Subarocket

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I just picked up a 92 Loyale and it has very sloppy steering, especially compared to my old one. My grandpas '77 Newport felt like less of a boat. The suspension is quite soft, but not night and day compared to my old one. I am fairly certain I need to replace my struts. There is a fair bit of body roll that makes the steering sloppy but I feel like there is a bunch of play in the steering wheel before any movement in the wheels. At full lock it also causes the steering wheel to "bounce" back off full lock. I am going to get all my work done by a friend who is a mechanic. With my work schedule and our arrangement, it would really help to try and pre-diagnose this before I could leave it with him. I am thinking of getting some king springs and kybs but am worried that is not all of the problem. I could also pull parts from my old one if needed. Thoughts?

$90/box. I assume a box has two coils? When you say instant WRX, I think stiff.

ok, ok. I need to do something about my suspension. I finally got to do some fun driving in this car. A freshly gravelled road that was loose as can be. In FWD and 4wd it felt like I had boat steering and it was nearly impossible to keep control of the car when breaking loose. My old car was much tighter and there would be no lag when rolling the wheel back and forth. I imagine this is the front springs? Could it be anything in the steering? With my work schedule, sourcing used tempo and accord springs will be ridiculously hard. Finding outback spacers is tough enough. I am thinking $400 for king springs doesn't sound like the worst plan out there.

Sounds like the way to go. Would you just cut it as long as the stock spring to maintain the same height or would you have to accommodate a different compression rate? I've heard one coil does the trick.

You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the feedback. There are lots of options, I guess I need to figure out what I need (to sort out that tapping noise in the rear and the extra rough speed bump bang) and what I would like (a ride that doesn't feel like small bumps will break off a wheel, less spongy/sag and less roll). I am guessing the noise in the rear is the struts and the only options are the KYBs or the 4runners, correct? Stiffer ride that is progressive would be tempo/accord springs or kings, correct? I am not looking for lift as I am trying to be very conscious of not putting un-needed stress on anything and my 2" lift will get the tires I want underneath. I am dropping my engine and tranny. This is a valid concern is it not? I am hoping to make this ride need less maintenance not more. Can I get used Accord springs and cut them as needed for height and keep everything else stock? That would stiffen my rear but would I lose travel? I haven't quite wrapped my head around adjusting coils and the affects of travel and stiffness.

Interesting stuff. I definitely don't want my back end bouncing. I'm a picturing an unloaded truck with a skittery rear end. Really doesn't help with snow driving. Tom, I thought I read in the safari wagon thread that you had put in other suspension. Some aftermarket ones that also had options to buy raising and lowering springs? This was a log time ago though.

But doing that on top of a lift will put excessive forces on the cvs won't it? I like the idea of a stiffer ride though. Would you do Jes' suspension mod instead of a 2" lift? Or would you drop everything underneath even more to compensate?

They definitely scream 80s and to each their own. I like the snub nose because it reminds of of old Audi Coupe Quattros In my case, I really Like them, mainly Because they somehow "Scream" 1980's Kind Regards. They

All said and done I hope she has: 2" lift 6 lug conversion Big studded winter tires Dual range swap Massive light upgrade Insulated cabin Semi-permanent bed with cooler and storage access in rear passenger footwells Thule box Awning Drop down tent from rear hatch to expand living space Interior rear hatch handle Hitch Quick tie system for surf boards on roof Spare tire mount somewhere Stereo Power source (converter, extra battery, more cigarette lighter ports? need to research) Tint Insulating curtains vent and the stuff that will make it reliable for some time to come: New rear suspension or all four corners upgraded (I've read Jes' suspension mods but that's not quite what I want to do) Fuel pump is humming pretty loud Power steering pump maybe Back half of exhaust Remove rust Fix rattling driver side door window

Jes, I guess ski bum is a term that probably doesn't get used in Honduras! Basically, I live on a tight budget (not really working) all winter so that I can ski as much as possible. It is derived from living like a homeless person (a bum) so that you can afford to ski. I will be on the road most of the winter so I expect to sleep in it a bunch. It is pretty much my ticket to freedom and I want it to suit my needs exactly. Whether it is climbing bullet proof ice covered logging roads mid winter to hauling gear and putting on long miles. Tom, I used bed liner for my front bumper. Would that be appropriate for hubs? The friction and the rubber content seem like they wouldn't go well together.

The absolute only complaint I have about these cars is the god awful giant Volvo-esque bumpers that make them look like granny mobiles so the first thing I did was change that. I plan on cutting and fitting a different bumper and have a friend weld it up but for now, this will do. Tie down hooks added for all sorts of fun stuff to be carried on the roof. Before Middle After I know the tie downs are sideways but the bumper profiles did not allow for much else. Forces will be small anyways. It's not for pulling the car.

Blackboot hooked me up with a BOSS 2" lift. I plan on doing the outback spacers on the transmount and crossmember, remove the rear cross piece behind the trans, washers under the carrier bearings and slide the CV boot end up the axle (thanks GLoyale). I also am in the process of converting to 6 lug. I am lathing down the centering lip on the hubs to fit my new rims and keep it hub centric and help with keeping everything tight when transfering the holes over. Excessive I know but it was either that or die grind the center bore on the rims. Lug holes are being drilled with 35/64th bit. I picked up these wheels from pick a part from an 88 Mazda B2300. 5.5x14. I don't know if I will be able to make the centre caps work Any recommendations for durable primer and paint to make these bright white? Would it be best to not strip them down to bare metal and only remove the actual rust, keeping the factory paint as protection? I'm sick of having to beat my wheels off my hubs with a sledgehammer for 5 minutes because they are rusted together. Any recommendations on paint that will last?

I'm going to entertain you all with pictures and crazy ideas since my tech talk is more like baby talk compared to you all She's pretty clean. A little bit of rust that is a bit worse on the other side. I know this will get much worse over the winter but I am dreading getting into rust removal again...

I'd like to introduce you all to Betty White. She is my 92 Loyale 4wd that I hitched a ride across BC with two gorgeous women to pick up sight unseen. $1200, 272,000km, rust free by the standards I roll by and well maintained by the previous/original owner. This is my second Loyale but it will be my first project car. My previous car, The Subarocket, is retired to donor status after hitting 350,000km and being driven like a bat out of hell for the last 5 years. A slightly lagging bat, but a bat none-the-less. The Subarocket was a daily driver that regularly cruised the province for ski trips and surf trips and often left me stranded in some interesting situations. It also was the most bitchin' winter vehicle I have ever owned and was regularly used as an RV. Did you know two people can comfortably sleep in a Loyale for a with an 8' surfboard strapped to the ceiling, a thule box with skis and another board on the roof? It also made a great room when I was working out of town and sleeping in it at -10 for a week. Here are a few shots of my black beauty to honour her before I move on. En route to a summer building, biking and surfing on the west coast. You don't see many old Subarus in BC so I was quite surprised to see this beauty in my hometown. When I arrived in Vancouver to pick up Betty White I was pretty excited. Island raised (no rust) and one owner are pretty rare things. I was over working on a car that was rusted to crap. This is the cleanest Loyale I have ever seen in person! I knew the rear suspension was bad and I think it is struts (popping/tapping sound). When I was about to fill up on gas and oil in preparation for my 800km drive home I got a great scare out of the oil. The filler tube was full of rusty sludge and the dip stick was almost dry with loose flakes of rust. I immediately drove back to the nearest oil change place who clean things up and found clear oil when they drained it. I assume the rust was from moisture from sitting for a while and was not actually in the system? Anyways, she drove like a dream and I have already put 2500km on it in 3 weeks. My plan is to lift it, D/R, "camperize", and make it a prime ski bum vehicle with every minor modification I have thought would be convenient over the last few years. I am not a mechanic, nor mechanically inclined. I did an impressive amount of work on Subarocket and learned a lot but lost a lot of time and did many things wrong! All mechanical work will be done by a mechanic and all the camperizing/ customizing will be done by myself. I'm stoked to share all this with you and hopefully can gain a lot more insight from my followers. Meet my new bitch.

Sorry, looking back I now see that you were referencing to when you were at stock height. That makes waaaay more sense.

A four inch lift and you are getting rub with 26.6" tires? What is the backspacing of those rims? Cars looks beautiful by the way.

My new car is without AC and not rusty. It took me less than ten minutes to remove my front bumper. Did not remove the battery or anything. Just a short handled socket wrench and a short 14mm socket. No extender bits or anything and it slipped in front of all the wiring. For some reason I remembered the bolts being below that lip on the frame and closer to the valve covers. If you are having troubles removing your bumpers, just buy a car from a rust free area

GLoyale. Thanks. A comprehensive list delivered with confidence! You the man!

I love how thorough this thread is and there is some amazing info but it really makes me nervous to lift my Loyale. I can't afford to go through this process with mine as it's my DD and I put on 500km a week right now. I am still in awe that no one else seems to go through this. I need some reassurance from others!

Or find one of these http://www.vwgolfcountry.net/blog/?page_id=2

I'm sure this has been dealt with a million times but I can not find anything. Any tips on fixing the rear hatch handle on a Loyale wagon? They always seem to break on one side and then eventually fall off all together. Also, has anyone made a handle so they can open the hatch from the inside? When sleeping in the back it is much easier to climb out the hatch than the side doors

I might have three. I will be home in a week and check for you.

Thanks for the always thorough information! I've read through that a few times now but I really dont want to modify anything. There was a website that had struts and stock, raising and lowering springs. I'm pretty sure they were used on the safari wagon

I remember reading in the Safariwagon build thread about some after market springs for suspension for Loyales. There were different options of stock, raised or lowering springs. I can't find that page on the thread again. Does someone know the brand/website I am thinking of?