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Old 10-05-2013, 12:46 PM   #176
bigolrig
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I have a set of 2008 forester struts laying around my shop if anyone wants them. The fir on my 2002 wagon with no issues
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Old 10-21-2013, 09:39 AM   #177
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Originally Posted by bigolrig View Post
I have a set of 2008 forester struts laying around my shop if anyone wants them. The fir on my 2002 wagon with no issues
I'm interested. Pm me?
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Old 10-23-2013, 07:57 PM   #178
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To show everyone my setup, Its forester struts and springs on my 04 wrx with stock wrx wheels and tires. I also took off both sway bars. This is with out extended trailing arms/ bracket.


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Old 10-23-2013, 10:13 PM   #179
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Are you guys doing anything handling wise? Or do the cars handle OK when lifted? I am going to do a full swap with forester suspension, subframe spacers, endlinks, trailing arm brackets, swaybar mounts, etc...will it handle sloppily?

Also, for an 06 OBS, how big can one go on the tires for say a General Grabber AT 2? Should I consider spacers and extended studs to get rid of the inset wheels and gain more clearance from the strut for tires?
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Old 10-23-2013, 11:46 PM   #180
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I run mine in rally crosses and spirited driving on forest roads A LOT!

Get an oversized rear sway bar to minimize understeer (you can go from stock OBS 13mm to a gen 1 outback RSB (18mm) straight swap.... or a WRX (i think 20mm?)

Handling is fine, certainly not like a coil-overed WRX, but with the overall lower center of gravity that makes Subarus what they are, they can handle a little lift w/o really screwing up handling.

I think 205x65 (maybe it's 215x60 or 65, I forget...) is the standard for a lifted impreza, but depending... if you do gen 2 foz lift AND a 1" spacer, You should be able to go 215 70??
I'd stick with 16s but look for less offset (maybe 40-45 compared to stock 55)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pinned View Post
Are you guys doing anything handling wise? Or do the cars handle OK when lifted? I am going to do a full swap with forester suspension, subframe spacers, endlinks, trailing arm brackets, swaybar mounts, etc...will it handle sloppily?

Also, for an 06 OBS, how big can one go on the tires for say a General Grabber AT 2? Should I consider spacers and extended studs to get rid of the inset wheels and gain more clearance from the strut for tires?

Last edited by skunkman; 11-15-2013 at 12:50 AM.
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Old 10-23-2013, 11:47 PM   #181
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Looks great!!! get those trailing arm brackets and you'll be psyched. You'll be more psyched with less offset rims too.
.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiller35 View Post
To show everyone my setup, Its forester struts and springs on my 04 wrx with stock wrx wheels and tires. I also took off both sway bars. This is with out extended trailing arms/ bracket.


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Old 10-24-2013, 12:16 AM   #182
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I love this thread! So, I won't be attempting any of this till next year but for a decent lift I think I will go with this route: 09+ forrester struts (not sure if these will fit), king springs, 1/2" strut top spacers, forester subframe & transmission spacers, and lastly some alignment adjustment to deal with the rear wheel being pushed forward (any idea's?). Primitive has a kit, but it costs $250 . I will most likely be running my stock 16x6.5" wheels with 205/55/16 tires. Any feedback or help is much appreciated.
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Old 11-12-2013, 03:00 PM   #183
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When you guys lift, are you generally finding that it causes you to lose achievable negative camber?
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Old 11-14-2013, 07:33 PM   #184
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rhino6303 View Post
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I plan to use this exact tire on my 96 impreza outback after dropping it on forester spings and struts.
What offset is that wheel? I have 16 inch VW wheels for them, offset is 38 I believe.
I hope they clears.
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Old 11-15-2013, 12:57 AM   #185
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Originally Posted by KartRacer3 View Post
I love this thread! So, I won't be attempting any of this till next year but for a decent lift I think I will go with this route: 09+ forrester struts (not sure if these will fit), king springs, 1/2" strut top spacers, forester subframe & transmission spacers, and lastly some alignment adjustment to deal with the rear wheel being pushed forward (any idea's?). Primitive has a kit, but it costs $250 . I will most likely be running my stock 16x6.5" wheels with 205/55/16 tires. Any feedback or help is much appreciated.
That's A LOT of lift dude.

FOR lift AND kings (even the OEM kings lift some, the raised kings lift like 2+") AAAND spacers?!

205x55s will look like slicks under that lift! And for repositioning the rear - I'm not sure the multi-link rear is affected as much with lift as are MacPherson strut lifts with trailing arms in the rear...

I've seen a couple lifted multi-link rears (gen 2 and 3 OBs), but I'm not too sure on the 09+ forester lift into your '11 rig. You may be pioneering some new ground, but any way you cut it, a forester lift WITH king springs AND a spacer is really tall. the available drive line lowering components may not adequately account for ALL that lifting. . . .

just sayin'
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Old 11-15-2013, 01:01 AM   #186
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chimchimm5 View Post
When you guys lift, are you generally finding that it causes you to lose achievable negative camber?
depending how high you go, not so much.
(caveat: my experience) just a strut lift you can get alignments in spec (maybe camber kits in front), strut plus spring or spacer you'll need camber kits x4

but significant negative camber like in a racing set-up, you'll probably need a camber kit period or one of those wicked-expensive-but-totally-awesome camber plates on the strut mount
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Old 11-15-2013, 01:17 AM   #187
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skunkman View Post
That's A LOT of lift dude. FOR lift AND kings (even the OEM kings lift some, the raised kings lift like 2+") AAAND spacers?! 205x55s will look like slicks under that lift! And for repositioning the rear - I'm not sure the multi-link rear is affected as much with lift as are MacPherson strut lifts with trailing arms in the rear... I've seen a couple lifted multi-link rears (gen 2 and 3 OBs), but I'm not too sure on the 09+ forester lift into your '11 rig. You may be pioneering some new ground, but any way you cut it, a forester lift WITH king springs AND a spacer is really tall. the available drive line lowering components may not adequately account for ALL that lifting. . . . just sayin'
Finally some feedback!

Yeah after researching; forester struts & springs alone is a pretty intense lift. I found a guy with a 08 wrx on DirtyImpreza who did it but he is swapping out every other component from the forester to his wrx which would be costly. I think my new plan is to get some king springs for my platform, some 215/65/17 grabbers, and maybe a 1" tophat spacer. Cheaper and more realistic with less possible problems.

I guess I got a little excited when I first started learning about lifting
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Old 11-15-2013, 12:20 PM   #188
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KartRacer3 View Post
Finally some feedback!

I know how it goes.


Quote:
Originally Posted by KartRacer3 View Post
Yeah after researching; forester struts & springs alone is a pretty intense lift. I found a guy with a 08 wrx on DirtyImpreza who did it but he is swapping out every other component from the forester to his wrx which would be costly. I think my new plan is to get some king springs for my platform, some 215/65/17 grabbers, and maybe a 1" tophat spacer. Cheaper and more realistic with less possible problems.

I guess I got a little excited when I first started learning about lifting
So what's the platform you want to lift?
I think your sidebar says 2011 2.5i (is that an OB or impreza?)
I haven't seen very many lifts on 05+ outbacks or 09+ foresters or 08-09+ imprezas. I think there is still some interchangeability for lifting these newer rigs but certainly the strut top spacer is the most cost effective way to get a little more ground clearance, but other bits may limit up-sizing tires.
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Old 11-16-2013, 02:44 PM   #189
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Originally Posted by SidewaysWagon View Post
I plan to use this exact tire on my 96 impreza outback after dropping it on forester spings and struts.
What offset is that wheel? I have 16 inch VW wheels for them, offset is 38 I believe.
I hope they clears.
PM replied. For reference here as well, the wheel offset is 40mm. I really think the tires rubbed with the OEM wheel because the car hadn't been aligned yet and the camber was so far off that the tires rubbed the strut perch.
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Old 11-16-2013, 06:39 PM   #190
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Very insightful response, thanks!
Guess it's time for me to pull the trigger on tires.
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Old 11-17-2013, 06:23 PM   #191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rhino6303 View Post
PM replied. For reference here as well, the wheel offset is 40mm. I really think the tires rubbed with the OEM wheel because the car hadn't been aligned yet and the camber was so far off that the tires rubbed the strut perch.
unless i'm reading wrong, a 38 or 40 offset would push the wheel FURTHER away from the strut per a stock Suby rim is usually 55 and people want LESS offset to get away from the strut shaft. seems like what you say would be more like 60+ offset. . . .
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Old 11-17-2013, 06:28 PM   #192
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*doh, nevermind I tried deleting above post after clearer reading*

Last edited by skunkman; 11-17-2013 at 06:31 PM. Reason: reread main post
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Old 11-17-2013, 07:37 PM   #193
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skunkman View Post

I know how it goes.
So what's the platform you want to lift?
I think your sidebar says 2011 2.5i (is that an OB or impreza?)
I haven't seen very many lifts on 05+ outbacks or 09+ foresters or 08-09+ imprezas. I think there is still some interchangeability for lifting these newer rigs but certainly the strut top spacer is the most cost effective way to get a little more ground clearance, but other bits may limit up-sizing tires.
It's my 2011 Impreza 2.5i. Yeah that's what I've been reading too. I still have plenty of time before I even think about purchasing some of the stuff I mentioned, so time for more research or wait till someone beats me to it!
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Old 11-18-2013, 11:14 PM   #194
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Another question about lifting the Impreza wagon, if I use just Forester struts it looks like it's about 1.5-2" higher. Will I need to worry about axles popping out? I've heard there can be issues there, and if there are I may need to reconsider and do just strut spacers to get a little less lift.
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Old 11-19-2013, 09:41 AM   #195
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Originally Posted by Pinned View Post
Another question about lifting the Impreza wagon, if I use just Forester struts it looks like it's about 1.5-2" higher. Will I need to worry about axles popping out? I've heard there can be issues there, and if there are I may need to reconsider and do just strut spacers to get a little less lift.
No, with 2" you don't need to be concerned with CV axles.
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Old 11-19-2013, 06:01 PM   #196
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Originally Posted by Pinned View Post
Another question about lifting the Impreza wagon, if I use just Forester struts it looks like it's about 1.5-2" higher. Will I need to worry about axles popping out? I've heard there can be issues there, and if there are I may need to reconsider and do just strut spacers to get a little less lift.
Depends on which generation forester strut.
  • Gen 1 (98-02) you'll get about 1.5" (same ground clearance lift but less room for oversized tires compared to 96-99 legacy OB struts)
  • Gen 2 (03-08) you'll get closer to 2" lift AND plenty of room for bigger tires.

Copying joshuajayg:
As far as I understand (other than getting the rear trailing arm bracket to recenter the back hubs in the wheel well, it's a straight swap and good lift), the gen 2 forester strut alone will not be detrimental to axles, although yours may fail sooner once lifted as you're changing the active wear patterns which may lead to premature failure)
You may need camber bolts to help with alignment

BUT, all that said, spacers are easier, cheaper and afford good clearance. i think you can even get 215 65s and maybe 70s in factory struts too, then a 1" block is a good balance..
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Old 11-22-2013, 04:02 PM   #197
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skunkman View Post
Depends on which generation forester strut.
  • Gen 1 (98-02) you'll get about 1.5" (same ground clearance lift but less room for oversized tires compared to 96-99 legacy OB struts)
  • Gen 2 (03-08) you'll get closer to 2" lift AND plenty of room for bigger tires.

Copying joshuajayg:
As far as I understand (other than getting the rear trailing arm bracket to recenter the back hubs in the wheel well, it's a straight swap and good lift), the gen 2 forester strut alone will not be detrimental to axles, although yours may fail sooner once lifted as you're changing the active wear patterns which may lead to premature failure)
You may need camber bolts to help with alignment

BUT, all that said, spacers are easier, cheaper and afford good clearance. i think you can even get 215 65s and maybe 70s in factory struts too, then a 1" block is a good balance..
Thanks for that info! Would I have any issues running a 2002 Forester S setup rather than an 05 FXT setup? I assume the S springs are softer, but will it be an issue?

Doing just spacers would probably be fine, but I think I'd be better off with 1.5-2" of lift and the bigger tires. If I did go for just the strut spacers, can they be installed without disassembling the strut assemblies? I assume the spacers are proven and work fine?

Last edited by Pinned; 11-22-2013 at 04:19 PM.
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Old 11-25-2013, 02:22 PM   #198
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Thanks for that info! Would I have any issues running a 2002 Forester S setup rather than an 05 FXT setup? I assume the S springs are softer, but will it be an issue?
word!

no different in fitment, i think the FXT springs may have a higher rate (more sport tuned) and the FXT is a scosh heavier than the non turbo. But yeah, any 03-08 forester will afford the same lift. i think 02 is still first gen and is not as high of a lift and allows less big tires than the 2nd gen forester (03-08) or even 1st gen outback struts (96-99).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pinned View Post
Doing just spacers would probably be fine, but I think I'd be better off with 1.5-2" of lift and the bigger tires. If I did go for just the strut spacers, can they be installed without disassembling the strut assemblies? I assume the spacers are proven and work fine?
Spacers do not require disassembly of the strut, i.e. no spring compressor necessary. Just remove the strut from the car, hammer out the top hat studs, place spacers on top of tophat, rethread ne longer bolts, insert into car and re-mount (3 nuts on top and the 2 BFB on the bottom), go get alignment checked.
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Old 12-04-2013, 02:02 AM   #199
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OK gentlemen, right now I've got a 98 Impreza OBS with stock struts and a 2" drop... so I think that's 3" from the stock OBS springs.

I want to lift the car a bit so I can add a bit larger (height and width) tires. I want to get some grabbers on my 03 wrx rims.

I know if I put the OBS springs back on and 1" spacers there's no way I could fit grabbers because of the spring perch

So my question is, if I use struts and springs from a 97-99 legacy outback, can I swap the rear top hats with my Impreza ones? I'd rather not modify the holes. And would that give me enough clearance to fit grabbers?

Also someone said that the 98 and 99 OBS had the taller trailing arm brackets than the base model impreza. Is that true?

Thanks guys.
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Old 12-04-2013, 10:11 AM   #200
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Just get yourself a set of fozzy struts and call it a day.

The 98-99 outback sport came from the factory with lower rear swaybar mounts, drivetrain spacers, and geometry correcting rear trailing arm brackets, all of these things make for a fairly straightforward lift.
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