Lookin' for a Front Li'l Lift

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Then, the Finish:

 

 

 

 

After waitin' for Hours, is Ready to install  

Edited May 29, 2013 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Finally, I installed the SJR Lift Kit!

 

 

Have you ever broken a stanley adapter, while tightening a screw?

Edited May 29, 2013 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Those EA82 models that features Power Steering, has an Steering linkage with a junction that has two Universal Joints, like the one pictured below; while those EA82 models with Manual Steering, features a junction with only one Universal Joint; keep in mind that I am referring here, to an EA82 with Power Steering, so the Steering shaft is joined with the Piece pictured below, which needs an elongation, if you install engine's crossmember Blocks.

 

---

 

 

I Lengthened the Steering Shaft...


 

Edited November 2, 2015 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
This pic is for reference only, not my actual part.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

...and this is How it Looks installed, in my BumbleBeast's Dirty engine Bay:

 

 

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Inmediately after the instal finished,

I went to Test Drive the Lifted BumbleBeast

to the "Agua Blanca" (White Water) Mountain:

 

 

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I Made a Short Video while Driving, Here you can see it:

 

 

Please, Let me Know what do you Think about it!

 

Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I Measured the Vehicle's Tallness from a Flat Floor to the Fenders' top middle (The Wheel well's top) on the four corners, riding on 25" tires:

- The Rear has 28 inches, Carrying some load, such as a Full sized spare tire, three tool boxes, a medium sized fire extinguisher, an amplified SubWoofer, etc...
(due to my own suspension lift, Details, photos & Part numbers ~►Here.)

- The Front has 27.5 inches.
(With the 2" SJR Suspension Lift + Ford tempo Coil Springs, see the above link for details.)

Edited December 25, 2013 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

...and that measurements are with 205/60 R15 Tires.

The measurements should increase with taller tires.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The first thing I did when I finished to install the Lift kit, was to Take the BumbleBeast to a professional Tire Shop and let them adjust the Alignment, Then I Went to the "Agua Blanca" (white water) Mountain trial.

My BumbleBeast Now Runs on 205/60 R 15" tires... (maybe I'll put Bigger tires soon) ...  ...

Do you want to know how the Overall vehicle's performance changed with those bigger Tires?

My Little country, Honduras, has an extremely mountainous geography ... now I need to Shift down to Second gear on long uphills on-road, when in the past my subie did climb in third gear, But something interesting is that the second gear downshift on high RPM's driving with the Bigger tires, makes me feel my BumbleBeast even Faster than it was on the 13" wheels on same RPM's! 

However, the speedometer reads around 15% lower than the actual car's speed, the overall Vehicle handling stays the Same, even with the Lift kit.

 

Kind Regards.

► Edited to update the Links.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I Found interesting that No one said on the other Lift Threads, that when you Drop the engine Crossmember (and with that the engine sits Lower on the Engine bay); the Pulley driven fan, found on some EA82's will Hit its surrounding Frame that is mounted on the Radiator!

I Know it is Logical... but it worth be written here because someone could forget about that and Damage the Fan.

Kind Regards.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[gadberry]

There's a similar issue with the EA81 4" (and greater) lifts too; particularly if your EA81 was equiped with an A/C unit. Dropping the engine 4" into the engine bay as you "lift" the body for larger tires, results in the A/C compressor colliding with body/frame of the car. So, I removed the compressor and sawz-all'd the aluminum bracket off.. See the result by clicking the link below: (maybe this will work)

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/c7YJTB7AnB3HmfTP2CbuLdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

 

Congrats on the successful 2" lift; looks great!

gadberry

 

I Found interesting that No one said on the other Lift Threads, that when you Drop the engine Crossmember (and with that the engine sits Lower on the Engine bay); the Pulley driven fan, found on some EA82's will Hit its surrounding Frame that is mounted on the Radiator.

 

I Know it is Logical... but it worth be said because someone could forget about that and Damage the Fan.

 

Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

...Congrats on the successful 2" lift; looks great!

 

Thank You, I'm Glad that you Liked it ...  ... Your Lifted EA81 wagon Looks Awesome!

 

 

---

 

Regarding the Lengthening job to the Steering Shaft's linkage, this is exactly what I did:

 

You just kinda adapt it to the lift.  Cut it, sleeve it, mark it where it fits, weld it ...

 

Because:

 

...the ratio changes depending on how much lift.

 

However, then Gloyale posted this very interesting information:

 

 

Taken from Here: ~► http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/153748-steering-extension-length-ratio-to-lift-block/

 

I edited this post because such information is worth to be Saved for Future References.

 

Kind Regards.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The first thing I did when I finished to install the Lift kit, was to Take the BumbleBeast to a professional Tire Shop and let them adjust the Alignment.

 

Then I Went to the "Agua Blanca" (white water) Mountain trial. ...

 

 

I Forgot to Post the Results of the Front Alignment on my BumbleBeast:

 

 

 

 

Let me Know what do you Think about That.

 

Kind Regards.

[Cyfun]

Looks like the front right and rear left have a ton of camber, and the other two don't. You probably want around 1 degree of negative camber at each front tire, and they could probably use more caster, too. And the toe-out in the back would be worth a look.

 

On my car with the EJ22 swap, when I accelerate, the front lifts really hard and causes the front tires to get a ton of positive camber, making them ride on the outer edges and get almost no traction, so I tend to burn out a lot. I ended up cutting bigger bolt holes in the strut tower, so at rest it probably has a couple degrees of camber and caster. Had to play with it a bit so it would drive straight, but it does help.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Seeing the Alignment Report on the Previous Page, and this post:

 

Looks like the front right and rear left have a ton of camber, and the other two don't. You probably want around 1 degree of negative camber at each front tire, and they could probably use more caster, too. And the toe-out in the back would be worth a look...

 

Made me Think if there could be a Chance to use Camber correctors while the car has Lifting Blocks...

 

is that Possible?

 

Or there is another Way to Correct the Camber issues?

 

There is a local chain of Professional Alignment & Tire Shops here, they claim that they could Fix the camber issues on my BumbleBeast... they doesn't give much feedback but their clients and some local friend mechanics said to me that they could do that... but is Expensive and somehow involves a Strut Tower correction! ... ...

 

For now the Alignment is accurate, the only issue I notice is that the front wheels, (one Specially) tends to sit more on its inner edge.

 

So the Front wheels looks somehow like this: | \ One worse than the Other.

 

Please, let me Know what do you think about that and if anyone has faced such problem... and the Solution if you found one!

 

Kind Regards.

[Cyfun]

You're probably thinking of having custom camber plates made, which is always an option.

 

I did it the easy way. Drilled out the strut mount holes to be a LOT bigger, then got some thick fender washers. If I let the struts sit all the way inward, it gives me probably 3 or 4 degrees of negative camber.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

A New Plan = To Drop an extra ½ inch the Engine's Crossmember

 
in Honduras became almost impossible to find spare parts for Subarus, (I explained the reasons with details, ~► Here) and I am having many problems with cheap aftermarket axles wearing faster in the front, due to the Angle of them since the Lift was installed; because the Front Lift consist in two 2" tall Strut Blocks and two 1½" Blocks for the engine's Crossmember; I was thinking on change those last ones, with 2" instead of 1½", in oder to keep the Axles as Straight as Possible; then to order online the Best Axles I could.
 
Please, let me Know what do you Think about of Lowering the Engine's Crossmember and extra ½" to keep the Axles Straight.
 
I know that I would need to lengthen the Steering shaft another ½" but I'll like to know if the extra half inch low, will affect the Shifting linkage or other things...
 
Kind Regards.

[djellum]

I dropped the full 2 inches when I finally got down to doing mine.  I did have to mess with the linkage at 2 inches.  I used a torch and bent a Z in the 4wd shifter.  the platform for the linkages still attaches to the peg that holds it in the back, but barely, I have it spaced down as far as I can and still have to wedge it there.  looking at the style that the linkage is you can probably fab up something with normal hand tools.  I didn't need to do anything to get the shifter to work in the car, just to clear the console, so depending on what your interior is like you may need something different.  

 

the one think I didn't do was the radius rods and I think that is causing me some problems.  nothing undrivable, but I think its pulling the control arm backwards and twisting it a little more than I want.  with less lift on the radius rods and cross members I think it pulls inward just a little too much for my liking.

 

Im kind of in the mind that 1/2 an inch isn't worth worrying about, just do 2 inches all around and call it a day.  then you know for sure that nothing is going to bind or pull and your suspension will be stock.  its a little more work, but with some planning it shouldn't be too much of a deal.  I tried a few different methods but in the end it took too much tinkering and ate up too many axles.  I have to do mine in segments since I need it for work.  I have all the Xmembers dropped 2 inches and I'm much happier with it, the next step is to build the blocks for the radius rods to return everything to a true stock geometry.  if your still debating after i finish ill let you know what it changes.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Thank you so much djellum for you Kind Answer.  So you have a front lift as follows:

 

2" Strut Blocks plus 2" Engine Crossmember drop blocks, isn't it?

 

---

 

Today I removed the Engine's Crossmember Blocks, and I found that those are Not 1½" tall as I thought; I must had a Brainfart ... Those are 1½" Wide, but only one inch of tallness, as they are rectangular; and thus explains why the front axles on my "BumbleBeast" are inclined in such great angle degree...

 

So, today I went to buy two pieces of new, Squared steel reinforced pipe, 7.5" Long each, and 1½" on each side; in order to gain half inch of extra lowering for the Engine's Crossmember; that shall relief the Axle's stress angle a little, without compromising the Shifter Linkage, nor stressing the radius rods.

 

Now after I already drilled the 3/8" Ø holes on each new 1½"  Block, I will chemically Clean them, and paint them in the same manner I did with the old blocks, which was explained in early posts of this mere thread.

 

So since the old blocks were 1" only, I decided to drop the Crossmember 1½" not 2" ... Now I must obtain new 5½" long, 3/8" Ø Steel Reinforced Bolts to hold everything together.

 

Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

But a new problem appeared:

 

the Steering Linkage on my "BumbleBeast" has the universal joints with way too much play

 

 

(now this is my actual part, as it was lenghtened during the lift kit install)

 

After almost thirty years, that part seems to be very worn. May I use it from another non-Subaru car? ... I know that the Subaru Forester one is a direct bolt-on and already has the extra lenght, But where I could find such part in Honduras? ... Tomorrow I'll start the search. 

 

Wish me Luck! ... Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

So I am Lucky, and I found a used but Good Steering Shaft, in a Local Junk Yard which miraculously has a 1992 Subaru Legacy in their inventory...

 

I purchased it because it is in Good Shape, its universal joints are good and has the same ends with same grooves as the Subaru Loyale Steering Shaft; in fact the one from the Legacy already is Longer than the one from the Loyale, but since my old loyale one was already lengthened, the one from the Legacy has the same overall length, without lengthen it...

 

Maybe I'll need to Lengthen the new one from the Legacy, to compensate the extra ½ inch that I lowered the Engine's Crossmember.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Here you can see both Steering Shafts together:

 

 

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Report on the '92 Subaru Legacy Steering Shaft onto my '85 Subaru "BumbleBeast" EA82:

 

The Legacy Steering shaft fits absolutely PERFECT there!

 

in fact it does Not need any modification, nor lengthening at all; so I am glad to inform you that the '92 Legacy steering shaft, works great with 2" Lift Kits that lowers the Engine Crossmember between 1" and 1½" for the EA82 Subarus.

 

Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I am More than Satisfied with the Great Quality of the SJR 2" Lift kit I have.

 

I removed it after all this thousands of Miles and years, and it is absolutely Flawless; the reason it came with a 1" engine's crossmember blocks, was to gain more ground clearance, but I'm changing those 1" blocks, with 1½" Blocks, because in my crazy country, Honduras, is very difficult to find good quality Axles, and I need to keep them as close to the Stock Geometry as Possible, in order to elongate their Lifespan.

 

Now the strut blocks received a fresh coat of paint, and are already reinstalled; also I already installed the new engine's crossmember Blocks, let me upload a couple of photos to share here...

 

Kind Regards.