I've seen a bunch of videos of people offroading in their GL's, mostly the wagon. I saw one person upgraded their suspension and really wanna know how they did.

Edited September 26, 2025Sep 26 by Nevada

Lift kits. 
SJR - is the main man who builds these kits. There are others but for sure we elder folks here know Scott - SJR - from this board. 
 

Scott may have stopped making kits for the older Subarus but he may still have a kit in stock or be able to break out the out templates etc. Naturally that market has dried up and the latest focus is on newer vehicles. 
 

There may be more involvement needed beyond the simple suspension swap like axle length and camber adjustments so be aware before you start. 
 

Basic rule - others have done it - you can too. Just step on the rocks as you cross the river. Wink 

Check archives. And sadly there’s FB too where you’ll find Scott - SJR - these days. 

The most basic upgrades are a lift kit and tyres. 

From there the world of mods is your oyster - and it depends on what sort of offroading you want to do. 

My L series - Ruby Scoo - is built for some tough offroading with touring in mind while still a good daily if I need to do that again. 

So my list of mods:
- EJ22
- 3 inch lift 
- lifted springs (need replacing now as they’re no longer lifted) 
- 27 inch diameter offroad tyres
^ this setup did me well for a long time. 
- Tricked up gearbox: 
— L series AWD locking centre diff gearbox with:
— 4.111:1 diffs 
— front OBX LSD 
— Best factory low range: 1.59:1 
— auxiliary oil feeders over low range for extended steep hill climbs 
- dual battery setup 
- rear cargo frame for fridge slide, bush kitchen & personal gear storage
- safari snorkel 
- roof racks for recovery gear and maybe a swag depending on what I’m sleeping in 
- UHF radio mounted on the cab roof in front of the rear view mirror. Best location in my book with speaker closest to the driver and passenger’s head. 

Still have more plans in the wings. Looking at a 5 stud brake upgrade and 15 inch rims for more offroad tyre size choices. Got an auto locker to throw in too.

Hope this helps show what’s possible out there. Not all of these mods are needed to make them really capable offroad. 

One of the best bang for buck mods I did in the early days was a welded rear diff. Drive around in 2wd with a rear shaft removed. Arrive where you want to 4wd, jack up rear end, slip shaft back in then point and shoot - tyres and lift clearances are the bits that hold you back. Now there’s an auto locker available (which is what I’ll be trying out). 

I used the welded rear diff without lift and tyres, I don’t recommend this! I inverted my floor pans as a result. They’re all good now as I hammered them back to where they should be. 

 

'84 wagon here.  I did a 2" lift about a decade ago.  I have an OBX and a Torqlocker waiting to install.  5spd d/r with two-part driveshaft.  Rear disc brakes and an EJ22, though neither of those matter much for offroading.  Spec stage 1 clutch.