Outback '01 2.5 4eat VDC project

So couple years ago i bought myself my first subaru ever and after long time thinking took outback against forester. Didint had budget for newer one so went for some 2nd gen that i found

Top original, lower 2"" lift with BFG TA KO2 215/65 R16

It was 2001 subaru outback 2.5 4eat eith rear LSD and early VDC package. All weather with heated seats, windows, climate control.
It has rear self leveling shocks still ok condition so i left them just put 2" spacer on top. Not sure is it made car harder and less comfy but it can take load very well. But its not soft car to drive fast on bad roads
Then i cut front bumper and put steel skid plate just for engine. Diy it myself from steel sheet from scrapyard

 

[Kevin]

Nice pics!

 

[1WD Foz]

Very nice indeed [emoji16][emoji1360]

 

[scalman]

just trying new image upload page. looking how its work and how quality is . if pics from that place too large or wrong size or other problem pls tell me.

this one uploaded full size.

and this one resized to 1280x1024

on phone they all look clear and good. now im looking at them on my 42' HDTV . its pretty good as well

 

[Kevin]

Looks good

 

[scalman]

as 1WD Foz pointed dual battery system is awesome when is portable. i always thought i need to make it but it always was for later time. again i want do all as cheap as possible but with quality stuff. not cheap and crap. i mean spend on electric parts is always wise i think. still i found earlier some cool and simple ideas for isolated dual battery setup. very simple and cheap
what i found are those

or

for me it doesnt need to be system to start car from if needed, because it would be portable i could start car just with jumper cables. thats very simple.
so as i understan in those pics that all i would need. and i can put all that in box. just one thing i need to do is cable connectors. because i want to connect box when i need to charge it but then disconnect when i no need or i wanna put it somwhere diff place or outside . so all i need is box for that , and as small as possible for battery but strong enough so i could lift in and carry if needed with battery inside. so there i could go different ways. make box from wood or buy/find some plastic box from something that is perfect size and strong . and then just drill holes in it would be very simple.

then just put some sockets on box and its good to go

simple looking plastic box with inverter

i maybe thinking something of that kind just smaller i guess only to fit battery and be as small as possible

or this kind

they even seeling simple box without any sockets or cables just normal box and they call them battery box.. lol

thats some cool box with DC DC and all stuff you need. lots sockets and all. but its not hard to just make it yourself from any plastic box.

lets see whats inside

another very simple and diy box

 

[Kevin]

I use a very strong canvas tool bag for my aux 100 AH battery in the Forester. It sits in the rear passenger footwell and is strapped to the front seat base.

 

[scalman]

Did you made it yourself? Meaning cables and connectors?What you put in box with aux battery?

 

[Kevin]

Yes, the cables coming from the voltage sensitive relay (VSR) in the engine bay and cables to the fridge all connect with Anderson plugs so it's easy to remove the aux battery when not in use.

 

[1WD Foz]

^I plan to do exactly as Kevin, which ever box I decide to make/use I will have anderson plugs built onto the box to recieve the alternators power,and the same Anderson plugs coming from the VSR to the mounting point of Aux battery, then it's plug and play.

1WD

 

[scalman]

yes those anderson plugs are way to go. as all use them anyway. but you need to leave that solenoid outside as i understand , or it can go into box as well ?

 

[scalman]

tested car for week now with new brake pads and i can feel much better braking now. i put Ceramic ones in front for first time. and Premium in rear. before this old pads where just premium or standard ones, and they were making all kind of noises when i was braking , was really bad stuff. now these ones are just silent. not making any noise there. and brake very good. im sure noone heard of this name out there, but here they are popular. and i used them for couple years now and i know what they are and how they perform. they not cheap ones as well cost similar to some bosch ones or TRW. and my car is not street car and im not braking hard and often, but i need proper brakes too. i read that here people just put some Brembo or TRW pads but i think thats just overkill. and then they say that they squeks. i mean they can be too hard, maybe made for high temperatures like racing pads. so i dont need any of that.

• EGT Standard – economy class line of brake pads. Semi-metallic technology for economical city cars. A unique friction formula for durable functionality and comfortable braking.

• EGT Premium – premium line of brake pads. High quality semi-metallic brake pads fitted with anti-vibration shims that provide high heat resistance properties and effectively reduce braking noise. The products have a higher friction coefficient.

• EGT Ceramic offers best breaking performance at high temperatures. The main features are less dust and a significantly longer lifetime.

 

[Kevin]

but you need to leave that solenoid outside as i understand , or it can go into box as well ?

It could go in the box as well. My VSR is mounted in the engine bay.

 

[scalman]

had some fun in snow. did trip about 400km there and back. to forests and lakes are.

video of me having fun in snow. 1st gear , VDC off. sound of my custom UEL headers and rear remus muffler box. how you like the sound ??
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIrtYMnJl0"]Subaru outback AWD snow fun - YouTube[/ame]

i went full throttle here. seams like nothing cutting throttle and it goes full. at least for me seems like it. it doesnt go higher on revs thou. maybe lack of power/torque

 

[scalman]

I just love snow and taking pics so..

And if anyone knows, does front should be like on 1 cm lower then rear or they should be same height from ground? Mine front is about 1 cm lower then rear .

 

[jf1sf5]

Front is always lower than rear unless you put a bigger lift front vs rear.

I have 27cm ground clearance front and 31cm rear when unloaded

 

[scalman]

well ground clearance is under car that can be different because skid plates and such but what your heights like from wheel arch to ground does that still not same more to rear or its same ?

i mean that height

or to center of wheel

im just thinking like my front shocks pretty used i think like if i change to new shocks and springs all front would go up . or if i add like 1cm more to front lift .
im thinking my front lift is lower then rear, i mean those spacers. because i thought that front would sit higher if i make then equal.
and like does that would affect handling if front would go more up. like be same as rear .
because i think my ride becoming more harsh in front as i go into some bumps on road feels like its hitting it really hard even if i go pretty slow. maybe its time to change shocks to KYB and then springs i could put KYB too.

and in reality my all 4 wheels have little bit different height from ground to arch. both rear are different in couple milimetres and front are diff too

 

[jf1sf5]

Here's some pictures. 48cm is measured from wheel center to wheel arch at the rear at ride height, 59 cm is at full droop.

https://www.forum4x4.org/threads/117587-Subaru-forester?p=3244958&viewfull=1#post3244958

 

[scalman]

ok so all 4 wheels are on 48 cm and then on 59 full drop.? or front and rear different. ? as i see from pic seems like they all same. mine rear was about 47 or similar. but front are like 1cm lower

 

[jf1sf5]

This was a measure for the rear only.

 

[scalman]

ohh ok. but from your pic looks like its sits same front and rear. at least that gap between tire and wheel arch seems same . i think my front springs are not same in hardness ,i changed one side myself and it was original springs with those color lines marking , so my colors on driver side and passenger side dont match. and then rear, well i dont know why rear not same height maybe because front is not. but i guess couple milimetres dont make huge impact. at least my VDC system not reacting to that so its great.