Selection of Subaru vs Rest Videos

Comment at the end nailed it.
 
Nice driving Red ! Still happy with the HotBits ?
 
Hotbits are going great! Probably the best mod I've done. Really appreciate them when doing tracks that I previously struggled with or couldn't previously do. I swapped my rear springs from 2.2Kg/mm to 1.8Kg/mm yesterday. That greatly improved the balance of the car on road over bumps. Should hopefully improve the offroad ride even more, but haven't tested yet. Got a bit to add to my build thread.
 
Is the difference due mostly to extra momentum or something else? It seems they all have open diffs?
 
The difference is mostly due to "something else"....driver skills and long travel coilovers !
 
It could well be advantageous for many off roaders to learn to drive off road on a Foresters to more fully appreciate the art of picking the right line. When I first hit the dirt, I did it in. 351 Cleveland engined Falcon. It was so nose heavy it would get bogged very easily. So you learned the importance of picking the right line. When the Forrie came along, this experience was most helpful. Best to rely on taking the right line than relying solely on the car to do all the work.
 
Rally said:
It could well be advantageous for many off roaders to learn to drive off road on a Foresters to more fully appreciate the art of picking the right line. When I first hit the dirt, I did it in. 351 Cleveland engined Falcon. It was so nose heavy it would get bogged very easily. So you learned the importance of picking the right line. When the Forrie came along, this experience was most helpful. Best to rely on taking the right line than relying solely on the car to do all the work.
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If this is indeed the case, what is the point of making comparisons with other makes/models. What is really being compared is the drivers.
 
On the down hill section where I was able to stop and get started again, I think the Forester being more nose heavy actually helps. The other 4wds seem to rock around on the balancing point, while the Forester has more weight on the front wheels. Of course you need power to the front wheels to get an advantage out of being front heavy. On the uphills it was more the line selection. Learning to drive a less capable vehicle helps you get more out of a more capable vehicle. I'm glad I kept my car stock for so long before modifying it, I think it makes me appreciate the mods more. Good lines and long travel coilovers go a long way!
 
I've swapped in the lower SF low range, which was a huge improvement over stock. I was coasting on parts which is why I came to a stop because I was pretty concerned about scraping. But the parts where I have drive is just the SF low range and really low rpm.
 
would be nice to know what mods those cars where on ? what they used . and every car can find its own line or missed it . Red's car is very cool with all those mods for sure. but if pick one car from them , subaru would be last. just because what you can do with other cars , comfort, fun.
 
The Patrol is on 35" tyres. I don't know what suspension is in it, but it has much more wheel travel then me. It also has the 6L LS V8 in it. It was up for sale a while a go and I was a little tempted because I do like that car. But for $15K it is a much more expensive car. And he would have sunk more money then that into it. The car desperately needs a diff locker, then it would become unstoppable, but that's another grand+



I don't know much about the Land Cruiser, but Land Cruiser's are crazy expensive in Australia. A good 4wd, but the Patrol is better value.


The FJ's are a newer vehicle so you are looking at about $30K. I'm pretty sure they have locker and/or offroad traction control, but were just avoiding using it to give themselves a challenge. One got flustered, changed something on the car, then just easily drove out of there with no wheel spin even when lifting wheels.


The ranger has a small lift and AT tyres and a factory rear locker. Driving that car, the thing I love the most is the gearing, I can drive so slowly and controlled. The visibility is the worst thing about it. You can't see much over the bonnet, and even less behind you. Being a much longer car, the Ranger couldn't do the first obstacle with out a lot of scraping, the departure angles are poor. But on the last trip I did the Ranger did this deep muddy puddle that I would never do. Being a taller car a puddle that looked deep on the Ranger would be way to deep for me, and the Ranger's locker makes any car a weapon.


In the video, apart from my own car, the Patrol would be my first choice. I've seen that car do some really impressive stuff that you need 35" tyres for. With a locker it would be unstoppable. But for $15K I'd be torn between the Patrol and Rally's Forester. His car is like an offroader and a sports car in one. If you needed a big car go the Patrol. But I find small offroaders fun
 
Nice video. Patrols are nice. I used to drive a previous gen Patrol which is triple-locked from factory and that one was a beast! The lockers and the disconnecting sway bars were very handy. Parts were everywhere even JDM ones. The problem with that was everything became a bit too easy. We replaced that with an Isuzu Bighorn, which interestingly is Subaru Bighorn in some markets, and I used it for desert running.
 
ABFoz said:
We replaced that with an Isuzu Bighorn, which interestingly is Subaru Bighorn in some markets, and I used it for desert running.
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There's desert in New Zealand?
 
Ben Up North said:
There's desert in New Zealand?
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Yes, just below us, there's the Rangipo Desert in the Central Plateau. Access roads there are pretty quiet especially during the summer season. Corrugations used to be pretty heavy but now it's not as much. The Bighorn loved those corrugations but that's about it for the truck.

Now I think the trails are more suited for our cars. If I am going to do such with the SG, I may have to install a rear strut bar but I am not considering such activity in my car at the moment.
 
Red XS said:
I've swapped in the lower SF low range, which was a huge improvement over stock.
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I can see a huge improvement with the SF low range, defiantly going to swap the low range on my SG. Is it as easy as just swapping over the low range gear?

Also hope to be at the next MtnRoo drive so might see you there?
edit: Just realized how far away the next possible locations are. Wont be going.
 
SF low range was a huge improvement. Still a long way off a proper crawler found in other 4wd's, but it does make obstacles like those in the video much more controllable. Once the gearbox is out of the car and the gearbox is split open it is just a matter of swapping the low range gear set. There's endless other mods you can do while the gearbox is apart, like change diff ratio, swap in LSD's, but that's all more money and work, but worth considering. I only swapped in the low range, I half wish I did 4.44 diff ratios as well, but that's a bit more work.


I was at today's MtnRoo drive and will probably be at the next one. The guy organising is very open to suggestions so you can suggest something closer.
 
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