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As Many of you already know, I Travel too often and Usually I got a Camera nearby... Last travel I saw a Nice Subaru Loyale Sedan, dark grey and its Rear Part was too High than its Front, then I Noticed something "Wrong" with it.


 

See:

HPIM0087.jpg?t=1218182687

 

 

Well... it is not "Wrong", Just Unusual to see a Loyale's Rear

 

Looking just like my 1969 Mercury Comet:

 

With a Solid Axle big Diff and Leaf Springs

 

:eek:

 


HPIM0093.jpg?t=1218182940

 

 

 

 

Sorry: I Couldn't obtain better Pics, it was Late Afternoon and I Think I Scared the Driver, 'cos after the Third pic I Take, he did run more Faster... and I Slowed down to let him go in Peace... 



I Wish I Could ask him more Details of the Swap, but I Think it is a Rear Diff + Springs that came from a Toyota Corolla (1983 Wagon?) Nice Swap Idea, if you Consider that Good Quality Axles are Dissapearing and Poor Quality -ussualy Chinese- Brands are taking the Market... 

 

Also FWD Axles trend to fail too Often in our Roads. 

 

What do you Think About this? :confused:

 

Could it be a Good Idea to make a Car More Reliable / Cheap to Drive \ Easy to Maintain?

 

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
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Actually, the last Corolla with a rear diff was the 1992 AWD wagon. But it didn't have leaf springs. (If it had the longevity and ease of maintenance of a Subaru, I would still be driving it. The JDM ones that are coming in look very attractive, but they probably won't last longer than 200k miles. That was my experience, anyway.)

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I've been looking at using 1970's Toyota 4 link rear suspension on my car. buddy has a few parts cars sittin there for me its just a matter of getting underneath it and taking some pictures. It'd make one hell of a RWD puddle jumper

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If you are looking for a rear drive straight axle conversion, here are are few ideas

 

Corolla GTS 84-87 has disc brakes, 4 on 4.5 bolt pattern. Coils

Datsun HL510, PL510 Wagon, 710 Leaf Springs

Chevette Coils?

Mustang 74 to current

Maverick

70's Dodge Colt

 

in Canada

Hyundai Pony

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The First Generation RX7 would be good. Its a coil spring rear end. They are 3 rear ends though.

 

1-Drum Brake, open diff 4 x 110 pattern

2-Disc Brake, Limited Slip 4 x 110 pattern

3-GSL-SE Rear End, 4 x 4.5 bolt pattern, vented disc brake rotors

 

there are few ratios you can get from Mazda Motorsports as well.

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  • 3 years later...

Well...


I've seen some more Subarus with that Kind of Swap / Retrofit in my Country, but Usually I saw them in Traffic, while Driving... But the Last Weekend, I had my Camera lying in the Front's passenger seat, so I was able to took a couple of Pictures of a Subaru Loyale Wagon Taxi, with Big Diff, Solid Axle and Leaf Springs: RWD Conversion.

I Was Driving Behind a BMW and that Subaru Taxi was in front of it, so I had to Wait untill we Reached a Corner to take...

 

 

This Pictures:

 

SolidAxleSubaru1.jpg


 

a Close Looking on the Same Picture:

SolidAxleSubaru2.jpg


 

Another Picture:

SolidAxleSubaru3.jpg


 

 

Since that Subaru is registered as Taxi, I'll Try to Contact the Owner and ask him more Info about the RWD Conversion, also I'll ask him to let me take Better Pictures to Post all that here.

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
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Wow this is great!!! I remember seeing this thread back in '08. That would be a great conversion for a non-offroad subaru. No axles ever going bad, and if you had the d/r you still got low range for towing stuff. Not to mention you could have a locker back there.

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Well...

Since the Whole Axle is Solid, it uses Leaf Springs and the Rims fit Narrow for the Loyale Body...

I guess it came from an Early 1980's Rear Wheel Drive Corolla Wagon, or Datsun 120Y.

The Lug Pattern should be 4
X114 for Both options.

(it really measures 4X114.3)

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
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  • 5 weeks later...

Detective JesZek, on the case! lol, those are great pictures. You can see the leaf springs.

 

I really wonder what they used for the conversion.

 

Well... here will come your Answers.

 

 

As I Promised:

 

...

Since it is registered as Taxi, I'll Try to Contact the Owner and ask him more Info about the RWD Conversion, also I'll ask him to let me take Better Pictures to Post all that here.

 

 

Let me tell you that During my Gout Foot attack (More info ~► Here) I drove my Wife's Car, the "KiaStein" (which is Automatic) instead of my "BumbleBeastto complete some of my Job's errands; During one of those, I went to a Huge Shoppin' Mall and Guess what I've found there! ... :D ... The RWD Subaru Taxi from the Above posted Photos.

 

The Driver was Leaving some Passengers there and I Kindly asked him about the Rear Wheel Drive Conversion, and so the Long Conversation Started ... :) ...

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
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I'll do an abridgement of the Very Long Story:

 

The Taxi Driver is the Owner and Modifier of that Subaru.

 

The Subaru started its life as a 1985 Station Wagon DL 1.6L (EA71 - We had more engine choices in Latin America) Front Wheel Drive (2WD) Manual Trans, which worked fine untill the Rear main seal (crank) failed and that problem with time leaded to a complete engine failure.

 

The Actual owner had a 1982 Toyota Corolla RWD Wagon with the Taxi Number, which was totaled in a huge fat crash, So He purchased the Subaru with the Blown Engine and started to Swap the entire Corolla's Drive train to that Subaru.

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Now is Pictures Time!

:D

 

The First three ones are the Older ones already Posted, I Repost 'em here to give the Complete Idea.

 

This is How I Saw the RWD Subaru DL Wagon:

 

SolidAxleSubaru1.jpg

 

 

a Close Looking on the Same Picture:

 

SolidAxleSubaru2.jpg

 

 

Another Picture:

 

SolidAxleSubaru3.jpg

 

 

These are the New Pictures, the Guy was very Kind and let me Take some Pictures of his RWD Subie on the Shoppin' Mall's Parking Lot:

 

 

RWDSubie4.jpg

 

 

RWDSubie5.jpg

 

 

RWDSubie6.jpg

 

 

The Corolla's Shock Absorbers were too Short for the Subie, so he Welded the Bar from the Original Subaru Shock Absorbers to them, so they Reach the upper attaching point:

 

 

RWDSubie7.jpg

 

 

What is the "Feeling" you have seeing an in-Line 4 Cyl engine on a Subie's engine bay?

 

 

RWDSubie8.jpg

 

 

He had to be Creative to place the Clutch's Main Pump, 'cos it is Hydraulic on that Toyotas.

 

So the Brake Master Pump had to be Mounted on an Extension Pipe that he Welded to make Space enough for the Clutch's Pump.

 

He Used a 1999 Honda Civic Master Brake Pump: (Master Cylinder)

 

 

RWDSubie9.jpg

 

 

RWDSubie10.jpg

 

 

Also, this Subaru Doesn't Run on Gasoline... it Runs on LPG! :eek:

 

Look on the inner side of the Fender:

 

 

RWDSubie11.jpg

 

 

And the Shifting Stick ended some inches moved to the Front:

 

 

RWDSubie12.jpg

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The Engine is Toyota 4A, Fits perfectly but he had to Modify the Engine crossmember by doing an Hybrid mix using the Original Subaru one on each side end and the Toyota one in the Middle.

 

A Funny detail is that the car Still has its Front Subaru e-Brake working and now also has the Corolla's Rear e-Brake feature on the Rear Drums... but it has not attached the Rear Cables... Doing a Four Wheel e-Brake will need a Custom Handle or Twin Handles, each one with its own Cables...

 

Believe it or Not, the Car is Fast, maybe because it Still has the Original Toyota Engine + Trans + Rear Diff and 13" Wheels, so Relations are under the Corolla's Specs; the Difference should be the Overall Weight.

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A little weird but I love this guy's adaptability

 

 

The Lack of a Good Subaru Dealer here in my Country, force the Owners to be Creative...

 

He told me that the Previous Owner Never found the Needed Parts to Rebuild the Original EA71 engine.

 

 

Now take a look at this first gen Brat:

 

10556843_743018825744148_277319030966128

 

 

Another owner in pretty Similar Situation.

 

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
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