More lift questions - Noobie

amongstmyselves · Post by **amongstmyselves** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 3:49 pm

Hi all,

I'm an owner of a Forester X MY04 and I am going through the process of whether it's worth modifying the Forester to give me more height or replace the car with a "proper" 4wd.

I'd like to use the car to access 4wd tracks in national parks and station property 4wd here is South Australia. Apart from the tourism point of view I also do film making and want the ability to get away from the main tourist traps. Trying to avoid the total car upgrade as I don't want a huge 4wd as the Forester is a good size for me and my gear and of course it doubles as an every day drive.

I've had a look around this forum and others for lift kits etc but I'm at a loss as to a clear understanding of what is involved in getting a couple more inches of clearance under the vehicle. Also I'd want to protect the underneath of the car. I've already taken the Forester onto a station in the north where I managed to dislodge the oil sump protector. Not good.

I've tried to get information from the suppliers mentioned on this site but many don't reply or no longers supply their products. In a quick test of what is available I went down to Pedders and they suggested their Extreme XA Coilover arrangement which admittidly is mainly used for people to lower their cars but apparently will raise them as well.

If anyone can give me a clear lead to what and where I can get all the components and some idea of costing, I'd be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Steve R.

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:33 pm

Welcome to Ausubaru!

I had a Forri (2000) and she was very capable. Never should have sold it.

To enhance your abilities I suggest the following:

(Remove the spaces, google:)

C R O S S B R E E D P E R F O R M A N C E

and

SubaXtreme

Have fun!

taza · Post by **taza** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:41 pm

Just put a 2" strut lift kit in, get this from the place above.

Get a sumpguard from Subaxtreme for protection.

Get 215/65r 16 tyres that are all terrain.... Yokohama Geolander AT-S are really good.
You'll then go most places offroad in your Foz, just remember though that it is a still a soft roader. Not a hardcore rock crawler and if you use it like one it will break..
Yrs I use mine like one and have gone through, 3x motors,2x gearboxes, 8 shocks, 2 clutches and heaps more.
But in saying that they are.very capable for a softroader, especially with a few mods.

Taza

amongstmyselves · Post by **amongstmyselves** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:47 pm

Your a champion Taza. Exactly what I needed to know. I'll email NOW. Though I have emailed SubaXtreme before without much success. I'll give them a ring instead.

Steve R.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:19 pm

Welcome to AuSubaru....
They are there... Theres spacers and strut lift kits ranging from 1" to 3" extra lift, and raised springs.... yes contact them above..
Cheers
AP

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:32 pm

You can go a few ways. A 2" strut lift like Taza said is a good way to go, it has inbuilt camber offset to keep your camber angles correct. C r o s s b r e d Performance do a great kit.

Another way is raised springs such as King Springs which will raise the car by ~35mm. They also let you load up the car with heaps of gear without the rear sagging (a common problem) but you may have issues with camber adjustment. They also firm up the ride giving you better handling but at the cost of wheel travel offroad.

I hate the SubaXtreme sumpguard...its brittle CAST alloy & is almost guaranteed to crack when you hit something....not good considering thats what its there for. It does look good, fits well & is airbag compliant (if you're concerned bout that) but just doesnt last! C r o s s b r e d Performance sumpguard is steel plate & can be hammered back into shape if needed. Its not airbag compliant but that just means it hasnt been tested...thats all. It may need some "massaging" to fit, nothing too serious. Its what I have now after I wasted my time & money on the SubaXtreme skid plate.

You'll also find they are quick to reply, I've had a great experience with them.

As Taza said, the Geolander AT-s are very popular on here...I'm a big fan. They have much better grip on wet bitumen than others & good offroad. Not as good as BF Goodrich offroad but much cheaper & I'd hate to have to do an emergency stop or swerve on BFGs on a wet road. A great compromise...

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:38 am

Hi and Welcome Steve,

Don't give up on those places, I'm sure they will get back to you.

I think they make a very capable vehicle once lifted and larger tyres and like you say, they make a great everyday driver.

Keep up the hunt and send us before and after pictures

amongstmyselves · Post by **amongstmyselves** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:55 pm

So much info !

Thanks guys. I have just received a reply from Cross **** for the lift kit ,which is a good price.

So my idea would be to install the CBP 2" lift kit and getting some heavier grade of springs for the sagging issue which I have noticed with all my camera gear loaded or even when we go camping.

The Geolander AT-S that Taza suggested is presumably a little larger than the stock sized wheels. Presumably I'd need all the lifting done for this to fit ?

Still no luck with SubaXtreme. Has anyone checked out the company ASFIR. They do several guards for the Forester but they are calling them Front/gear/transfer skid plates ?

On the suspension front has anyone had experience with the Pedder Extreme XA Coilover ? They are an adjustable height plus you can adjust the dampening ?

Anyhow, looking forward to your responses again.

Cheers,

Steve R.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:22 pm

amongstmyselves wrote:So much info !

Thanks guys. I have just received a reply from Cross **** for the lift kit ,which is a good price.

So my idea would be to install the CBP 2" lift kit and getting some heavier grade of springs for the sagging issue which I have noticed with all my camera gear loaded or even when we go camping.

The Geolander AT-S that Taza suggested is presumably a little larger than the stock sized wheels. Presumably I'd need all the lifting done for this to fit ?

Still no luck with SubaXtreme. Has anyone checked out the company ASFIR. They do several guards for the Forester but they are calling them Front/gear/transfer skid plates ?

On the suspension front has anyone had experience with the Pedder Extreme XA Coilover ? They are an adjustable height plus you can adjust the dampening ?

Anyhow, looking forward to your responses again.

Cheers,

Steve R.

Awesome.. show photos of the progress of before and after etc..
Cheers
AP

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:22 am

Hey Steve, I think that sump gaurd only covers the front piece up to the crossmember and this is all you really need if you're planning on doing some 'serious' offroading. Personally I don't think you really don't need one, just pick the right lines when offroading.

As for coil-overs, not sure about the Pedder's ones but generally these make for a very stiff ride.

lucaswheat · Post by **lucaswheat** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:50 am

Anyone else using the C R Oss**** lift kits?

any camber issues with the 2" lift?
what size tires can you get under there after it's lifted?

and the all important - how much are they? (waiting to hear back from them)

I also have the heavy gear in the back issue. Can anyone suggest some good springs to put in the back?

amongstmyselves · Post by **amongstmyselves** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:08 pm

Just got a reply from Jeff at CBP and they don't have any 2" lift kits but only the 2" strut lifts. Can someone explain to this amateur, me by the way, what this is ?

Steve.

akpv · Post by **akpv** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:21 pm

strut lift is effectivley extending your struts, its cheap and quick to install.

body lift leaves your drivetrain in the same position but lifts up the chassis. lots more bits required. lots of effort to install.

I have a two inch strut lift on mine and have been super happy with it.

The x bread 2" strut lift is around $440 i think.

top left are the strut lift bits, the rest is only included in body lift kit. Gives you an idea of the difference.

amongstmyselves · Post by **amongstmyselves** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:20 pm

Thanks akpv for the explanation.

Unforunately CBP hasn't got any of the body lift kits as the moment. Not that I'm in a screaming hurry.

I would presume that only doing the struts would put some strain on the univerasal joints ?

Steve.

akpv · Post by **akpv** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 2:09 pm

Yeah, you will put more strain on the cvs and boots but I don't think its an issue. They are cheap and straightforward to replace (provided you can crack that damn 32mm nut).

Remeber with a body lift your sump etc is still going to be just as low as before. If you are only going 2" of lift I would go strut lift for sure. If you are going for 3-5 inches I would do a combination.

amongstmyselves · Post by **amongstmyselves** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:42 am

That's good to know.

Got another reply back from CBP and Jeff suggests only getting standard springs from King Springs as he says the strain the strut lifts and the higher springs would increase the angle and thus damage the CVs. The springs I've got a price on from King Spings give me 30mm of extra height. Should I avoid this model and go for a standard height but more robust/heavier duty spring ?

Sorry for all questions guys but I do have to answer to my very supportive wife who doesn't want to be stranded on a lonely road with the wheels flat on the ground looking like a warn out dog. For that matter neither do I !

Steve.

akpv · Post by **akpv** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:25 pm

Why do you want to replace the springs?

amongstmyselves · Post by **amongstmyselves** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:32 am

I was aiming to change the springs so that I get more support when I am loaded up. With all my camping and camera gear the Forester does take on the appearance of Thunderbird 2 in launch mode. That was the only reason.

Steve.

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:37 am

akpv wrote:

I notice there's a Engine stay in there..is it extended? Hadnt thought of that for my lift.

amongstmyselves, I wouldnt go raised springs plus strut lift, it puts too much strain on CVs plus you'll prob have issues with poor wheel droop (the way the wheel drops into a rut or hole). IMO you can go raised HD springs at the rear as the CV angles are much better than the front, ut you may still affect wheel droop. I have raised Kings & will be putting in a CBP 2" full body lift plus 1" spacers at the rear. This plus the Kings should help with rear sag, a big issue with Foresters, esp when loaded. Even with new springs/struts all round, my rear still sits low

LIFTED · Post by **LIFTED** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:02 am

NachaLuva wrote: Even with new springs/struts all round, my rear still sits low

NachaLuva my new 98 Forester has a saggy butt and I was thinking of new struts and standard height king springs.
Did you go for the standard Forester height king springs and what brand of struts did you put in?

After reading this blogg ... http://forestersls.blogspot.com.au/2011 ... nsion.html ... I was wondering would mine have self leveling suspension or has Subaru used the same springs in mine that are used in the self leveling Forri's