Category: Adventure Vehicle

This past weekend I installed the Flatout Suspension’s GR-Lite coil overs and Rallitek spacers. They arrived packaged in the box.

There were a couple things that to note for the install.

1. They are longer than stock suspension. They do fit. I had to disconnect the front sway bar links to drop the control arm low enough. Then used a jack to lift the control arm. After that I reinstalled all the bolts. And presto, it was installed.
2. If you hear a spring recoil noise when turning your front wheel after the install, this means the bottom lockout rings need to be tightened. To do this place the provided locking ring wrench on the locking ring and tap it using a hammer to tighten it. You’ll see it snug up an additional quarter turn. After that, the noise is gone.
3. The top dampening adjustment is set to 0. I counted the number of quarter turns to tighten them up. Divided that by half and then set all the dampeners to half way. This gave me a good baseline. I could stiffen it (for cornering) or soften the bounce (for going over corrugated gravel), but it is feels good at this setting.

Step 1

On level ground measure the current ride height from the ground to the centre of the wheel well. This will give you the baseline height. After the install, you will measure each wheel again and you will know how many inches you’ve raised or lowered the vehicle by. You can then make adjustments to the ride height accordingly.

Step 2 setup the suspension

Front suspension: I adjusted the lower struts so the inserts were flush with the bottom. And set the top lockout ring so it is at 0 preload. Basically spin the lockout ring until it is snug against the spring so there is no up/down movement, but the spring isn’t too tight so it can rotate freely.

Rear suspension: Adjust the top lockout right so it is at 0 preload. Same as above.

Installing the front suspension.

I started with the front to get momentum.

Step 1 remove the wheel

Loosen the bolts while the wheel is on the ground.

Then lift the vehicle with a jack. Be sure to put a safety stand under the vehicle once jacked off the ground, so it doesn’t fall on you if the jack failed.

Remove the bolts and take off the wheel.

 

Step 2 disconnect the bolts holding the brake line and sensor lines from the strut

*Tip: I don’t have an impact wrench, so what I do is spray nuts with WD40 and hammer a wrench using a 5 pound rubber mallet. This breaks the nuts loose without damaging them.

Step 3 remove the bolts and nuts holding the strut to the vehicle’s hub.

Note: The top bolt is used for adjusting camber. There’s a washer on the top camber bolt. Make note of the position of the camber bolt if you want to retain the original height. (I didn’t do this as I had an alignment booked at a shop, but would have been easier to set camber had I marked it).

 

Step 4 disconnect the nuts from the top strut mounts

Then with one arm on the strut drop it out

Step 5 Install the new front strut

Remove the top mount nuts from the new strut, install the front strut and screw the new nuts on top.

Step 6 Install the bolts and nuts holding the strut lower to the hub

*Note I had to disconnect the sway bar link to drop the control arm enough for it to fit.

Step 7 reconnect the brake line and sensor brackets.

Step 8* reconnect the sway bar link

Using a jack under the control arm hub, lift it up until the sway bar link lines up. Then reconnect. I found this step straight forward.

Step 9 reinstall the wheel.

Hand snug the bolts while in the air, then tighten them when on the ground.

*Once finished installing the suspension check the bolts on all the wheels use a torque wrench to tighten them all to spec

Step 10* check the height of the your wheel well

Do this step after all suspension is installed to ensure the vehicle is level. After measuring the height of your wheel well compare it to the heights you measured on step 1. Now you can make adjustments to the suspension to raise/lower it to your desired height.

To raise the suspension on the front twist the whole strut assembly, and it will unscrew. Using the locking ring as a guide, you can measure the distance you’ve raised it. You can also add preload using the lockout ring at the top if you need additional height. Again, use the lockout rings to measure the space adjusted.

Step 11. Tighten the lockout rings

Once happy with the heights of your suspension use a hammer and the lockout wrench supplied and tap all the lockout rings tight. You’ll see it tighten approximately a quarter turn.

Now do the other front wheel (repeat above steps).

Installing the rear suspension.

Step 1. Remove the wheel (see step above)

Step 2. Remove the nut and bolt holding the sway bar end link to the lower control arm

 

Step 3. Remove the nuts and bolts holding the shock to the lower control arm and the lower control arm to the vehicle’s hub.

 

Step 4. Open the trunk and remove the carpets and foam filler pieces

 

Step 5. Remove the clips holding the seat back carpet panel to the trunk and fold the trim forward

Step 6. Remove the plastic trim piece that covers the upper strut tower. (both sides)

Step 7. Remove the 2 nuts holding the strut mount to the strut tower and remove the strut from the vehicle

 

Step 8 Install the new rear strut

Remove the top mount nuts from the new rear strut, install the rear strut and tighten the new nuts on top.

Step 9 Loosely reattach the shock to the control arm

Do not tighten these bolts until the control arm is at ride height. Otherwise the rubber parts will twist and wear out sooner.

Step 10 Using a jack, raise the control arm 

The Flatout suspension is longer than stock, so raise the control arm using a jack until the sway bar end link and hub mount line up.

Step 11 Loosely reattach the sway bar end link and hub with the control arm

Step 12 Load the suspension using the jack until it is holding the vehicles weight. Then tighten all the bolts.

Tighten the sway bar, shock, and control arm with the hub.

(Now do the same to the other side).

Step 13 Clip the side panel piece back in place

Step 14 Attach the clips holding the seat back carpet panel to the trunk and fold the trim back in place

Step 15 reinstall the foam pieces and the carpet pieces.

And you’re done. Almost.

Step 16 after all suspension is installed check and adjust the heights of your suspension around the vehicle. 

With the vehicle on level ground measure the heights from the ground the centre of the wheel well.

After measuring the height of your wheel well compare it to the heights you measured on step 1. Now you can make adjustments to the suspension to raise/lower it to your desired height.

To raise the suspension on the front twist the whole strut assembly, and it will unscrew. Using the locking ring as a guide, you can measure the distance you’ve raised it. You can also add preload using the lockout ring at the top if you need additional height. Again, use the lockout rings to measure the space adjusted.

To raise the suspension on the rear simply rotate the locking ring using the locking ring wrench. Use the lower lockout ring to measure the distance raised.

Once complete reinstall the wheels and torque to specs.

Congrats, you’ve installed your new Flatout GR Lite suspension.

I also installed the Rallitek subframe spacers to help center the rear wheel. I may add another article to walkthrough how I installed those. They were somewhat straightforward to install.

The Subaru Forester build:

From the beginning

Yes!

The 09-13 Subaru Forester 2.5XT has bigger front brakes than the non-turbo Forester. So I was unsure if they would fit. Method’s website say they clear 300mm callipers. I checked the owners manual and the Subaru Forester’s are 300mm.

Hopeful they would clear the brakes, I nervously placed the order and waited patiently. And today they arrived so I pulled off the stock front wheel and test fitted them with success!

There’s plenty of clearance for the brakes and the gold/bronze looks like a dream with the white. Very happy.

The beginning of the Forester build is taking shape.

I went with 15″ wheels so that I could have more sidewall on the tire. This will allow me to deflate the tires more when needed driving over snow, sand and rocks. As well, the additional sidewall makes it less likely to hit the wheels when driving over pot holes, curbs or rocks.

 

I’d been considering setting up an adventure vehicle to access the backcountry roads for ski touring. A 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT sat stored at our property for a year. It was my folks’ and then my younger brother’s until he got married and moved to the UK. It needed some work so they offered it to us. Finally the day came. Do we insure it? Or do we sell it?

Then it hit me… what’s better on the snow than a Subaru? All it needs is clearance for driving the winter forestry roads where I go.

Subaru is world renowned for their rally racing having won 47 World Rally Championship races. In Switzerland there’s a saying, “Subaru is the farmer’s Ferrari.” Which, when translated, means Subaru’s powerful AWD has a reputation for holding up on difficult terrain.

A mostly stock Subaru Forester took on the Sunraysia Safari Rally and nearly won. It lead the race up until the last 3 miles of day 3.

In 2009 the Subaru Forester XT won MotorTrend’s Sport/Utility vehicle of the year. MotorTrend wrote that the stock 8.9” clearance bested the stock Land Rover LR2, Toyota FT Cruiser, Ford Expedition, Honda Pilot, among others. Along with that, it has a surprising 63.0/30.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front/rear seats. And the AWD system impressed MotorTrend with its capability.

There are a few other things that make the 4 speed Subaru Forester XT an interesting vehicle for enthusiasts. For one, the WRX/STI parts swap right in to the Forester XT. And even without modifying anything the vehicle can be tuned to increase gas mileage, horse power and torque. But… given the opportunity with a new exhaust and a couple of mods it can easily make 300hp. Why stop there? With the WRX/STI parts you can tune it for 400hp. Yet mere mortals drive 400hp. So some people tune it to 500hp – all with bolt on parts.

While handy when you’re late for work – for the adventure vehicle that I require… this is well beyond my needs. And not only that… maybe the most important feature of any adventure vehicle is reliability. So while I like the idea of tuning it for more torque at the low end – I think 500 horses ripping through the forest may be a bit much.

But arguably its single best trait is its low centre of gravity. This is due to the boxer engine, which not only reduces vibration because of the horizontally opposed pistons, it spreads the weight of the engine lower in the engine bay. It’s the thing that makes a Subaru so stable at high speeds and in rally races. In fact, the Subaru Forester is the only SUV that was not required to add a “risk of rollover” warning label when it entered the market.

There are other features that make this candidate stand out. The turning diameter is only 34.4 feet. That’s 10 feet less than the very capable four door wrangler and 2 feet more than the nimble 2 door Suzuki Jimny. That’s outstanding for a four door SUV and simply means you’ll find it easier to manoeuvre while on the trails..

It has a multi-plate transfer case that distributes power to the front and rear wheels – while non-traditional in that it is not a differential – over the years it has proven faithful. What’s most interesting is how it splits the power. Is sends power from 60/40 to 50/50 front to rear. In other words, the front and rear will always be fully engaged with a 10% variation depending on the terrain. For example, while driving uphill 50% of the power will be sent to the rear wheels and while going downhill 60% will be sent to the front. And what’s incredible with this model year is that no matter the situation both the front and rear wheels will have a minimum of 50% or 40% power. That’s essentially the same as what a locked centre diff does and along with the VDC explains why it handles so well in loose gravel hill tests.

Feel free to watch the climb on Youtube here.

The Subaru has a unibody. Manufacturers are moving towards unibody chassis – think Hummer EV and new Land Rover Defender. The Subaru frame has been thoroughly tested in rally races and by enthusiasts alike. It’s torsionally stiff and lighter than a body on frame chassis. But if plan to add recovery points or a winch, it’s best to first mount a solid steel front or rear plate to distribute the load evenly across both sides of the frame.

Now you’re good to add a winch and build something fun like this.

Having owned the 2010 Subaru Impreza I know first hand how it drives in the snow. It’s incredible. I’ve also owned the 1999 Nissan Pathfinder R50 and the Mercedes GLK350. Between these three the Subaru is by far the best on the snow. It would spring to life in the winter taking on a personality all of its own. This is really what they’re known for.

 

Then the question for my purposes is… will it lift?

The stock 8.9″ of ground clearance on the Subaru Forester 2.5XT is fine. But ideally I would like more ground clearance for driving logging roads in the winter. The last thing I’d want is to find myself high centered out in the back country.

Well fortunately the answer is yes. There are suspension spacers and suspension lifts available giving you anywhere from 0.5″ to 4″ of additional clearance.

Flatout Suspension makes an adjustable set with spacers for the Forester that will give it an additional 2 to 3 inches of suspension lift. Not only will this give you more clearance, it will also increase the articulation of your wheels. Excellent.

To put this in perspective check out the RTI score, which is a measure of wheel articulation for a given wheelbase length. These are articulation scores a few vehicles get:

Gladiator Rubicon: 623
TRD Pro: 492
Colorado ZR2: 489
TRD Off-Road: 468
Colorado Z71: 410

With a 2” suspension lift the Forester gets a score of 535. That’s pretty impressive. The higher the score the more your wheel can lift vertically while the others stay on the ground. Helpful as you navigate obstacles as you’ll have more traction to roll over lumpy terrain.

There’s another area for improved clearance. Increased wheel size. I’ve seen people fit 31″ tires on a Subaru Forester with a lift and some finagling.

I’ve chosen to go with 29″ wheels as that will give me an additional 1 inch of ground clearance and it fits without any modifications required. The stock wheels on my Subaru Forester are 27″

All-in-all together with the suspension lift this should give our Forester a combined ground clearance of between 11.9 inches to 12.9 inches. Plenty for my needs.

But speaking of needs there is a world of options that allow you to modify this vehicle as your needs require. This is where the community supporting Subaru stands out.

To list a few of the more notable mods.

1. A rear automatic diff lock by Torq Masters is available
2. Lo/Hi dual range conversion is available by All Drive Subaru
3. Cobb tuning kit to increase the stock mileage and power

The list goes on…

In conclusion the 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT may be just the adventure vehicle I’ve been looking for – and the funny thing is that it was right in my own backyard, figuratively speaking (it was actually parked on the side). It’s affordable, capable, easy to work on, comfortable, reliable, light weight, decent fuel mileage, and fun. While I’ve taken it on gravel roads locally I’m most looking forward to exploring the backcountry this winter.