MoapaPk wrote:I think it would be really tough to lose 1.5 inches of clearance by underinflating a standard soob 15" or 16" tire. The tire would have to be extremely soft....

Like a snow tire? It also helps to have tall sidewalls, like in a 75A/R tire.

Good choice in Vehicle, Climbslacker. Ease into offroad stuff, definately focus on brake control and wheel placement, as that will save the underside of your car.

some shots of mine and others:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nbYMeQsbTU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYuS8APPE1c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWVh9kQ6OtI

Yeti wrote:Head gaskets on these aren't terribly expensive, and if you get a good $4000 car and put $1000 gaskets in it, you've got a bomber $5000 car.

$1000 head gaskets not expensive?! I could have copper gaskets custom cut for much less than that for most engines, but I'm not familiar with Suby engines. Is there something extremely special about the head gaskets? Are they not flat?

highlandvillager wrote:

Yeti wrote:Head gaskets on these aren't terribly expensive, and if you get a good $4000 car and put $1000 gaskets in it, you've got a bomber $5000 car.

$1000 head gaskets not expensive?! I could have copper gaskets custom cut for much less than that for most engines, but I'm not familiar with Suby engines. Is there something extremely special about the head gaskets? Are they not flat?

They are made from Berylium!

That number was for gaskets and labor. In point of fact, i could get the whole thing done for less thant $500, because freinds of mine do that stuff for a living. I rounded significantly up for the sake of not being misleading.

I would guess they are beryllium copper alloy (low in Be, maybe 3%).

Put a big truck battery in it with a truck heating system and you will have a great winter sleepingplace

Also nice to come back to your car and find a pre-heated car

MoapaPk wrote:I would guess they are beryllium copper alloy (low in Be, maybe 3%).

Only the purest 100% beryllium for these $1000 gaskets, my freind. $500 is for the gaskets, and $500 is for smuggling a controled substance into the country without the NRC or FBI noticing.

Even when manufacturers (like Tomei) say "Pure Be" in the fine print you will usually find it is a BeCu alloy, mainly Cu. Be alone is rather stiff (and toxic).

I'm not detecting sarcasm in your posts... you know I'm kidding right?
No one makes engine gaskets with hyper expensive Be in them. You *might* find something like that used for sheilding.

Yeti wrote:I'm not detecting sarcasm in your posts... you know I'm kidding right?
No one makes engine gaskets with hyper expensive Be in them. You *might* find something like that used for sheilding.

I didn't know you were joking, because many part manufacturers do indeed advertise "pure Be" when they mean BeCu, and BeCu is used in high-end sooby parts (rings, guides, etc.). I did use pure Be for some applications, but only when X-Ray transparency was an issue.

Pure Be also gets used in places where neutron thermalization is desired, but I'm guessing that doesn't happen in your car.

MoapaPk wrote:Pure Be also gets used in places where neutron thermalization is desired, but I'm guessing that doesn't happen in your car.

Only when I use 93 oct.

Since this thread is substantially hijacked by now, I'll contribute. I heard next year (2011 model) Subaru will be bringing their boxer diesel engine to America in a forster perhaps. This should allow 45mpg highway at least, which would be a fantastic vehicle in my view. Doesn't help the OP but I'm just saying........

I have a 2003 Outback that I really like. Drives well and gets 29 mpg hwy.

CBakwin wrote:Since this thread is substantially hijacked by now, I'll contribute. I heard next year (2011 model) Subaru will be bringing their boxer diesel engine to America in a forster perhaps. This should allow 45mpg highway at least, which would be a fantastic vehicle in my view. Doesn't help the OP but I'm just saying........

I really hope you are right....

Yeti wrote:... I always have one of these in my car, and I've taken to handing them out as gifts:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... umber=4077 ...

Four wheelers air down tires to get better crawl across rocks. A side benefit is that it can smooth washboard roads. But, as has been mentioned, you'll lose ground clearance. I air down to 15 PSI (from 30) with a set of Staun deflators, which makes it quick. And I use a Warn PowerPlant to reinflate the tires. I don't know if one can be adapted to an Outback or not ...

For that hardware, that car is much too clean... no big scratches on the bumper!