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Offroad Subaru Alaskan Style


grant
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NOTE: We had a power outage a few minutes ago. My buddy hosts the interesting photos on this page (the subaru that looks like a bath tub and the one with the fenders missing and tire chains). I have no idea how long it will take them to get it back up.

 

 

Here are pictures from Alaska:

 

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I think that one is an 81 or so. Chains and plastic doors.

 

This one is supposed to be a late model 80s. 31" truck tires and a welded rear end.

 

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The tires on the orange chevy below are 45" tall. Deep water. :)

 

 

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That's all I've got for now...

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Lookin good. I remember wheelin in Jims Creek as a kid. I grew up in Wasilla & Anchorage, and a good friend of mine in Anchorage had a father who worked for Alaska 4 Wheel Drive. Him and his friends all had built Chevy's and Jeeps. That mud and silt that comes from the glacier is no joke! Ive seen it swallow full size trucks with 44's without flinching.

 

Great pix, definatly got some original idea's there. Wish i was still up there now that all the subaru freaks come out of the woodwork.

 

Welcome to the board.

-Brian

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Below is a post I made to the Alaskan Offroad website. While not totally subaru related, or maybe even old generation related, the insane people in here should enjoy it.

 

Image loaded, beware all you stuck with modems... ;)

 

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Well, to me this isn't too hard core. The subaru was in fact my second welding "project" after the plow. Well, maybe it is hard core that a "vehicle" a few inches longer than a crew cab can turn tighter than a jeep and go down a 5 foot wide trail. :D

 

I brough home a subaru from KCC back when I was in high school. They were going to throw it away, so I parted it out in the back yard and then needed to throw it away. So I cut in half. (to load it into the pickup) Then I was looking at it and noticed it would be pretty cool to turn it into a trailer.

 

Feed back. Want more info? Or is this enough?

 

1996 Ploaris 400 with automatic

1990 Subaru Justy ECVT (removed all junk including sway bar and tank)

1985 Nissan Sentra 4 dr (removed all junk like the gas tank, no sway bar)

 

The Nissan probably weighs 300lbs, subaru probably 250. The Subaru is MUCH better balanced than the nissan. The nissan only has positive tongue weight when a 1x1x.5 steel brick is added to the hitch point.

 

IMPOSSIBLE to stop going down hills, IMPOSSIBLE to slow down going down hills. possible to stop/slow from reasonable speeds at reasonable steering angles. Panic stops straight a head ONLY. We're talking about a 800lb 4 wheeler pulling around TWO trailers weighing ~100-200 more than the 4 wheeler. Thats like offroading in an F250 with a 7k trailer and no brakes benind you. I will not be responsible for stupid people who don't take this warning seriously. Before taking ANY passengers, drive the train yourself and purposely jack knife all trailers at least a few dozen times. This is dangerous for the 4 wheeler driver, and when all the limitations are known can fill the faces of guests with huge smiles.

 

I wish I had 3rd person shots of this train. It looks SOO cool offroad, but even better going through ditches. Its like a big snake the length of a crew cab pickup. The 4 wheeler makes a 3 foot 80 degree ascent from the ditch, the nissan is slammed backwards and then launched out of the ditch due to the small tires. The hitch slams into the dirt. When the nissan starts to come out of the ditch the subaru tongue gets shoved into the dirt. Then the subaru hops out (hard to describe this, its got real bouncy coil overs). Then the 4 wheeler goes down...etc.

 

Oh yeah, gravel driveways at a 20* slope will almost kill the train. A 4 wheeler with locked front andrear is needed for this, so no cheap limited slip 4 wheelers allowed!

 

I also designed the hitches with tongues long enough to compensate for a 4 wheeler turning radius. I can spin almost spin a 100" circle.

 

Btw, Trees grow straight up and down. So compare that to the rickshaw. :) I take this places that no jeep could go. Man, its cool. :) :TU:

 

Pictures taken with a junk video camera strapped to the cargo rack of the 4 wheeler. Next summer I am going to film shots (setup the shots on purpose) to get content for the offroad video.

 

Be patient for the photos...

 

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Continued...

 

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Without the nissan, I can hot rod that thing. You can barely feel this subaru and three people. MUCH safer too. You have to be careful, because you can get going too fast with it.

 

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Hauling a toyota engine for Trevor.

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An understanding family, father, really helps with the build process. :D

 

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Old hitch design. Works good, lots of slop. Used a receiver hitch pin upside down.

 

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Andrew and I made this hitch. I also put a set like this on the back of the nissan. Completely un restricted motion. Will jack knife 180 degrees sideways, descent and approach 180 degrees, and spin freely. Interference fit 1/2" stainless bolt and locking nut.

 

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Beta testing hitch function. rig and nissan are on flat ground, Subaru is jack knifed on on a 45* grade.

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122003-rickshawonhill_4449.JPG

 

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Future mods, cover up the sharp metal edges. :TU: Also want to add handles for people to hold on. I go over bumps and logs that make people fly up off their seats. :D

 

If you think this is cool, I can help you build one. I have the computer program saved that cuts the hitch parts. There isn't even $3 of metal in that hitch.

 

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All right. So tell me, will I fit in here...or should I go home while I'm a head? ;)

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  • 1 year later...

None of the pictures are "mine" except the rickshaw ones and those are on hillside in Anchorage.

 

I almost got a subaru to build up a year ago, but I finally got a wrecked Tracker (BIG atv with a heated cab) ;)

 

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One thing that you guys would be interested in is this subaru trailer.

 

Its made out of the rear 4 bolt torsion axle from a 2 wheel drive subaru. Just bolt the axle to a trailer to a frame and add shocks and you have a REAL NICE trailer! :) I've put around 1500lbs of stuff on one before. Its real soft and sucks up the bumps nice...

 

060619-09-tracker_and_trailer_3839.jpg

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Alaskans are a different breed, I LOVE IT!!

 

Welcome...

 

This is true. I grew up on the Kenai peninsula.There I learned how tough and unstoppable subarus really are.A friend of mine had an early 80's wagon that he used to jump in the ditches along the road. And just run the logging trails full speed.The cops hated us when I was growing up,tearing down the dirt roads and making lots of noise just running a straight pipe exhaust.Just ask anyone from Alaska if the Caribou Hills are at all chalanging?I was able to make a few big trucks mad in a stock suby.

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They "run" on the road, but they are not DOT approved. Plus they would wear out quickly.

 

I run 235/75R15 tires and tow the terra tires on a subaru trailer behind me. The terra tires are 31.5" tall and 15" wide. They are for a 15" rim.

 

They are the smallest tractor tire I've ever seen used on vehicles. There are some smaller ones that a subaru might handle, but I've never priced them out. I have collected a bunch of tires and put together a picture:

 

All of these tire images are to scale.

 

081605-TireMass.jpg

 

LEFT TO RIGHT:

 

31x15.5-15 - .75" tread - $175 - Goodyear Terra Tire, mounted on wide rim

31x15.5-15 - .75" tread - $202 - Goodyear Traction Tire, mounted on narrower than factory specified rim

35x14.5-15 - ??? - SS TSL, 1/8" tread remaining, just for scale...

11.2-16 (35.5x11.8-16) - 1 3/8" tread - $148 - Goodyear DynaTorque II (small version of far right)

18.4-16.1 (44.8x20.1-16.1) - 1.6" tread - $499 - Firestone Traction Field and Roadmeasures 42" with no air, bias ply... Same as the good year Traction Sure Grip

18.4-16.1 (45x18-16.1) - 1.6" tread - $230 FOB - "American Farmer Apple", air pressure has a lot to do with final height on this one, radial ply

18.4-16.1 (44.7x18.6-16.1) - 1.6" tread - $399 - Titan Hi-Traction Lug R-1

19.5-24 (50.6x18-24) - 1.2" tread - $350 - Chinese R-4 Bias Industrial Tractor Tire

19.5x24 (50.6x19-24) - 1.2" tread - $350 - Chinese R-4 Radial Industrial Tractor Tire

16.9x24 (52.7x17-24) - 1.6" tread - $304 - Goodyear DynaTorque II

 

More later, I'm tired!

 

Here is the tracker pulling my F150. It has slightly bigger tires. ;) Not subaru related, but neat! :)

 

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This is the tire I wanted to put on the outback I've got. But I think instead of cutting it up my brother is going to repair it and drive it. Its not as big as it looks. ;) Its 35.5 inches tall.

 

092405-dynatorque2andtrashcan_0338.jpg

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