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How do ea82s and ea81s compare? Opinions a plenty.


crazy D
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i've thought this for a while, but i have seen a couple really clean ea82 wagons and stuff, and i think they look awesome lifted! how do you like them, compared to your lifted Ea81's?

 

i like them.

 

do they perform as good or better than the gen 2's?

 

cool thanks

 

-Dalton

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torsion bar = more rear travel.

 

 

As far as Subaru's go, I haven't really noticed much usable difference from one to the other. other than the torsion bar allowing more travel (although frequently that leads to broken axles), EA82 being a bit more cooperative to an EJ swap, and EA82 motors sucking out loud :-p .

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With Scott's as and exception, because of drastic weight reduction and body chopping and things, I'd call it like this:

 

 

The ea81s are lighter and have shorter wheelbases.

The axles are easier to change in an ea81 car. The rear especially, for in and out because of a welded diff.

 

The ea82s have the disty way towards the back, so are less prone to dying after the mudhole cuz of water getting in them.

The ea82s have a long rump roast, so a crappy departure.

 

Both have crappy approach angles, limited by the core support, and have y-pipes that dangle.

 

As for better off road? I never did get to wheel an ea82, but went off road with several. The ea82s always seemed to struggle more than the ea81s.

 

My experience with ea82s as a motor has been bad enough that I'd never own one again. I've had at least 6 different ones, including 2 turbos.

The only issues I've ever had with an ea81 motor would be car related. But tha's what Webers are for.

 

thanks zap.

 

yeah i think they look a little bettter than ea81's lifted tho.

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still....

 

i think Ea82 wagons look really sweet with a lift, and they are always for sale around here for cheap, just put on an sjr 6 in kit and some 28's and that thing will be rollin.

 

i think they are alot roomy'er than Ea81's and have more options...

 

more opinions please?

 

pics would be cool too.

 

-Dalton

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This has been hashed over a bunch of times in the past, but you need to really think about what is important to you. Do you want a lifted subaru or a fully capable 4x4? If you want to offroad heavily, buy a truck. If you want a lifted sube to offroad, buy an EA81. If you want a lifted subaru just to look cool in, lift an RX or XT6. :clap::Flame:

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Well, i think that if you want to just go and play around either one is going to do just fine. Capable will depend on how hard you want to play and how much modifying you do to it.

 

heres some pics of mine..........

 

IMG_1819.JPG

 

IMG_1828.JPG

 

Theres more pictures in my gallery if your interested.

 

BTW........I do like my lifted EA82 but in all fairness i never have had a lifted EA81. i have always liked the looks of the EA81 but when i bought my EA82 12 yrs ago i went with the more room that it had and glad i did since now i also have an EA81( only factory cranked up suspension) and there isn't as much room in it. My EA82 has only been lifted for about 4 years now but it shows the wear and tear of hard playing.

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Yeah, i know. But, back when i bought my sooby i wasn't thinking of lifting it. I was just thinking of getting a newer car and i always liked and heard good things about Subarus and since i like going up into the mountains (I.E. Camping, Hiking, Backpacking, Snowshoeing and Mountain Climbing) at all times of the year. With all the activities and being a single parent of 2 young childeren at the time the room of an EA82 was appealing. But since i have lifted it and wheeling it i do understand the limitations of soobies and the difference between the 2. But until it dies I'm going to abuse it the best that i can. :lol: Then i will go to my back up and thats my 84 wagon unless my son steals it away from me :rolleyes:, then i just have to get a Brat or step up to a yota or cherokee. Oh and as far as the clutch goes even though it suppose to be a so called Brute Force clutch it doesn't like it when i get hard on it.

 

PS sorry for the brief life history.

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yeah i think i'd like the more room myself.... and you can always install an xt6 clutch with ease on an Ea82.

 

i was thinking along the lines of a '87ish wagon, with a six inch lift...some 28" tires, some lights and othere than that........thats about it...maybe a set of all terrians,...or some mudders and some street'ers.

 

it'll be awhile tho...ill never be able to afford a six inch sjr lift...

 

 

i want it silver too,...with some red decals.:grin:

 

 

-Dalton

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Both have crappy approach angles, limited by the core support, and have y-pipes that dangle.

QUOTE]

 

As for the Y-pipe thing.

Tore mine open on a rock, that was loud.

So I took it to an exhaust shop and told them to make me a new one. Up nice and tight. Now the lowest thing is the oil pan skid plate up front (and the cat is slightly lower so it got smashed on a recent outing...oops). The way it should have been from the factory. I've had no problems with it getting things too hot... yet. :) *knocks on wood*

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i have never smashed my exhaust open or to the point that it has needed to be replaced but i tweeked to up against the driveline where i've had to pry it back witha 3ft prybar. but i do have both sides of my backseat passenger floor boards dented up and lost about a gallon of capacity in my fuel tank do to a dent and the front passenger side floor board has been hammered back down atleast once. anyway Y-pipe and exhaust is still the same as when i lifted it and dent free. Knock on wood back....:lol:

 

and we won't talk about fenders, core support (son hit a tree), hood (son again, same tree), quarter panels, taillight (drives side), rocker panels-bothsides, doors and that space below the rear hatch. Wow, i think the hatch is the only straight piece still on the car........i'll have to fix that. :rolleyes::lol: :lol: :lol:

 

oh wait and the roof.

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Lifted EA82 body's= nice

 

Lifted EA82's with big tires and still trying to turn them with the 90hp= the suck.

 

I don't miss that lump. It served well and took hell and was still running when I swapped it to the EJ22. I haven't taken it apart to find how bent the rods are. It was reliable and took a good beating, but it just didn't have the torque.

 

The EJ22 in the EA82 body is nice, add's a lot to the experience. But... not quite enough low end. So now I'm looking into moving up to the EJ25. In 2wd, the ej22 is a bit too much for my suspension to handle, but in 4wd, hard hillclimbs can bogg the engine if it's not up in the powerband. If I had the gearing it would be OK, but I don't, so I need more torque.

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I was thinking along the lines of a '87ish wagon, with a six inch lift...some 28" tires, some lights and othere than that........thats about it...maybe a set of all terrians,...or some mudders and some street'ers.

-Dalton

 

28" tires might be a little tall for offroad with the stock drivetrain and weight. You might be happier limiting your tires to 27".

 

87-89 were all basically the same with dual range and fuel injection. Before 87 they had carbs, after 89 they had no dual range.

 

Rollie

 

7-after.JPG

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