Subaru Owners Registry

[icestorm]

Killer build [emoji108][emoji108][emoji108] I like the little details you added. How’d you mount those extra rear hatch lights? Or did you just upgrade bulbs?

Thanks. It’s mostly been functional upgrades so far. This is both my everyday driver and overland rig.


There called bolt lights. Pulled the plastic trim off and drilled holes for them. Then ran the power lines down to the existing light in the hatch. I wired that light and wired these in its place. I was a bit worried about the amperage draw on the tiny wires from the existing light. but tested the original light and the new lights on a bench power supply and they were within .25 amps of each other.

I ran the power line at the same time as the antenna for the GMRS radio.

Here is the part from amazon if your interested.
YITAMOTOR 10pcs 23mm Eagle Eye...

 

[Logan Hall]

Thanks. It’s mostly been functional upgrades so far. This is both my everyday driver and overland rig.


There called bolt lights. Pulled the plastic trim off and drilled holes for them. Then ran the power lines down to the existing light in the hatch. I wired that light and wired these in its place. I was a bit worried about the amperage draw on the tiny wires from the existing light. but tested the original light and the new lights on a bench power supply and they were within .25 amps of each other.

I ran the power line at the same time as the antenna for the GMRS radio.

Here is the part from amazon if your interested.
YITAMOTOR 10pcs 23mm Eagle Eye...

Yea thanks, I’ll check it out. I’ve got a ‘10 Outback that’s my daily as well with typically just a couple trips a year. I definitely want to make the interior functional and convenient as well.

 

[Nick - Overland Pro Shop]

I have.

So far I’ve done a LP adventures lift kit that I bought through my dealership as they are a LP reseller and it didn’t cost me any shipping. They offered to install it as well but wanted the same price as the hardware in install costs.

Then added Black Rhino Boxers with BFG KO2s 235/75r15s

View attachment 101860

So far the only issues I’ve had were 2 loose bolts on the rear sway bar brackets. Mind you it was the factory bracket even and not the extension you add to it. I suspect that when we put it all back together we may have not hit those bolts with the torque wrench. Granted the bigger issue was that it happened while in the middle of the Ouachita forest in Arkansas and the factory jack wouldn’t go tall enough. Luckily it was on the side with the tow hook point and we were able to use my buddy’s high jack through a bracket he had to lift off a recovery point for his Jeep.

I’ve also done a GMRS radio in the center cubby. And antenna on the hatch.

View attachment 101863
View attachment 101866

A Garmin action cam and blend mount for capturing video on the trail.

View attachment 101865

Additional lighting in the hatch since the factory light sucks back there.

View attachment 101867
View attachment 101868

I also added a Switch Pros aux switch panel to the eyesight housing. The module hasn’t been mounted yet till I get the light bar but since I was running the wire for the dash cam figured I would do this at the same time.

View attachment 101869

I also added a tablet on some magnetic phone mounts for gps.

View attachment 101870

View attachment 101871


Up next is the roof rack, light bar, and then plan to do the lp bumper guard and under plating. As well as the lp rock sliders.


Sorry this got a bit long as I was typing it.

Nice build so far. I don't think the loose bolts on the rear sway bar brackets were your fault. I've heard of numerous crosstrek owners having that issue on 2018-2019 crosstreks. Sometimes the bolts completely fall out. I think there is a subaru TSB out on it.

 

[Nick - Overland Pro Shop]

For what it's worth, I too was worried about this before I did my 2"-2.5" lift. However, I have three dealerships on record (recorded phone calls) saying exactly what @Sasquatch SC is.

So if CVT fails and you've increased tire size you don't think subaru will blame failure due to lift and tires adding additional stress to components?

 

[OverlandN00b]

I've kinda stalled on my big plans for 2009 WRX, as I'm shooting to get a ZR2 Bison next year. But here she is.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

So if CVT fails and you've increased tire size you don't think subaru will blame failure due to lift and tires adding additional stress to components?

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a federal law. It came about supported by the FTC to protect consumers from companies that “guarantee” this & that, but don’t actually stand behind it. It also makes it so the manufacturer can’t prohibit the use of non-branded parts.

 

[Baipin]

So if CVT fails and you've increased tire size you don't think subaru will blame failure due to lift and tires adding additional stress to components?

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a federal law. It came about supported by the FTC to protect consumers from companies that “guarantee” this & that, but don’t actually stand behind it. It also makes it so the manufacturer can’t prohibit the use of non-branded parts.

Like Sasquatch said, the Magnuson-Moss Act will protect you if you're in the US. In Canada, I believe we have similar laws, although I can't recall specific names. With that said, I specifically asked my local dealership about tire size and the CVT. They said that isn't a problem, although as @Wawa Skittletits said, your mileage may vary.

Some dealerships are clearly less competent than others... All I wanted was an alignment, but I ended up with a dent and the mechanic chewing out the car for having modifications it doesn't actually have:

Chose your dealerships carefully!

 

[Logan Hall]

So if CVT fails and you've increased tire size you don't think subaru will blame failure due to lift and tires adding additional stress to components?

Also I don’t think bigger tires have any sort of effect on suspension geometry. On your speedometer and odometer, yes; but not axles or anything.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Also I don’t think bigger tires have any sort of effect on suspension geometry. On your speedometer and odometer, yes; but not axles or anything.

Larger AT tires essentially change the gearing and they’re also typically much heavier so yes they add stress to the entire drivetrain. Then you factor in the lift and the additional effort it takes to turn axles at a less than favorable angle...

All that said Subaru has apparently been great about replacing transmissions the first time for free. Do what I said in my previous post and you’ll be able to sleep a little easier haha.

 

[Logan Hall]

Larger AT tires essentially change the gearing and they’re also typically much heavier so yes they add stress to the entire drivetrain. Then you factor in the lift and the additional effort it takes to turn axles at a less than favorable angle...

All that said Subaru has apparently been great about replacing transmissions the first time for free. Do what I said in my previous post and you’ll be able to sleep a little easier haha.

I hear ya on the extra weight. But how do you mean they change the gearing?

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

I hear ya on the extra weight. But how do you mean they change the gearing?

Tire Math: Calculating the Effects of Tire Diameter on Final Drive Ratio

Thinking about changing the size of your tires? You’re not alone—people run larger wheels and tires for aesthetic purposes. We’ve also seen guys reduce the overall size of their tires for …

www.onallcylinders.com

 

[Nick - Overland Pro Shop]

Also I don’t think bigger tires have any sort of effect on suspension geometry. On your speedometer and odometer, yes; but not axles or anything.

A suspension lift will alter the angles your cv axles rotate at that was my concern regarding lift and warranty. Bigger tires as has been said add weight and require more effort to get moving. Depending on your gearing maybe that puts too much stress on cvt.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

A suspension lift will alter the angles your cv axles rotate at that was my concern regarding lift and warranty. Bigger tires as has been said add weight and require more effort to get moving. Depending on your gearing maybe that puts too much stress on cvt.

The added stress generates more heat so manage the added heat. There are more and more of us out there every day proving Subarus aren’t fragile. Want to extend the life of the axles? Don’t attempt to do donuts in the snow or play in the mud where the front wheels are near or at lock and the revs are high. I can assure you my front axles are stressed more than probably anyone else here and I’m at 66k. Fingers crossed and knocking on wood they’ll just keep going but I’m approaching mileage where even bone stock axles have been known to fail. Keep your lift at 2” or below and they’ll last even longer.

 

[icestorm]

The added stress generates more heat so manage the added heat. There are more and more of us out there every day proving Subarus aren’t fragile. Want to extend the life of the axles? Don’t attempt to do donuts in the snow or play in the mud where the front wheels are near or at lock and the revs are high. I can assure you my front axles are stressed more than probably anyone else here and I’m at 66k. Fingers crossed and knocking on wood they’ll just keep going but I’m approaching mileage where even bone stock axles have been known to fail. Keep your lift at 2” or below and they’ll last even longer.

My dealer said the same thing. Keep it under 2” and don’t do anything to cause one wheel to be super out of speed with the other ones (locking up only one tire doing donuts, replacing only a single tire when the others are way less tread depth, etc... ). As long as I did that they would have no issue with any warranty claims.

 

[Nick - Overland Pro Shop]

The added stress generates more heat so manage the added heat. There are more and more of us out there every day proving Subarus aren’t fragile. Want to extend the life of the axles? Don’t attempt to do donuts in the snow or play in the mud where the front wheels are near or at lock and the revs are high. I can assure you my front axles are stressed more than probably anyone else here and I’m at 66k. Fingers crossed and knocking on wood they’ll just keep going but I’m approaching mileage where even bone stock axles have been known to fail. Keep your lift at 2” or below and they’ll last even longer.

Agreed! I'm not at all worried about axles. CVT is my only concern. As mentioned I'd probably add a transmission cooler if I add bigger tires. I'd like to run 215/65r17s on stock wheels. Slightly taller but narrower tire than stock. This is also my family hauler(2 kids) so I'm going to add hitch basket and potentially roofrack cargo box for camping trips. You still recommend the rallitek springs over king based on that?

 

[Baipin]

I like the idea about the transmission cooler. From my reading on the subject, it seems that overheating is a big limitation (if not the biggest limitation) of CVT transmissions. A cooler seems like a cheap and effective solution to what could become a costly problem. I've looked at getting one for a few months now...

Would it make sense to do a group buy for the OEM Australian-market transmission coolers, or should I just stick with an aftermarket one?

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Aftermarket would be my first choice @Baipin. Depending on how you intend to plumb it in you'll want to look at the different styles to determine what best suits your climate or intended climate.

Agreed! I'm not at all worried about axles. CVT is my only concern. As mentioned I'd probably add a transmission cooler if I add bigger tires. I'd like to run 215/65r17s on stock wheels. Slightly taller but narrower tire than stock. This is also my family hauler(2 kids) so I'm going to add hitch basket and potentially roofrack cargo box for camping trips. You still recommend the rallitek springs over king based on that?

Well... you should be a little worried about taking care of your axles haha. The only axles you want to run are OEM and they're not cheap. Also regardless of larger tires you want to run a cooler for this line of work. I don't believe the Crosstrek even has an external cooler beyond the cooler/warmer.

It’s a different vehicle but my Outback is also a family hauler. I run springs front/back and the Rallitek rears are a great match for when I run as heavy as I ever do while still being easy to live with in day to day trim. Admittedly I carry a good amount of weight every day but that’s necessary with springs if you want anything close to a smooth ride. Point is that even on my heaviest day I couldn't benefit from the higher springrate Kings.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

I like the idea about the transmission cooler. From my reading on the subject, it seems that overheating is a big limitation (if not the biggest limitation) of CVT transmissions. A cooler seems like a cheap and effective solution to what could become a costly problem. I've looked at getting one for a few months now...

Would it make sense to do a group buy for the OEM Australian-market transmission coolers, or should I just stick with an aftermarket one?

When I am off-road (or pulling my boat trailer) I use the “manual” mode... Just typing that puts a sour expression on my face. I hate those flappy paddle things. If they are going to force us into automatic transmissions, they should at least have the decency to leave the +/- on the gear selector like they used to. However, by doing that it keeps the transmission from working itself to death w/ the CVT.

 

[icestorm]

From what people are saying here I'll have to keep a better eye on the CVT temps I guess driving a 2019 Crosstrek Limited. Put on over 2200 miles over the memorial day weekend. Left from Detroit on that Thursday for Chicago where I met up with a buddy and his Jeep, went down to the Mark Twain and Ouachita National Forests for a few days and then drove all the way back to Michigan on that Tuesday. It was quite the mix of on and off paved roads all weekend. But with having 2 vehicles in the group and only me in the car it wasn't very heavily weighted down either so I'm guessing that helped.

 

[Nick - Overland Pro Shop]

Aftermarket would be my first choice @Baipin. Depending on how you intend to plumb it in you'll want to look at the different styles to determine what best suits your climate or intended climate.



Well... you should be a little worried about taking care of your axles haha. The only axles you want to run are OEM and they're not cheap. Also regardless of larger tires you want to run a cooler for this line of work. I don't believe the Crosstrek even has an external cooler beyond the cooler/warmer.

It’s a different vehicle but my Outback is also a family hauler. I run springs front/back and the Rallitek rears are a great match for when I run as heavy as I ever do while still being easy to live with in day to day trim. Admittedly I carry a good amount of weight every day but that’s necessary with springs if you want anything close to a smooth ride. Point is that even on my heaviest day I couldn't benefit from the higher springrate Kings.

View attachment 102078

Haha when I said I wasn't worried I meant that I don't envision the axles being a problem due to how I treat the crosstrek. I'm well beyond the young whippersnapper stage doing burnouts or abusive driving. When YOU work hard for the money you tend to treat "her" right.

thanks for the feedback on springs as well sounds like rallitek is the way to go