I have a '97 Subaru Legacy. I have recently been considering altering it for a little bit of off-road fun. I found a place that makes a 4" body/suspension lift that keeps the original geometry. With the set-up they offer I figure the only reliability loss will be from the oversized tires. With the lift and tires it will have 13" inches of clearance front and back. Is that worth a grand plus wheels and rubber? It has 160,000 miles on it and I think it's ready for a new life. I saw a guy on here with a honda element and if they do any off-roading my subi with 13" of clearance should be all right. Y'all are the experts tell me whatcha think.:Mechanic:
Can a Subaru join in the fun?
- Thread starter Dietrich
- Start date
Scott Brady
Founder
I would leave it stock height and fit some larger tires, then install a rear diff skid. After that, spend the rest of your money on fuel going cool places!
If you ever have to make a choice between things or experiences - trust me - go for the experience!
Pasquale and I ran into a newer Outback that was crossing the Mono dunes recently. With a decent driver, you would be amazed where people take things.
If you ever have to make a choice between things or experiences - trust me - go for the experience!
Pasquale and I ran into a newer Outback that was crossing the Mono dunes recently. With a decent driver, you would be amazed where people take things.
It won't fit much larger tires with the current ride height. It's currently set-up for strictly street use with 17" wheels and 205/40R17 rubber. I can't even fit a taller tire than that without it rubbing. I can't get under it to change the oil without pulling it up on ramps.:Mechanic: Outbacks are the exact same car but they come with a factory 2.5" lift. I definately plan to put skid protection under it. Right now I'm researching my possibilities. They don't really sell much for Legacy's when it comes to rice parts. All of the hype looking street parts are offered for the Impreza. I've done a few slick things to it but I'm getting bored and considering take it in another direction. Sometime in the next 40,000 I'm going to need to rebuild the suspension and brake system. I'm building a parts list and figuring out how much extra the lift will run. So far it looks like it will run me about 33% more.
Scott Brady
Founder
:Mechanic:
Ah, I see. For some reason I assumed it was an outback. Can you get just the Outback springs? Maybe a 2-2.5" lift?
Ah, I see. For some reason I assumed it was an outback. Can you get just the Outback springs? Maybe a 2-2.5" lift?
flyingwil
Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
Welcome... I think that if you are just adding the lift it is not worth it, but if you are going to equip your subi, most of the gear can be transferred to another vehicle down the road... (lights, fridge, ect..) The bottom line is that you are building it for you, and your needs so it is hard to determine if the lift is worth it from an outsider. DO you get hung up a lot? Is your clearance keeping you from going where you want to go? Do you really need it?
MountainBiker
Experience Seeker
Exactly! Make sure the vehicle is reliable, has good tires, mount a metal sump guard, and then get out there! After some experience, you'll see what is limiting you from taking the roads you'd like to take. Is it traction, ground clearance, or approach/departure angles? You won't really know until you try it out.flyingwil said:
Welcome to another Subaru!
bigreen505
Expedition Leader
I will be the dissenting voice -- it is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. If the Subaru is an automatic, great. If it is a manual, my guess is the clutch will be the limiting factor as they are inherently weak, at least in the 2000-2004 Outbacks. I would put money into new tires, possibly in a AT tread pattern the same size the Outbacks used at that time, and beyond that only things that could be transfered to another (non-Subaru) vehicle -- lights, tent, refrigerator, etc.
FWIW I have a pretty good handle on what a stock, manual transmission Outback is capable of and it is my vehicle of choice for any trip that will not exceed its abilities. Good gas mileage and decent power (compared to my Trooper) make it my preference when I will be traveling on maintained roads (like dirt passes that see a grader once a year) and over washboard, but not difficult trails. In Colorado, many of the most scenic routes are passable this way. On paved roads there is no comparison.
Keep the Subaru stock and save your pennies for a real truck. My guess is you can pick up an old Jeep or Toyota (truck or 4Runner) for what it would cost you to modify the Subaru. When you modify a vehicle you change its inherent qualities and you take the good and the bad together.
FWIW I have a pretty good handle on what a stock, manual transmission Outback is capable of and it is my vehicle of choice for any trip that will not exceed its abilities. Good gas mileage and decent power (compared to my Trooper) make it my preference when I will be traveling on maintained roads (like dirt passes that see a grader once a year) and over washboard, but not difficult trails. In Colorado, many of the most scenic routes are passable this way. On paved roads there is no comparison.
Keep the Subaru stock and save your pennies for a real truck. My guess is you can pick up an old Jeep or Toyota (truck or 4Runner) for what it would cost you to modify the Subaru. When you modify a vehicle you change its inherent qualities and you take the good and the bad together.
My Legacy is a four-speed auto. The Outback has a 2.5" lift, I figured if I was going to rework the car I should go for the other 1.5" and sit a little higher than an Outback. The 4" lift does change the chasis or drive train geometry, so the only adversity I should face are: increased overall wind-resistance and the strain of larger tires.
The chrome wheels I'm running now bring my fuel economy down to 22mpg. The original wheel and tire combo was 165/60R14, I'm currently running 205/40R17. I guess larger AT tires will hack the mpg figure a little more, but I'm not scared.
Completely rebuilding the brakes and suspension with really high quality parts is already going to cost me between $1500 and $2000. It looks like that much more could get me a 4" lift, a front off-road bumper, skid protection, and high capacity diff. cover. I have a bunch of pictures of the car the way it is now, I'll upload them to my profile.
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