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I've been noodling around in the older subarus section and found that folks are lifting the 80's GLs. I searched around on the web and found another site that had lifts for newer Subarus.

 

Has anyone had any experience with these? How does the AWD perform with it, and can larger tires be added? I'm figuring not, since the D/R 4wd was needed to get the extra grunt.

 

Thanks,

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I've been noodling around in the older subarus section and found that folks are lifting the 80's GLs. I searched around on the web and found another site that had lifts for newer Subarus.

 

Has anyone had any experience with these? How does the AWD perform with it, and can larger tires be added? I'm figuring not, since the D/R 4wd was needed to get the extra grunt.

 

Thanks,

 

how new is newer?

 

94-99 are super easy to lift (use outback/forester struts on the legacy or impreza models respectively)

 

so, how new? what model? how high? what's legal in your state?

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94-99 are super easy to lift (use outback/forester struts on the legacy or impreza models respectively)

 

this is pretty much the range i was thinking about. i'm partial to the forester, but would consider all.

 

as for state... not sure in AZ. is there any difference between car and truck lifts? there are some pretty insanely high trucks around here. where is the best place to determine height restrictions?

 

this is my goal... i work in land development, and currently drive a yukon. want to be able to drive around on a site that is typically rough, and might occasionally need the AWD to get out of a muddy spot if it rains.

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this is pretty much the range i was thinking about. i'm partial to the forester, but would consider all.

 

as for state... not sure in AZ. is there any difference between car and truck lifts? there are some pretty insanely high trucks around here. where is the best place to determine height restrictions?

 

this is my goal... i work in land development, and currently drive a yukon. want to be able to drive around on a site that is typically rough, and might occasionally need the AWD to get out of a muddy spot if it rains.

 

i lifted my 96 legacy with outback struts and it gave the undercarriage ground clearance more than my parent's yukon. however, the mid-height (breaking over a log or something) is still higher with the yukon. Get it?

 

i don't think there's much in the way of vehicle restrictions in AZ. if you want to lift something higher than just adding outback or forester struts to a legacy or impreza, then you'll want to talk to Allied Armament or Back Yard Boys. They make body lifts for subarus, and i'm sure they could help you out.

 

so you know, putting outback struts on a legacy or forester struts on an impreza will give about 2.5 inches or so more height. then you could get King Springs that'll add about an inch or two. so with springs and struts you're looking at about 3 - 4.5 more inches. you can get body lifts anywhere from 3" to 6" i beleive. So, there's a lot of possibilities.

 

as for car lifts and truck lifts being the same, no. they're the same idea but work differently. with a truck you lift the body off of the frame. with a car, there is no "frame", it's all part of the "unibody". So, to lift a car you have to drop the suspension components, the engine and tranny, lenghten the rack, so on and so forth. So to sum it up basically with a truck you're lifting the body, with a car you're dropping the suspension.

 

that's about it in a nut shell. a very large nut shell.

 

 

 

 

 

if anyone reads this and disagrees or has a correction, please correct me.

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it's super easy if you can get those damn strut bolts loose!! :banghead:

i must have spent a good 1/2 hour on each one... until i found the 6ft steel tube.... about 10 seconds each then :clap:

 

i used a 600ft lb impact gun on the fronts. needless to say it didn't take very long. about 3/16th of a second each.

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A new Subaru will not have the gears to climb like the old ones.

Larger tires will just aggrivate that problem and take down your mileage.

 

However the new ones have more power than the old ones and

an automatic transmission may make up for some of the gearing issues.

 

The question is will an auto tranny hold up?:-\

 

For dirt and back roads the cars can't be beat but for heavier 4wding an SUV with low range would be better.

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A new Subaru will not have the gears to climb like the old ones.

Larger tires will just aggrivate that problem and take down your mileage.

 

However the new ones have more power than the old ones and

an automatic transmission may make up for some of the gearing issues.

 

The question is will an auto tranny hold up?:-\

 

For dirt and back roads the cars can't be beat but for heavier 4wding an SUV with low range would be better.

 

I second... With the outback swap and 205x75 14s i love the clearance, but don't have the gearing for steep... I can get out from the pavement but am limited up ups..

I got a stage II exedy clutch which is uber tight and WAY stronger than my motor, but though it can hold i don't have the gearing to apply the torque for steep...

 

Higher is easy with struts, and I think on newer than 95s you can get an additional lift (back yard boys or scorpion) which ammounts to a block mounted on the strut mounts to drop the strut further from the unibody mounts...

 

The struts give you 2.5 and tires (that fit in the qwell) can give you another inch EASILY... beyond that you're looking at real lifts...

 

Its fun!!!

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2466&d=1114457179

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just placed an order from Jamie for a full set of Outback struts and springs for The Pretty One's '00 Legacy. Time for new struts anyhow after 175,000 mostly Montana roads, and she wanted me to lift it while we're at it.

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