thefishingone

I had a few questions about offroading. When you guys/girls go through sand or mud, what PSI do you set your tires to? Also, do you typically put the Forester in 1 gear? Or do you just leave it in D? Thanks!!!

benwarn

sand: 16 less if it's really sticky/deep sand maybe down to 10

mud i just leave it like normal, cause ya dont know if there will be rocks below you could pop a tire on

Smash81

No sand around here to play in, if its mud or mostly mud I'll usually go down to about 30. If you plan on carrying speed and doing some slides, would keep it higher so you don't risk the tire rolling off the rim on ya. I drive a manual, so not sure about what gear to put it in with an AT. Someone else will chime in tho. Have fun!!

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2003 XS M/T
GG AT2s on steel
Roof rack and goodies

propensity for going on roads I ought not

BAC5.2

For an auto, probably keep it in 1. That'll keep the center diff in "locked" mode.

For mud, I've found the Grabbers to be mediocre at best. Still, I haven't yet aired-down, simply for lack of air-up places around the trails and I never remember to bring a compressor with me. I'll start taking it down to 30ish when I install my permanent compressor.

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The Aggressive™ -- You don't know about it.

1998 Forester S - Big brakes, Big Tires, 5-gears.

Smash81

Bac, what compressor you gonna go with? I have a stupid little cheapie that takes FOREVER to air back up with.

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2003 XS M/T
GG AT2s on steel
Roof rack and goodies

propensity for going on roads I ought not

guroove

It also stays locked in 2. I like 2 in slippery conditions because it prevents wheel spin better than 1. As far as other tips, go slow, and bring someone else (in another vehicle) if you can. And remember, unless you are lifted, the Forester is really not made for going over logs and big rocks. Go around instead of over.

Kevin

Go with a Viair based pump - they are very good:

Viair - Your Vital Air Source.

As long as you use at least 75% throttle - at least that's how it works down-under.

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MY'03 XS AT offroad
http://www.subaruclub.com.au

thefishingone

Excellent, good stuff.... Thanks for the replies, so are we all in agreement that the wheels don't spin as much if we put it in 2 as opposed to 1? When would we use the 1 then?

guroove

1 is good for when you need to be in 1st gear for more torque on steep grades. If you're on especially bumpy terrain where you need to go really slow, 1 is also good for maintaining really low speed crawling. I tend to stick to trails and not try going over rocks or into deep mud so I don't need to utilize the slow crawling gears as much.

I think it really needs to be stressed that the axle design and ground clearance on a stock Forester are really not made for serious off roading. Even on trails, you will likely still encounter a lot of sticks and small rocks that will bump and scrape the bottom of the car. The differentials aren't really great for any conditions where any wheels leave the ground. Where the Forester really shines is on gravel or dirt trails.

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2005 Obsidian Black Pearl XT w/4eat

Tau137

2nd gear and floor it!

MountainBiker

That is how it works on this side of the pond too, in 1 or 2 on the 4EAT

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2002 S 4EAT
SubaXtreme Sump Guard, Lift & Bullbar
215/65-16 General Grabber AT2

sheepish

On the duning I've done what gear I set the gear lever to depended on what the top speed I was going to get up to on the particular dune assault I was doing (and how much wheel spin I was planning on on the way up).

I've also driven at 100 km/h on hard sand, and road pressures worked well for that.

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98 S/tb AT 100Mm stock but 4 the odd gorse scratch

Quicksilver

For the newbies to 4WD or AWD, those who chose the optional LSD (limited slip differential) in the XS model or the standard in the XT, you should know that LSD doesn't mean you get to floor it and think it will power both wheels equally. You get that at partial throttle while lugging through stuff. It's limited. If you want both those tires spinning the same amount all the time, take it to a welder and have them weld the spider gears, and then by golly you'll have positive traction.
The WOT (wide open throttle) approach is effective in most instances with the X and the XS, but I don't recommend full throttle in 1st and 2nd in the XT, unless you REALLY got a need for wheel speed...and be ready to check your brakes out for stopping power!
Judgment still comes into play with LSD...it's an art you'll have to learn, through mudhole after mudhole, sand dune after sand dune, tankful after tankful, .
-Quick

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2004 FXT 4EAT - Platinum Silver Metallic