cole098 Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Hey All... I would like to buy a EA82 wagon soon but I have a few questions. I now have a 84 wagon with the dual range 4 speed that I love in the snow and never get stuck. I know that in 1985 they still made a dual range trans. But after that I have no clue when they decided to do away with the dual range trans. What years did they have dual range unitil????? My next question is for you guys that have wagons WITHOUT the dual range trans. What do you think of your 4wd performance in the snow compared to the older dual range trans that was in the EA81 cars???? Also how is the automatic trans 4wd in the snow???? And what about ALL WHEEL DRIVE compared to the dual range??? Thanks Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I have a 1985 Subaru D/R 4WD 5-speed and love it. Dual ranges were produced through 1989, and I have seen two Loyale's with D/R trannies, but they are very, very rare. Get the SPFI system on 1986 and later cars, it is very reliable and fairly powerful (compared to an '84). The only thing with EA82 engines is remembering to replace your T-belt at the specified interval. Snow hadling is great, have been through very deep drifts w/o probs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 All models were available with a dual range gearbox. You could even get legacies with a D/R gearbox! Myself, i would steer clear of the 3 speed auto, not sure about off road , but it sucks on road! (no torque converter lockout!). I'm not familiar with the 4speed auto, so i can't help you there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Um, in the US they were available through '89, unless you want to import a car Actually, can you find Legacy D/R trannies there??? I think many of the board members want them for their EJ22 cars. Also, do your Leone turbos have the factory oil cooler!? I think many board members would also be interested in those. (myself included - if it is within a college student's vast budget ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86subaru Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 my 86 spfi fwd sedan is good , and good on gas, i also have a 88 full time 4wd a/t turbo wagon , it's great , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoyaleFan Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I drive a 92 loyale, which is a 5 spd 4wd wagon. No low range. As far as driving in the snow....I really dont think you need low range. Low range is more used for time when you need more pulling power. Being in the situation of towing, both cargo and pulling somebody out, and offroading. Really, the only situation i've used dual range in the snow ON ROAD was while descending an extremely icy hill. I was unable to even "tap" the brakes without sliding horribly. So! I just used low range 1st gear and let the engine brake for me while descending. (this was in a 1990 ford f-150) I live in PA so i have a world of experience driving in snowy conditions, and you really dont need low range for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom63050 Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 My next question is for you guys that have wagons WITHOUT the dual range trans. What do you think of your 4wd performance in the snow compared to the older dual range trans that was in the EA81 cars???? For normal street driving in snow, there is no need for the D/R manual 5-speed. The pushbutton 4WD on the Loyales works fine and is the equivalent of the high range on the D/R. The low range would be useful in certain offroad situations, or if you are pulling a load on the street and can be in 4WD. Or if you just want to piss off the guys in expensive sports cars by accelerating off the line in low range in the snow. That said, I will still be converting my Loyale to the D/R 5-speed at the earliest opportunity, if only for the coolness factor! Also LSD. We don't often get any interesting amounts of snow down here in VA, so next winter I'm heading for Vermont or New Hampshire for some fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I think low range is very important in the ice and mud. In just snow single range will be fine. I agree that 3 speed autos are lousy. They work on and get decent mileage, but they are slow. They wheel pretty good though, my first 86 was an auto and I had it on some pretty ugly roads (if you want to call them roads) SPFI is generally seen on the 88 and up models. some earlier years have it but some dont. Having had both carbed and fuel injected models, I say if you have the choice, get the fuel injection. The carb can be made faster with a weber carb swap, but its still tempramental in the mornings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I have found low range to be of use in deep snow. I find that in high range, there is too much of a gap between 1st and 2nd, and the engine lacks enough power to make changing into 2nd a viable option when plowing through deep snow. When in low range, the gears are closer together, making it easier to keep the car moving... I think the big gap between 1st and 2nd was reduced in the later 4 speeds and 5 speeds though, so this may be irrelevant...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausubaru92 Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 My wagon is a 92 and it has D/R.I love D/R on dirt roads,.. cos most of the time i cant drive more than 70km\h on them, but in low range, the gears are more useable when driving at the reduced speed:brow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 In the US - DL's = single range 4wd GL's = Dual range 4wd XTs - single, dual and fulltime 4wd? RX - fulltime and dual? Loyale = Single range 4wd Dual Range is the way to go. single range tranny seem to be geared a little bit higher then a dual range. I've never liked any of the single range 4wds I've driven. they made dualranges in the us until the end of the 89 year models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I only have experience with the '85 ea82 d/r it was the best combo for showing off in the parking lot, both forward and reverse and driving on the hiway :cool: when the traffic sped up or slowed down, I just shifted ranges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I only have experience with the '85 ea82 d/r it was the best combo for showing off in the parking lot, both forward and reverse and driving on the hiway :cool: when the traffic sped up or slowed down, I just shifted ranges That's what I have ..... and they call me crazy for keeping it so long I don't use the 4WD like that tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Joe,you want an '88 D/R 5spd.It's worth looking into ones in New England and NY because they offfered the D/R more often up here.Not many left up here though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 the 5-speed D/R were offered everywhere - look out west for one w/o rust we bought ours new in Florida twenty years ago there ARE some US 1992 Loyales with D/R trannies - I know of 2 in a junkyard, and yes they came from the factory that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themixtoo Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Hey All... What years did they have dual range unitil????? ..your 4wd performance in the snow compared to the older dual range trans that was in the EA81 cars???? Also how is the automatic trans 4wd in the snow????Joe[/Quote]Joe, I've had (my family) 12 'Ru's. Six we still have. 4 were sticks, 8 automatics. Presently we still have 5 automatics (all awd) and 1-5 speed (awd). All I can say is the d/r 4 speeds that were in my 3 Brats were invaluable, as a matter of fact I'm sure that tranny saved my life one night on a freeway when an 18 wheeler cut me off @50mph on a snow covered road, those rear trailer tires were within inches of my driver's door when I grabbed that lever and yanked it into low. I thought I'd rather blow the engine than lose my life. Semi never saw me, had to pull over on shoulder of the highway and compose myself (check my pants) But, I'm still here to talk about it. As for the automatics, they are OK, BUT, you have to 'help' them (in my opinion) in really slippery/snowy conditions I override the tranny and do the shifting myself. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonwingsubaru Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 well i havent had a chance to try out the d/r 5 spd in my 85 yet as i am still waiting to get it towed here. but on my first soob which was an 89 gl-10 turbo wagon, with an automatic i think it did fairly well in the mud and offroading but i could still see the advntages that a 4 or 5 spd d/r would have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenw22 Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 So far, I've driven: 3-sp auto pushbutton 4x4 5-sp d/r 4x4 5-sp pushbutton 4x4 I like the dual-range for the simple fact that it's a mechanical system. I can be 100% sure that I'm in 4wd, rather than trusting a light. That said, I only use 4wd when I'm driving on completely icy or snow-covered roads. If I'm working my way through mud or drifts, I'll start in 2wd. If I get stuck, I know that I can switch to 4wd and get out. I didn't mind the 3-sp auto. It's nice in winter for smooth power delivery on ice or snow. That car was also a turbo, so it seemed about as fast as the 5-sp SPFI I drive now. I've found, at least for the conditions I encounter here, that my tire choice makes a bigger difference than 2wd or 4wd. I'd pick a 2wd with the right tires over a 4wd with a poor tire choice. I have a Chevy 4x4 with big mud tires on it, and it sucks in winter. I hate driving it anywhere because I slide all over the place. I feel way more confident in my 'roo with skinnier winter tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximumBRAT Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 '81 D/R w/ 4 sp; Uber for any condition. low will get you through a mud hole that a '95 1/2 chevy will stick in, and home from work on a dark, icy CO road at 40. '88 D/R FT4wd w/ 5-sp; always A+ '89 GL D/R 5-sp; Once again Fantastic '92 AWD Automatic; good enough, but is not as sound on ice. good drifter (??). '89 Turbo wagon D/R Auto; eewww.. I don't think it worked right. not a pleasurable experience. '88 DL wagon w/ 5-sp; no 4wd, was heavy enough to be good on ice, though. not preferable '90 Justy single 4 5-sp; Super for icy roads, not a mudder though. EDIT; i work at a subie dealership, the new AWD system (core technology in all they make) is really smart and recoommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Joe,I've got a line on something you might want to check out.It's supposedly rust free with a detailed log of every oil change,part installed,etc.etc.....including gas calculations,all reciepts.....so if you're interested give me a call,email,or whatever.Of course,a car like this could end up in my stable.Then I'd gladly cut you a deal on my Touring wagon w/D/R 5spd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 I took a ride to see if quickly.Nice D/R 5spd,dark red(maroon) w/grey int. Clean. The kid wasted the pass. front wheel support,etc. Good car otherwise.You'll only need a few hours at the most to swap over what it needs.After that you're all set.I'll be able to post pics this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cole098 Posted February 4, 2005 Author Share Posted February 4, 2005 Thanks All for the info... And thanks Paul... I sent ya a PM... Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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