I would like to replace my beat to hell 83 GL with something newer for offroad.

 

Sure the 83 gl "trucklet" does fantastic offroad,especially with the tractor tires.However on the road it sucks.the 25 year old seats have lost all of there padding.The car is very underpowered and has trouble with most,if not all of the hills around here.Also it is becoming a real burdon hassling with the DMV in an attempt to get it registered because the title is long gone.

 

I was thinking something like a 90's legacy.

are the 90's legacyies any good offroad?Theres a 91 5 speed AWD wagon for $500 around here.Would it be any good at trailriding/mudrunning? I probally would mount my tractor tires on rims that fit legacies then change them out when I go offroad like I have been doing.Is the AWD good or will I need to put a EA82 DR in?

the awd systems aren't anything like the 4x4 systems of the old. the awd works like a rx full time awd with center diff lock, remove the center diff lock and add a LSD and in a nut shell that's what the newer awd systems are like.

 

for mudding or trail driving you can't beat the DR (in subaru tranny world) you get 50% going to each end of the car regardless of how many wheels are up in the air. in awd you could technically get 100% of the power going to one wheel. now the center diff tries to prevent that and send power equally to both ends, but the "LSD" in the center will give up eventually and burn up.

 

so my opinion, DR that thing. oh also $500 for a running legacy that doesn't look like crap, that's a bargain.

If you don't drive like a nut onroad get the Leg, put in a 4" lift and some mud terrains. Then add EA82 PT D/R box. Maybe even weld the diff? I reckon you'd have plenty fun it in.

I think the biggest problem with the Legacies is..like they said, the lack of low range and a locking center diff.

 

I dont know how much of a low range the aussie boxes have in them, but i think you would need at least that and a locking center diff to be usefull off-road.

 

The other option is to go big and t-case mod it. I havn't found anything that can stop my wagon yet. Just need to work out the weak links still.

I would love to Tcase it but no welder or money.

 

so then what you are all saying is a legacy is almost useless for offroad?

Well i suppose the cheapest easiest way to make one usefull would be to adapt an older ea tranny to it. Wouldnt be to hard to do.....i think.

The AWD EJ trans are capapble of some pretty damn good offroading.

 

My buddy has a 5 inch lifted legacy with a 5spd, and his problems always stem from the open diffs at the axles, which you would still have with a PT EA box. The center LSD does a good job of transfering fore and aft.