Scoobywagon Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 I have noticed that Subaru tends to do its own thing in terms of vehicle design and contruction. I'm not complaining about that, but I'm certain that there are valid reasons why subaru does some of the things it does when no one else does them. For instance, I'm assuming there is some sort of advantage in the "big 4" lug pattern as compared the the much smaller patterns in general use by other manufacturers. Anyone know why the did that? Then there are the engines. Almost every engine subaru has ever built has been horizontally opposed. Clearly such a design offers advantages over a similar engine with a V or inline design in terms of weight distribution and overall balance. Theoretically, an HO engine should also be smoother than an engine of similar displacement with a different configuration (V, I or for that matter even radial). Porsche (and VW) used such a design, though VW hasn't in quite some time. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 Actually - strange you should mention this because in almost every case I can think of Subaru has copied someone else's design. The engine is a water cooled version of the VW bug engine, and the rod shift transaxle is also a bug rip off.... As for the lug pattern - it's always stronger to have your lugs spaced farther apart. Just another example of the over-engineering that went into the early soobs. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 well if they over-engineered it the first time, then that is all they had to do to have a similar desighn through 20 years. i think subarus are very well engineered, but not overly complicated. but i will tell you the truth, im scared to take a tranny apart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobywagon Posted June 24, 2004 Author Share Posted June 24, 2004 I wouldn't disagree with you. I was just wondering if anyone knew the technical reasons why Subaru does some of those things that are peculiar to Subaru. I would assume that there are some very good technical reasons for some of them. after all, these are really first-rate cars in terms insofar as longevity and maintenance go. I'm just kinda wondering what some of those reasons would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Another odity is the rear prop shaft, when you remove it, it spills oil on you. Most other cars hace the stub sticking out of the transfer case, not into it. I suppose it keeps more moving pars oiled and makes it easier to replace the oil seal, but another WHY? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 well if they over-engineered it the first time, then that is all they had to do to have a similar desighn through 20 years. i think subarus are very well engineered, but not overly complicated. but i will tell you the truth, im scared to take a tranny apart! Is Miles' tail tucked between his legs on the mystery of a trans? this'll perk up his ears: as soon as I build me a trans stand, I'll be tearing apart a trans from Mc's red brat, a 82 dr, and will have pictures!!!! and if I can fix it, I'll tear into my 85 dr, and swap the 82 for the 85 I like to call it revesrse engineering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex C Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 think of the extra hole for the hood brace, so you can open the hood farther. they new you might need to fix it and just made it easier. Makes more sense than making it impossible to repair. Or the plugs in the front frame members that allow you access to the two long head bolts on each side so you can take the heads off without removing the engine. Great design ideas. Oh yea, the tool kit that is provided, a very nice touch. Do they still do this in the new cars? Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Yes - all new subaru's still come with the little tool bag. Just remember - there are many right ways to do things. There are benifits to each type of design, and there are drawbacks. Some you can see, and some you can't. Sometimes the only benifit of one design over another is that it's cheaper to make, or it can be made of machinery the company already owns. Asking why they did this or that is like asking why it's raining - you will never get an adequate answer, although I'm sure someone will try. The answer to why did they use a HO designed engine is because they *could*. Subaru was trying to get into the US market - to do this they needed a vehicle that was both cheaper than the domestic cars, and more reliable and economical. Someone probably realized that up to that point in time (early 60's), the only foreign company to be widely succesful in this market was VW. They were an obvious choice for who to copy. The 360's look suspicously similar to the beetle in many respects, and the engine design wasn't far off either (air cooled, all-aluminum construction, rear-mounting, etc). When it came time to up the engine size, and build a bigger car, the choice was again VW, but with Subaru's own "improvements", such as water cooling (with that comes front mounting for easy radiator placement). GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now