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Beachworm's SH Foz

I've been turning my SH Forester into an off road machine a little at a time for about 2 years so I thought it was time I started to journal what I have been doing. The timeline might get a bit mixed up as I recall the things I have done in that time.

I'll start by explaining that I've had my Forester since new in January 2011. I had a job where I was required to travel all over south Queensland and a car allowance that gave me the choice, within limits, of what I could drive. I wanted something comfortable, reliable, versatile and well-built. My spending limit led me to a Forester X. Due to a run-out special on 2010 models I was able to get the luxury pack included which gave me alloy wheels, fog lamps and heated leather seats (really useful in Queensland:rotfl:).

When I retired 2 1/2 years ago I was able to take the Foz with me and that's when I started to get interested in off roading. Not going on long trips, camping and exploring the outback but just going fishing up the beach and testing my skills on bush tracks around Brisbane.

My mods came in this order:
1. a SubaXtreme sump guard
2. Steel wheels and Toyo Open Country AT2 215/70/16 tyres
3. a set of recovery gear (snatch strap, equaliser strap, shackles, folding shovel, first aid kit, tool kit and compressor)
4. 50mm Subiliftoz lift kit
5. breather extensions for rear diff and auto transmission
6. Dune recovery boards
7. a new stereo head unit with GPS that will run off-road software
8. a 5w hand held UHF radio
9. Adjustable end links for the front sway bar.

That's where I'm up to now. I have some photos I'd like to include but can't figure out how to do that without having them on the internet first (I haven't). If someone has any tips on how to put photos in the journal, please let me know.

You can see pics of my mods in my photo album.
 
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I’m looking forward to some pics. I’ve got a soft spot for the SHs since seeing the kitted out one that lives around the corner from me, and a bunch of them out and about in the Vic deserts ;)

Cheers

Bennie
 
I'm looking forward to putting some photos in too. I've got them as far as my photo album but still haven't quite got the hang of moving them to this post.


This is my Forester before any mods except for the sump guard.
https://offroadsubarus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2190&stc=1&d=1544791576

After the lift kit was fitted it doesn't look much different but it now has almost 11 inches clearance under the sump.
https://offroadsubarus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2191&stc=1&d=1544791576

While the lift kit was going in I managed to remove the diff breather cap and attach a hose to it without dropping the diff.
https://offroadsubarus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2192&stc=1&d=1544791576

The hose from the diff breather goes neatly through a rubber grommet and up to the highest point in front of the spare wheel well. The engine bay would be almost completely submerged before any water gets into the diff.

https://offroadsubarus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2193&stc=1&d=1544791576

Not long after putting the lift kit in I noticed a slight rattle in the front. I was advised that lifting the front changes the angle at which the sway bay operates and shifts the pressure points on the bushes. Ideally, longer end links are needed to put the sway bar back into its original plane of operation so I put in a set of Whiteline adjustable end links and new bushes. Surprisingly, even with the stock sway bar, handling is noticeably better.
https://offroadsubarus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2194&stc=1&d=1544791576
 

Attachments

  • Before lifting.jpg
    Before lifting.jpg
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  • After Subieliftoz 50mm lift.jpg
    After Subieliftoz 50mm lift.jpg
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  • diff breather attachment.jpg
    diff breather attachment.jpg
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  • diff breather entry into spare wheel well.jpg
    diff breather entry into spare wheel well.jpg
    12.7 KB · Views: 14
  • adjustable end links.JPG
    adjustable end links.JPG
    40.9 KB · Views: 15
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