If i were to get a lift for my 96 outback, of aobut 3" front and back, would i have to recalibrate the spedometer and how would having the final gear ratios changed form the bigger tires effect the cars handling and power? thanks

You don't have to recalibrate the spedometer. In fact, I'm not sure how you would go about recalibrating it in the first place. You'd probably have to get an aftermarket speedometer... or learn to live with it .

 

You'll notice a little drop in effective gearing, meaning you might have to downshift a little bit more, but the EJ has enough grunt that it's nothing to worry about.

thanks for the info....one more question,

i've read about the impreza being lifted with forester struts/springs, can i use forester struts/spring on my outback, and if so will it give me any lift.

 

oh p.s., how badly will having a ocuple inch larger tires mess up my spedometer readings.

As for the struts and such, I'm not sure. There's quite a number of threads floating around that have such information. Give the search function a whirl, I'm sure you'll find your answer.

 

As for the speedo reading, use this tool to figure out how much it will be off.

if your spedo is electric and not cable... yes it can be recalibrated, take it to the dealership or any 4x4 shop, and if for some stupid reason it cant be done, there is a part you can buy that is wired inline between the spedo and the sensor and modifies the signal the spedo recieves by a specified amount. if you got a speedometer cable I'm pretty sure you're gonna have to learn to drive without the spedo, it'll be safer that way anyways cause then you'll pay more attention to the road :-p

thanks scrap, now if i can only figure out whether forester struts are any larger than the OBW struts....

wait wait wait wait....

 

 

i thought the outback didn't become the outback we all know and love until 97. the 96 is just a legacy wagon with twotone paint i thought...

 

 

in fact i'm pretty sure...

 

what size are the tires you have on it now? by now i mean supposed to

I've got some '02 Forester struts and '96-99 Outback struts I'm measuring up just this week, trying to determine if OB struts will provide more tire clearance and a lift on my Forester. The rear OB struts are longer by about .5", and I haven't measured the fronts yeat. The Rear OB struts have a LOT more tire clearance and the shaft is a larger diameter.

thanks scrap, now if i can only figure out whether forester struts are any larger than the OBW struts....

 

they're not.

We make a lift for your vehicle, scroll down to the bottom.

http://alliedarmament.homestead.com/LiftKit.html

Really? Is the lift for the Forester ready yet? If so, give us some details: Body lift amount/suspension lift amount, since the description on your site doesn't make sense for a Forester, which doesn't have a factory 2.5" lift.

Everyone reads that wrong! The factory vehicle does not have a factory 2.5" lift it is a 1.5" lift. The forrester hasn't been done by us yet. We are doing the Baja (2000 and newer vehicles legacy platform) right now, then we will move on to the forrester.

i thought the outback didn't become the outback we all know and love until 97. the 96 is just a legacy wagon with twotone paint i thought...

 

 

in fact i'm pretty sure...

no it was 95 that was a trim package for the legacy, 96 has the lift and aother outback ness things.