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Comments
BTW, you can also lower the tire pressure slightly while off-roading. This should give you a smoother ride. Just don't lower it too much or you might run into trouble with the wheel coming off the tire. Also, steer your sidewall (weakest part of the tire) clear of objects. You want to roll over the obstacles with the strongest part - the steel belted threads - of the tire.
Drew
Dave -- My brother owns a Passat and he went from a 16" to 17" wheel. According to him, the ride didn't suffer very much while handling improved quite a bit. Be aware that the 17" rim will take a lot more beating on rough roads however. My brother lives in NYC and he's had to replace 3 out of 4 of his rims because of potholes. I would stay away from them if you do intend doing some rough stuff.
However, if you're staying on the road, going with passenger car tires is not a bad idea. There are tons more choices with passenger car tires, especially to fit big rims and low profiles. If you look at the tread pattern on the stock Bridgestone Duelers or especially the Yokohama Geolandars, they are fairly close to all-season treads vs. all-terrain. It's probably more marketing than necessity that they use light truck tires.
I was wondering if anyone had this thing installed - or installed it on their own. How does it connect to the hood? Easy to DIY? No drilling?!?!
-subearu
Dave #274
-john
The one concern I have is that there is a structural rib running across there - a continuation from the B pillars between the doors - hence the "rings of steel" that Subaru promotes, and I think that one gets cut out when the S/R goes in. May not be a big deal but it would worry me if that actually is a strengthening rib, and the car were broadsided. Next time I am in there I'll ask them about it.
-john
I've noted that rallyers use 17s with 55-series tires, of course this is mostly gravel roads and dirt that is smooth.
Has anyone gone to http://www.spdusa.com/prod03.htm
where Mike speaks very highly of the 17" Speedlines as unlinely to ever bend, and he has 87000 miles on them.
also
http://www.spdusa.com/tires.htm
All - Got a set of Hella Twin Supertone horns (OE horns are way too wimpy IMHO). They're definitely louder but not by as much as I was expecting. I'd say they're roughly comparable in volume to horns of the 60/70s. Unfortunately the install isn't for DIYselfers unless you're pretty good at electical wiring. FYI: I got mine installed in a way that allows me to switch between the OE horns and the Hellas.
- Frank P.
However Speedlines can and do bend. Here's a discussion about them on the iclub:
http://www.impreza-rs.com/NonCGI/Forum1/HTML/010525.html
But the folks that bent them were running 40 or 45 series tires so you should be reasonably safe with 55 series. But still, toss a small grain of salt when reading Mike's work even though he is well respected. My main complaint about SPD is that his technical topics have (mostly) not changed at all in the 2 - 2.5 years of Impreza tuning development. We've learned a lot, but he hasn't put up anything new.
-Colin
guttermouth: the RS is lowered and has very low profile tires. It would be like a fish out of water off road. Try a Forester or Outback, at least.
Dave: the WRC team uses different tires depending on conditions, but I don't think they're 17"ers. I recall one set being a surprisingly small 205/65R15.
Ken beat me to it, but last night I thought about bent rims as well. Just make sure they're strong, at least.
Also keep in mind the tread pattern on a 55 series tire is going to be pretty much the opposite of what you want off road. Unless you get an SUV tire in that size.
Why not two sets, though? You already have the 16" alloys, it'd be a shame if they went to waste. Or would you sell them?
Sunbeam: the deflector should be easy to install, and does not require drilling.
As for aftermarket moonroofs, yes, the installers may have to remove the B-pillar bracing. But they do add their own bracing to compensate. Models with the OE moonroof also lose this bracing, like the Forester S Premium and the Legacy GT and Outbacks LTD.
-juice
Colin : maybe those guys who bent their rims took to the gravels on their low profile tires. Obviously it will destroy the rims!
Dave's forays are pretty bold, however. That type of "road" in an RS would be crazy.
-juice
In mud, ice and snow they run narrower tires. The snows in particular, they're like 165-175mm. But all the non-tarmac wheels are 15".
If you want to do gravel work in a Subaru, buy some 15" wheels and some used rally tires. Shipping will cost you more than the tires in most cases, but they'll only last a few hundred miles -- much less if you drive them on tarmac at all. The impreza does fine in gravel with skidplates but obviously can't clear much of an obstacle and has poor approach / retreat angles.
-Colin
that actually is a strengthening rib, and the car
were broadsided. Next time I am in there I'll ask
them about it.<<
Could you also ask about the dome light, whether they move it back or just take it out altogether? Thanks.
Dave
-juice
BTW, I wonder can I use those for winter tires...?
-Colin
I promise to answer all of it as soon as I return to work on 8-14
Darlene
qsubaru
-juice
Thanks again to all of you for the great info.
Kutt
Have you seen her web site? I actually designed it for her. It lists the most common accessories, but she sells everything Subaru has to offer. In another topic she just posted the fact that she'll be on vacation next week, so keep that in mind if you don't get a quick response.
I take it you've seen my full instructions for the hitch and the diffy shield, but make sure to browse all four pages (1 for the diffy shield, 3 for the hitch) to get an idea on the scope of the project. I took my less than a day for both. Make sure you have the right tools. A nice, big torque wrench is a must, preferably with 1/2" drive sockets.
I don't have the brush guard, but I imagine it's not as hard as the hitch.
If you have specific questions, feel free to e-mail me for more details.
-juice
Colin, thanks for the URL to the rims thread. Seems like everyone is bending rims. I suspect it's pilot error in most of the cases rather than rims coming from the factory out of round, but who knows. Has anyone here actually purchased either Speedlines or Racelines and can comment on them??
charm, too.<<
Good! I was hoping I'd be able to keep it. Maybe this will work out then.
Dave
The front still lights up a bit, and the map lights easily compensate.
-juice
I don't know what was wrong with Scooter's Raceline RL-7's. I seriously do know some rally teams run them without incident. If anything I suspect they were mounted improperly.
I'm considering them for winter wheels and his incident doesn't scare me. If I don't get the RL-7 (15") I'll get some of the older 15" Legacy GT wheels.
-Colin
I decided to install it after noticing chips in the hood after two weeks. Don't forget to order touch up paint as well, to fix any chips before you put the deflector on.
The only downside of the deflector is that you can't go through a car wash with it on. Not a problem for me since I always wash the car myself.
-Lee
the new 2001 Subaru Forester S. All's great with
it and I am enjoying it, which is a few steps up from my previous Plymouth Acclaim!
I also had installed the bike attachment for
the roof, but it is too hard to life my bike up
there, so I don't know what my best option is: I
could buy the side step rails but those are too
expensive. I would like the rear bike hitch, but
then I need the trailer hitch installed which is
unncessary. So what if I get a non-Subaru trunk
rack which has those tabs which slip under the
door? Does anyone use those on the Forester?
If I return the bike roof attachment, would the
service department accept it? Give me credit or
something?
Thanks!
Nevertheless I was out on a GREAT rally road today. It's one of those roads built along the crest of a ridge...whew! Fun! Wishing I had the LSD, though. The wagon's understeer isn't horrible, but it's there. And without a bigger bar in back it's a tad hard to rotate.
Both www.cobbtuning.com and www.rallispec.com offer LSDs, both front and rear. Any input on putting in a front vs rear, or front or rear only, how that would be? Mechanical LSDs are supoosed to be too harsh for street.
I'm also sick of the lack of power. Is Ralliscpec ever gonna get that camshaft built? Has anyone had experience with Paeco products??
Not true, but get ready for a really lengthy explanation.
This is what a standard (clutch-type)mechanical LSD looks like:
To the right of the ring gear is the clutch. The clutch type and number of shims determines how much lockup the LSD can achieve. 100% would be locked, essentially, as each axle will *always* be at the same speed. This would not be desirable for tarmac because when turning the right and left wheels want to turn at different rates. (or if it's a center diff, the front and rear tires turn at different rates)
For a mix of street driving and performance on tarmac, a relatively low lockup of 20-25% is very common. Higher than that leads to trouble turning, wearing tires, and wearing out LSD clutches.
Another type of mechanical LSD is TORque SENsing, it uses worm gears to detect slippage and locks the axles together. The gears can be chosen for a particular lockup but it can't be altered nearly as easily as a clutch LSD. Additionally, it only detects slippage under power, so under braking or coasting the handling characteristics change A LOT. This does make turning easier though around town. Quaife is a very popular reseller of torsen differentials.
Viscous coupling LSDs generally lockup less than 25% and are slow to react compared to mechanical LSDs. On dry road they are often totally transparent as wheel slip is minimal (unless you have a LOT of power to the driven wheels). Offroad you have a lot more wheelslip and a VC can do its thing, but a high lockup mechanical LSD would be better.
To sum up:
Torsen = worm gear mechanical LSD, good for daily driving, excellent for a front differential (AWD or FWD), quick reacting, not easy or cheap to adjust
Clutch = 'regular' mechanical LSD, sometimes bad for daily driving, excellent tunability, quick reacting, great potential offroad
Viscous coupler = slow reacting, low lockup, good for daily driving, much better than open diff but low performance offroad.
Hope this helps.
-Colin
I wonder if there is anything on the market to improve the seat in terms of length and additional support. Maybe Darlene (QSubaru) knows?
FWIW, the JGC with QuadraDrive + Varilock autolocking differentials has this kind of behaviour. When the front is locked or starting to lock, the steering wheel suddenly feels very heavy and difficult to turn. Rather disconcerting for someone who is unfamiliar with the vehicle.
-Colin
Dave
1. Buy an after-market seat (I.e. Recarro). But be advised that they're not cheap.
2. Give up the Forester (NOooo!!!!). And an even more expensive proposition.
Wait a min, just thought of a 3rd option....you can but a driver's seat cushion. I've got a friend who uses one in his 2000 Outback. It offers additional lower back and thigh support. Let me know if you can't find one at your local auto parts store and I'll ask the my friend where he got his.
-Frank P.
I have a 01 Forester that I'm ready to buy a deflector for.
Maybe you could go the other way. I think they had to lightly modify the rails though.
-Colin
Maxima SEs also have a front LSD, if you want to try one. Test drive a GXE and an SE back-to-back, to see if you notice a big difference.
-juice
My wheels most definitely have a different offset. They're nearly an inch further out from the body. The outer treads have got to be 3 inches further apart, since the tires are also wider.
The tires are also much taller. Not just 0.3", either. The difference is visibly noticebale, and our rough measurements confirmed this. Mine fill the wheel wells, his leave more space. Perhaps the Geolanders are small? Mine are 225/60R16 and his are 215/60R16, but the difference is bigger than the numbers suggest. Could it be because his are light truck tires?
The OE hitch is impressive. The reciever is bigger and sturdier than his aftermarket Draw Tite hitch, though again, we forgot the tape measure. Also, mine hugs the rear bumper and does not affect the angle of departure, his does a tiny bit.
I'm very happy with my mods
-juice
PS Read my reviews - the Forester handled the off road course just fine, thanks, and simply spanked the SUVs on the pavement section.
-juice
a silver 1997 Legacy 2.5GT Limited. Everything's great and I absolutely love it. I just have two minor problems with the car...the horn and the lights. If I could just improve these two areas, the car would be perfect.
1)THE HORN: I don't really know if subaru uses the same horn throughout their lineup, but the one on my 1997 Legacy is aweful. I am embarrased to even sound the horn. Has anyone replaced it? Or can it even be replaced? I would much rather have something that sounds deeper and much louder.
2)THE LIGHTS: I would really like to replace the lights. I dont want to make it look like i have HID bulbs, I just would like better illumination (brighter and better range). I've read all the previous posts about the SuperWhites and Cool Blues, so I dont want to start the same kind of discussion. I am looking for mainly personal experience...what have you used and how well has it worked?
Any information is greatly appreciated. THANKS!
It's a tiny bit louder, but only slightly deeper sounding. Still, worth the $10. If I could do it again, though, I'd search for something deeper still, with more of a "honk" sound.
Someone installed one of those fancy dual horn types, but had to get a dealer to do the electrical work.
NYPD? Cool, I'll send a pat on the back for the tremendous improvements in safety over the past few years. Way to go.
I have the metal strut tower brace, and I'm happy with it. It reduces play in the steering, and firms up the front a bit. I installed mine at about the same time as my new rims/tires, so it's hard to say how much they helped handling. But I can say I can take turns now at much higher speeds.
Here's a photo. Install is so easy, you'd take more time putting cuffs on a perp!
-juice
PS It's $113 from QSubaru, and yes the Impreza SPT brace fits the Forester
I would recommend trying the Hella Premium Xenon bulbs. I have them installed in my Forester and they are brighter than standard halogens.
Here's what they look like:
You can read more about them at:
http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/editorial/innovations/xenon.html
And I ordered them through:
http://www.catalog.com/susq/hella/bulbs.htm
Basically, these bulbs use some xenon in their gas mixture to achieve a brighter burning filament. These bulbs are good for folks (like me) who simply wanted a brighter bulb without going to higher wattages.
The Cool Blue and Superwhites you mentioned are based on this technology but they are more targeted to people who want a "whiter" light similar to HID lamps. They basically are the premium bulbs but with a colored glass/quartz housing which filters light from the lower end of the spectrum.
Ken
Ken: how much were those again?
You know I'm the gadget guru. I have to get those and some new speakers. Did you swap just the front pair?
-juice
BTW, whiter light is not just for looking "cool". It really does make a difference in contrast at night. This is one of the reasons why HID Xenon lamps are so much superior (but expensive). Oh, and the 3X more light helps too :-)
AFAIK, all of these bulbs have trace amounts of Xenon gas inside which allow them to burn slightly whiter and brighter.
Drew
The thing about a plug like Colin suggest is that you'll have some leak unless you're real quick about it. Just make sure the hose is pointing upwards when you pry it loose from the old filter, so it doesn't spill gas.
The pressure release is a good idea, too.
Actually, it's hard not to leak some no matter what you do. The methods you suggest won't be strong enough for a tight seal.
If you do leak gas, you may notice the starter taking a little longer than usual to start up. No big deal, though.
-juice