Rhitter

Can you tell a difference in handling?

I can't tell you about at the "Limit" but normal driving around the front does feel sharper. It's a small difference though. But for the hassle (lack the of) of the installation it was worth it. Not really worth the price though (but, very few things we do to these cars are)

NOOOOOOO!

Are you stock height? if so, 245/45/18 should be fine. You may rub on the inner rear fender liner depending on wheel / tire width.

If lowered all bets are off. I was rubbing with the stock wheels. 235/45/18 is a better choice if you want to be sure of 0 rub.

It's the driver. I gently rear ended someone texting in traffic 12+ years ago. Have never come close since then.

My wife, totaled her first car, ran mine into a wall (there was a squirrel), and then a couple people have run into her, backed it up to close to a wall and chipped the mirror (luckily all the same car).

No she is in a brand new minivan at some point I am sure she will run it into something or someone will run into her. And I have to be okay with that...

What brake pads are you using?

I was using stoptech street performance brads. Just out on cheapos (centric I think) from tire rack.

Putting bling slotted rotors on the front and Project MUs

There are a couple times where I wonder wth I am doing working on cars. Use the brakes. Duh.

In my defense I was trying to avoid calling my wife out to help me.

Also instead of wearing away at the pad my Stoptechs seem to be just wearing away the rotor. There is a decent amount of pad left and a really decent groove on the rotor.

Got it. 4 hub bolts were not. I had to gently tab the hub onto the spline using a board. It wouldn't go on far enough by hand to allow me to connect the 4 bolts.

How do you fully tighten the axle nut when all 4 wheels are in the air? The axle just spins.

NSK

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005OD7MIQ/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_track_package_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wonder if my axle spline is just mangled. It's super frustrating. I did the hard part. The easy part is supposed to be putting it back together.

I'll get a picture soon. It's just the axle half way in the hub though...

Attempted to replace a wheel bearing and gave up at putting the new one back on. The new hub won't slide far enough onto the axle spline that I can bolt it in place. It stays just far enough away that everything is annoying.

Reminds me why I haven't messed with anything in a long time.

Banjo bolt is still in (filter / screen) it is oriented different in the 08s and seems to stay cleaner.

I have an air pump (Yay). I'll have some time on Sunday for my car. I'll probably just raise it though and not do any useful trouble shooting. Maybe try and replace a rear wheel bearing..

Yeah. This is one piece of info I always have on my 'dash' since it tells me that my ocvs are working OK when their angle stays in sync at all times; which also implies that oiling to the turbo is working OK, and the banjo bolt filters are not clogged (in case you still have them). At least, that is how I interpret this data.

I wonder if all this is because I overfilled the oil once? But when I was monitoring them I noticed the left hand side had trouble (compared to the right) keeping target. Like the VVT angle would stay low then shoot up then drop down. The VVTs for the right hand side were just more stable / fluctuated less.

I flushed the engine oil and changed it. Everything seems to be running smoother. I guess this time around my 5k oci with overfilling it didn't go so well. At least hoping that was it. I don't want to remove / clean an OCV or investigate why I am not hitting target boost.

I just boosted yesterday and didn't get a check engine light. So I got that going for me.

Got a CEL today. P0021. Just cruising along at 60 on the freeway. No symptoms.

Took the hopefully easy way out and bought cheap oil did a flush (it's amazingly dirty looking for only 7 minutes of idling) then refilled with my normal Motul. Hopefully that cleaned out the OCV. Other wise I'll have to pull and clean it.

Call SOA and talk with them first about it. It's always possible they will disagree with the dealer / work with you to get the dealer to replace them.

Honestly, this is beyond ridiculous and turns me off completely from Subaru - you have a known issue, issued a recall, then refuse to fix the brake lines when cars come in with the known issue.

That's such bullshit.

I have heard Sprinters have a huge backlog. I can't actually imagine the "everything in one vehicle." Every time you want to drive somewhere you have to break camp?

But it would be nice to have a vehicle you can easily sleep in one solo trips. Not that setting up a tent is hard or anything. I think I am just getting suckered int the freedom of the vanlife lifestyle. My mid-life crisis (at 33) is to dream of having 0 responsibilities and living in a van.

I like your plan of a small something. I just have no idea how to tow and no idea how to learn.

 

As for us, I begin to realize that we need a bit more space. So that is one reason I've been eyeing at either the Tribeca or a Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel. Or maybe the Ascent.

 

Rhitter mentioned earlier lifted vans. I did look at those too but they look a bit funny.

 

Ford Transit with AWD will be released this year. Sadly the AWD isn't available with the diesel engine. But, you do get the turbo V6 that Ford has been shoving in everything.

I do not disagree. They look funny. But SUPER practical. I'll see if I still want one once they start popping up used.

I can't wait for a self driving van to come out. Best adventure mobile ever. Sleep overnight and end up in a fun place.

That's true, I think it's because she's attracted to more comfort and tech that it offers. With the new legacy looking pretty mint, you'd have to assume most of that is going into this new outback. So I'm crossing my fingers the new look will win her back. She thinks the ride of my current outback it too rough. Then again she drives a Mazda 6 currently

The tech / comfort on the Toyota's are pretty great. I have never really been impressed with a Lexus (for the cost) as opposed to the comparable model Toyota with the same options.

Subaru is going the way of Toyota of 2000 and Honda of like 2006 (i.e. make boring all the things)

I am also leery of really anything Subaru lately, because I am not convinced they know how to make a working reliable engine (head gaskets that were never fixed + all the 05-09s eating themselves).

Toyota is really nice from a mentally you know it will work perspective (or maybe that's just a new car). Unsure how all the electronics will play out though.

I really like my Stoptech. Except, they dust a fair amount on the front. But they have worked well for 6 years includes one track day (can't believe they have been on that long)

Again though....they are dusty.