Autotest: can u handbrake turn a Foz?

JohnAWD

Forum Member
Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
3
Anyone know if the Forester can be handbrake turned without damage/excessive wear on the drivetrain?

I'm competing in an Autotest today (manoeuvring around cones in a car park against the clock) for the first time near Oxford, UK.

Does the Foz have a centre diff with a viscous coupling?
Does it have LSDs on front or rear?
 
If it isn't your car, then it will be fine for handbrake turns....

If it is your car, I'd recommend depressing the clutch pedal before yanking on the happy handle.

(I normally tell the clutch that it has no future, is never going to amount to anything and will continue to be trodden - that doesn't always get it depressed, but will at least make it a little bit morbid :biggrin:)
 
I could go for it on a foz with a mt since you can press the clutch in. But on my car with an AT I still think it is a bad idea.
 
Saw this only today. As the Forester runs the normal Subaru set up, there is no reason why you cannot handbrake a Forester. However, make sure you release the handbrake before applying power or you will burn out the centre diff. You might even want to tape the button in so you just need to pull the handle and drop it. The manual cars have viscous centre and rear diffs I believe, with open fronts.

In the WRX club, we run skidpan events (Where we recently thrashed the Mitsubishi Evo guys) and the only real dramas are that the handbrake needs to be correctly adjusted. Hydraulic handbrakes are far better but not practical. Make sure it is on even ground like a skidpan, not an open paddock where ruts could induce a roll, which is not fun.

Anyone know if the Forester can be handbrake turned without damage/excessive wear on the drivetrain?

I'm competing in an Autotest today (manoeuvring around cones in a car park against the clock) for the first time near Oxford, UK.

Does the Foz have a centre diff with a viscous coupling?
Does it have LSDs on front or rear?
 
I e-brake slid on all sorts of wet roads and snowy, icy roads in my mom's Fozzie and in my Outback. The only problem that I had was a possible fun overdose.
 
And For the record, I know that the Impreza, Baja, and one of the other Legacys that are in my close family have all done it without much issue, too.
 
Being all autos (with the exception of one of the Legacys), it's all basically the same. I've really mostly done it around 90-180 degree corners. Here's how I do it: Approach your target slide area at appropriate speed (read: FAST), turn in a little, rip on the e-brake, allow the vehicle to turn either 45 degrees if it's a 90 degree corner or 90 degrees if it's a 180 degree hairpin, let off the e-brake, get on the throttle hard, and leave the corner. This works best at low speeds so that the auto shifter can be in first (50/50 torque split), though you can do it at faster speeds, too. The faster, the easier. I suppose if someone were to wire in a diff lock switch, it would work awesomely all the time. The time that the e-brake is actually engaged is around a second tops.
 
Come to Eastern Ck skidpan on the 30th August and you can see it being done- albeit in Imprezas and not Foresters. Some of the people doing it will just amaze you, and I am sure would be willing to explain it to you.
 
My Forester is a 99 2.0 4x4 with AWP. Am I right in thinking that it has differentials as follows?:
Rear - Viscous Limited Slip
Centre - Viscous Coupling
Front - Open
 
My Forester is a 99 2.0 4x4 with AWP. Am I right in thinking that it has differentials as follows?:
Rear - Viscous Limited Slip
Centre - Viscous Coupling
Front - Open

If it's the manual transmission, yes.
 
Just a quick tip. If you're going for big slides and you want to pull them off at higher speeds WITHOUT risky sh***ing up the drivetrain, drive hard into your corner and press the clutch while still applying some pressure on the gas, then pop them e-brake up quick and if the back wheels start slidding gas it hard and THEN let off the clutch.

I've done loads of figure 8's at my school using that method and so far the drivetrain and e-brake setup is all fine.

Oh and I'm driving a '99 Outback :D
 
The reason I was asking about the Viscous LSD is that on my rear axle I had to run:
1 tyre with 2mm tread
1 tyre with full (brand new) tread -approx 8mm?

Within 7 months the new tyre was down to only 2-3mm -a shockingly high wear rate -so it made me wonder if it's fractionally larger rolling radius was causing problems i.e. the other wheel would be turning faster so the viscous LSD would be retarding it (thinking that it was spinning).

However, my theory above doesn't really explain the higher wear rate on the bigger tyre. Any ideas?
 
Being all autos (with the exception of one of the Legacys), it's all basically the same. I've really mostly done it around 90-180 degree corners. Here's how I do it: Approach your target slide area at appropriate speed (read: FAST), turn in a little, rip on the e-brake, allow the vehicle to turn either 45 degrees if it's a 90 degree corner or 90 degrees if it's a 180 degree hairpin, let off the e-brake, get on the throttle hard, and leave the corner. This works best at low speeds so that the auto shifter can be in first (50/50 torque split), though you can do it at faster speeds, too. The faster, the easier. I suppose if someone were to wire in a diff lock switch, it would work awesomely all the time. The time that the e-brake is actually engaged is around a second tops.

Not having a later model subi with a centre (weak) LSD, I would say I wouldn't be doing it if it were my unit. If you shag out one of these centre diffs its an expensive repair.

The other way to do it is with a scandianivan (spelling?) flick - at speed turn away from the intended corner then turn into the corner, once at the desired angle power on FULL. It takes some practise, but once you can do it you'll just need a little practise on other corners, gravel consistencies and you'll be semi pro, sort of. No need for the hand brake and can give you some awesome sideways action!

I would not be inducing 50/50 split if you're using the hand brake! That will effectively be braking all four tyres, just tap the brakes hard then power on to break traction...

Anyone with an L series DO NOT try using the hand brake/e brake - the L series is front wheel hand braked. All you'll do is either slow through the corner, loose steering or spin around on the front end...

However, my theory above doesn't really explain the higher wear rate on the bigger tyre. Any ideas?

The taller tyre will probabily be spinning faster than the worn tyre, the VLSD will bind up to make the rear end spin at the same rate, or try to - then its just a fight between the tyres and it sounds like the worn tyre is winning out thus wearing the tall, new tyre quickly.

Cheers

Bennie
 
I saw it years ago and I think it is a caliper operated handbrake, but not sure.
 
Back
Top