Off-road help!!

Hello and welcome
I'm not an expert on offroading but I been around long enough to get the basics.
For offroading you should get proper tires. Some good AT tires will do.
215/65/16 or 215/75/15 is good since you then get a lift from the slightly bigger tires. :biggrin:
Skid plates is also recommanded.
After that a lift may be in order. I know Subtle sells 1" blocks to put on top of the struts. You could probely stack them for a 2 " lift. Or you can invest in new struts and get some raised king springs for an extra inch. Tho that is the most expensive route to go. How much you need the lift kits or raised springs depends on how capable you want it to be but a 1" lift set is recommanded.
Also if you go offroading, disconnecting your swaybars will help.

Price for all this depends on what you choose. Skidplates are sold for these cars but they cost a bit. It's also possible to make one yourself with the right equipment. There is a blueprint around on the forum somewhere for the SF model. (I used it to get one for myself :biggrin: )

Edit: The reason I did not buy a skid plate for my forester is because shipping one from the US would cost like 300$ in shipping alone.

Good luck :biggrin:

All good advice above.

My threads on the same subject..................

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f115/frogstars-off-road-beastie-67159/

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f102/almost-there-46448/

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f70/lift-material-41005/

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f102/lift-46640/

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f102/diff-guard-47407/

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f102/cai-half-snorkel-41252/

First thread contains warnings about playing in mud/deep water.
Welcome aboard.

Most important: Skid plate and tires.

That should be fine. I have a stock height OBW. So I just don't take it over deep ruts or high pitches apexes that might cause me to bottom out.

Having a lift (I had a 3" lifted Tacoma) will only improve 3 areas of offroad performance.
1. Better approach angle
2. Better departure angle
3. Better clearance in the middle

So as long as you know the capabilities, a lift will not improve one of the most important pieces to the offroad equation: Traction. Unless you overestimate your vehicle's capability and bottom out. Then traction is affected. Greatly.

Skid plates will help protect you, tires will give you the traction. Detaching sway bars will give you better articulation (flex) which can help traction as well. I never detached my swaybar on my truck since it was REALLY squirrely without it on the road.

Bottom line: Take it slow and learn technique and what your rig is capable of. Also know what you need to use the vehicle for in the coming weeks. Breaking something on a beater is no big deal. But if you need to have it to get to work on Monday, pobably not a good idea to test boundaries on Sunday.

My buddies and I used to spend every Sunday fixing everything we had broken on Saturday from beating our daily drivers. Good times, but sure sucked when you couldn't get it fixed in time.

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_SBqe1l4&feature=related

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!