Subaruist

Very wise advice !

Do you really do this stuff ?!? Are you freakin' insane or something ?!? What the Hell is wrong with you, anyway ?!? - Oh, this is my own post, lol...

I don't know if this has a name in the world at large, but I call it Pinning the Wheel. It is using one of your front wheels to lock or block the front end in order to do a super tight turn or other maneuver. It can save your beuttocks in a pinch or emergency or impending traffic jam, etc, or can be used to double-back on someone, or to just have fun! - CAUTION - WARNING - ALERT - In order to fake being responsible, I must warn you that technically, doing these kind of things could get you into a lot of trouble, but worse, could potentially mess up your front-end alignment or even cause serious damage to your front end adjustments or hardware!!! That being said, I have had now 8 subarus, have done this many times with more than half of them, and never saw the slightest problem or damage - Subarus are not the average vehicle! Yesterday I had to (got to) do this. 2 lanes each way, total of 4, 3 of them are grid-locked for some reason I was not able to see. I was about to become grid-locked myself, and that is simpley not acceptable. I was in the left lane coming up on a turn lane with a raised concrete island that was somewhere between 18 inches and 2 feet wide. IF I could do a u-turn onto the lane about 2 feet away from me, I could get out of it and head off in a different direction - but how do you do a u-turn essentially and litterally turning on a dime? I had about 4 seconds until coming opposite traffic would make that impossible and I would be helplessly trapped! I "went wide", first turning to my right endge of my lane, and then left to angle my Brat as much to the left as possible, and put my left front tire right against the curb of this island on my left about 1 1/2 to 2 feet back from the end. Then I essentially start to do a donut, trying to make as little noise as possible (easy in a brat!lol). The left front wheel is temporarily blocked and notched against that curb, which is better than off-road brakes, and as the vehicle begins to turn/spin around, the right front wheel is able to swing around, not hitting the island, along with eventually the right rear wheel. Here is where we separate the men from the boys - you do not turn a full 180 degree yet, but take a fraction of a second to then position the vehicle or the wheels so that your left front wheel is in a good position to then get up over the island as.... "Professionally?" as possible, as you continue to turn. It is easiest to do without putting it into 4WD, but if you can manage to put it into 4WD for just a second or less, (This differs between 1st and 2nd gen 4WD) the vehicle will go over that island much better, easier and more professionally, - for lack of a better word, lol. Don't forget that left rear wheel, you just have to make sure that it either clears the island or goes over it - deliberately and with skill either way preferrably. Yes, I know as much as others that you could do this brute force, bouncing the poor subaru like you are an idiot in the middle of your own traffic accident, but that will get you noticed a lot easier by a LEO and tripple your chances of getting a ticket or something. This all takes place in about 3 - 4 seconds, more like 4 if you use the 4WD. In nothing flat I was off in the other direction and took a parallel street to avoid the gridlock. The other way I have used this, for fun, is instead of pushing the wheel against something for braking power, you are pulling on something, hanging on to somethng, getting a grip, by putting a front wheel on the other side of something, and using it to kinda 'hang', and swing. Back in SoCal, I had firends in the mountains, and this highway went up there and eventually ended in a little mountain village and then parking lots, picnic grounds, campgrounds and cabins. Different areas would be locked off different times of the year, and just befor the first gate to the first parking lot was a tiny, tiny well paved turn around, going around a large tree in a circle. There was no actual curb, the pavement just dropped off about 6 or 7 inches, maybe more. A friend was behind me as I came to this, so I decided to pull a stunt and spin around to be right behind him as he went past. - Oh, but he was wise to my ways, and quick, and had a sense of humor, so he immediately did same, which resulted in us going in really tight circles arounf this tree. Normal steering can only turn so far to the side, so I dropped my left front wheel into this ring around the tree, and used it, like my front wheel was a hand, hanging on to the inside edge of the ring of pavement that formed a curb, and so I was able to gun it and turn super, super tight, as we sped up faster and faster, yelling various well intentioned insults at each other, while hanging out our druver's windows, looking like maniacs I'm sure! He could not keep up, but although I was doing itas easy as cake, my Brat was basically going sideways in a permantent tokyo drift kinda thing, lol... Fun fun fun !!!!

You're right, you're right. But my life is already overwhelmed with endless projects, and overflowing on the "really, really gotta do it" shor list. But yeah, I should think abou that. I know if I decided to make a short-term obsession of it, I could make as good as any. - Oh crap! I just had a vision of a Stainless steel shovel cut off - but no. If only there was some odd, special cooking pan/pot whatever that would make a good scoop. - I just like Stanless, that's all. -Uh oh... ok... Stanless pans.... Hmmmm....... Hmmmmm......

I have been just about everywhere looking for Fluorescent Blue Spray Paint. I even went to Rustoleum and Krylon's own websites, found fluorescent spray paint, but not Blue! I have not heard of any great controversy over Fluorescent Blue spray paint, so what the hell ?!?!? Does anyone know what the the story really is on this ?!?!? Thanks

( This is painful...) You are absolutely right.... However, as far as actual looks, at first look I almost threw-up in the back of my throat a little.... - But then, maybe I can make it look better?.... Oh, I must be desparate!... - But there might be a way..... Grrrrrr..... - Oh! Its too tall! I am saved from a grinding dillema... Thank you!

What? Please explain?.... - Besides, tracks are BORING !!! - with a capital BORING !!! They are like shooting perfectly good bullets at paper targets.... what a waste! No, I'm un-domesticated.... I have not been tamed... I must roam the wild and mark my territory with my Carbureted freedom and ignore the less important traffic laws when I can get away with it!

I have a slight problem with clearance of my air filter housing when I close the hood. I need a hood scoop both because of this, and it seems like an good enough excuse to add to the coolness of my Brat... Anyone have any kind of decent looking hood scoop made of aluminum or sheet metal, etc? I just can;t do plastic on something like this.... Thanks.

I've been wearing a whole lot of rubber off it's tires, and scratching up my bed with everything slamming up against one side and then the other, and then against the cab or tailgate - and that's just when I'm looking for a parking space! lol.....

Oh NO!! Puke? - Maybe I should dial back a bit before that happens to me, lol.... - NO! I should get some airline sick bags and put a little dispenser over the glove compartment door !!!!! Lawyer?..... - Lawyer???....... - What's that?

You're not scaring them enough because you're not taking those daring short-cuts where you're not supposed to, and not launching off the curbs taking some of them! lol...

- Oh, how did I forget... and (yesterday) I got in a bit of a race with someone in some porche-looking thing with wings all over it for almost 2 miles zig-zagging through downtown. My poor Brat was just not up to it, but it performed well anyway, just like a Subaru, exhaust leak and all, lol. I had to let him go, both because I had somewhere to be and because luck against getting a ticket does not hold on for too long, lol....

- About Road Rage.... You know... Helicopters are hard to hit! (Come back here you bastard! Yeah, that's right, fly away like a coward! - I've still got one of your landing skids !!!)

I've been noticing that when driving my Brat, I have been occasionally reverting back to how I used to drive a Brat... You know, like suddenly pulling a half-donut U-turn in the space of one wide lane... (Yesterday) Running off, over, or across corners, curbs, etc. when its too tempting... (Twice today) Driving around in a tight, tight circle two or three times before zipping off in some direction... (Once today) Parking with one wheel way up on some large boulder or other object - yeah, some of you guys do that too, I know you do! Cutting across/over a traffic island when those damned traffic-planning bastards put it there just to keep me from turning left! Parking in places I should not just because I can fit there, or nobody can see my Brat, or cause I can get away with it. (Three times today) Doing Tokyo Drift style lane changes... Going after the occasional Helicopter... It just happnes, I don't know what comes over me, I get a grin so big it hurts, I get those mad doctor shifting eyes, and next thing I know its just happening, - OOPS!, I probably should not have done that... - Check for cops first next time...

The kinds of people who will go for a ride with me more than once: (People who need a ride don't count) Vets who don't have PTSD.... (Vets who didn't have PTSD before they rode with me?...) People too snockered or stoned to know any better... People who are desparately bored... People who are desparate in general... People who are more wreckless than me (Purposeful spelling there - no wrecks in 30-40 years, lol) (- that can be proven, lol) People who are escaping from somewhere and are in a real hurry... People with a complete lack of emotion... People with a complete lack of judgement... The insane... The criminally insane... Short Bus candidates... Dead people... Blow-up girly dolls... (oops) Dogs...

Yes, all that works of course, but there are still places where those vehicles can't go, a Subaru breezes through, lol....

If you are certain it is in the wheel, and you know its not any kind of missing part, then there are two possible answers: (A) replace that wheel hub. The axel has very limited interface with parts there, very few parts to be missing or defective. ( Stick to 1st and 2nd generation Subarus? - Sorry, I have a real bias there, but one based on reality.

In about 1996 my '79 Brat was not running well enough to pass smog - at that time I still had to do the smog check. So I wanted to set things right... I bought a nearly new engine from japan with just over 50,000 miles, and as nartually clean as it could be for not being cleaned up. I could have gotten a dual-carb racing engine too, but that would nto pass smog. (if only I knew....) I also replaced the ENTIRE exhaust system. Only one tiny. tiny problem... one little hose in the smog system had no place to go, I had to cap it. It made no difference in how it ran, and seemed to make no difference where smog would be concerned. However, the DMV not only would not allow it to pass, even if it passed the actual smog check with flying colors, they claimed that I had "modified the engine" and as a result of various details of bureaucratic bull and crapola, the vehicle was now essentially cursed. If I did anything with that hose, it really would be "modifying the engine", and I was not going to again replace a perfect engine to solve such a stupid technicality. I fought it, and fought it, and then could not drive it anymore legally, and lost my living because of it. I found a guy with the 'Sovereign movement' who knew stuff that attorneys did not know, who tried to help me fight it legally. Part of this was to not make a normal appearance in court, but a different kind that was perfectly legal but put things into our favor. This guy helping me was known to them, and they hated him because he was putting them over a barrel. When the Judge learned that I was the latest person who was going to mess up thier nonsense, and we presented a 2 inch thick stack of documentation detailing all the rules and laws they were either breaking or contradicting, he claimed that I did not appear, and sent a Sheriff with a unsigned dot-matrix prinout that they claimed was a warrant and was not. I was arrested in the livingroom of my own home like a criminal. Although I had a spotless record going all the way back to kindergarten, the Judge at the alleged arraignment said in a loud voice that I was a threat (and whipered -to the court's jusrisdiction) as one of our points was about his jurisdiction. He labeled me as dangerous and a flight risk, and saw to it that in 3 weeks in jail I never saw the light of day, did not get any religious or other services; he also tried to get me put into the cells with the violent types or solitary, which did not happen. This was for the charge of infraction failure to appear ona registration ticket - I was a danger to society! The judge also set my bail at $50,000.00 -yes, Fifty Thousand. The only person who had near that high of bail was the biggest speed cooker in the county, which was San Bernardino County, the largest county in the whole country. - and he only had $40,000.00 bail! When I eventually got a court date, the local cops thought it would be amusing to turn the air conditioning up all the way and turn the couple of holding cells into effectively a freezer, and was quite unpleasent. Then me and everyone who came in on the same jail bus as me were given a mass strip search in the hallway, something never done before, as the cops were complaining about having to bother with it for people who had not serious charges or records, etc.They offered a plea deal, they wanted me to instead cop to a Misdemeanor failure to appear, with 1 year in jail, for which they would drop the traffic ticket for registration. - get that? I go from infraction to 1 year in jail, and they forgive a lousy traffic ticket in return! That was almost too much to believe. What the hell were they thinking? Why were they so intent on this revenge? We rightfully and legally put the court on the defensive, and he wanted to be an avenging bully - that simple. I told them that what they offered was ludicrus, and that it should be that they wanted me to plea to the ticket and not get the 1 year which was not even the charge in the first place. I did not take thier deal and back to jail I went for more of the same. I managed to get some outside help, and we got a certain lawyer who they also hated, but who was better at getting results. First, when my second court appearance came, we dismissed the first Judge 'for cause', and then the second judge with "pre-emptory challenge" until they had to get a Judge from the next county. What we were doing was ticking them all off in two counties, and we topped that off by getting the story spread that they were doing all this to someone with no record or violations whatsever, and the talk was working and also ticking them off, but they were once again put over a barrel. My new attorney then threatened to personally sue them pro-bono for me of they did not release me within 24 hours. They release me, at like 11:30pm, in the rain with nothing but my jeans, shoes, and a T-Shirt on. This whole situation really pissed me off, and that in not a good thing no matter who it is doing it. I decide that either I was going to start carrying a gun, and shoot the next SOB wgho ever tried anything like that again, or leave the State. Over a 2 year period I had to live on food stamps and scrounge money any way I could, but tghen found various ways of either getting money out of the State or costing the State money, as much as I could drain any way I could do it. My last count was that I had burned California, San Bernardion County, and the City of Redlands for nearly $90,000.00 - all perfectly legal. I then rented a Uhaul and a full car carrier, as they made it known to me that they would not let me take that vehicle out of the state, which they had no such authority or prescedent to do. So I completely covered my Subaru in black plastic and smuggled it out to Arizona. Crossing the California border was onbe of the happiest hours of my life, and later getting my new license and registration with no problems and litttle cost. For these and other reasons I am a patriot of Arizona even if I don't live there, and I hate California and hope to see it sink into the ocean or break up with the continental shelf with the big quake coming someday. Years later, when I left Arizona to come to Oregon, I went through Utah, Nevada and Idaho just so I would never again touch California soil. Now my Subarus are exempt from smog, and that whole smogging bureaucracy anywhere can't touch me now! I love my Subaru(s), and nobody is ever going to take 'em away from me!

Outside of Subarus, my favorites were my first car, a 1973 Monte Carlo with swivel bucket seats - Man, do I miss those seats! and a 1978 Dodge Magnum ex-police pursuit with a 440 engine that could PIN you to the back of your seat when floored!

Ford roasting over an open fire, chestnuts nipping at your nose, although its been said many times, many ways, merry Subaru to you..... lol...

I think 'Official party pooper' was thinking about roasted potatoes over a roasting ford, lol....

Then there are two likely possibilities... #1: Its not the axel at all, and unfortunately it has to do with the tranny. #2: (A) What kind of price can you get on a good used axel (Yeah, I know) ( Would replacing the axel be more work than you want to hassel with? © Do you have a spare axel, in almost any condition that will not have the same problem? If it is not the tranny, and I had/could get another old axle, I would see if I could get a deal where I could bring the new/good replacement axel back for refund, when you go to replace the axel, put the old junky one on first and see if it does same, if it does, put the new one on, it will likely be fixed, if not, its definitely the tranny. Hope its not the tranny, that's the only real issue you have, because replacing an axel is far better than a tranny problem.

Wild, wild, wild guess; I did not see specifics of what model you have, but does it have a "Hill Holder" brake? could that be part of the problem? In 1st gen subarus, 1978/79 models mostly, sometimes the 4WD lever could pop out of gear, in one subaru I had, I actually had to use a bungie cord to keep it from popping out of gear. I never really tried to solve the actual problem, but felt it was just some design problem with the tranny. Could it still be linkage, just not that specific part that was worked on? - could something else under there have been unintentionally altered during the work?

Hmmm.... that says a lot actually, pretty much dispells any notion of it beaing wear-related. I would be very tempted to jump to the presumption that if its "newer" it might be a defect, and otherwise its been a long time, but I can;t remember, are there any large "dammit clamps" as my dad used to call them (they opften go flying off when you try to take them off or put them on), or ring snap keepers, whatever the hell they call those things, what if some simple thing like that was missing? Think about anything that if wrong or missing could "only" cause a slight difference in spacing or tolerance. Wild guess - what about the pin and hole where you attach the bell to the tranny? Not likely, but I'm trying to remember being in those situations... - Wait! Since you have experience, this is not likely, but when you reassemble the works, and put the axel nut on, there are two washers, one slightly cone shaped and a flat washer, if the flat washer were missing, it could cause just that much play - or maybe something similar to that?.... I dunno, when I get fully back into my subaru my memory and experience will come back better I'm sure, lol....

Hmmmm.... Subaru starts the Apocalypse, Hmmmm.... I think you have something there! - But I think I would need a flare gun too....