pinister

hi just replaced my 1999 forester's 205x70x15 yokohama geolandar at2 tires after 3 years and 100,000 km, and a lot of satisfaction, with yokohama geolandar ats. the new yokohamas feels softer ank stickier, and according to http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ORAT they are better in all parameters except ice traction. but no. 1 according to tirerack servey is pirelli scorpion atr, and there is also 205x70x15 of that tire (not in israel). so...

yes, i've been using my YOKOHAMA GEOLANDAR AT+II tires for the last 3 years, and one pair (the one that was hit in that excident and was replaced because of that reason) was even 1 year older. and in these 3 years the wear was only about 6 mm in diameter. i am not a "crazy" driver, but i am certainly not a relexed one. telling the truth, i drive fast (not too fast, 10-20 km\hr faster then permitted...). having a turbo engine means that i am not a "too calm driver". on the other hand, i take-off-road (...) only a few times a year, most of them on "none technical" (off) roads. maybe its the tires? maybe, even heving "not too light foot" on the gas, my way of driving uses the tires without (almost) wearing them... and maybe it's normal, and it isn't normal to wear 1 or 2 sets a year...

i'll try to make a "deal" with the guy who shared the set with me, but i think that it will be a little difficult after i suggested him not to replace his tires to MT (he owns suzuki samurai or jimni or whatever...). if i won't succeed i'll buy 2 new AT tires of the new model and to hell with the risk... by the way, after 2 of the 4 first AT tires that i had in my car (about 4 years ago) went to heaven (...) i drove for a while with 2 different pairs. so if something was supposed to happen it was already happen. and if not i guess my car will live peacefully with it's (2 different pairs of...) tires...

hi subyboy i called the importer of yokohama tires, and he said that there isn't any problem with using 2 pairs of different AT tires (both yokohama). on the other hand the subaru man said that the 4 tires must be the same. there might be some difference in diameter between them, but too much might be bad, and he doesn't know what is the difference that above it there is a certain damage. he also said that in "normal" ride the rear wheels get only a small part of the power, so the problem can appear when the car works "hard". meanwile the larger tires are in the front, so, because turns make the front wheels turn faster, there are already bigger... so, do i have to throw the new tires?

hi guys for the last 3 years my forester wears YOKOHAMA GEOLANDAR AT+II tires. about 4 months ago, after my left rear tire was damaged by a drunk driver (together with other parts...), i replaced the 2 rear tires by similar new tires. these 2 tires were half of the only set left in isreal, when new shippment was delayed for months, and i had to share this set with another guy (that knew about that set and needed only 2 tire). after 3 years of wear, the difference between the new tires and the old tires was 6 mm in diameter only. recenetely i've found out that this kind of tire is no longer being manufactured, and has been replaced by a new AT model, probebly A\T-S. so, i am confused. using 2 new and 2 old tires may damage the viscose coupling. using 2 new on one side and 2 old on the other is not a very good idea, because i have a LSD in my rear diff and i am going to "plant" the same LSD in the front. i really don't want to buy 4 new tires, and it seems that the best idea is to use the new 2 tire of the old model together with 2 of the new model. i guess these 2 models are different, but they are both AT, manufactured by the same company. and after 4 monthes ride these new 2 are still new. 6 mm difference after 3 years prove it. what do you suggest?

i replaced the engine in my 1999 forester (model x, i guess) with duel range manual transmittion, from atmospheric ej20 to impreza gt's engine: ej20 turbo. the old clutch (really old) cannot handle the power of the new engine. the space there is too small for the gt's clutch. i need a suitable clutch. the clutch cannot be ceramic, since i take my car off-road, and i need the possibility of half-clutch. i know that there is ej20 manual turbo forester. does anyone know this model? does it have the same transmission as in my car? does it's clutch fit my car?

hi guys i have a manual tramissioned forester, engine 2 liter, year 1999 (until the new turbo forester with the 2.5 liter engine, all of the foresters sold in israel were 2 liter). i just replaced the engine to a turbo engine (the same volume) as in the inpreza GT, together with an engine managing computer. the operation is still on (sensors, exaust etc.) but already now the engine works like hell. for recieving the power in lower rpm (more usefull off-road and in "normal" driving conditions, i will replace the turbo to a smaller one. i also ordered a lifting kit. my car is already lifted (47mm) by a body-lift kit, but this gives me extra hight only. the new kit has 4 loger and stronger springs (2" lift) with 4 longer and adjustable koni sport shocks. this gives me extra stroke, with better behavior. the next project is the transmission and the front diff. the long "low" range will be shortened (an australian workshop called "scorpion subaru" is working on this issue). in the same operation i will "plant" a LSD called "phantomgrip" in the front diff. i already did this in the rear diff and it works ok. the goal is: 3 lsd's (including the original lsd in the central diff). thank you for your patience...

it's obvious that adding LOW range loads extra forces on every part that comes after the LOW mechanism: transmission, drive axles, diffs etc. i guess that subaru designed that 1:1.45 LOW range with consideration of the capability of those parts to handle these forces. but i am not sure that those part will handle stronger forces, like with shorter LOW, much stronger engine or welded/locked diffs. i guess that SCORPION, that is going to develope the shorter LOW range, will have to take this into consideration, and it's possible that some of the parts will have to be replaced by stronger ones. i also thing that a much stronger engine (like i just put, supposed to give 220-240 hp using a special computer, hasn't checked yet), together with that short LOW, will probebly increase the problem.

hi guys all manual trasmissioned foresters imported to israel are EJ20, AWD and with dual range transmission (my 1999 forester is such). the LOW ratio is 1:1.45 (69% reduced speed). it slows you but you cannot really crawl with it. an ausralian workshop called SCORPION is about to improve it. i hope next summer it will be ready, so i plan to buy the and install it in my car (actually, i'll use a mechanic to do that). about the AWD vs 4WD: it's better and safer to use AWD because all 4 wheels grip the road (as long as you use suitable tires...). i don't know if the 4wd has no central diff (acts like locked diff). if so: in certain situations one axle can get too much power. about grip: the best (for a car like forester) is 3 LSDs. this way you'll have always at least 2 wheels to drag you out, without risking the axles (as in full locked diff, which, i know, is stronger). the original forester's central diff is viscose, and the other two might be something like phantomgrip. i already have one in the rear, and plan to put one in the front together with the LOW job. i already have the parts waiting (with the help of our dear John Bloom, alias MUDRAT79).

hey guys some of you forgot that it's a forester, which supposed to go off-road from time to time. therefore all the tires for asphalt that mentioned here arn't realy relevant. i think that the right tires must be AT, which are a reasonable compromise between asphalt and off-road surfaces.

if you insist of yokohama, buy the geolandar at+ii. good grip on and off road. i had dunlop grandtrek at2 in my awd forester and they were terrible: screaming on asphalt and bad grip everywhere. the bridgestone revo are very recommended, but i don't know if there are any in the forester's size.

hi kevin it seems that i didn't get the whole thing. did you mean a lift that is built in the car to lift a wheelchair? if so, what is the connection to the building rules? or you ment something that includes the building too? about the cost: i don't know what are your rights as an american citizen, but here, in israel, if you are recognized as a handicap who needs a wheelchair, 95% of the expense is being paid by the social security. pini

i have a duel range manual transmission in my forester (awd, ej20, year 99). could it fit to the legacy??? pini

hi kevin your question touched me. i have a forester and my girlfriend uses a wheelchair. i don't have a lift in my forester (i am the lift) but i'd like to give you some ideas. here, in israel, there are 2 kinds of lifts (both for foldable wheelchairs). the first one, which is located on the roof, pulls the wheelchair by a chain, or mechanic arm. putting a lift like this on a high vehical, prevents it entering some underground parking lots. the second one is a robot, located in the trunk. the trunk's door is being opened automatically, and the robot, which have some arms and about 3 motors, reaches the driver's door, and takes the wheelchair on a special socket. this robot is expensive, and there is no trunk left. if you need more information i can ask some specialists here and write you back. i guess most of the models available in israel and even more are available in the states. regards pini

i was told by the mechanic who ordered that engine (used) from japan that it has 175hp and 27kgm. a little hard to believe...

this is the number that is stamped on the block and written in the license.

hi guys i have a forester, year 1999, with 1994cc engine (EJ20) which was planted in the car 2 years ago. this engine was imported "used" from japan. it is atmospheric, but has 4 camshafts (as the "turbo") and 2 stage suction manifoled, and was sold in japan only in legacys. all i have is the engine's nunber (058248). how can i get this engine's data?

hi guys i have a forester, 2000cc, atmospheric, year 1999, manual transmission, with 2 "casted" exits computer. is it possible to tune the engine through the diagnostic socket? pini

hey i don't know what foresters are being sold in the usa, but all foresters that are being sold in israel (1994cc, atmospheric ot turbo, all with awd) have a central differential with viscose lsd. pini

hey bert as i understand the driving chain is: engine, clutch, transmission, differentials, axles and wheels. differences in wheels diameters will effect (if) only the axles and the central differential. small difference won't hurt, because the central differential will work as "open differential". maybe it will after a long time, well, i don't know. when the difference is bigger the central l.s.d. works, and may be damaged. i don't think that any of it effects the transmission because the trasmission doesn't "know" what happens in the central diff and after. all this concerns cars with central diff and l.s.d. (like forester). with 2wd: no problem at all. 4wd without central diff: just for off-road. even with totally equal wheels there is a "war" between the wheels every time the steering wheel is turned, and damage might occur. i know that some people use welded diffs which have the same effect on asphalt as 4wd. well, it's their cars... pini

hey john congratulations for the successful operation. i guess it's the forester with the phantomgrip. i already ordered the phantomgrip for my forester's front. tommorow morning (today for you, i guess) i'll be in subaru's shop, asking them about those parts in the list you sent me. by the way, the forester's long central exaust pipe has a bend to the "wrong" direction, downwards, which reduces the gap to the ground. do you know why and is it worthy and possible to change it? we'll be in tuch pini

hi guys i admit that i exaggerated a little with the need to bigger wheels at the front, but there is a little truth in it. when the tires die naturally, means wear until they die, there is no problem. from time to time we replace the front wheels with the rear so all af them wear and die at the same time. but it happens (too much, unfortunately) that one tire is being damaged and got to be replaced. in this case it's pity to change the whole 4. what i would do is (since i have 2 spares) to buy 2 new tires when the used 4 reached half of their wear and put them in front (i know, it's recommended to put the new tire at the rear), and to use the used tires as spares. this way i can keep 2 size tires with small differace between them, and if one tire goes off, i can replace just one or two (depends on the mate's shape) and store the smaller two. by the way, is there any way to measure the central viscose LSD when not hearing unusual noises?

hi guys 1/4" of the wheel diameter is almost 1%. every time your forester makes a turn of 19m radius (the centerline of the car) the front wheels turn 1% faster then the rear ones. when turning the steering wheel to the maximun the front wheels will turn about 3% faster. how many times do you reach that 1%? it seems that for these turns we need larger wheels at the front... isn't there any developed damage? i know that it's against the theory, but, at least from that aspect, if we replace just 2 wheels isn't it better to put the new and bigger ones at the front???

hi i have a 2000cc forester, year 1999. the car has 2 catalytic convertors, the first has wide gaps which allows the gases to flow freely, and the second is tighter. 2 years ago i removed the inside of the second one, and later, to delete a certain "hollow noise", i replaced it by a simple pipe (my machanic did it). since then the gases flow freely, no "check engine", and the car even passed successfully the "4 gases check" in the annual check. just another solution. pini

hi ranger i guess i am not the "good news man" today. manually transmissioned forester are rear in israel (about 95% of all vehicals sold recently are automatic). therefore it's impossible to get used transmissions here, and if someone wants to get one (if it is possible at all) is from japan. sorry. pini