Qman

Wow, that was fast. We only talked about it a week ago didn't we? Should definitely be a fun project.Give me a call if you need any help. Ken

Very nice! Glad it worked out for you. That has to be some kind of a record. Three lifted Subes at one time!!

I'll be out of town that weekend. Besides, with the show being the following weekend I doubt if something got broke there would be time to fix it. The Subaru show is much more important to me!

I saw them. Not mine and don't need them. They are 390mm and not 15" though.

I am not sure the pedal box will go in without modification. I believe there was something different besides the clutch cable. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it is.

That wasn't neccessarily pointed at you. I stated it because alot of people who do not know the difference also read these posts. Rubicon has very similar terrain, granite and such. Very good traction but the off-camber stuff associated with rocks, mountains and deserts are why the welded rear diff is superior. The biggest thing you will notice is that you no longer need momentum to get through obstacles. You will find reasons to gun it but it won't be the normal stuff. That means less damage to the vehicle. More enjoyment for you and your passengers. As far as breaking goes, I broke 3 or 4 axles and a couple of stubs in 4-5 years of hard wheeling. I have only broken 1 axle since i went to the welded diff. A good, tight LSD will offer benefits just not as many as being welded.

Lynnwood? Were those the ones sitting against the fence?

After replacing the one I broke I never broke another thing on that trip. I believe the replacements held up fine as well. We did break a couple of axles though. Axles and stubs are usually easy to replace. 15 minutes and I was trail bound again. The issue with open and even LSD rear diffs is that when 1 tire loses traction that wheel gets all the power. With an LSD the tire that binds is released and then the tire with the least amount of traction gets the power. I ran a LSD for 4+ years and swore by them until I tried a welded diff. The other thing to keep in mind is the weight factor. The Sube doesn't weigh much so the wear is not as bad.

Being new as you are I would really suggest reading through the Frequently Asked Question section. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24980 It will help to answer most if not all of your questions. It was written by a very knowledgable Subaru Offroader.

Not a problem!! That would make a HUGE difference. If you had, you both would have made it through for sure!

Nice! Do either of you have welded diffs? Bumper skins always peel like that. I have seen a number of them do that. Looks like a fun place to wheel. I've ben jonesin' to go lately, so, I guess we'll have to get out next weekend.

OK, I do remember the first post. You asked what else should be checked or replaced at this time. You were given good advice. Not neccessarily that these parts had to be replaced but that it would be easier to replace them now considering the age of the vehicle. I also told you to check the parts they replaced to verify the condition and get back to us. You did neither. You jumped to a conclusion that this is now our responsibility? Seems to me that they were very quick to give you a discount. Why is that? So, instead of coming unglued I would suggest that you examine the entire incident and see where you end up. I am sorry that your bill ended up so high. Way too much money for the job they did. I don't know any shop that charges that much per hour. Good luck with the car and BTW, it won't need any repairs for quite a while if that is any consolation.

Do not commit to tires until you have it built. I had to do some other mods once I tried to put 31's on it. I ended up moving the front end forward 2 1/2 inches to clear the tire wheel combination. I used rear wheel drive offset. That moved the tire outward and caused the tires to hit the rear of the fenderwell on turns. I'll try to verify the offset.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7949164785&category=33630

Only if the EA71 is a 2nd generation. These had the starter on the drivers side like the EA81. You'll be able to tell by the starter "hump" in the engine bellhousing. Center hump no go, side hump good to go!

Common occurance from overheated exhaust. Usually happens if you don't kick it down off of high idle setting. If you start it and let it idle for a minute then tap the gas it should go to the second high idle setting. Our old '84 would do this if we didn't do that or let it idle too long.

That's about it. I used the R180 in the front from the Nissan as well. I don't know for sure what gears are available aftermarket it either.

With the width of the '79 the 'yota axles will be too wide. The Nissan will be the right width but the spring perches will have to be moved as it is. The width, if memory still works, of the Nissan is 50". The 'yota's come in at 54" and 58". Factory Nissan gear sets come in 4.37/1 and 4.63/1. I am not a big fan of either axle but the Nissan fits this application better. Besides, it will look kind of rediculous with the entire tire sticking out of the fenderwell. FYI, the Nissan was too narrow for the Gen2 Brat. The spring perches matched up perfectly though. I had to space it out to make it match the front track.

The best set up for the Gen1 is the narrower Nissan axle from the same Nissan 720 P/U. Mount a diff up front and run IFS. That way you can run the Nissan transfer case and have zero problems. I have histerical travel in the rear and I am working on a front mod that will increase travel in the front with the independent. Toyota or Sami is the only good way to go for solid front and rear. Scott's Brat is well put together. His H-6 has more power than my built EA81. However, I have superior gearing and far better travel. We can both get to the same places. But he'll have to work alot harder to get there.

The EJ18 seems like a fine little motor. We have one in our '93 Impreza L 5sp AWD. Get's great gas mileage as well. It was available in most base model Imp's in '93 and '94. Most were in front of fwd trans and some auto's. Either way the power gains would be better. Oh yeah, I know a guy that does the adapter plates too!!

Nice pics. Looks like a lot of fun.

That was the only pic I could find of the EA81 wagon. Try doing a search on google or Yahoo to find more pics. I searched for subaru touring wagon.

Is it this body style... or this one? The reason I ask is that depending on what country of origin is the body year was one or the other.

As far as a direct bolt up, Zero! Now, people have relocated the control arm mounting point and used EA82 front suspension/brake parts on EA81's. You get slightly bigger front brake rotors and caliper area is slightly larger as well.

How do you have the return routed? 14mpg is low. I average 20+ with all of mine. Do you have any pics of the engine compartment or the set up?