The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Hi all , a couple of days ago I downloaded a 1st gen Liberty manual and finally got around to looking through its AWD gearbox section .

Was very surprised to see that they have a similar centre diff assembly to the AWD L box though the viscous coupling is where the diff lock would be and the transfer gear pair behind the centre diff rather than in front like the AWD L box .

I am sure I saw pictures of supposedly AWD Lib boxes here and they didn't show this system . What they did show was a viscous coupling on the boxes outputshaft to the tailshaft .

Can someone explain the real story of which cars (L/Lib Impreza) got which system because how they work make a great deal of difference to how they perform .

Not all AWD systems are created equal , cheers Adrian .

The viscous coupling on the EJ manual AWD box is on the end of the gearbox output shaft/ front driveshaft and it is then geared up to the rear drive output shaft.

The only conclusion I can come up with is that Subaru wanted the L AWD boxes to be dimensionally same as the PT boxes so as to fit everything around them in the same way .

Obvious to me now but the Viscous "drag" system would be better for an on road performance car and the best all round the Lib system with viscous hub and a mechanical lock .
Not to worry , I guess the L AWD is better than almost permanent FWD (LOL)
and a short low range acting as 1st or 6th depending on how you use it .
The learning curve never ends and its all good for the next post Ell Subie .

Cheers A .