I need some advice, and hopefully someone here in the OB community can help. I own a 2012 Outback that I do a lot of back dirt road driving . At 150,000 miles the car runs great, but the suspension is getting tired. Now seems like a good time to upgrade the struts/springs, and add some skid plates. I'm looking at the RallieTek springs and upgraded struts. They are a slightly stiffer rating than OEM, and a little bit of lift. Anyone have experience with this setup ? Suggestions ? I'm not building a full on Overlanding vehicle, but this car sees a lot of back county travel. If I do go this route, I'll start a build thread to share my thoughts.
2012 Subaru Outback
- Thread starter Vtpeter
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Never owned Rallietek but heard a lot of good things from people who like to get dirty. You could always check Nasioc or one of the 5 million other Subaru forums. I'm sure there are a bunch of people that would tell you to buy something 10 times the cost. [emoji16]
It's nice to see scoobie owners on here. I sold my last one (a '99 Impreza 2.5RS) a few years back and have regretted it everyday since.
Good luck!
It's nice to see scoobie owners on here. I sold my last one (a '99 Impreza 2.5RS) a few years back and have regretted it everyday since.
Good luck!
Hoosierboy, thanks for the reply. Yes, I've seen some very expensive Subaru suspension kits listed. I'm sure they are great, if you are a rally racer. I'm not. I like to explore the back roads, and often carry some extra weight or light trailer. Heading out to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari this spring. I plan to take as many dirt roads as possible. I'll be on and off the Trans America Trail, depending on the current conditions. Good time to upgrade these components, before departing on this trip.
Sounds fun!
Yeah, it's difficult to find Subaru parts that are not geared towards rally or autocross, some parts are cross-compatible and others just simply aren't.
For Imprezas the best thing for offroad has always been to swap forester or outback suspension. Unfornutaely, you have an outback so that doesn't help you.
I found a video the other day that might be helpful. Some guy lifted an Impreza wagon like 3" with some aftermarket spring spacers and drivetrain relocation mounts, for geometry correction. I'll see if I can find it again.
Yeah, it's difficult to find Subaru parts that are not geared towards rally or autocross, some parts are cross-compatible and others just simply aren't.
For Imprezas the best thing for offroad has always been to swap forester or outback suspension. Unfornutaely, you have an outback so that doesn't help you.
I found a video the other day that might be helpful. Some guy lifted an Impreza wagon like 3" with some aftermarket spring spacers and drivetrain relocation mounts, for geometry correction. I'll see if I can find it again.
Expedition Master I
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Hey @Vtpeter! We have quite a few Subaru driving members in here and are more than capable of answering all of your questions. I run Rallitek rear springs with different front springs but I can tell you that I’m a fan of them. I prefer/recommend them over King springs because Rallitek’s spring rate falls in the middle. Feel free to check out my build thread and the Subaru Registry. Both are linked in my sig and also feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Off-Road Ranger I
I have stock height King springs in my 2017 Outback and they are quite stiff. I've heard great things about the Rally Tech springs and I myself would go Rally Tech. Have a fun build and search here there is a lot of knowledge. @Wawa Skittletits has a ton of it.
Expedition Master I
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Thank you @Terry Pickens. Definitely check out his awesome build thread too @Vtpeter. We both drive 5th gens but there are a lot of similarities between ours and yours. That said you’ll find fellow 4th gen members in the registry.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to order the preassembled Rally Tech struts/springs tommorow. Haven't decided on skid plates yet. There seems to be several good ones available. Keeping this build very simple for now. I've got a roof rack to install, and looking for an awning . Working on a small camping/Overlanding trailer to tow on certain trips. This is going to be a fun back dirt road adventure vehicle.
Nice to see an Outback conversion.
RalliTek has a good reputation and most of the drivers prefer them over KING springs.
In my opinion KING are too stiff for overlanding.
RAlliTek uses KYB struts - really reliable units and most of the Forester drivers use KYB for ages as a replacement part for the shot OE units.
What kind of roof rack will go on top?
BTW
"Rallytech" is another Subaru tuner but more biased to the real rally scene
RalliTek has a good reputation and most of the drivers prefer them over KING springs.
In my opinion KING are too stiff for overlanding.
RAlliTek uses KYB struts - really reliable units and most of the Forester drivers use KYB for ages as a replacement part for the shot OE units.
What kind of roof rack will go on top?
BTW
"Rallytech" is another Subaru tuner but more biased to the real rally scene
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The new suspension should be here soon. Really looking forward to getting this together. I'm heading south to Florida then to Moab . I've got a Curt rack which is not installed yet. Probably get a small awning for this trip. I'm going to drive as much dirt as can, after getting south of snow country. There is a lot of info available on finding dirt routes . Just found out about the Georgia Adventure Trail. Probably drive some of that. Florida has "sand" roads , which can be really fun. When I head to Moad, I'll join that TAT and follow that as much as I can. This will depend on weather and road conditions. Going to stop a lot along the way. I'm not in a rush, and want to enjoy the adventure.
I'm getting the Outback ready for the big trip. We will do a complete check over, and service. My local dealer says I should have the CVT fluid changed. I know we did this at least l once before. The car is now at 150k, and performs perfectly. My service manual says it should never be changed, it's a closed system ?? Researching on the internet results in opposite responses. Some "experts" say flush and replace at specified intervals. Other "experts" say don't touch it. What do I do ? The dealer charges a lot to do this process. I do most of the maintenance at a great local shop, not the dealer.
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There’s a 30k severe service interval. It’s a good idea to have it flushed because Subaru didn’t do anyone any favors with its just adequate trans cooling. Heat and what it does to the fluid is what you need to be concerned about.
Could you post some of the resources you use to find some of these trails and dirt/sand roads? I’m in the Tampa Bay(FL) area and would love some fun terrain if there is any.
Influencer II
Finally an update !! I installed the RalliTek springs and struts. 1" front 1.4" rear. I got almost no lift in the rear, and 2+" in the front. It was very low in the back after installation. I took lots of before and after pics and measurements. Everyone involved were convinced the springs were wrong. I installed a spacer to level it out. We couldn't get any of the alignment to be within specifications. Subtle Solutions was a big help guiding me through this process to get this right. They sent me the appropriate parts , and all is well. Still not sure why the suspension lift didn't do what is was supposed to do. The spacer definitely helped. I was really pressed for time at this point and didn't follow through on that mystery.
I headed out from VT to SC, then to TN. Finally arriving in Moab. I was pulling a light trailer. When I got to Moab the trailer came off and I had some fun exploring the back dirt roads. I am very happy with how the Outback handles. I average around 27mpg with the trailer ! It's a good dirt road adventure vehicle, and comfortable on the highway. I added a skid plate, and will eventually install the roof rack.
If you are planning to do this to your Subaru, be prepared to purchase additional parts that may be needed. And allow plenty of time for completion. Overall, the end result is excellent. These vehicles are very versatile, efficient, and dependable. This is going to be very enjoyable to use on my extended road trips which will have rough back country roads on the route. I sleep in the car very comfortably. It tows my light utility trailer with no issues. And it's my daily driver most of the time.
I headed out from VT to SC, then to TN. Finally arriving in Moab. I was pulling a light trailer. When I got to Moab the trailer came off and I had some fun exploring the back dirt roads. I am very happy with how the Outback handles. I average around 27mpg with the trailer ! It's a good dirt road adventure vehicle, and comfortable on the highway. I added a skid plate, and will eventually install the roof rack.
If you are planning to do this to your Subaru, be prepared to purchase additional parts that may be needed. And allow plenty of time for completion. Overall, the end result is excellent. These vehicles are very versatile, efficient, and dependable. This is going to be very enjoyable to use on my extended road trips which will have rough back country roads on the route. I sleep in the car very comfortably. It tows my light utility trailer with no issues. And it's my daily driver most of the time.
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Well here’s a couple firsts for me. An issue with Rallitek and Subtle Solutions to the rescue haha. About all Subtle is known for in the community is selling parts whether you need them or not. What did Rallitek say about your issue? Did you verify the part numbers on the springs? Did you know the rear springs alone only lift 0.4” and are intended to use the included 1.0” spacers to achieve a 1.4” lift? As far as the front goes it’s not uncommon for springs to be higher until they settle in. Fortunately that happens quick with the front due to the weight of the engine but settling/breaking in the rear is a different story.
As far as the alignment goes did the shop try loosening all of the suspension components first and then try to align it? There’s a surprising amount of adjustment ‘bound’ up in the hardware. Did you end up adding camber bolts up front?
