WRX ground clearance

i can't offer any help, but i can definitely identify with your problem: my legacy wagon seems a lot closer to the ground than any previous car i've owned. and to make things just a tiny little bit worse, i've also got a trailer hitch on the back, which bangs itself at the slightest opportunity. (but at least it's not part of the painted bodywork.) the front isn't so lucky, with the air dam (and the little factory fog lights, too), just looking for parking lot damage.

the previous owner also dinged the oil pan pretty badly - i really wish the fuji engineers had added a simple sheet metal shield/deflector to the oil pan, just to make noise before you got down to some serious damage, like knocking your drain plug off. and likewise, i find it very odd that a "differential shield" should be optional.

i realize that the legacy wagon wasn't intended for real off-road driving, and i have no intention of adding bush bars or a roll cage anytime soon, but most people don't drive them on perfectly maintained test tracks, either!

....... tom klein

Don't worry about it. Eventually the front lip won't scrape.

Does not the Legacy wagon have an undercover to avoid minor scraps to the oil pan? My Forester does and I think/thought all legacies did. Maybe someone did not replace it after an oil/filter change. Ed

If you're willing to sacrifice some performance, you might be able to swap suspensions with a WRX owner. This should lift the car up noticable. But, you will definately loose some performance. Depending where you are at, there are very active local Impreza groups in Columbus and Cincinnati. Look over on NASIOC.com in the regional forums.

Personally, I'd just learn to be more careful and buy a couple bags of gravel to fix the gap at the garage pad. Or trade the STI in on an Outback XT - those are tall.

ujduche

Bigger wheels.

Easiest way to lift the chassis is to run a taller tire. You will sacrifice some grip, and turn-in response (taller sidewalls), and this will raise your final gearing a bit (larger tire diameter), but you're unlikely to notice unless you autocross or spend time on the track. About the most you can expect from this is ~1/2 inch or so; doubtful if it's worth the cost and effort. You _could_ run a coil-over setup which will allow a good deal of adjustment, both up, and down. A pricey fix, alas.

Frankly, I wouldn't worry about it too much, but the one thing I _would_ suggest is to install a rear differential guard. The rear diff. on the WRX is vulnerable; hitting a speed bump or dip just wrong can tag it. As the case is aluminum, $eriou$ damage is likely from anything more severe than just a love-tap.

Subaru offers one in steel, not too costly IIRC; there are aftermarket versions available in aluminum if you're worried about the extra pound or so . . . Relatively easy install; the OEM one (at least) bolts right up, and comes with longer bolts where required.

(This nfo for a "plain-jane" rex; I don't know if, or how much the STi (Heh!) DIFFers . . . ;-)

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

... funny. The STi's ground clearance is already shorter than the WRX, and you're taking it further by (apparently) putting on slimmer tires. Now you don't want to scrape stuff. :)

I have a good idea: buy normal-sized tires. You can even get away with slightly wider-than-stock by putting on Roto Torque II's on there and getting the 0.5 inches extra in width. You did that for performance and not looks, right?

Hahahaha!! That's damn funny. :-)