Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
This topic is a continuation of Topic 2195....
Subaru Forrester - Continued II. Please continue
these discussions here. Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
Subaru Forrester - Continued II. Please continue
these discussions here. Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
On the carrier - you have several options. My soft carrier was $50, and I've been happy. No excessive wind noise, it proved water proof in 5 hours of rain, and no scratches. It folds away and takes up no space, too.
You can also get hard carriers. The Subaru one is expensive, but Sears has several options, and they're bargains. These lock, but they are rigid so odd shaped items may not fit well.
A Forester should easily make it through dental school for you. In fact, it would be under warranty the whole time, while most competitors would not.
As for parts, I buy from Qsubaru, a wholesaler whose prices are extremely competitive. They're OE parts at good prices, and shipping is free, plus there is no sales tax outside of TN.
-juice
Thanks!
--Kate
I like the front all the way up, for thigh support, and the rear a bit lower. That tends to hug me a bit better, like a bucket seat should.
On longer trips I usually adjust the lumbar setting every few hours, too.
-juice
These same CD's sound fine in 4 other CD players I own. Some of my CD's always make this noise, while others will do it only on rare occasions during long 2+ hour trips.
Does anyone else have this problem?
-juice
Ross
On a different note, here are instructions to install the rear diffy protector and the trailer hitch.
I did both myself and took pictures to share with you guys. Both peices impressed me, they're sturdy and offer a nice, custom fit.
The skid plate can be done in an hour or two, the hitch takes longer. I did manage both by myself, though I skinned a knuckle or two.
The skid plate was $55 from
Darlene. The hitch was close to $190, and the bike carrier was $156 or so. It costs more than the roof carrier, but it's more versatile since I can now haul a trailer.
I'm happy as a clam because I'm heading to the OBX this fall and now I can take my mountain bikes and all the gear can still go on the roof.
-juice
I just bought a Forester L with the standard radio/cassete. I would like to add a CD player. Does anyone have any recomendation ? Do I have to go with the dealer option ? Is there anything compatible in the market ? Will I have to go with the RF solution ?
Thanks for any info,
AJS
You can get an entire head unit for that much in the aftermarket, or even invest only a tad more in a CD changer.
-juice
The best solution would be to go to a professional installer and have them take a look at your Forester. I'm sure they could give you advice on which models will fit. RF solutions usually aren't great. You probably could find a unit that fits under the passenger seat or goes directly into the OE stereo space.
If you're more comfortable with a professional install, a lot of place offer if for free if you're buying higher end audio equipment.
Whatever you do, please share it with us.
-juice
I'll keep you guys posted.
Thanks,
AJS
Good, bad experiences?
Check out ISR's site. They went to the extremes, 4" lift, huge tires, spacers for the wheels to clear the spring base, you name it.
Problems? Well, lifts will deteriorate the sporty on-road handling and create a higher center of gravity. In extreme cases (4" or more), the driveshaft angles are affected, but people seem to have home-made fixes for that.
I'm considering the springs alone myself. The full lift is too much.
-juice
I was concerned about the drive shaft angles and premature wear.
11" of ground clearance, now thats the ticket!
My worst case scenario is getting to a favorite camping area which requires going across a small creek bed (the old small bridge has been washed away) with slippery rocks, etc.
Of course, if it has been raining really hard the water level would be too deep to cross (for me anyway).
There is a "pool" near this spot so one needs to be careful not to drive in the wrong spot. A friend of mine, drowned a full size '85 Blazer with 33" wheels and 4 inch lift. oops
Sporty on road handling doesn't really concern me too much. I don't zig-zag around in traffic.
I think this car will pretty much fit the bill for my needs.
I'll check out that website...thanks.
Go for a the taller springs. They'll give you 9.5" and still reasonable on-road handling.
-juice
Your trailer hitch, is that the small Class II receiver (1.75"??) or the larger 2" receiver? The unit on my Explorer is the larger Class III 2" unit. Do you have a (actual) trailer hitch w/ball, or just the hitch receiver?
Bob
-Frank P.
I've got the "larger" square receiver/tow ball (Class III) on my Explorer. I don't think that my square hitch would fit Subaru's square hitch receiver. Am I incorrect?
I'm not sure what size my hitch "ball" is. I think it too is the larger size. The 5'x8' utility trailer I pull has a 2500 GVW rating.
Bob
-Frank P.
Bob
Hutch has an aftermarket Draw Tite hitch and the OE Subaru receiver on mine is bigger.
Folks, I got the chance to test the Forester ALL OUT at Edmunds Live, and was extremely impressed. I can say without a doubt that I have no regrets.
It was 2nd in acceleration only to the 5.9l Durango, while beating a 4Runner, RAV4, CR-V, and Grand Vitara.
In the slalom, it was in a class by itself, blowing away the others. Surprisingly, the 2nd best was the Grand Vitara!
In the off road section, Hutch touched bottom a few times, but not hard, and I went slower the 2nd time and made it without touching at all. Our CR-V and Grand Vitara actually hit bottom more. The torque was great. The CR-V and RAV4 were wanting here.
Finally, in the ride section it was among the best, maybe 2nd or 3rd, and the brakes were fantastic: short and straight stops. The Grand Vitara and Durango locked up badly.
We had a ball. Go if you can.
-juice
Hope this helps!
Mark
-juice
PS Do you measure the opening, or the outside of the receiver?
I haven't seen the Subaru receiver (in person), but from the pictures I've seen, it appears to be smaller than those used on the above mentioned vehicles.
Bob
http://thejuiceman.homepage.com/bike.html
It doesn't look 2" wide. I'll try to e-mail you a photo I have that is zoomed in much closer.
-juice
-Frank P.
Bob and I will test it on Saturday with his trailer, and we'll let you guys know how it goes.
-juice
The nice thing about having a hitch is that you can buy a tow strap which can latch on inside (to the pin). No need for any tow hooks at the back. Oh BTW, I strongly recommend a locking pin since the non-lockable ones almost always get stolen.
Drew
The latch provided has a clip but no lock, but I keep it inside anyway, with the cover on the receiver to keep it clean.
-juice
Frequent oil changes are probably the best preventative maintenance you can do for your engine. While it probably could go 7.5K without any problems (certainly wouldn't void any warranties!) I like to stick to a 3-5K schedule.
Oil changes are $20-30. They're even cheaper if you DIY. That's pretty cheap insurance compared to a costly repair down the road.
However, I take a lot of trips, and part of my commute is done on the higway. Plus, I'm rarely in dusty conditions.
If you drive in the city or dirt trails and take frequent short trips, I'd do it more often.
-juice
PS My Forester towed RSHolland's 700lb trailer nicely. Felt the weight, but I made it up to speeds easily within reasonable time. I don't know if I'd pull more than the 2000lbs Subaru specs as the limit, though.
Bob
I was just offering a reference of how much weight I was pulling at the time with the 2.5l engine.
BTW, mine is the Phase I engine, so the newer Phase II ought to do better.
-juice
I've included some tips for those considering one.
-juice
Though I should have. The chrome on the ball looks scratched a little on the top/front.
Any suggestions to clean it? It's very minor, but I'm nit-picky. Also, what lube would help?
-juice
Drew
Oops, have to buy my trailer first!
-juice
the C/20 Special Foresters from the Subaru
japan site. It looks liek the S-turbo is
for europe only? is it available at all in
the US or canada? Do its specs really give it
an advantage - it also has a DOHC. (im not that
much of an engine buff).
its got a torque of 24.5 kg-m (which is 167 ft-lbs) @ 3200, and 125kW of power (at 745W/hp
thats 167HP) - these numbers seem to be what
I see on the specs on the US/Can websites - so
is the Forester S a turbo? I dont see a DOHC
listed on the specs tho...
And there is NO info on the C/20 Special in
english on the subaru JP site - anyone got
any info?
The Forester is scheduled for a redesign in 2003, most likely to be built off the new 2002 Impreza platform, which is due here next spring. There's a good possibility that it may receive the H-6 then. Let's hope so.
Bob
In almost all other markets, a 2.0l is used for fuel efficiency and because big engines are taxed heavily, a turbo is added for the performance models.
Though the numbers are close to our 2.5l, the turbo easily outruns ours. A Euro magazine tested a Forester turbo against the new Volvo XC and Audi Allroad and they chose the Forester! They hit 60 in 7.9 seconds, which is about a full second quicker than our 2.5l.
DOHC vs. SOHC? The phase I 2.5l was a DOHC, it's the engine I have. Double over-head camshaft means there is one camshaft controlling the intake valves, another the exhaust valves, allowing for precise control of the valves, especially at high revs. Hence the redline in the DOHC engines is higher, 6500rpm.
The 2.5l Phase II engine came out in 1999, and it made more torque (166 vs. 162) with the same hp (165). They lowered the redline to 6250rpm and went with a simpler SOHC design, for better low rpm torque. Americans love torque, so here a SOHC makes sense.
In other markets, DOHC is fine. People don't mind revving a bit higher to make power.
-juice
The Phase I did have 4 camshafts total, but it's still dual over-head cam design, since there are two cams above each bank of cylinders. You could call it a Quad Cam, though.
In the same way, the Phase II is a SOHC, but there are two banks of cylinders so it's a Twin Cam.
I guess you just can't say "over head".
-juice
-juice