean I'm rolling around 22-26 BUT it's no rock crawling yota, but pretty capable for a car that I drive enough to appreciate 26 mpg.. AND, you should check out the NEW cruiser being released in, go figure of coarse, Australia... the Toyota advertisements say it's for people who abuse their trucks... or something like that! http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/11/toyota-releases-extra-tough-land-cruiser-gx-for-australia/ http://www.egmcartech.com/2011/11/12/australia-gets-extra-tough-toyota-land-cruiser-gx/ AWESOME!!!

that's purdy! Nice work Gregg!

Woah!! a regasketed engine in 2 days from the last post!!? :-p I like that, with your trimming, you kept the pinstriping

I've run cooper discoverer ATs, BFG AT TA/KOs, and now have the grabber AT2s. Nearly identical tread pattern as the BFGs, but the grabbers have a bit more space b/t the lugs, so better shedding/clearing. AND about 20% le$$! I've only had them 10K or less miles, but love them so far. looking forward to another winter in them, but with better gearing now I'll better able to test them this year. cooper (205x75x14...don't think they make this size anymore, and maybe not this style either?) BFG all terrain TA/KO (27x8.5 14") general grabber AT2 (27x8.5 14")

lift! skidplate! tires (snow tires, either studded, studless, or studded ATs)! gearing (for a manual)! torque (4.11's or better for a stick)! emergency kit! recovery kit! spare fuel! courage! blankets! boots! spare jackets/layers!

I had questions on OB vs. FOR springs and finally answered my own question. i hope someone can chime in with a side-by-side of OB and FOR struts. But these threads show OB and FOR springs, among other bits of detail. . . http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=105009&page=2 http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/85-all-other-subaru-models/21168-taller-forester-springs-outback-springs-3.html http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/81-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/17450-using-forester-springs-struts-shocks-lift-1st-gen-outbacks.html

Copy that... I found a pic of Scoobyclimbs' EJ22 in rebuild

Ahh, I guess that makes sense that w/o the crossmember spacers, I wouldn't need the longer coupling. . . DUH! thanks man Yeah, i get what you're saying about tooth count and being finer... like thread pitch, but with respect to gear teeth...in affect.

Glad to help! This info wasn't around or as common when I did my swap 7 yrs ago, so I can totally appreciate your position!! I think I got those (in my post above, and photo here) from tirerack.com. I think If you got the whole assemblies you won't need to bust apart the fronts, just rent a strut spring compressor from your parts store and compress the spring on the rears to swap out the top hat. The spring perch is only needed for the front (if you do weird things like add FOR springs to OB struts, etc....) and the upper spring perch for the rear is part of the top hat. This is why FOR spring perch with FOR spring and NOT OB perch with FOR spring... You can see the top of the FOR spring gets smaller, OB doesn't... I do NOT know for sure if 2nd gen FOR do this, but no matter, since you have the complete assemblies! But again, if you got the whole assemblies, your don't need to worry about it.. Here's a repair manual diagram though for your edification. #2 os the "tophat" #4 is the upper spring perch (for the front.. the rear perch is integrated with the tophat) could be a blown shifter linkage. The part which connects the shifter with the rod that comes out of the tranny. Mine went and the shifter floated around quite a bit. When in 3rd, the stick looked like it was in 1st. . . It's the rubber grommets that blew out... ...... looked a bunch but couldn't find a pic of the universalish-joint looking thing where the rubber grommets go in... I might have a newer linkage I can take a pic of though to give you an idea of what to look for when you crawl under your car and look up.. . . .

WOAH!!! That's a lot of tire!!!!

Are you referring to the double U-joint shaft which links the steering column to the rack itself? I just got one from a gen 1 OB (the longer one), since I've still been running with the stock legacy shorty... this is a lifted application, BTW I suppose that short coupler could be adding stress and strain to the system, considering my hub-fender is 2-2.25" taller than stock with my strut/spring lift combo. . . But that's a good thing for me to consider, thanks for that...

SAHWWEEET!! Good info guys, thanks a bunch!!! I'll look into it then!! This really opens the opportunities for re-replacing a leaky rack. gen 1 legacy turbo (1st choice, but ooooolder), or ANY Impreza-based platform rack, right?

I'm curious for opinions and experiences with compatability of an impreza-based steering rack into a 2nd gen legacy. . . I swapped a 98 LGT rack into my 95 legacy last year and now that one is leaking like a sieve too (the origional reason for swapping the stock one). So I'm curious if any of the imprezas racks could be swappable too, like maybe a WRX rack. My gut says no, but that's just an impulse... I know some RS bumpers fit on 2nd gen legacies so it wonder if the steering internals might bolt-up too.. thanks

In the US, the only EJ20s we got were turbos, so I don't think we can attest to longevity, since they're all in WRXs... I'm pretty sure Australia had naturally aspirated EJ20s in a lot of cars for a long time (probably the same setup there in Austria). I know foresters had EJ20s into the late 90's early 2000s. . . US NA EJ22s are simeclosed decks (I think), but the early gen turbo EJss wasa closed deck, so I think THAT would the bullet-proof EJ block. Especially since it only ran like 8 pounds of boost. But it was OBDI, so not tunable or easily modifiable. . .

As I understand it (and figured out with trials), you get the scavenging with the "Y" pipe snd the backpressure with the cats, then open it up and you'll be fine. BUT really, all you get is better notes and no real gains with a wider free-er exhaust on a NA EJ22 engine.... I'm running stock "Y" pipe and cats, then opened up to 2.25" exhaust through a 12" cherry bomb then a magnaflow (which is pretty much an open muffler). The wider pipe and cherry bomb in place of the factory resonator) give it a deeper note and the magnaflow quiets it a bit at idle, but lets you hear the deeper note on revving... BUT it's NOT tinny at all. that's a honda and dynaflow characteristic. I think I have a youtube or picasa video somewhere, but they still don't represent the deeper note very well. . . . . don't hold your breath for it though, I'm not sure I can find it quickly.

I'd assume so. I haven't had a 2nd gen FOR strut in hand but I did figure out how to do the washer trick on the 1st gen FOR strut, after the install and thunking... This is the IMP strut collar This is the 98 (1st gen ) FOR strut collar So that's where you'd put the washer, to take up that extra collar length... This shows the rear trailing arm bracket out of my legacy (your IMP should be similar) and an OB bracket (FOR should be similar) I think this IMP is on 2nd gen FOR strut assemblies....... it might be OB and blocks, but I can't remember. . . At any rate, it's pretty badass!! Also check here for good info and photos http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2166272 Ciao and good luck!!

Here's a bit of background and story of my experience lifting my 95 legacy, and gearing. RE: gearing I have a 95 legacy "L" and lifted it on 99 OB struts but different springs. The 95 L had a 3.90 FD in the 5MT, but I just swapped that out for a 99 OB 5MT with 4.11s, plus the rear diff. I'd been rolling on 27" tires for nearly 7 years in that 3.90 5MT. UNDERGEARED! But when I swapped for the OB 5MT (like a month ago), the 4.11s took it back to driving like stock, with 27" ATs!!! I had doubts, but was really surprised at what a difference that 21% gearing difference did!!! Yeah, my rig accelerates very well now and has power on the highway, it can pull hills and still has a top end to all gears at speed. I can't rally spin it up around 80 to well, but I have no need for that ind of speed. The OB 5th gear (.870) has less overdrive than the 95 leggo's 5th gear (.780) did, so my RPMs are about 250 higher for comparable speed in the 3.90 tranny... Yeah there's the speed compensation with a taller tire, but the RPMS vs. speed still hold true. In fact my speedo now reads a little faster than my actual speed, whereas it read slower than actual speed with the 27" tires and 3.90 FD tranny. BUT, anyway, my 5th gear was useless unless the road was flat or a downhill... The OB 5th (while a touch higher RPM) can pull 4-5% grades at speed with the cruise engaged, whereas the stock 3.90 tranny needed to drop to 4th at those mild grades. (I'm fairly certain) All foresters are .780 5th gear and 4.11 final drive, and some RS imprezas are the same, but OBs I think have the higher geared 5th across the board. I think OB's got a little different in the mid 2000s and am told 99 had some internals changes (vehicle speed sensor in early models no VSS in later models), but I kind of doubt IMPS and FORs did that... My wife's 03 OBS has a VSS (but is 3.90 FD)..... So I suggest 4.11s all the way with a taller tire on a car that originally had 3.90s!! I can't imagine what 4.44s would be like, especially coming from 3.90s RE: lift I have a 95 legacy "L" and lifted it on 99 OB struts, then more with 99 FOR rear springs and SVX front springs. The 95 L had a 3.90 FD in the 5MT, but I just swapped that out for a 99 OB 5MT with 4.11s, plus the rear diff. My front camber (with a camber kit) is still out of spec and the rear (no kit yet) is just bearly off too. I put a 99 OB RSB (I'm pretty sure it's 18mm and stock leggo was 15), and THAT'S NICE!!! I kind of doubt an OB bar will fit in a 99OBS.. different body play (IMP/FOR LEG/OB), BUT a tribeca will go into an IMP, and they're meaty fatty!! I lifted a 93 IMP on 98 FOR struts, but got new IMP tophats for the rear... This pic shows the new 93 IMP rear tophat next to a 98 FOR rear tophat rear springs...gen 1 FOR left, gen 1 IMP right So you'll want IMP rear tophats, but the rest can be all 03 FOR... I'm pretty sure you'll want a camber kit for the front. I got mine at checker 6.5 years ago and they've been fine until i put SVX springs in the OB struts... TOO much lift for the camber kit to adjust... So I'm trying to work that out. but yeah: 03 FOR struts, springs, upper spring perch and tophats for the front FOR strut, spring and IMP tophat for the rear, plus camber bolts rear trailing arm bracket and you'll be Psyched!!!

Copy that! Things have changed here in the last 5 years or so. . .probably more like the last 3 or so. I had an 8 points infraction for No Relevant Information or answer provided. So it goes I guess... "Absolute power corrupts absolutely!" as it has been said. I've always wondered how folks who've been here half the time I have have 3K posts. . . . . At any rate, keep up the awesomeness of the trashwagon thread and keep on keepin' on!!

1st gen OB (96-99) struts and springs over 1st gen FOR (98-02) struts and springs BUT a touch more lift than 1st gen OB is using 2nd gen FOR (03-08) strut assemblies (strut, spring, upper spring perch (front) and tophat). with any of these, get the rear trailing arm brackets too. You'll be comfortably able to fit 27" tires and maybe 28 or 29" with the 2nd gen fozzie strut assembly lift. Road handling will be fine with any of these lifts. For rally cross you may want a touch fatter (like WRX) RSB to promote oversteer, rather than the factory-tuned Subaru understeer. -those're my suggestions- good luck and keep us updated! __________________

rust maybe??

1st gen OB (96-99) struts and springs over 1st gen FOR (98-02) struts and springs BUT a touch more lift than 1st gen OB is using 2nd gen FOR (03-08) strut assemblies (strut, spring, upper spring perch (front) and tophat). with any of these, get the rear trailing arm brackets too. You'll be comfortably able to fit 27" tires and maybe 28 or 29" with the 2nd gen fozzie strut assembly lift. Road handling will be fine with any of these lifts. For rally cross you may want a touch fatter (like WRX) RSB to promote oversteer, rather than the factory-tuned Subaru understeer. -those're my suggestions- good luck and keep us updated!

FWIW. . . . We finally did the three-steel layer head gasket swap to the 03 OBS. Clutch, HG, Timing kit (with all the rollers), intake/exhaust gaskets, main seals and cam seals... This EJ25 (106K) should go forever now!! It hadn't failed, just a minor leak, but it was showing signs of HG weakening...

Not really an off-roader, but an "urban adventure" ute http://www.leftlanenews.com/subaru-xv-2.html But we'll get it in 2013 at least...

Lookin' good!! What are your lift plans? How high do you want to go... My friend (with the 96) went 4" and 6" is kind of the standard... well out west at least.. Anhoo he mentions weird castor issues going 4" or higher, and weird lateral axle shifting to fix... something about as you go up, the rear axle shifts sideways. . . . Anyhoo he sends this link for your educational pleasure http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/ He has a uniden 510 (I think the newer 520 is the same size) CB in his ashtray slot! Perfect fit in his 96, but I think they changed the tray in 93 so it might not work for you...