Subaru Owners Registry

[Sasquatch SC]

Im looking at some under plating, any opinions? i softroad more than anything and am not going too insane in my forester but after a weekend on the dirt i see the value of some protection. a friend suggested i go with the subaru plates and their differential plate. i like how they are cheaper than one skid plate from any of the other companies out there and seem pretty reasonable for protecting the crucial bits. I just did henness pass and that was rather easy but there were a few points id like a bit more coverage underneath. what do yall think?

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I didn't know Subaru offered these - but they really don't give any details about them, do they? The plates from Primitive are made from a good, high-grade aluminum and are 3/16 thick. These just say that they are "steel." They don't say how thick they are, how much they weigh, or really give any detail about them. I went bouncing around on the most eastern end of the Georgia Traverse this past weekend and there were a lot of stone on the trail and dead-fall limbs and stuff. There were a lot of things that kicked up and I was thankful for the plates. The price on these plates make me question how good they really are. They are crazy cheap and you never get that from any of their stuff direct. The footwell illumination kit from Subaru is really just two LED lights that light up only the front floorboards costs over $100. With these being so cheap, it makes me really question how good could they possibly be? I'd like to know more details about these than what the site lists. Please share if they are actually any good!

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

Im looking at some under plating, any opinions? i softroad more than anything and am not going too insane in my forester but after a weekend on the dirt i see the value of some protection. a friend suggested i go with the subaru plates and their differential plate. i like how they are cheaper than one skid plate from any of the other companies out there and seem pretty reasonable for protecting the crucial bits. I just did henness pass and that was rather easy but there were a few points id like a bit more coverage underneath. what do yall think?

View attachment 121158

Better than nothing (or better than the stock plastic engine guard, which is basically nothing) but definitely not going to provide the same kind of protection as a thicker skid plate.

Their product description is pretty spot on:

The steel engine under guard is painted black to resist corrosion and provide additional protection from minor road debris.

With "minor road debris" being the main piece there. It will protect your engine from rocks flying up off the road or if you run over a stick or shredded tire on the highway. That's definitely valuable and if that's the only thing you're going to be tackling, it would suit your needs fine. If you're looking to hit some trails where you might be in danger of high-centering on some rocks, you'll want a legit skid plate, as it will protect your engine even when the entire weight of the front of your vehicle is resting on the plate.

 

[Hobie01]

Thanks guys, that's kind of what i thought. this last trip thru henness pass was full of bigger-than-i-usually-see rocks and i was careful not to go too nuts on them. took my time and whatnot. never felt i needed any protection other than my bfg ko2 and i for sure did not and do not plan on getting too out there with the rocks, but it would be nice. ill snag the diff cover first and see how that feels. then make a decision for the rest. subaru does offer an aluminium plate as well.

 

[CurrentlyRockhoundin]

Conclusion?

I already love my Outback and it's more then capable for what I ask it to do but I want to make some changes and upgrades to it and few of the things I saw in this thread I'll likely copy.

1. I have been wanting skid plates but the cost makes me think nope to that so I'm just going to make some out of aluminum (I have a full metal shop) but now I've seen some of y'all with old street sign skid plates which I love that.
2. I need a CB Radio!!!
3. I had limb raiser on my Jeep. I never added them to my Outback cause the paint is already scratched from brush but now I might just add them cause I like them.

 

[Hobie01]

I already love my Outback and it's more then capable for what I ask it to do but I want to make some changes and upgrades to it and few of the things I saw in this thread I'll likely copy.

1. I have been wanting skid plates but the cost makes me think nope to that so I'm just going to make some out of aluminum (I have a full metal shop) but now I've seen some of y'all with old street sign skid plates which I love that.
2. I need a CB Radio!!!
3. I had limb raiser on my Jeep. I never added them to my Outback cause the paint is already scratched from brush but now I might just add them cause I like them.

Comms are a must. i have a cb and firestik and will never drive without some kind of radio. i forgot people make skids out of street signs.. thats a great idea.

 

[Baipin]

If anyone is interested in seeing the new R160 Torq Locker in action, I started a thread on the Subaru Offroad International group on Facebook. A bunch of people posted their videos. That thing is seriously impressive. Subarus were already surprisingly capable before it, but after... holy crap. It seems amazing! Crawling up rocky hills or pushing through mud like it's nothing. From the looks of it, the new Torq locker works equally well on MT, AT, CVT, new vehicles, old vehicles, and especially well with X-Mode.

I already love my Outback and it's more then capable for what I ask it to do but I want to make some changes and upgrades to it and few of the things I saw in this thread I'll likely copy.

1. I have been wanting skid plates but the cost makes me think nope to that so I'm just going to make some out of aluminum (I have a full metal shop) but now I've seen some of y'all with old street sign skid plates which I love that.
2. I need a CB Radio!!!
3. I had limb raiser on my Jeep. I never added them to my Outback cause the paint is already scratched from brush but now I might just add them cause I like them.

I wish I had limb risers on my Forester... That unnecessarily thin Subaru paint is still a thing. I now have some "go faster stripes" stripes scratched into the A pillar and top of the rig. Shouldn't be too hard to fab on your own.

I love having a CB. Great for trail comms between rigs, and when you're on the highway, as one often is, when traveling between locations. No matter where you are, NOAA weather is fantastic. Would highly recommend you get a radio with that. I use a Uniden CMX760 and 4' Firestik.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

If anyone is interested in seeing the new R160 Torq Locker in action, I started a thread on the Subaru Offroad International group on Facebook. A bunch of people posted their videos. That thing is seriously impressive. Subarus were already surprisingly capable before it, but after... holy crap. It seems amazing! Crawling up rocky hills or pushing through mud like it's nothing. From the looks of it, the new Torq locker works equally well on MT, AT, CVT, new vehicles, old vehicles, and especially well with X-Mode.



I wish I had limb risers on my Forester... That unnecessarily thin Subaru paint is still a thing. I now have some "go faster stripes" stripes scratched into the A pillar and top of the rig. Shouldn't be too hard to fab on your own.

I love having a CB. Great for trail comms between rigs, and when you're on the highway, as one often is, when traveling between locations. No matter where you are, NOAA weather is fantastic. Would highly recommend you get a radio with that. I use a Uniden CMX760 and 4' Firestik.

I've been looking at the Torq lockers hard - the last I heard about them was from the r/battlewagon sub on Reddit. A guy on there didn't recommend them for your daily driver. They recommended some kind of LSD instead of a full locker, but it's still really vague on what LSD options would work. Glad to hear someone is doing the research. My new concern with them is finding one that someone is using on the 3.6 with the CVT and without any other trans/driveline mods.

I have always had a CB in every vehicle I have owned (mostly because I grew up on the farm), but recently myself and a lot of people in my immediate group have all been moving over to the GMRS radios. They have far superior range, clarity, and since they also can communicate with off-the-shelf FRS handheld radios it makes it easier if you need a spotter on the trail.

 

[CurrentlyRockhoundin]

I have always had a CB in every vehicle I have owned (mostly because I grew up on the farm), but recently myself and a lot of people in my immediate group have all been moving over to the GMRS radios. They have far superior range, clarity, and since they also can communicate with off-the-shelf FRS handheld radios it makes it easier if you need a spotter on the trail.

As I comparison shop online I'm thinking about just getting both a GMRS and a CB with mag mount antennas.

 

[DoubleA_FL]

I am a GMRS / HAM advocate. Midland makes a fantastic GMRS and they are not that expensive, even the super high power ones, and you can get a very high-power, high-quality HAM for about the same money.

I don't have a Firestick antenna, but I really like the look of them, so I will probably try one on my next install.

AA

As I comparison shop online I'm thinking about just getting both a GMRS and a CB with mag mount antennas.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

I am a GMRS / HAM advocate. Midland makes a fantastic GMRS and they are not that expensive, even the super high power ones, and you can get a very high-power, high-quality HAM for about the same money.

I don't have a Firestick antenna, but I really like the look of them, so I will probably try one on my next install.

AA

My CB is a Uniden Bearcat CMX760 base station with a Cobra HGA 1500 36" magnetic mount antenna.

My GMRS is a Midland MXT275 base station with a Midland MXTA11 6DB Gain magnetic mount antenna.

I went with those base stations because all the controls are built into the handset. I wired them to the cigarette lighter in the center console and they both fit in there with ease. HAM was too much technical knowledge required to be able to get licensed. Some of the other GMRS radios made by companies other than Midland are pretty complicated as well. I wanted a better comms system, but I didn't want to have to learn all that extra mumbo jumbo. The Midland GMRS did that for me. It keeps it as simple as being on the right channel, like 15, instead of being on frequency 462.5500. That is too many numbers for me. I had to use a label maker to put my FCC ID onto my mic so I wouldn't forget it all the time.

 

[CurrentlyRockhoundin]

My CB is a Uniden Bearcat CMX760 base station with a Cobra HGA 1500 36" magnetic mount antenna.

My GMRS is a Midland MXT275 base station with a Midland MXTA11 6DB Gain magnetic mount antenna.

I went with those base stations because all the controls are built into the handset. I wired them to the cigarette lighter in the center console and they both fit in there with ease. HAM was too much technical knowledge required to be able to get licensed. Some of the other GMRS radios made by companies other than Midland are pretty complicated as well. I wanted a better comms system, but I didn't want to have to learn all that extra mumbo jumbo. The Midland GMRS did that for me. It keeps it as simple as being on the right channel, like 15, instead of being on frequency 462.5500. That is too many numbers for me. I had to use a label maker to put my FCC ID onto my mic so I wouldn't forget it all the time.

Ill keep those in mind as I research.

Why did you go with the Mag mounts vs fixed? I'm trying to figure out what's best for me. I never park inside, and I'm okay drilling holes so does that make fixed the better option?

 

[Sasquatch SC]

Ill keep those in mind as I research.

Why did you go with the Mag mounts vs fixed?

It just made the most sense. It let me put it on the highest point on the car, but also allows me to put them away inside the trunk easily for if I need to go into a parking garage or anything like that.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Why did you go with the Mag mounts vs fixed? I'm trying to figure out what's best for me. I never park inside, and I'm okay drilling holes so does that make fixed the better option?

Here's my take on the two. The potential exists for branches to swipe a mag mount off your vehicle. Meanwhile its simple to remove an antenna from a hard mount if the need were to arise. They also make hard mounts that tilt manually or automatically if you feel fancy.

 

[Hobie01]

After i miscalculated the height of my forester and roof top tent (a few times....), i started using my firestik as a height indicator. i marked the high point on the whip so i can use it as a visual reference. its saved me more than once. add a tally for a hard wired antenna. saves my arse, kind of bothers the folks behind me in the parking garages i am trying to back out of however..

 

[Sasquatch SC]

I already love my Outback and it's more then capable for what I ask it to do but I want to make some changes and upgrades to it and few of the things I saw in this thread I'll likely copy.

1. I have been wanting skid plates but the cost makes me think nope to that so I'm just going to make some out of aluminum (I have a full metal shop) but now I've seen some of y'all with old street sign skid plates which I love that.
2. I need a CB Radio!!!
3. I had limb raiser on my Jeep. I never added them to my Outback cause the paint is already scratched from brush but now I might just add them cause I like them.

This just occurred to me... since you have a metal shop - would you be interested in fabricating any rock sliders? $500 from primitive is a hard pill to swallow. Especially after I helped another guy install a set & I saw how relatively simple they are.

 

[Baipin]

My CB is a Uniden Bearcat CMX760 base station with a Cobra HGA 1500 36" magnetic mount antenna.

My GMRS is a Midland MXT275 base station with a Midland MXTA11 6DB Gain magnetic mount antenna.

I went with those base stations because all the controls are built into the handset. I wired them to the cigarette lighter in the center console and they both fit in there with ease. HAM was too much technical knowledge required to be able to get licensed. Some of the other GMRS radios made by companies other than Midland are pretty complicated as well. I wanted a better comms system, but I didn't want to have to learn all that extra mumbo jumbo. The Midland GMRS did that for me. It keeps it as simple as being on the right channel, like 15, instead of being on frequency 462.5500. That is too many numbers for me. I had to use a label maker to put my FCC ID onto my mic so I wouldn't forget it all the time.

I second the GMRS + CB setup! Also, the CMX760 is one of the best CB base stations you can buy IMO. It appealed to me for the same reasons; everything is in the handset, and the box is pretty damn small. Plus, NOAA.

As for GMRS; I will be getting some handheld units for talking with spotters/non-CB rigs. GMRS/FRS isn't nearly as common in Canada, in my experience, as CB and HAM is for primary communications. I think we have more wattage limitations than the US does, so it doesn't really make sense to have GMRS/FRS as a base station? Whatever the case, I often find others with HAM only, CB only, or CB + GMRS "cheapo" handheld radios.

Apparently, some folks in Quebec, B.C., Alberta, the Yukon, and Northern Ontario, use HAM as it lets you communicate on the "resource road" channels at 150-151 MHz. By law, the logging company has to post the frequency of each particular road at its entrance. For most roads it is expected but not necessary that you carry a radio, as communication prevents you from staring down a logging truck in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere but backwards to go. :P Since you're mostly dealing with trucks, I'd imagine CB would be fine, except for the range limitation.

 

[CurrentlyRockhoundin]

This just occurred to me... since you have a metal shop - would you be interested in fabricating any rock sliders? $500 from primitive is a hard pill to swallow. Especially after I helped another guy install a set & I saw how relatively simple they are.

I was going to make some for my Outback cause in my mind they seem simple and well in many ways more important than bumpers but not as cool.

I like Primitive stuff and some of it is a really good value like the Standard Box-style 3/16" Rear Diff Skidplate for $100, by the time you figure out all of those bends and hole you will be well over $100 of time.

The skids they make are kinda crazy for the price. of $495 + I assume at lease $100 shipping.

Things like skids could be really simple like some square or round tubing or ive seen some really complex stuff.

For my personal ride I've been thinking about just using some heavy 3"x3" angle iron, that way I can have the protection without the clearance lose.

 

[CurrentlyRockhoundin]

Looking to order those from Primitive.
However, the fact that they no longer have a front brush bar and that previous brush bar was not exactly great looking makes me hesitant.
The LP brush bar & side skids look great but are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE especially once freight is factored in!

Yeah the LP stuff costs a pretty penny.

Perhaps DIY is the way to go? The LP brush bar and skids equal the price of an okay welder and then you could make your own brush bar and all kinds of stuff!

 

[Baipin]

Yeah the LP stuff costs a pretty penny.

Perhaps DIY is the way to go? The LP brush bar and skids equal the price of an okay welder and then you could make your own brush bar and all kinds of stuff!

Ha! I bought a dual-process (stick/TIG) welder off Amazon, bought the steel myself, and I still came out ahead by $600 or so when making a swing-out rear bumper. I think this is more complex than a front brush bar in terms of the amount and variety of steel used, so you'd save even more by building your own front bar, I bet.



I bought most of my fabrication parts from RuffStuff. You can buy identitcal weld-on threaded trick tabs, identical gusset plates to what LPAdventure, Primitive, etc. use.

 

[Jeffrey Dill]

Ha! I bought a dual-process (stick/TIG) welder off Amazon, bought the steel myself, and I still came out ahead by $600 or so when making a swing-out rear bumper. I think this is more complex than a front brush bar in terms of the amount and variety of steel used, so you'd save even more by building your own front bar, I bet.

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I bought most of my fabrication parts from RuffStuff. You can buy identitcal weld-on threaded trick tabs, identical gusset plates to what LPAdventure, Primitive, etc. use.

Which welder did you buy?