Subaru Owners Registry

[Sasquatch SC]

I’m sure this has come up before but can anyone recommend a shop to do an alignment after a 1” lift and new tires on a ‘14 Crosstrek in or fairly close to the Los Angeles area? May be interested in the shop actually installing the lift as well, even though it seems pretty easy. Thank in advance.

Can't help you with the lift, but the Lifetime Alignments from Firestone Complete Auto Care is a steal if you're going to be wheeling a 'Roo. My current rig is just under a year old and I've had to have an alignment done after the lift, another when I went up tire size, again after I changed some suspension components and on two other occasions after taking out some particularly brutal abuse. When I first took it in, there was an option of $100 alignment for that one time or I could pay $200 and get free alignments for as long as I own the vehicle. I paid for the lifetime and I use it to the maximum.

 

[carlospalooza]

Can't help you with the lift, but the Lifetime Alignments from Firestone Complete Auto Care is a steal if you're going to be wheeling a 'Roo. My current rig is just under a year old and I've had to have an alignment done after the lift, another when I went up tire size, again after I changed some suspension components and on two other occasions after taking out some particularly brutal abuse. When I first took it in, there was an option of $100 alignment for that one time or I could pay $200 and get free alignments for as long as I own the vehicle. I paid for the lifetime and I use it to the maximum.

Sounds like a great option. My experience with my local Firestone is that they don’t wanna touch anything that is not stock. And when I asked them about tires for a subaru their eyes glazed over. I’m pretty sure this is perhaps an issue with the particular franchise that is closest to me so I may consider going to another area.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

Sounds like a great option. My experience with my local Firestone is that they don’t wanna touch anything that is not stock. And when I asked them about tires for a subaru their eyes glazed over. I’m pretty sure this is perhaps an issue with the particular franchise that is closest to me so I may consider going to another area.

Yeah... I wouldn't have those bozo's do anything other than the alignment. There are like 5 or 6 of those places in my general area, but there was only one that had a new enough machine to recognize my car.

 

[Baipin]

I've been looking for a good offroad/summer on-road tire for my Forester, which is currently running a ADF 2" front 2-7/8" rear lift (to account for added weight from a steel bumper/tire carrier/interior done up as a very small camper - it sits closer to 2-1/2"). I have no wheel spacers only the aforementioned strut spacers, but will be in the market for new wheels as well, so I can play around with offset there. I'm currently on Falken Wildpeak AT3W 215/65R17 during the winter/offroad. They seem to perform really well there, but I'd rather not wear them down through all-year use when I don't need to. Also, mileage sucks with these on steelies.

Preferably, I'd like something larger than the 215/65R17 I have now. The Coopers seem really close to what I'm after too, and then there are a few wildcards... In any case this is what I'm currently interested in and wondering what you all think:

• Cooper Discoverer A-T3 4S - 235/65R17- I like this tire a lot. It also seems to be what I'm after, and it's in a size I want. I can guarantee these will fit; saw them on a non-lifted Forester SJ XT with +44 wheels.
• Pirelli AT Plus - 245/65R17 - I like this tire too, it seems to be what I'm after for on/off-road handling, longevity, and capability, but the size I want may be a bit big? Even with the lift? Tied as first choice with the Coopers.
• Khumo Road Venture AT51 - 235/65R17 - Wildcard choice. Not sure if it's good or bad.
• Toyo Open Country AT-II - 235/65R17 - Toyo seems to have a good reputation, though I've heard they don't perform as well on-road and the rubber tends to wear down quickly.

As far as wheels go, what kind of offset would I need for my lift and a 235/65R17 setup?

 

[Sasquatch SC]

I have the Kuhmo AT51's on my OB and I couldn't be happier with them. They have been fantastic, minimal excessive road noise, and they have excellent trail manners. I've put a little over 10k miles on them and they have shown hardly any wear on them at all. A big factor that went into my aftermarket wheel & tire combo was their combined weight when compared to the OEM wheels and tires. I figured that putting excessive weight on all those suspension and steering components probably wouldn't be the best idea. My stock gear were the touring edition 18" wheels with Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS 225/60R18 and they weighed in around 50 lbs each. My current set-up is 17x7.5 Sport Edition P3 Anthracite wheels with a 38mm offset and the Kuhmo AT51's in 245/65R17 and they also weigh in right around 50 lbs. I bought them from TireRack and they came with the free road hazard protection.

 

[Bill Swartzwelder]

I have the pirelli scorpions and really like them. They are quiet on the highway, and do well climbing rocky trails when I am off road. I have had 2 wheels in the air on one steep climb and they didn't spin or slip.

 

[Baipin]

Any reports on the Cooper Discoverer A-T3 4S in similar terrain? They seem to be what I'm leaning towards the most.

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

Any reports on the Cooper Discoverer A-T3 4S in similar terrain? They seem to be what I'm leaning towards the most.

Unfortunately, I can't speak specifically to the ATs but Cooper makes great tires. I had the HTs on a Ranger that I drove for 10 years and they were excellent.

I have the Yokohama Geolandar AT G015s on my Forester now and they've also been excellent. They do great off-road but they're also great on-road. They're nice and quiet, and the tread has been wearing well.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

Unfortunately, I can't speak specifically to the ATs but Cooper makes great tires. I had the HTs on a Ranger that I drove for 10 years and they were excellent.

I have the Yokohama Geolandar AT G015s on my Forester now and they've also been excellent. They do great off-road but they're also great on-road. They're nice and quiet, and the tread has been wearing well.

Before now, I ran Yokohama's on literally every 4-wheeled vehicle I have owned since I had to make those kinds of decisions for myself -after finishing my undergrad degree. I had a 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada with Yokohama Geolander AT G015's, a 2009 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Spec.B with Yokohama Advan Sport AS+'s (that thing was insanely fast and needed the ultra high performance rubber), a 2013 Subaru Impreza 5-Door Sport Limited with Yokohama Ascend's, a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado SS with Yokohama Geolander AT G015's & a 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited with Yokohama Geolander G055's.

I do have Yokohama Geolander H/T G056 tires on my 1982 Dodge D300 dually farm truck and they are really the only properly functioning part on that entire vehicle. I decided not to go with the Yokohama's on my Outback because even though they are great tires, their AT tires don't perform as well on a lightweight vehicle in my opinion. I needed more meat and more tread to really grab but not something so aggressive they would destroy themselves on pavement and drive me crazy with the increase in noise. The Kuhmo AT51's have done that for me.

However, I know from @johnniac57 and his adventures in tire shopping (I think he had like 3 different tires on 2 different wheels in a matter of months) - that Discount Tire has a satisfaction program. If you get a set and don't like them you can return them within a set time period. I don't know if they have Discount Tire in Ontario, but I'm sure they have somewhere that would have that same kind of policy. Worth a shot anyway?

 

[Baipin]

Thanks for the tips everyone, especially @Sasquatch SC for all that detail. Much appreciated! I'm still holding strong for the Coopers, though the Toyos look appealing as well, if I can get them at the right price. They both have the same tread warranty at 65k as I recall, and both seem to be good on-road during the summer, as well as off-road, of course. The one thing I didn't like about the Yoko's is that I've heard they perform poorly offroad relative to other choices (like the Toyo/Falken/Cooper offerings). Notably, in light mud. Anyone have much to say about that? On the flipside, I've heard the Khumos are pretty good off road, but get chewed up on dry pavement quite a bit more than the other offerings.

In any case...



I finished restoring that Lug-All handwinch. Took a few hours to sand down any burs or sharp edges. Fortunately, it's all cast aluminum/anodized milled millet - lightweight and easy to sand to a smooth finish.



Haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but the 1/4" synthetic line is apparently good for 7,600lbs. Since it's smaller than the steel wire rope, I was able to fit well over double the capacity, at 21ft of line!



For added safety, I covered an exposed nut with adhesive shrink rap and stuck the "tail" to itself, to form a sort of fairlead.

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

Thanks for the tips everyone, especially @Sasquatch SC for all that detail. Much appreciated! I'm still holding strong for the Coopers, though the Toyos look appealing as well, if I can get them at the right price. They both have the same tread warranty at 65k as I recall, and both seem to be good on-road during the summer, as well as off-road, of course. The one thing I didn't like about the Yoko's is that I've heard they perform poorly offroad relative to other choices (like the Toyo/Falken/Cooper offerings). Notably, in light mud. Anyone have much to say about that? On the flipside, I've heard the Khumos are pretty good off road, but get chewed up on dry pavement quite a bit more than the other offerings.

In any case...

View attachment 130985

I finished restoring that Lug-All handwinch. Took a few hours to sand down any burs or sharp edges. Fortunately, it's all cast aluminum/anodized milled millet - lightweight and easy to sand to a smooth finish.

View attachment 130986

Haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but the 1/4" synthetic line is apparently good for 7,600lbs. Since it's smaller than the steel wire rope, I was able to fit well over double the capacity, at 21ft of line!

View attachment 130987

For added safety, I covered an exposed nut with adhesive shrink rap and stuck the "tail" to itself, to form a sort of fairlead.

I've been very impressed with the Yokohamas in off road conditions, including mud. But I also have nothing to compare them to, so I can't offer any insight into their performance relative to the other choices.

Which Lug All do you have? I've been thinking about getting a come along winch as well.

 

[Baipin]

I've been very impressed with the Yokohamas in off road conditions, including mud. But I also have nothing to compare them to, so I can't offer any insight into their performance relative to the other choices.

Which Lug All do you have? I've been thinking about getting a come along winch as well.

It looks like a Lug-All model custom-built for US Tower, as the serial number follows Lug-All's conventions but is not of a model listed on their website, even though it has all their stampings and boiler plate - the best way to describe it would be as an "in-between" I guess, as it is similar to their smaller come-alongs, but with higher capacity dead-lift ratings and thicker cable than normal. Also, the finish is a bit different from other Lug-All models, but consistent with all the others made for US Tower.

This is a 5000lb model, but on their website they have 4000lb and 6000lb models. Keep in mind these are rated for dead-lift, and Lug-All themselves state on their website that it can be used at double the capacity for winching across the ground. I believe these have a 4x safety factor.

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

It looks like a Lug-All model custom-built for US Tower, as the serial number follows Lug-All's conventions but is not of a model listed on their website, even though it has all their stampings and boiler plate - the best way to describe it would be as an "in-between" I guess, as it is similar to their smaller come-alongs, but with higher capacity dead-lift ratings and thicker cable than normal. Also, the finish is a bit different from other Lug-All models, but consistent with all the others made for US Tower.

This is a 5000lb model, but on their website they have 4000lb and 6000lb models. Keep in mind these are rated for dead-lift, and Lug-All themselves state on their website that it can be used at double the capacity for winching across the ground. I believe these have a 4x safety factor.

No doubt. Those things are monsters.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Tires are a funny thing @Baipin. IIRC Toyos and Coopers are made by the same company so their similarities aren’t a coincidence. I had considered them in the past but ended up going with G015’s. I didn’t hesitate to throw anything at them year round. It’s a much more capable tire than it’s modest tread pattern would suggest and also a much better icy conditions tire than any AT I’ve ran. If you’re considering a fair weather tire to run opposite of your Wildpeaks I wouldn’t discount them. I kept my G015’s thinking I should get another set of 17’s to run them daily because they were such a good all around tire. Much much lighter as well. The only reason I switched is because I simply wanted to try something different and you can’t beat the price on Wildpeaks.

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

Tires are a funny thing @Baipin. IIRC Toyos and Coopers are made by the same company so their similarities aren’t a coincidence. I had considered them in the past but ended up going with G015’s. I didn’t hesitate to throw anything at them year round. It’s a much more capable tire than it’s modest tread pattern would suggest and also a much better icy conditions tire than any AT I’ve ran. If you’re considering a fair weather tire to run opposite of your Wildpeaks I wouldn’t discount them. I kept my G015’s thinking I should get another set of 17’s to run them daily because they were such a good all around tire. Much much lighter as well. The only reason I switched is because I simply wanted to try something different and you can’t beat the price on Wildpeaks.

View attachment 131008
View attachment 131009

Ah yes, weight is something I forgot to mention. They are quite light. When I was doing my research, if I remember correctly, I think they were something like 8 pounds per tire lighter than KO2s. Which is a huge difference since that's rolling weight. I don't know exactly what that would equate to in sprung weight, but it would definitely be substantial.

 

[shaynes1776]

To each their own but having the spare on my roof has never limited what I put up there. I don’t like departure angle robbing attachments, I prefer the versatility of ground tent camping, and although I had originally planned to go with a custom swing out in the skin of the OE bumper cover I never found the need. Some people on here may recall that I actually used CAD to plan out my basket and I creatively use all of the available space in and around my basket. By the time pulling the wheel down is a problem this Outback will be long gone.

Old pictures but it gives you an idea. Everything is securely mounted and locked. No straps or bungees.

View attachment 122559View attachment 122563

What size spare?

 

[Baipin]

Ah yes, weight is something I forgot to mention. They are quite light. When I was doing my research, if I remember correctly, I think they were something like 8 pounds per tire lighter than KO2s. Which is a huge difference since that's rolling weight. I don't know exactly what that would equate to in sprung weight, but it would definitely be substantial.

Very good point; that too is something I am very concerned with, and why I chose the Wildpeaks over the very heavy KO2's.

@shaynes1776 I'd assume they're running a full-size spare, if that's what you're asking?

 

[shaynes1776]

Very good point; that too is something I am very concerned with, and why I chose the Wildpeaks over the very heavy KO2's.

@shaynes1776 I'd assume they're running a full-size spare, if that's what you're asking?

Sorry I should have been specific. Im wondering what size the tire is. Im running 245s and wanted to know if thatll fit in the loadwarrior. I literally just picked one up from REI so I guess ill find out soon. Being lazy at the moment lol

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Sorry I should have been specific. Im wondering what size the tire is. Im running 245s and wanted to know if thatll fit in the loadwarrior. I literally just picked one up from REI so I guess ill find out soon. Being lazy at the moment lol

Haha. It's a 245/65R17 and theres plenty of room.

 

[shaynes1776]

Haha. It's a 245/65R17 and theres plenty of room.

I just installed it [emoji4]