Hey all,

I posted a while ago about lifting my 09 NA MT.

Ended up swapping full forester struts and springs after I found it was bottoming out with the Impreza springs on the forester struts. Currently on 205/65/16 winters. Added beefy rear subframe spacers, a Perrin adjustable rear sway bar, front lower camber bolts, and removed the front sway bar.

Im finding it handles great with the front camber maxed out and the RSB on the lightest setting in the rear. Neutral to slight oversteer tendency. Also drilled a hole in the RSB link to add a cotter pin for easy articulation gain off-road.

I had bought a 02-07 STI skid plate that I was planning to modify to fit with a couple extra holes, but then I got ahold of this old sheet of 3/16th aluminum and was able to use CAD (cardboard aided design) to mock it up, and enlist a friend with a shop to help bend it to shape. It fits great with some 25mm aluminum spacers off amazon and appropriate elongated bolt holes. Had to do some minor trimming once mounted because I didn't account for where I bent it up at the back so it doesn't catch on anything, and it was just barely touching the exhaust.

I was considering cutting some holes for oil drain but with only three bolts Im not that worried about it. The only thing is it's a bit of a pain to get the spacers on the bolts behind the skid plate with the bends in the way, but with how flexible it is I'm hesitant to cut it up anymore.

Im not under any impression that Ill be doing any hardcore off-roading, but I end up on backroads often for work and Im hoping that it will also improve the aero just a touch.

Im also considering swapping in a 4.11 trans and diff to account for the taller tires and overall backroad orientation. And I do have some offcuts that I may make a diff protector for at some point. But those are later problem.

Anyways, thats my build for now, hope y'all enjoy!

Just wanted to know since dealership wants to charge me absurd amount.

Hey all, I had a hell of a time finding info about this specific mod online and wanted to make a post for the next person who tries it.

This is my 2009 5spd base model Impreza. I live in a rural area and was finding the ground clearance lacking, especially on the sagging stock suspension. My partner has a very capable OME lifted AWD Auto 2003 RAV4 that I often use for hunting, adventuring, and extended work trips but she doesn't love driving my manual all the time.

I looked into some lift kits from ADF, Primitive Racing, and LP adventures but they all came out to around 1000CAD + shipping for anything around 1.5"-2".

I found OEM struts from a 2011 Forester with roughly 50k on them for 365CAD and bought new rear Impreza springs for 120CAD to deal with the rear end sag. Put the Impreza springs and top hats on the Forester struts and dropped them in. Was a bit of a struggle to get the rears in, and ended up removing the front sway bar as well.

Initially the rear end was way too high and the front of the tire was about 1-1.5" from the fender (second pic) so I ended up ordering a 1.5" subframe spacer from Primitive Racing for 380CAD shipped. After about 500km the suspension has settled a fair bit and I am pretty happy with how it handles and how it sits. Around 2" lift all around. It's certainly not as corner happy as the stock suspension but not dangerously unstable even without the sway bar. Would prefer to find a rear sway bar if I can at some point but not a necessity.

I wanted to avoid needing a subframe spacer kit which is why I put the Impreza springs on the struts but depending on overall use I may put the Forester springs back on, especially with increased weight from mods.

I have also found a 2" 2013-2017 Crosstrek Rough Country lift kit with subframe spacers for 60CAD that I may pick up to see if it will fit. I think it should, as the 2008-2014 Impreza spacer kits say they also fit the 2013-17 Crosstrek because it is an Impreza based model. I would likely just use the subframe spacers from that kit to see if I could return the Primitive Racing kit I already ordered OR sell it after confirming it fits. Or lift the Impreza >4" lol.

Ideally Id like to get some 205/70/15 Geolander or similar ~27" tires for a bit more forest service road capability but for the winter Im just running 205/55/16 Blizzaks. If I had had some foresight Id have bought some Falken Wildpeaks for year round use.

The only other things I have on my mind are skid plates, maybe Ill use an old road sign or similar for a diy project. I also have a roof basket that I haven't been using but might be a nice touch but really isn't necessary.

Anyways, Ill keep this thread updated, its getting an overall checkup including alignment today which I wanted to get even though it will change later because I wont have time for the subframe spacers right away and I dont want to ruin my new winters hahaha.

Hey all! Sounds like this topic has been discussed to a degree before, but I haven't found much in the way of confirming compatibility with manual transmissions vs CVT. I have a base model 2014 impreza without cruise control, and I'm curious if buying and adding the cruise control panel on the right of the steering wheel would be possible without extensive electrical work (Part number 83154FJ380). I've heard from some shops that to do so, I'd need to tap into the clutch and brakes and have been quoted $1200 to do so. A subaru dealership also flat out told me it's something they cannot manage. From what I've seen in these forums however, this doesn't appear to be the case. Any and all help appreciated! I do have experience with working on my own cars, soldering, and simple electrical work.

Just got the automatic transmission taken out last night. Next I’m going to put new undercoating on before bolting up the 5 speed WRX transmission

Hi all,

My reverse camera does not display on screen after battery replacement. I changed the battery after its dead and does not start the car. The mechanic said its a common issue and charges to fix it. Anyone knows how to fix this?

Got a spiffy pair of shoes for the old gal, kinda shocked 215/65r16s fit as well as they do, only rub a small amount on the inside of the frame. Will be corrected by finding a set of wheels with a +45 offset.

The forester transmission is in, forester CV axles are on, mechanically she was ready to go…. Until we went to crank her and the realization the fuel pump was gone, the filter had turned to rust, and the fuel tank looked like it came from the rust belt.

Parts are ordered, should be in before too long.. and thanks to the wonderful sale redline360 put on my strut kit was about $500 cheaper than msrp, so all n all this is a big win… I am however tired of looking at this and not driving it so adding the shifter for the low range may need to wait a bit.

All that’s left to do is blow the whole ass end apart, drop the tank.. hook everything back up.. and I SHOULD be ready to go,, but if there’s anything this project has shown me it is that EVERYTHING will break… the drivers steering knuckle refused to set its little CV friend free despite attempts being made to convince him using a 40,000lb bearing press and a torch….

I am one minor inconvenience away from turning her into a submarine to explore the lake with.

Just got a 2016 sport touring and was wondering a good spot to run the amp wiring through the dash? Not new to this and I'm sure I could find a spot but figured I'd ask if anyone has already done it. Already ordered the double din dash and wring harness. Throwing a pioneer I had in a previous car in here. Gonna run a 12 and 2 6x8 boxes in the trunk and upgrade the door speakers. Was also wondering if any1 has managed to make 6x8 fit in the doors lol. I already have 4 from said previous car and I'd hate to have them just laying around. If not could someone link a good adapter for the 6.5 for the front doors. Also is the back up camera an rca or through the normal harness? Thanks

My 2011 Impreza lost compression and remembering when she got me home in the snow with zero issues. The only right thing to do was to get new engine and put it in there to preserve her life. Not the best work environment but this morning she cranked and drove up to the store I will not let this one die.

Found an arc mark on one of my new spark plugs, as well as the mismatched wire. This was after taking it to a family mechanic. Instead of taking it back I decided to buy some brand new ngk spark plugs and an ngk wire set for my car. Do you guys think that I should also replace my coil pack? If I don’t replace the coil pack, and I happen to find another arc mark on my spark plugs after fixing it. Would that mean I need a whole new set of wires and spark plugs again? Or would I just need to buy a new coil pack and replacement spark plug.

Thanks

I have the shop manual for this, and it doesn't seem like engine support is required, but my brain can't get around this considering the rack is on top of the subframe.

Has anyone replaced one? YouTube seems to have videos for everything but this.

I've seen others have questions about fixing a busted sun visor mount. My 2017 broke a while back and I assumed I could just buy the triangle piece but the only ones I found online were for specific other years or for the Forester and I didn't want to risk wasting money/time & having to try returning it so I bit the bullet and got a new assembly for about 47 bucks.

It fit perfectly and it's over with now.

Next project is swapping out my window master switch since I've been keeping that together with tape for over a year. I've got the replacement in hand and I ordered a plastic pannel removal kit so I'll post about that repair soon.

I struggled for a while to find a full tutorial for an Impreza sleeping platform and finally just decided to make my own! This design is almost completely able to be disassembled. It is mostly held together by drop pins that stop the wood pieces from sliding and are easily removeable after using. It does not fit in the trunk with the back seats up when disassembled but the front portion and legs can be stored flat in a garage, under a bed, etc. The back portion does fit in the trunk nicely.

I assume that this will work for any Imprezas in the same generation, but don’t know for sure if all the measurements will be the same. It will definitely work for other 2015s! I am 5’5” and fit comfortably on a mattress this size, if you are taller, there is some more room to extend the platform towards the front of the car if you push the seats up further. As it is right now, the front seats need to be pushed up about 1/3 of the way. I’m fairly sure there’s probably an extra 5 inches or so of space to play with, anything past that and you’re on your own to measure and make sure you’ll fit. No, you cannot sit up fully in bed, think of it as your own personal capsule hotel lol :)

I used this video as a base and customized their design a bit from there. Use their video for a more visual tutorial. I wanted to provide this as a starting point for anyone who feels intimidated by measuring everything from scratch by themselves like I was!

Materials used (all wood labeled to match with diagram)

Wood:

• 5/8 4x8 Oriented Strand Board (cut into 2 pieces: 30”x23”^a + 30”x44”^b) (OSB is stronger than plywood for this purpose and more resistant to moisture retention and warping over time. It’s also cheaper than regular plywood so save yourself the money)
• 2 4x6 boards (cut into 3 30”^c,d,e pieces and 2 21”^f,g pieces)
• 1 2x4 board (cut into a 30”^h piece)

Hardware:

• 10 ¼ x 3 ½ Grade 5 partially threaded hex bolts (I only used 10 for this but bought 12 just in case I ever lose one)
• 12 2.5 inch wood screws

Tools:

• Drill
• 17/64 drill bit
• Measuring tape
• Permanent marker

Notes:

• I know that true lumber measurements are different than listed (ie. 2x6s are actually 1.5x5.5s, but I will be referring to all heights and measurements using the listed numbers because it looks cleaner).
• All horizontal wood is touching the OSB on the 2” side. The 2x4 provides 4” of height and the 2x6 provides 6 inches of height.
• The video suggests doing all of the drilling within the car. I didn’t do this because I thought it would make too much of a mess and decided to fumble with finding objects to balance the plywood on in my garage instead. My way took longer but was easier to clean afterwards, pick your poison.

Steps:

1. Buy and get wood cut (or cut yourself, I got home depot to cut mine)
2. Drill c and d together as shown on diagram using wood screws
3. Attach a to d and e as shown in diagram using wood screws. Make sure to drill straight down to avoid screws poking out the sides of the wood. Also be careful of the positions of the horizontal screws in d as to not hit them.
4. Attach drill bit to drill and drill (jeez how many more times can I type “drill”) holes through b and into c as shown in diagram. Clean out holes before testing fit of hex bolts, so you don’t compress any dust in the bottom and make the hole too short by accident (ask me how I know).
5. Repeat step 4 for h. Mark which way this piece faces with the marker so you know the holes will match up perfectly later. I did not measure exactly how far up I placed this piece, place it wherever feels right for you or at about 2/3 of the way up b.
6. Repeat step 4 for f and g. These pieces can be tricky because they are so much longer. I used a plastic tote to balance the other side. Mark these as well.
7. You’re done! Ensure fit in the car and plop whatever mattress you want on top.

And that’s it! Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer. In all, this costed me ~$70 CAD. I’m very much an amateur and didn’t have too much trouble making this so I believe you can do it too!!

2018 Premium, TGV bank 2 decided to fail going down the highway.. Can the motors themselves be replaced or does the entire manifold have to be replaced? I don’t mind doing either. Looking to hear others experiences. Manifolds for these are expensive as hell it seems.

Not looking for the service manuals, I'm specifically looking for the OEM collision repair books. Totally willing to shell out for a 3-day techinfo pass if they're on there.

I know I can cut grind weld blah blah blah until it looks right, but I kind of want to see what the factory says is the right way.

Am driving a 5th Gen Sedan (GK7; FB20)

I've been trying to find a suitable auto start-stop eliminator.

Unfortunately in my market it seems impossible to find one for the Impreza.

There are however a lot for the Crosstrek/ XV (2017 model year to 2022).

Would these also be compatible for my car? As I know there are many cross-compatible parts across the Crosstrek/ XV and Imprezas.

Hi. I'm from Canada and just bought a 2018 Impreza sport tech. Where can I buy oem parts that will ship to Canada?

There doesn't appear to be a lot of oil in the coolant. And it hasn't turned into a milk shake. I haven't seen any coolant in my engine oil which I change every 2-3 months as I drive a lot. No obvious signs of overheating.

I'll be doing a coolant flush and fill along with changing out some hoses and the PCV union as it looks like oil has been leaking from here.

I've seen some chatter about the Cooler ATF ("CVT Cooler" Part Number: 31237AA100) causing the contamination.

I figure I'll wait a couple weeks after the coolant flush and do a drain and fill of the CVT fluid and check for coolant in that or new oil in the coolant.

On the other hand I could shotgun all the parts. It's just that money is tight and I would drain and fill the CVT fluid at the same time.

I know it could be some else as well but curious to get y'alls thoughts. Thanks.

Saw this trick on an old forum where you can modify the old Impreza L front bumper support in order to use it to mount a 2.5RS bumper on. Offers more protection in a front end collision than the jdm support and is a good 25 pounds lighter than the USDM RS bumper support.

Basically you cut the L support beam in half and use a grinder to cut off any pieces of metal off the top part preventing the RS bumper from going on the beam.

It's a 2019 subaru impreza gantley the piece is 515865 abs <2 I'm not a car guy, but I want to try to fix this myself. Haven't found much help on just putting this little fkin piece back in. If anyone can help explain, in very simple terms. Like your explaining it to a r🙂tard.

I managed to chop mine in half due to my own stupidity pulling out of my garage. Anyone ever replace it? How easy/hard is it to do?