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GeoJosh's Lifted '14 XT Journal

('14-'18) 
142K views 295 replies 88 participants last post by  cosmokenney 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, I have finally started doing some modifications, which means I get to start a journal!

Thank you for looking and following along. Feel free to ask any questions!

First things done when I purchased were:

Iowa State front license plate


Tinted front windows and moonroof


Took a couple months, but now I have started making some light off-roading mods:

Smittybilt D-ring recovery point, only in place when needed.


Daystar rubber D-ring isolator, to prevent damage to paint.


Rokblokz mudflaps with grey stickers



I also have some 225/55R18 Yokohoma Geolandar A-T/S tires on the way, along with a full-size spare tire. I will post pictures once they are mounted, hopefully in a few days.

Edit: New tires installed and full size-spare added to replace the donut. Update here!





Edit: Offroading update added here.



Edit: Hail damage on hood and roof. Update found here.



Edit: Primitive Racing triple armor kit installed here!



Edit: Offroading - Round 2: Here!



Edit: OKSubies Talimena Cruise: Here!


Edit: Offroading - round 3: Here!


Edit: Hail damage, again: Here!


Rally Innovations bar and RamboWill LED bar installed Here!


Edit: Offroading - round 4: Here!


Edit: Offroading - round 5: Here!


Edit: Lift kit and new wheels and tires installed Here!



Edit: Sundog Trails Offroading - June 2016 Here!


Edit: Sundog Trails Offroading - March 2017 Here!
 
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#40 ·
Josh, thanks again for the great post on your tires. Your very positive posts helped me decide which model to purchase.

I picked up the XT Premium last Tuesday and made the 2 day trip home in 5 days. Hit some desolate dirt/gravel roads in Colorado, some more in Oklahoma, first interstate to get across the Mississippi around Memphis, then to Corinth, MS to run some of the TN TransAM Trail west-to-east before getting home.

The spare tire worried me. I'm going to my Discount Tire store in Kennesaw, GA today and ordering the wheel and tire you got. I've never had a vehicle with TPMS, and assume it cannot be disabled, and am wondering what happens when a spare is mounted. Also, I've read comments about keeping the circumference on all 4 tires kind-of-equal.

Do you have an opinion regarding how far you can run with your spare tire?

Oh yeah, it was snowing a little in Colorado Springs when we headed out, and I bled all 4 tires to the recommended pressure as soon as it quit snowing. Pikes Peak was open at 9 am Tuesday Morning, but the gates were closed by the time we arrived.

Here's another choice for an air compressor, which has worked very well for me.
Slime 40026 2X Heavy Duty Direct Drive Tire Inflator : Amazon.com : Automotive

Bill
 
#41 ·
Happy to hear that my posts have helped, Bill.

The 225/60/17 spare tire is 0.1" smaller in diameter than the 225/55/18 tires that I have as regular tires (stock size). This would make me very comfortable in using it as a spare any time, from new to after the tires have worn down quite a bit. The difference in diameter will be so minuscule that it will not hurt.

I would be comfortable running hundreds of miles on this spare, since it is the same tread pattern and same diameter as the other tires. I would not be worried about terrain or speed like I would have with the donut. The spare would certainly be adequate to last while the tire shop has to special order my replacement tires.

At the offroad meet (pictures above) one of the fellow 2014 XTs got a sidewall puncture on his stock tires. We used my full-size spare for him until he was back to the main road and ready to go home. It inflated quickly with my portable compressor and it worked well on his Forester.
 
#44 ·
Few things to update.

Got my navigation update installed... works well so far.

Went on a trip to Iowa this past weekend to celebrate Christmas, 3 Birthdays, and Easter. I work too much so I do not get regular time off to celebrate those things.

An hour after getting to my parents house in Iowa there was a sudden hailstorm. :censored:

Got it looked at by my insurance company today back here in Oklahoma. Their initial estimate is around $1,500 in damage. I can't get any good photos of it because they are so hard to see on the silver paint.





Sad video:

 
#45 ·
Sorry to hear man. I got struck with hail when my EVO X was new. You can imagine the aluminum. 12 hours with dent wizard and you could not even tell. Did not any repaint. Good luck and keep us posted. It is always sickening when something like this happens to your new car, or ANY car for that matter.
 
#51 ·
I have not even gotten in to a shop to get it looked at yet. Only people who have seen it is Allstate when they wrote me a check.

I know where I am going to go, but I have been so busy with work I have not gotten in yet. I was in Texas for 3 weeks and then came back to central OK and have been on a worksite for 6 days working 24 hour service.

Should be able to get it in tomorrow or Friday to get it looked at. Allstate will pay everything at the shop of my choice, so we will see how bad the professionals say it is.
 
#52 ·
Finally got around to taking my XT in to get the hail damage looked at by professionals.

Needless to say, my $1,500 check from Allstate is not going to be close to enough. I have an appointment with the adjuster and the repair shop next week to get insurance to increase their payment.

Allstate estimated $1,500 and the shop is requesting around $4,000 to repair it. :icon_eek:

Asked the local Subaru crowd for a recommended shop, so I trust that I am going to the best. Using Performance Paintless Auto Repair in Mustang, OK.
 
#56 ·
My Foz was outside during a hailstorm. I prevented most of the damage by throwing moving quilts over the hood and roof (wearing a winter coat with a heavy hood). I've got a few tiny dings from the hail that fell before I got out there.

I will also note that leaving the car parked in the sun on a hot day popped out or minimized the few existing dents.

Good luck,
George
 
#63 ·
Primitive Racing triple armor kit installed.

All in all it was pretty smooth. There was one hole that was not threaded properly on my vehicle, so we had to rethread the hole (luckily my company shop had a tap and die set) to get it installed.

Also found a little present behind my factory skidplate... you won't believe it in the photo, but it was really there.

Photos

Before:
DSCN2397 by jasplund91, on Flickr

DSCN2398 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Factory front plate removed:
DSCN2401 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Yes, that really is a toy figurine that was living behind my skidplate, right where you see it. Not sure if it got scooped up on the highway, if it was collected during our last offroad meet, or if some kid was playing on the grille of my car and dropped it.
DSCN2402 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Steel reinforcement beams (behind factory plate) coming off:
DSCN2404 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Steel beams off:
DSCN2405 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Comparison of Primitive front plate and the factory protection.
DSCN2406 by jasplund91, on Flickr

DSCN2407 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Lifting Primitive plate into position:
DSCN2408 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Front skidplate installed. Minor gap on the drivers side compared to the passenger side, but it is all installed tight. Not sure why it is not straight... maybe my valance is warped.
DSCN2409 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Installing the mid-armor (transmission skidplate). Note that you use the inner hole, not the outer hole at the rear mounting point.
DSCN2410 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Trying to install the front bolt, but the hole on my support beam was not threaded all the way though, so we had to fix that.
DSCN2414 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Here is the improperly threaded hole. Thanks, Subaru. :shake:
DSCN2416 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Mid-armor installed:
DSCN2420 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Front and mid skidplates installed. Floor jack supporting the weight of the vehicle on the skidplate, since the factory pad is covered now.
DSCN2421 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Installing the rear differential cover.

These two nuts need to be loosened significantly. Once you do that, you use a pry bar to push the diff forward and slide the skidplate up into position. Once these nuts are tightened, they pinch the top of the plate to help hold it in position.
DSCN2423 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Back of the rear diff plate:
DSCN2424 by jasplund91, on Flickr

Front of the rear diff plate, installed using bolts up around the driveshaft.
DSCN2425 by jasplund91, on Flickr


I could not be happier. That said, I would recommend two people for this install, as it makes things much easier. If doing it alone, you will want a floor jack to help hold the plate in place while you install.
 
#70 ·
Agreed.

Lowered guys would benefit from the added protection.

Also, as you said, the STI lip will prevent you from installing the Primitive Racing front skidplate.


On a side note, I got 32 MPG going to work last night and 31.2 MPG coming home this morning. There may be an aerodynamic benefit to these skidplates as well, since they are so smooth.
 
#72 ·
I was wondering about the extra added weight and the affect on MPG, but it seems you are still rocking really good MPG with the new skid plate, that's good to hear! Side note... You have the Geolanders, correct? Any significant notice in MPG or road noise with those tires? I see you keep up with your Fuelly, so I figured you would be the person to ask since you regularly update you MPG. Thanks!
 
#73 ·
@NealAtTheWheel I have not noticed any changes with the skidplates.

The MPG is lower this summer than it was last summer (very beginning of my Fuelly) by about 1 mpg. This is probably due to the heavier tires and the RB mudflaps changing aerodynamics.

The confidence the Geolandar ATS give me is well worth the lower economy. The stock tires made me uncomfortable driving in heavy rain on the highway and I was always worried about getting a flat in them. I know the Geolandars can run over larger rocks out in the oilfields without a problem and they do much better in rain and mud.

The road noise is not noticeably higher, but I thought the stock tires were fairly loud anyways. I am sure there are quieter tires on the market, but they are not as strong.

I honestly don't think the skidplates add much weight to the XT. Since the steel reinforcement beams behind the stock "skidplate" are removed, that takes away a lot of weight. Total increase in weight is probably only 10-15 pounds.
 
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