04 xt tyre lift

nicklib

Forum Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
8
gday all,
Recently bought an 04 xt and looking to lift it. Whats the best option with the foresters, strut block lift or heavy duty springs or both. Trying to steer clear of a full lift kit. Also could i fit215/70/16 tyres without scrubbing with these modifications. Thanks for yr help
 
G'day nicklib & :welcome: to ORS.
I currently have raised springs in mine & am quite happy with them. :)
However, if I had my time over I think I'd go for a strut block lift instead.
Mainly due to the sag factor that can happen over time. :iconwink:

Spinners put 215/70/16 on his Forry & had a little rubbing on the front. A little plastic surgery fixed that though. :)
New Cooper ATR shoes for the Forester

I have 215/65/16 on my 05XT & there is no rubbing on it. :ebiggrin:

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Forgot to also mention that a sump guard is also a good idea aswell. :iconwink: Especially if you intend taking your XT off the black stuff. :)

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Thanks for the feedback much appreciated.

Id like to know if by combining strut lift and stiffer springs the ride suffers? I also own a 95 Lib gx that i have used a lot on the beaches of Moreton and Stradbroke Island. I fitted outback struts and king springs and while the clearance was amazing it felt the stuts had very little down travel. the result was a knocking noise from the strut when on rough terrain or going over speedbumps as the strut was over extended. I would like to avoid this on the xt so any feedback from members who have lift and stiffer springs would be much appreciated.
On the up side the Lib would idle around the inland and access tracks on the islands thanks to the extra clearance. Older subies ive owned in the past have required a fair bit more gusto thanks to the lack of clearance (and power) when on tracks requiring more clearance. I would like to avoid a strut lift and spring lift as i feel it could make the car to rigid but am worried that without both im not going to get the clearance i need. Would love to hear your experiences with the various combinations people are running.
Also does anyone know if there's a difference between the XT struts and those from the non turbo foresters?

Thanks again for your help!
 
^I'm running kyb/raised king spring setup on my forester. I don't have any problems so far if that helps.
As for the struts on the xt vs na I'm certain they use the same struts.
The kyb replacement struts are atleast the same struts for both types.
 
nicklib said:
Also does anyone know if there's a difference between the XT struts and those from the non turbo foresters?
Click to expand...
On the XT you have self leveling struts on the rear, not sure about the non turbo's though.
If you decide on a spring lift, you will have to change the rear struts on your XT aswell, due to the self leveling rear struts. :iconwink:
Yes you will lose some wheel travel when putting in raised springs.

As for the handling factor, I now have less body roll since putting in the raised Kings, it corners & handles much better now. :ebiggrin:
The harshness factor is about the same, in fact I can't really feel any difference at all.

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Thanks Mr Turbo, It sound like blocks is probably the best way to go combined with stiffer springs (not raised). I saw on the subaru forester owners forum that 1" blocks are available in the States. It seems like a better option than 50mm lift as dont have the sway bar issues. Any idea if these are available in Australia or if anyone has ordered them in from the States? It was called the "jackson rally 1" lift"

kit"https://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/showthread.php?p=103087#post103087

I notice you've done a fair amount of beach work, how does your current setup go in terms of clearance in deep sandy tracks and beach access tracks. Also did you have any trouble with the bumper being to low before you fitted the bullbar? Im hoping if I ask lots of questions i'll get the perfect setup for the sort of offroading I do so thanks for your help.

Cheers
 
I know that a few of the guys on here have the strut lift.
If my memory serves me correctly, they got them from Queensland.
TroyXT or Spinners would be the best people to ask, as I'm faily sure thats where they got theirs from. :)

When it comes to beach driving, thats something I have not done very much of.
I know Kevin & TroyXT have recently been to Frazer Island, so they may be able to help you in regards to sand driving better than I can.

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Lost all my recent pics so cant help with images.

I have 1" Jackson Rally Strut blocks, brand new KYB Excell G struts and raised King Springs. The car handled perfectly when the springs went in, much like Turbohead above I noticed less body roll immdeiately. It was still there but not as bad, I didnt need new struts with the King Spring raised as they work with non leveling struts on my Forester X. Before I put the 1" blocks in I was worried so I got all new struts and even had a Whiteline rear sway bar fitted (Overkill but fun). The car is rock solid, I bought a 2" lift blocks but wont be using them, much prefer what I have now with the additional clearance and handling.

Jackson Rally were a pleasure to deal with, postage was nice and quick from the USA and overall price was on par or below what local manufacturers are offering here.
 
Great thanks for the feedback...sounds like the 1" blocks are the way to go.

Cheers
 
Your camber will be all wrong. I suggest you buy some camber bolts for the rear as there are no adjustments for that. Or you can run without and see how long your rear tires keeps up :raspberry:
 
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