...but it's a Subaru Outback?! Build thread.

[JeffnMar]

Well all I can say is great minds think alike Wawa ... 2019 Outback .

In the process of adding a RTT with yakima supports ( for weight) , the stock subie rails suck...

- Yokohama GO15's
- MOtegi MR118 wheels
-Wheel arch moldings
-Badge black out ( plasti dip) - seems to hold up well with the badges
- LED light uprgrades
- Ecohitch installed ( 2")
- running a dual external GPS antenna with ipad ( GAIA GPS)
- redundant GPS - Oregon 600 on ram mount
-Interstate 5x8 trailer ( now with kayak rack)
- buying a RTT soon and needed something to pack all my $&%^ in

 

[martin_j001]

I think almost all the problem is on the roof. Id like to know what you get if you take it all off the roof.

ps, that is an awesome Outback.

3.6R here, but did this experiment this last week. Around town and on shorter day trips up into the mountains with the basket and awning up top, I'll see anywhere around 18mpg in mine. This last week, took the basket and all off to drive to Waco, TX and back... saw about 22mpg at best (cruise set around 75), 20mpg at worst (heavier traffic, cruise set to 80) on the highways. When I mixed in more in-town driving, it was 19mpg still.... Not enough for me to worry about the basket and awning on a regular day to day basis. YMMV of course, depending on engine size, driving habits, road conditions, speed limits, etc, etc, etc.

 

[Ballard Outback]

Solid thread! Excellent detail.

Bump to track it better.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

So just a quick update.. The wagon was on a couple month hiatus after meeting an expensive deer and then being introduced to the worst body shop I could ever imagine. I hit the deer the morning of 04/18 and I had to swing by a different body shop this morning for pictures because it still isn’t done correctly. It’s been a real headache...



After actually picking it up the first time (3rd time they said it was done) I loaded it up and took the family for a remote barbecue. Had to test the drivetrain of course haha.



Next up was a suspension test haha. Threw 15 large saturated bags of mulch in the back and she rode like a Cadillac with no sag.



Went to aim the of road lights one night just to learn that the primates at the body shop managed to strip the heads of 7 (SEVEN!) allen bolts. Here’s the final result at 3 in the morning once I managed to get them all out and replaced.



The new look stealthy light covers.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Most recently we loaded up the Outback for our annual family vacation to the Outer Banks. Managed to get out on the sand 3 days which was awesome. It had been so hot and dry so the sand was super soft. The first day I was out there were dozens of stuck vehicles all over the place. The 3rd day was after some rain and the beach was absolutely perfect. Perfect temps, tide, and a sunset over the dunes.



After 11 miles of soft 106 degree beach here’s the NC/Virginia border.



This was a first day fully loaded nap ride for my daughter. The wife says take her for a ride so she will sleep so i took full advantage haha.



Here’s what the ‘streets’ in Carova NC look like.



I’ve been playing around with some lights I have laying around. I will probably settle on just one facing straight back as these lights are plenty bright.



Baja Designs S2 Pros with wide cornering optic on ADF brackets. For those of you with an Outback, these are the only brackets I’d recommend. The other options come straight over the hood while these angle outwards which puts more light where you want it and less on the hood/fender. As for the S2 Pros.... I wanted a smaller option to keep my field of view open. These are very small but I don’t think their performance lives up to the price. They’re definitely bright enough for ditch lights but i was expecting more. With twice the light output of S2 Sports I can only imagine how much I wouldn’t have liked them.

 

[gorilladirt]

Thank you @max.grun !

As far as the tires go I haven’t taken a tread depth measurement but after 20k they seem to be wearing well. It’s my guesstimate that they’ll go 40-50k or perhaps more depending on seasonal timing. It’s worth noting that I do 5 tire rotations and I’d recommend the same for anyone with a Subaru. You definitely crush the mileage. The G015’s are a very highway friendly AT tire that has been really good at everything I’ve thrown their way. On road and off.

When I was lifted 2” camber was maxed out. That’s not the case for everyone but when I lifted it to where it is now I had to add camber arms to the back and bolts to the front. I also removed my rear sway bar a while ago and I don’t miss it. When I get around to it I’ll be coming up with disconnects for the front but that’s where I am suspension wise at this point.

Feel free to send me a DM with any of your questions anytime.

View attachment 50386

Hi. Been reading through this thread. I've got a 2019 Outback 2.5i, I "commute" in this also and wanted to save gas. However, I have found that just a 4cyl hasn't really hurt in any way, which has been great. I've got RalliTek springs with 1" risers and they've worked out great. We've got a 2014 FJ Crusier also, had a 2018 4runner TRD Off-Road, and aside from a little more clearance and of course them being 4x4 rather than AWD, haven't really been affected by the trails, again, aside from those needing more clearance. Having used KO2's on the previous vehicles, I wasn't sure about KO2's or the GO15's. I went with the GO15's mainly for weight reasons, though overall I think it would be about 50lbs total on the car, so no real big deal. I have to say, I don't like the GO15's as much, off-road wise. The grip seems to be not so good having had the KO2 experience. I am just curious if you'd used Ko2's or anything else on your Outback and aside from highway driving (which I have to say I find the GO15's kinda loud) how you liked any of them?

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Hi. Been reading through this thread. I've got a 2019 Outback 2.5i, I "commute" in this also and wanted to save gas. However, I have found that just a 4cyl hasn't really hurt in any way, which has been great. I've got RalliTek springs with 1" risers and they've worked out great. We've got a 2014 FJ Crusier also, had a 2018 4runner TRD Off-Road, and aside from a little more clearance and of course them being 4x4 rather than AWD, haven't really been affected by the trails, again, aside from those needing more clearance. Having used KO2's on the previous vehicles, I wasn't sure about KO2's or the GO15's. I went with the GO15's mainly for weight reasons, though overall I think it would be about 50lbs total on the car, so no real big deal. I have to say, I don't like the GO15's as much, off-road wise. The grip seems to be not so good having had the KO2 experience. I am just curious if you'd used Ko2's or anything else on your Outback and aside from highway driving (which I have to say I find the GO15's kinda loud) how you liked any of them?

Congrats on your new Outback! G015’s are definitely a modest AT tire but the weight savings are greatly increased when you factor in rotational mass. Braking and accelerating for example. I honestly never found them to be loud in any way which is what I expected from that tread pattern. Definitely quieter than what I run now which if you keep reading you will see I’m on Falken Wildpeaks. A tire I also don’t feel to be loud. I ran the predecessor to the K02 on a different vehicle and bad wet weather traction really turned me off. Fun when you wanted it to be, annoying when you didn’t haha.

It’s not really fair to compare the G015’s to much more aggressive AT tires off road. That’s why Yokohama released the X-AT. I never had an issue off road with my G015’s but that modest tread pattern isn’t exactly as confidence inspiring in mud as the Wildpeaks are. Conversely it works incredibly well in sand, snow, and ice. We all drive differently in all sorts of different conditions so tire manufacturers have an incredibly challenging job.

Good luck with your Outback and the tires you put on it!

 

[JCWages]

Congrats on your new Outback! G015’s are definitely a modest AT tire but the weight savings are greatly increased when you factor in rotational mass. Braking and accelerating for example. I honestly never found them to be loud in any way which is what I expected from that tread pattern. Definitely quieter than what I run now which if you keep reading you will see I’m on Falken Wildpeaks. A tire I also don’t feel to be loud. I ran the predecessor to the K02 on a different vehicle and bad wet weather traction really turned me off. Fun when you wanted it to be, annoying when you didn’t haha.

It’s not really fair to compare the G015’s to much more aggressive AT tires off road. That’s why Yokohama released the X-AT. I never had an issue off road with my G015’s but that modest tread pattern isn’t exactly as confidence inspiring in mud as the Wildpeaks are. Conversely it works incredibly well in sand, snow, and ice. We all drive differently in all sorts of different conditions so tire manufacturers have an incredibly challenging job.

Good luck with your Outback and the tires you put on it!

I agree having ran the G015s and now the Wildpeak AT3Ws on my Canyon. Both are excellent tires that do great in rain and snow and are highway friendly. The G015 is geared more for on-road and the AT3W for off-road. I liked the G015 so much I put a set on our '17 CRV.

 

[WhatTheZo]

Most recently we loaded up the Outback for our annual family vacation to the Outer Banks. Managed to get out on the sand 3 days which was awesome. It had been so hot and dry so the sand was super soft. The first day I was out there were dozens of stuck vehicles all over the place. The 3rd day was after some rain and the beach was absolutely perfect. Perfect temps, tide, and a sunset over the dunes.

View attachment 110244View attachment 110245

After 11 miles of soft 106 degree beach here’s the NC/Virginia border.

View attachment 110246

This was a first day fully loaded nap ride for my daughter. The wife says take her for a ride so she will sleep so i took full advantage haha.

View attachment 110247

Here’s what the ‘streets’ in Carova NC look like.

View attachment 110248

I’ve been playing around with some lights I have laying around. I will probably settle on just one facing straight back as these lights are plenty bright.

View attachment 110249

Baja Designs S2 Pros with wide cornering optic on ADF brackets. For those of you with an Outback, these are the only brackets I’d recommend. The other options come straight over the hood while these angle outwards which puts more light where you want it and less on the hood/fender. As for the S2 Pros.... I wanted a smaller option to keep my field of view open. These are very small but I don’t think their performance lives up to the price. They’re definitely bright enough for ditch lights but i was expecting more. With twice the light output of S2 Sports I can only imagine how much I wouldn’t have liked them.

View attachment 110250

When you get the chance can you show the throw of the wide cornering? After much back and forth I ended up going with the S2 work lights instead of the wides because I wanted more dispersed light for setting up camp and to just check things out at night.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

When you get the chance can you show the throw of the wide cornering? After much back and forth I ended up going with the S2 work lights instead of the wides because I wanted more dispersed light for setting up camp and to just check things out at night.

The night I aimed my front lights I snapped this picture. Not the best but it may give you an idea. I went with wide cornering to cast light at a wider angle but am a big fan of work or scene lights for area lighting. That’s what I have on the back and sides.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Here’s some additional pictures of the S2 Pros. You can see how the ADF bracket is unique by the way they angle outwards.





Here’s a better picture of the light output and the wide angle @WhatTheZo



And lastly a picture showing just one light mounted on the back. More than enough light for the job.

 

[WhatTheZo]

Here’s some additional pictures of the S2 Pros. You can see how the ADF bracket is unique by the way they angle outwards.

View attachment 113854

View attachment 113855

Here’s a better picture of the light output and the wide angle @WhatTheZo

View attachment 113857

And lastly a picture showing just one light mounted on the back. More than enough light for the job.

View attachment 113858

I'll take a better picture of how the work light looks like on the trail.

 

[Cold Mountain Collins]

Hi, I'm a new member and have been enjoying your thread. For what it is worth for other Outback owners considering a lift product, I chose tbe 2" Readylift kit. I am very pleased with Readylift and my alignment was well within Subaru specs. I also run Go15s on my stock 18" limited rims. They are 235/60r18 which is one size wider than stock. I also added 20 mm spacers. Since I pull a camper, I added Sumosprings to help with offsetting the loaded car and trailer tongue weight. I didn't want heavier springs which would affect daily driving comfort. The Sumos do help prevent butt dragging. I do have the "dreaded wobble" between 17-19 mph. My wife doesn't even notice it. I am going to add the CKE cvt insert as insurance.

If anyone is looking for a small camper that is great with our Subie, check out a used Livinlite Quicksilver 6.0. We use ours alot and average 25+ mpg. It is so very easy to tow and setup. While we don't do "rock climbing", we do a lot of gravel road backcountry boondocking. I'll try to post a few pics of our setup soon.

 

[Johnny]

Your build on OB is what convinced me to go to the Outback when I needed to find a 4Runner alternative - it is an inspiring and incredibly informative build and there are many of us that appreciate your efforts sir!

I’m a big believer in good suspension having King Racing, Fox, and Icon in the past. With your spacer/spring lift are you still using factory struts and do you have an opinion on bumping up to Bilstein B6 or other? My ride has 47k miles and almost 5 years on it and I’m thinking a strut replacement isn’t a bad idea anyway. I’ve eyeballed the RalliTek spring/strut/spacer combos as a 1-time investment but can’t really find anyone that has done that and man that is a lot of coin at one time. Do you have any input?

Thanks much in advance!

 

[WhatTheZo]

This being said, has anyone else tried the stem extension? Really wish they existed when I had a 3" spring/spacer lift.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Your build on OB is what convinced me to go to the Outback when I needed to find a 4Runner alternative - it is an inspiring and incredibly informative build and there are many of us that appreciate your efforts sir!

I’m a big believer in good suspension having King Racing, Fox, and Icon in the past. With your spacer/spring lift are you still using factory struts and do you have an opinion on bumping up to Bilstein B6 or other? My ride has 47k miles and almost 5 years on it and I’m thinking a strut replacement isn’t a bad idea anyway. I’ve eyeballed the RalliTek spring/strut/spacer combos as a 1-time investment but can’t really find anyone that has done that and man that is a lot of coin at one time. Do you have any input?

Thanks much in advance!

Thank you very much!

Timing is everything so when I first started doing things to my Outback there weren't a lot of options. If I was doing it again today I'd have a Prinsu rack and I would have gone with Bilstein dampers that were only recently released when I did the springs. I say Bilstein for reputation alone. I would have left my original struts assembled with stock springs. That said I now have 72k on my OE dampers and have zero complaints. I don't go mobbing down washboard roads and when I'm on trails I take it easy. A question that nobody has been able to answer about the B6's is the length of stroke. The last thing we need with aftermarket springs is less than whats currently available from Subaru. I can honeslty say that I've never looked into the price of replacement stock dampers but holy cow that does seem like a steep price from Rallitek. All I can really say about it is that based on +42k miles of getting off road whenever I can I wouldn't hesitate to put OE dampers back on.

This being said, has anyone else tried the stem extension? Really wish they existed when I had a 3" spring/spacer lift.

I just don't know how I feel about adding another part to mix. I also feel like there are better but not necessarily easier options out there. My original plans were to find a Taco damper or something like it that had a longer stroke to begin with that could be made to work. Like a lot of things I came to realize that I didn't really need it which was good since I didn't have the time to spare to begin with haha. Also the over the course of their lifetime on the back of the car the Rallitek springs have only gotten better. The more I beat them up off road (sans sway bar) the better they've behaved day to day while still doing a great job of handling more weight. Their improved compliance has essentially removed the idea of extensions or longer dampers from my mind.... but if you want to talk long travel.... haha.

 

[justinide]

So to replace the grille I had to remove the bumper guard, front skid plate, tow hook, and the entire bumper cover... Not going to lie Subaru, it should be easier than that haha.

It was a great opportunity to delete the OE daytime running light module which uses the high beams running at reduced wattage. I've never liked that because it dictated what bulbs I was willing to run. The original headlights/fog lights were all underwhelming. I have long since been running adapted H9 fogs in place of the stock H11 bulbs for a nice bump in output. Installed HIDs in the low beams that I'm still in love with. To get away from the dingy 9005 high beams I installed pricey LEDs that I've hated since day one. I've had to endure every shortcoming that exists with the current design. They're super bright but the throw is awful and the only thing all that brightness does is glare everywhere. Good riddance as I was now finally able to adapt and install HIR1 (Halogen Infrared Reflective) bulbs which are 1200+ lumens brighter than 9005s. So happy to have great street legal long distance lighting.

... and just like that I go back to work tomorrow night. There aren't enough hours in a day.

View attachment 30182

Wondering about the instal of the HIR1 (Halogen Infrared Reflective) bulbs ... I just picked up a 2015 OB and this will likely be one of the first things I change. Any hints?

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Sure thing @justinide. It’s a super simple trim of one of the tabs and then it installs normally.

This site is under construction.

 

[justinide]

Sure thing @justinide. It’s a super simple trim of one of the tabs and then it installs normally.

This site is under construction.

Thanks so much for the link!

 

[t_real]

Sometime last year I found this thread, and I said your build was so good I was probably going to get a Subie instead of a 4Runner. Sure enough, I ended up accepting a new position that has a 2 hour (round trip) commute, and going with a gas-guzzling 4Runner just was not an option lol. I ended up with a 2015 OB, and am just now getting around to starting some mods. I can't say thank you enough for this thread! I've been quietly following along, but I'll probably be bombarding you w/ questions in the near future. Please keep the posts coming!