Blue Fox

You do NOT need to do ANYTHING to your Foz to go off-road or mud bogging. Will all-terrain tires help? Definately. Will a lift help? Definately. Do you absolutely "need" them? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I punish my Foz when I take it off-road, and I'm running it in 100% stock form with the exception of no rear sway bar. (which helps in ruts). Even my tires are stock Geolanders. My last set of tires were bald, and I still ran circles around people off-road.

The biggest thing you can do for yourself is to get experience. Start with the small stuff. Learn your vehicle and what it can do. Learn your approach and break-over angles, and practice the art of wheel placement (which is THE key to off-roading in anything). Nothing will teach you better than trial and error. There's no way I can explain how to get out of the "diagonal spin" that you'll inevitably encounter, you just have to feel your way out of it...as it's different in every situation.

As for me, I started on unkept dirt roads, then went on to moderate ATV trails, and now I'm pushing my Foz through extreme 4x4 trails that my buddies lifted Toyota couldn't get through. (and it's not that the Toyota isn't capable, it's the driver that doesn't know his vehicle yet). The stock abilities of the Foz will shock you. It's extremely capable, and extremely rugged. Don't let the car-like appearance fool you, it has the ground clearance and ability right from the get go.

Don't get me wrong though, better tires, skid plates, etc. are all very good suggestions, but unless you have the experience of knowing what your vehicle is capable of and it's limits, none of it will matter.

Here's a few videos of mine off road, but none of them show the extremes I put my Foz through.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJE4Mv5E3E0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OExDQXR8Y-4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB5_S...eature=related

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2004 XT | 4EAT | JOURNAL

 

pointerDIxie214

Sweet vids BlueFox.

Your post reminded me of another VERY IMPORTANT key to off roading.

Never go alone. Ever.

As Blue Fox said, it takes trail and error to learn your vehicle. Error usually means you get stuck and need to assistance of another vehicle, or a person to push at the very least.

I learned this the hard way and had to wait in a swamp like area for 5 hours until my buddy got off work. Not cool. I was down about a pint thanks to the HUGE mosquitos there.

Blue Fox

Yes, it helps when you do go with someone. I will have to say though, that the majority of my trips, I go alone. (In fact, 90% of the time, I'm alone). But I go off-roading within 2 miles of my roommates house (where all the above videos were taken). If you do go offroading alone, a shovel helps and a large 2 or 3 ton ratcheting strap that can serve as a manual winch for any extreme situations. But to be honest, I've only been stuck once (where I needed to be pulled out by another truck). I got the diagonal spin in an Arroyo with very soft sand between two hills. Got right up it the second time with altered wheel placement though.

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2004 XT | 4EAT | JOURNAL

2jz929

Something doesnt add up. Either the tracks are rated wrong, or you havent been down them.
I guess everyone opinion of rough 4x4 trials vary. But i can tell you i have trouble with quite a few moderate rated 4x4 tracks...

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'03 2.5XT AT - Bullbar
'90 Mazda 929 - 2jzgte

Smash81

I think what makes an extreme 4x4 trail is different in every part of the country. My foz could hardly touch the moderate trails here. But, we have a very high number of 4x4s here.

Anyways, I agree with what many people have said.

FIRST - GET A SKIDPLATE. I cannot stress this enough. Many offroad with out it. I think they're nuts, unneccessarily reckless, and it will bite them in the *** later with some major repairs. I cannot speak to the Subtle skidplate, however I wholeheartedly support and endorse Primitive's 3/16" skids. I have put them through their paces +++, and they have always held up. Trust me. SKIDPLATES

Second - tires. Extreme is either BFG A/Ts (way expensive) or General Grabber AT2s (better priced + mileage warranty). I'm on my second set of AT2s cause I have a motorcycle for pavement. If your Foz will do double duty offroading and pavement driving, as most do, I would recommend Geolander A/T-S. Nice tire.

Third - Rear sway bar. Front sway bar too if you can fab a disconnect. I ran without either, but again my car didn't see much pavement use. You'll be amazed what the extra articulation will do for your traction.

Now, go get some experience! This will tell you if you really need a lift or not.

Good luck, have fun!

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Dash: '03 XS MT
Rhino: '88 Suburban

Kevin

Good advice! Correct wheel placement can make a huge difference; try and keep all 4 wheels in contact with mother earth!

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MY'03 XS AT offroad; MY10 Triton GLX-R
http://www.subaruclub.com.au

scotty81

I wholeheartedly agree with Kev, drive smarter and not harder. Wheelspin just makes the track harder for the person coming after you. I am lucky enough to be able to give experience from both sides of the modified/unmodified fence and while I love my now heavily modded 2001 Forester, I was still able to take my dead stock 2002 Forester to places you wouldn't believe.
That said, I swear by fitting a (very) sturdy sump guard, and I think the best possible "bang for your buck" mod is fitting some better tyres. I have fitted a set of Cooper ATRs (205/70R15 - same size as standard) to my current ride (Project Pearl) and they give you a massive advantage over the road oriented tyres fitted as standard. For about AUD$800 you can't go much better in my opinion.
With all off-roading, 30% is the machine you are in, 30% is your confidence in your vehicle and the rest is experience. Get out there, give it a go and then decide how much you need to spend to keep having a good time/embarrassing you mates in their "real" 4WDs. Enjoy what you've got!

DieKeis

1. Friend
2. Recovery gear ~$100
$40 2 or 4 ton hand winch/come-along
$10-50 misc hardware (quick connect chain links, d-links, etc)
$50 several straps
3. Common sense/Experience

Take it easy unless/until you don't care about paying for repairs and have a spare car. If you're in that position now you still need the first two, but now you can run your Foz like a madman. :)

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2003 Forester X MT

Blue Fox

Firstly, yes, I'm using the term "extreme" in relation to the Foz's abilities. I go on trails that push the Foz to it's absolute limits and doubt that it can be pushed any further. Therefore, they're extreme trails in my eyes owning a Foz.

I'm not sure how they rate trails where you guys are at (or even what they use as a base for the rating), but I think it's rather pointless to be honest. I rate a trail by whatever you pitch up in. If you show up in a fully stock Foz, then yes, the trails I take you on will be "extreme". But if you show up in a fully kitted-out lifted Jeep with locking Diffs, then it's a different story. The rating of the trail will always change, depending on which windscreen your viewing it through.

To give contrast though, I have stopped and helped 2 Jeeps, 1 Landrover and 1 lifted Silverado out of tough situations that my Foz didn't have a problem getting through on these same trails, so even though the Foz isn't an extreme off-road vehicle, doesn't mean that it can't hang with the big boys.

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2004 XT | 4EAT | JOURNAL

frogstar7055

True that (as my kids would say).

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Frogstar7055
AWD....and not afraid to use it!