Subaru Owners Registry

[Jeffrey Dill]

I'm looking to lift the Trek soon, just wondering if any of you could point out the real difference between the LP Adventures lift, ADF lift kit, and Primitive racing kit. I have heard of other lift kits like Readylift, Rough country, and SubiLiftOZ but I've been leaning towards the ADF kit or the primitive lift just based off of the other Subi guys I've talked to on the facebook forums. The main thing I've been getting is ADF is the way to go, but the Primitive lift with the king springs kinda got me thinking if its a better overall package. Any input appreciated!

I've got the Primitive kit on my 2010 Foz. 2 inches with King springs. I love it. Since the Kings are a stiffer spring, they work great with the 2 inch lift. Anything softer at that height would probably feel like a bounce house on the highway. It's the perfect balance of highway comfort, while still having confident maneuvering, and off road height and articulation.

 

[Baipin]

It's my understanding that the ADF kit is the only one with more lift in the rear, to account of the "saggy bum" that some (most?) Subarus experience. There's one kit out there - Readylift perhaps - which has more lift in the front than it does the rear. Kind of weird, but just keep that in mind. Maybe things have changed since I bought mine, or maybe I'm just crazy and remembering things wrong... :-P

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

It's my understanding that the ADF kit is the only one with more lift in the rear, to account of the "saggy bum" that some (most?) Subarus experience. There's one kit out there - Readylift perhaps - which has more lift in the front than it does the rear. Kind of weird, but just keep that in mind. Maybe things have changed since I bought mine, or maybe I'm just crazy and remembering things wrong... :-P

More lift in the front than the rear...that's weird.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

More lift in the front than the rear...that's weird.

I shouldn’t have to tell you about Carolina squat Jeff..

 

[RoamWithJon]

It's my understanding that the ADF kit is the only one with more lift in the rear, to account of the "saggy bum" that some (most?) Subarus experience. There's one kit out there - Readylift perhaps - which has more lift in the front than it does the rear. Kind of weird, but just keep that in mind. Maybe things have changed since I bought mine, or maybe I'm just crazy and remembering things wrong... :-P

Mmm, yeah they’re the only lift I’ve seen so far to offer a 3/8” or 1/2” in the rear to account for that rear squat. More lift in the front? That’s weird lol maybe to increase the approach angle? Lol

 

[Baipin]

I shouldn’t have to tell you about Carolina squat Jeff..

Imagine someone putting a solid axle on the front of a Subaru, leaving the rear alone and doing... this.

 

[RoamWithJon]

View attachment 137923

Imagine someone putting a solid axle on the front of a Subaru, leaving the rear alone and doing... this.

LOL

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

I shouldn’t have to tell you about Carolina squat Jeff..

This is the first time I've ever heard that term but now that I've googled it, yes I am, very unfortunately, familiar with that phenomenon.

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

View attachment 137923

Imagine someone putting a solid axle on the front of a Subaru, leaving the rear alone and doing... this.

Departure angle: 15°
Approach angle: Yes

 

[Sasquatch SC]

This is the first time I've ever heard that term but now that I've googled it, yes I am, very unfortunately, familiar with that phenomenon.

A stain on the great states of Carolina. Luckily, I really only ever see it on the coast and midland areas. We've got a lot of brodozers around here though, the half-ton and three quarter-ton trucks lifted but with huge chrome rims. Last week I had a younger guy start up a conversation with me at the boat ramp as I was loading up. He was asking about my car and then told me he had just gotten a 6" lift on his F250. I took a look, because I like cars, but when I looked inside I noticed a very obvious knob missing on the dash... it was 2wd. I even asked in case I was missing something, and his response was "Nah, they wanted like $6k more for the same model with 4x4. Then he asked if I take my Subaru off-road... Nope - I invested an obscene amount of money into my station wagon for how it handles on the road and because it is a total chick magnet.

Disclaimer: in case it wasn't obvious, that last sentence was completely sarcastic. I go off-road at every possible opportunity. The mud holes call to me. It handles pretty good on the highway but it does have a noticeable hum from the tires and a lot more wind noise from the roof basket. The 2" lift and 29.5" tires already changed the dynamic of how it handles in the curves over 35 mph and the delete of the rear sway bar increased the little bit of body roll. Last but not least - it is definitely not a chick magnet, but it does pretty good for a single guy approaching the half-way mark on his 30's. At least I started with the Touring model with the really nice coffee brown napa leather seats and all the fancy interior and infotainment stuff. I've done a lot of stuff to my car, but other than the trunk area, a small switch panel from Infinite Off-Road and the CB & GMRS radios hidden in the center console - the rest of the interior is still factory spec.

 

[RoamWithJon]

Took her out over the weekend

 

[Jezus53]

Sick ride! Did a similar thing to my 2018 Impreza. 1 inch ADF spacers in front and 1 3/8 ADF spacers in rear. Falken Wildpeaks for me. Surprised at how fast the Geolanders wore down--did you rotate frequently, or mostly commute with them? I have a RTT on my ride...Thinking about the awning. Nice ride!

I convinced my boss to lift her 2015 WRX and she chose the Wildpeaks which look nice, but unfortunately they don't offer any for a 15" rim that will fit...unless I REALLY want to mess with my car. I'm not aware of what RTT stands for.

The car never saw the daily commute since I took public transportation most of the time, so the miles were usually long road trips and drives up a mountain road to my side-gig. I think the way I drove up that mountain is what did them in, but that's essentially half the lifetime they advertise. If you want to do some dirty napkin math to compare, my Grabbers are at ~9.3mm compared to the 11.1mm when new. I've put a little over 8k on them so that's around 4500 miles per mm which is better than the 3500 miles per mm with the Geolanders. There is a big difference in that I now have to commute rather than take public transportation, so most of those miles are standard highway miles which will wear different. Basically, who knows what's going to happen and I apologize for wasting about 18 seconds of your time.

 

[SanDiegoMatt]

I convinced my boss to lift her 2015 WRX and she chose the Wildpeaks which look nice, but unfortunately they don't offer any for a 15" rim that will fit...unless I REALLY want to mess with my car. I'm not aware of what RTT stands for.

The car never saw the daily commute since I took public transportation most of the time, so the miles were usually long road trips and drives up a mountain road to my side-gig. I think the way I drove up that mountain is what did them in, but that's essentially half the lifetime they advertise. If you want to do some dirty napkin math to compare, my Grabbers are at ~9.3mm compared to the 11.1mm when new. I've put a little over 8k on them so that's around 4500 miles per mm which is better than the 3500 miles per mm with the Geolanders. There is a big difference in that I now have to commute rather than take public transportation, so most of those miles are standard highway miles which will wear different. Basically, who knows what's going to happen and I apologize for wasting about 18 seconds of your time.

Ha! Believe me, I can find 18 seconds to spare...RTT=Rooftop Tent. I guess it might be the type of driving and driver, right? Makes a lot of sense. I have—I think—the smallest All Terrain tires they make. Geolanders and Wildpeaks were the best option, but my brother-in-law has Wildpeaks on his lifted truck and spoke highly of them. Same with a local shop. That said, who knows which tire is more reliable off road? I commute on highways too and do a lot of city driving. Happy so far with the lack of noise AND the offroad performance. I'm guessing I'd feel the same about the Geolanders.

 

[Baipin]

Well, I still haven't bought my summer/AT tires... But I've narrowed it down the existing choices a bit further, as well as found some new options along the way :P

Basically, I want 235/65/17 or 245/65/17; something between 29" and 29.5". I want something that isn't heavy (e.g. KO2), wears well on dry pavement, can suck in the winter for all I care, but is decent in shallow mud (less than 6 inches), and is a good general-purpose off-road tire.

• The Cooper AT3 4s in 235/65/R17 (29.2" OD) seems like a good all around tire. Not a very aggressive tread though, but if it performs well in shallow mud and such, I don't really care. Kind of heavy though, at 35 lbs, and I've heard the sidewalls puncture easily. Best warranty though, at 65k miles.
• The Hankook Dynapro ATM in 235/65/R17 (29.1" OD) seems like a mix of good and bad; inexpensive, apparently long tread life (85k according to CR), but only a 50k mile warranty. Anyone with any word on tread life? They seem to perform decently off road and on, except for wet braking. Very lightweight at a mere 32 lbs. Considering this on recommendation from fellow Subie owners. Not sure about mud though - anyone with experience here?
• Pirelli AT Plus in 245/65/R17 (29.5" OD) seems like the best all around tire. Can confirm it works well in mud, is durable and I haven't seen a single bad review about it. Only downsides are size and weight, at 36 lbs, that's a lot of unsprung rotational mass, I fear. I know this size will fit; someone is running 29.9" TerrainContact AT tires on a lifted Forester SJ XT... but I worry about a loss of torque and stress on bearings.
• Also considering the TerrainContact AT and Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner AT. I looked at the Khumo Roadventures but they didn't get good ratings on road/for tread life, and the Yoko Geolandars don't seem to do well in mud? Am I missing something else?

For wheels, I'm considering the Motegi MR147 because of their very light weight at 19 lbs - but are they too "thin" for lack of a better word, for off-road? Would I be better off with Sparco Terras or MR139's, despite adding a few pounds? Or should the MR147's be more than sufficient?

This would be for a SJ XT Forester with a 2" front 2.5" rear ADF lift.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

Well, I still haven't bought my summer/AT tires... But I've narrowed it down the existing choices a bit further, as well as found some new options along the way :P

Basically, I want 235/65/17 or 245/65/17; something between 29" and 29.5". I want something that isn't heavy (e.g. KO2), wears well on dry pavement, can suck in the winter for all I care, but is decent in shallow mud (less than 6 inches), and is a good general-purpose off-road tire.

• The Cooper AT3 4s in 235/65/R17 (29.2" OD) seems like a good all around tire. Not a very aggressive tread though, but if it performs well in shallow mud and such, I don't really care. Kind of heavy though, at 35 lbs, and I've heard the sidewalls puncture easily. Best warranty though, at 65k miles.
• The Hankook Dynapro ATM in 235/65/R17 (29.1" OD) seems like a mix of good and bad; inexpensive, apparently long tread life (85k according to CR), but only a 50k mile warranty. Anyone with any word on tread life? They seem to perform decently off road and on, except for wet braking. Very lightweight at a mere 32 lbs. Considering this on recommendation from fellow Subie owners. Not sure about mud though - anyone with experience here?
• Pirelli AT Plus in 245/65/R17 (29.5" OD) seems like the best all around tire. Can confirm it works well in mud, is durable and I haven't seen a single bad review about it. Only downsides are size and weight, at 36 lbs, that's a lot of unsprung rotational mass, I fear. I know this size will fit; someone is running 29.9" TerrainContact AT tires on a lifted Forester SJ XT... but I worry about a loss of torque and stress on bearings.
• Also considering the TerrainContact AT and Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner AT. I looked at the Khumo Roadventures but they didn't get good ratings on road/for tread life, and the Yoko Geolandars don't seem to do well in mud? Am I missing something else?

For wheels, I'm considering the Motegi MR147 because of their very light weight at 19 lbs - but are they too "thin" for lack of a better word, for off-road? Would I be better off with Sparco Terras or MR139's, despite adding a few pounds? Or should the MR147's be more than sufficient?

This would be for a SJ XT Forester with a 2" front 2.5" rear ADF lift.

Weight was a big deal to me when I changed my wheels and tires. My stock gear weighed around 50 lbs each so that was my goal. I ended up with Kuhmo AT51's 245/65-17's on a set of Sport Edition P3 wheels. They weigh in right around 50 lbs each as well. I'm about 15k in with what I'm running now. I've been pretty happy with them. Minimal hum on the road and they have plenty of grab when deflated for the trail.

 

[Baipin]

Weight was a big deal to me when I changed my wheels and tires. My stock gear weighed around 50 lbs each so that was my goal. I ended up with Kuhmo AT51's 245/65-17's on a set of Sport Edition P3 wheels. They weigh in right around 50 lbs each as well. I'm about 15k in with what I'm running now. I've been pretty happy with them. Minimal hum on the road and they have plenty of grab when deflated for the trail.

Perhaps I'll reconsider these. The weight and tread design is really attractive. I see they have a 45k projected treadlife warranty, but 55k mile guarantee, which is pretty good, I think?

 

[Sasquatch SC]

Perhaps I'll reconsider these. The weight and tread design is really attractive. I see they have a 45k projected treadlife warranty, but 55k mile guarantee, which is pretty good, I think?

I don't think any of those projections apply when you are running off road with technically under-inflated tires, but I've been happy with them. I'd be really happy to get 45k miles on them. I'm still getting used to the whole 5-tire rotation as well.

 

[Baipin]

I don't think any of those projections apply when you are running off road with technically under-inflated tires, but I've been happy with them. I'd be really happy to get 45k miles on them. I'm still getting used to the whole 5-tire rotation as well.

Yeah, that'll be something for me to get used to as well, having just finished the rear tire carrier and looking to get a full size spare.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

Okay - so I had a problem that I came across this weekend that I am hoping that someone might have an answer for concerning the computer.

First of all, my rig is 2019 Outback 3.6R Touring. 2" lift, 245/65-17 AT's, skid plates, and all that good stuff for battle.

This past weekend I was out with some friends and we were riding some trails. It was super muddy, slushy, and a whole lot of fun. I was running point in our convoy of 4. I think that the Jeep WK2, Jeep JLU, and Silverado 1500 all came to the conclusion they would use the Subaru as the guinea pig. I had no problems with anything we came across until about the end of the day. It was a fast moving creek crossing and some pretty big boulders that had rolled into the way at some point after some of our more severe weather. It was tight, but there was a route that would allow us to detour around the biggest boulder in the middle. I had all of the systems like traction control, crash avoidance, etc turned off. I was about in the middle when I had to make the turn around the boulder. I was a little somewhat between some rough rocks and there was no way for me to pick up the momentum to just bounce over them. I was in manual mode, and I would give throttle, but the car's computer wouldn't put any power to the wheels. I also noticed that the traction control icon at the top of the gauge pod would blink even though the traction control was supposed to be turned off. I got winched backwards about a foot from a buddy waiting behind me. After that I was lined up with the bank on the other side and I was able to just send it. However, is there a way I can completely disable the traction control system since it doesn't fully deactivate with the standard button on the dash?

 

[Baipin]

Okay - so I had a problem that I came across this weekend that I am hoping that someone might have an answer for concerning the computer.

First of all, my rig is 2019 Outback 3.6R Touring. 2" lift, 245/65-17 AT's, skid plates, and all that good stuff for battle.

This past weekend I was out with some friends and we were riding some trails. It was super muddy, slushy, and a whole lot of fun. I was running point in our convoy of 4. I think that the Jeep WK2, Jeep JLU, and Silverado 1500 all came to the conclusion they would use the Subaru as the guinea pig. I had no problems with anything we came across until about the end of the day. It was a fast moving creek crossing and some pretty big boulders that had rolled into the way at some point after some of our more severe weather. It was tight, but there was a route that would allow us to detour around the biggest boulder in the middle. I had all of the systems like traction control, crash avoidance, etc turned off. I was about in the middle when I had to make the turn around the boulder. I was a little somewhat between some rough rocks and there was no way for me to pick up the momentum to just bounce over them. I was in manual mode, and I would give throttle, but the car's computer wouldn't put any power to the wheels. I also noticed that the traction control icon at the top of the gauge pod would blink even though the traction control was supposed to be turned off. I got winched backwards about a foot from a buddy waiting behind me. After that I was lined up with the bank on the other side and I was able to just send it. However, is there a way I can completely disable the traction control system since it doesn't fully deactivate with the standard button on the dash?

I've heard you have to do a long press of the TC button. This is almost exactly what happened to me when I accidentally left TC on after going through a deep ice/mud puddle - as if I left the car in neutral. I had to double back through this puddle because the trail wasn't actually a trail, and dead-ended after this... so, I did a long press of the TC button, 10 sec or so, and had no issues going the opposite direction. I'd say I went the same speed, X-mode on, TC off; no issues like on my way in. Granted, this isn't a very scientific test, but it is an anecdote to consider.

I now make a conscious effort to do this each time I off-road. Even for that time I sunk in over 2 ft of mud and clay up to the grille - something no vehicle, Tacoma, Jeep, or otherwise, would've likely gotten out of under their own power - I could still spin wheels. Back were in ruts, front wheels were in deep mud/clay. Heck, a tractor got bogged in similar stuff nearby - and even then - in what I'd consider really nasty conditions - I could still spin wheels, no TC lit up, and I was able to move back and forth ever so slightly (just enough to hook up my hand winch and get myself out). Also, the AT TEMP light did come on at one point, but I still could've kept on the gas if I wanted to. I think when the TC flahses, you simply can't do anything?

Worst case scenario, if a long press doesn't work, you could wire a switch into a fuse tap, perhaps?