Uberoo Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 It just snowed 6 inches here.So I decided to fire up my subaru even though it had no lower radiator support or cooling fans.Oh and BTW its not legal-no fenders,tractor tires,smashed light,no registration,no title,no insurance.In other words jail bait. My subaru is a 1983 GL wagon rolling on 26" tractor tires.First of all its parked in a dug out area that was supposed to be the base of a shop-never got built.Anyway to get to the road I have to go up a grade 7 slope(or better) that is just slippery as all hell.Mud underneath and now 6" of fresh snow covering it.Just went its wet my 89 cummins 4x4 on moderatly worn out mud tires can hardly make it up.So I leave my subaru in FWD and simply WALK up the hill with very little if any slipage.So far so good.So i start driving around.one thing that is immediatly apparent is the fact that at anything over 2.5 mph there is a tone of vibrations.too be expected.next up turning.Pretty much ANYWHERE you have the tires aimed is where you will go.Indeed if you want to turn just turn the wheel and away you go.lets say your coming into a corner a bit fast and the front starts understeering simply turn where you want to be and press the gas.In fact doing that pulls so hard Im supprised I didnt explode a CV it just goes flat out where ever you drive it.So I went over to a friends house to show him it.I took him for a brief ride around the block.to prove just how awesome the tires were I started to drive in a ditch at the side of the road.Then he said that the people living across the street would call the cops if I was doing that.so I turned the wheel and it climbed out of the ditch with no effort. IN FWD non the less! the reves didnt even go up.the car just turned and went back on the road like it was driving on dry pavement-even though it was on grass that was under 6" of snow.Oh yea and check this out.even though my toy doesnt have ABS I never had to pump the brakes to stop even on HUGE STEEP HILLS.In fact I would bet that it drives better on the snow than it does on pavement.Just incredable.after that I put it away.Then I had to go pick up my sister's friend.I choose to drive my dodge because I had my fair share of "OH SH**" moments when I saw a cop while driving the subaru.so i fire up the dodge and I can't even get moving in RWD so I lock in the hubs and put it 4x4 just to make it up a very gentle hill near our house(Its like a 2).After that I put it in 2wd once again.Then it comes time to stop.being used to complete control the subaru offered I almost slid though the stop sign into oncoming traffic-thankfully there wasnt a car at that intersection...so score goes like this: SUBARU: 1000 Dodge : -500 the dodge just slid everywhere.4x4 only made it worse because then the front would also slid with the back end.yea the dodge is open diffs and so is the subaru.So with that being said.I would hate to find the mud/snow pit that the subaru gets stuck in.espeically once its in 4wd with a locked rear. lesson? Go out and BUY some 6X14 R1 tractor tires at les Schwab.for all 4 they are 300 plus TAX.they are roughly 26" tall and 7" wide.on 14" rims.Mine are 14" mazda pickup rims redrilled .They are definatly something you put on at the trail but the traction they provide is just out of this world.just point them and go. Im just STOKED!!! Now I just have to set the idle a little higher so it doesnt try to die when ever I come to a stop.I have to fix my wipers-the passenger side is striped out and the driver side tries to catch on the lower edge of the windshield.And for some reason even though I installed a relay so the thing would start when I turned the key,it decided to not do that anymore(was working fine a week ago) so everytime it stalled I would have to jumper the starter-annoying when you have hood pins... Go buy the tires you wont be dissapointed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zrbrat Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Sounds awsome! How about getting some pics for us? I'd like to see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 i'll try to find a camera tomarrow-when its light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Yea.. we need pics! and with the snow.. we got alot here in the Dry-Cities too... just got my Hatch running and having a ball... Been years since I have been to Lew/Clrk. Enjoy the snow and your project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one eye Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Should be fun to try and make it up that big hill by Wal-mart and home depot right near your house there. I wish my Brat was more over the road worthy, I'd come over and play too. Its hard to believe that there is 6" of snow there last time I was at your place it was 101 deg at your place at noon now its all Snow. Can't wait to see the pics. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 it seems the winters are getting colder and the summers hotter... now the roads are just slush thanks to the state getting a good start on on plowing/de-ICEING...GRRR I wanted to to snow 2 feet so I was the only one mobile...pics should be on the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 here be some pics! http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n45/Uberoo/ the car is an 1983 GL wagon,forest green in color.now is CAMO because of rust.the "OUCH" pic is the damage someone did to the car and didnt bother to leave a note.. Snow is rapidly melting here...I wish it would snow alot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zrbrat Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Holey Moley! Pretty cool sneakers on that...I want some! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 EMO KID MOMENT today I got the lower radiator support/skidplate welded up.Its pretty solid but its welded to rust.. The emo kid moment-The welding cost more than I expected.so now I COULD go offroad but no money for gas,and the subaru is empty...crys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamCF Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 finally ,pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Sweet job on the new radiator support, I wonder how far that idea can be taken as far as putting some electric fans on the front of the rad and moving the whole assembly closer to the engine. Might have to massage the fenders, but ultimate attack angle would be amazing As for those tires; :Flame:any surface.....except pavement! Niiiiiiice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 the radiator can only be moved so much before it hits the pulleys on the front of the engine.right now I have the stock fan that sits on the right side of the radiator.the lower edge is about 1/4" from the block.In those pics the lower radiator support isnt put in so the radiator hangs vertically.With the lower support in place the bottom of the radiator is rreally close to the engine.As far as the fenders-they are gone.I could chop the frame back to the meet the lower support but then I would loose my tow hooks. As for it being done.I have two more things to do.I have to make a bumper and weld the back diff.after that everything else is not strictly needed. Things I want to do weld diff build front bumper Wire in radiator fan and window washer unnessisary mods make shift boot and shift knob 4 lights on the roof install CB radio thats bin sitting forever... tape over broken taillight so it doesnt show white(not really important seeing as I probally as going to tow it there.Or drive really carefully) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted February 8, 2008 Author Share Posted February 8, 2008 another testing run this time in waha with some real snow.the tires seemed to do ok,but I need to do some things before I hed out again 1.WELD UP THE DAMN REAR DIFF 2.find out why my brakes are almost useless-fix if cheap,might have something to do with the brake fluid light on... 3.Fix big exhaust leak off the left head.car is the 10th gutless wonder in the world both with tractor tires and normal 13" tires. 4.find my come along. 5. make some atv style ramps to help when/if it gets stuck(it got stuck when I drove with one side into a snow bank and the other side was on ice,and it got stuck when I accidentally backed into a big snow drift when backing down a REALLY steep road.brakes didnt do much so it went right into snow bank.wouldnt have been a stuck if the rear end was welded. 6.WELD THE DAMN REAR DIFF!!!! 7.install CB radio and possibly lights on roof,print off "temp tags" so outings arnt so nerve racking-(sorry officer I just bought the car... sorry no pics.although they would just be of the car stuck in a snow bank,and or me shoveling snow out from under it. oh yea I made a SWEET scotch brite air filter.maybe I will get pics of that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooinater Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 actually if you can't drive with an open diff in the snow, and not slide into embankments or stay out of snow banks; don't weld it till you learn to drive. welding the rear will make your rear end fishtail easier, along with on side hills make your rear end catwalk slightly down hill. learn to drive, then weld. it also doesn't help that your tires have minimal contact with ice( beings that there is huge voids and very little rubber), and probally no siping what so ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted February 8, 2008 Author Share Posted February 8, 2008 truth be told I was backing down the hill and thought the gas the brake.punched the gas in reverse and went right into the snow bank/ditch at the side of the road.the snow bank was enough that it tilted the car just so that the left front tire was in a hole and so was the left rear.the right rear was barely touching the ground and the right front was on a patch of ice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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