Brake line length for lifted Baja's

[waffles]

Hello,

I'm possibly lifting my 03 Baja by 2 inches, to better fit snow tires. Using 05 Baja springs and a set of spacers. I'm also replacing all the ball joints and most brake components, as road salt has eaten much of it.
Questions:

1. I'd like to fit stainless steel braided brake lines. What length lines were used when folks lifted their Baja?
2. Spacers lift the body. I would rather lift the suspension. Other than re-welding the spring seats (which I cannot do at the moment), is there any other way besides using the 05 springs?
3. Was a change of shocks/struts necessary?
4. Does anyone know, off hand, what are the diameters of the stock rotors? I'm considering buying an el-cheapo slotted set from Ebay.
5. What type of snow tire have you guys found? Something that clears rather aggressively and would work fairly well in horse pasture mud?

6. Is that tubular steel front bumper still being made? With the undercarriage bash plate? Anyone offering just the undercarriage armor?



Bought the car a year or two ago, along with a warranty. Noticed some problems with it, and the dealership replaced the entire drivetrain besides the motor itself. Brand new transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, and all....OEM parts. Was a pretty great deal. Did the complete timing belt maintenance at the same time without charging labor, though I paid for those parts.
I've had the exhaust system changed. A cheap Flowmaster, which doesn't sound very nice but gets slightly better gas mileage. Changed to iridium spark plugs and K&N air filter, which also helps. And replaced the A/C system.

It isn't a very sexy vehicle, and won't even pull a single-horse trailer. Sometimes I wish I'd gotten a regular truck with an extended cab. But it's been a reliable little jerk, and I might as well take care of it.

I'm retrofitting HID projectors into the headlights, since I've already tried SilverStar Ultras without much improvement. The bi-xenon FX-R Stage 3 kit from theretrofitsource.com. Any tips from anyone that has done the same?

[LrgLnrd]

Hey Gorilla Off Road Company will have everything you looking for.
They have build schedules for certain items and a wide variety of products for the bajas
Hope this Helps.
Also the lift will not require any longer brake lines so if you go with ss then you can just use stock length.
Greg

[waffles]

Thank you.

Now, to break out the impact wrench to loosen these brake caliper brackets....
Replaced the calipers, since road salt had trashed them. The piston seals were busted and infiltrated. Painted them. Going to run electrolysis on the brackets, and paint them as well. Replacing the rotors, since they're cheap for this car.


Nearly have my HID retrofit completed. The Stage 3 kit is packed full of shiny, for the money spent. Swapped to the single-bulb lenses while I was at it. Looks/works great, except a 10mm gap between the bottom of the lenses and the bumper/trim that I'm blaming on China. Going to fill it with neoprene weatherstripping or some silicone. Posting photos once I'm finished.

[waffles]

Here's a quickie:




Fits great!
Used the standard option "Apollo" style shrouds. The "Gatling Gun" style looks better, but I wasn't sure if it would fit. Probably would have.

They're bi-xenon with a solenoid cut-off for combined hi/low beam. Took maybe 8 hours for both lenses, using a dremel, 15 miles of aluminum tape, epoxy, and some small screws. I recommend extra butyl sealant, but not from that retailer...the package has enough for another 4 Subarus.

[waffles]

Can anyone verify this:

Hey there,
I broke a spring plate weld on my RR strut the other day on my '03, so I decided to upgrade the struts & springs to the '04/05. According to the part #s in the parts manual (see the library on this site), the springs in the front are the only thing different from 03 to 04/05. The struts & all other part numbers are the same. In the rear however it is just the opposite. The springs are the same 03-05, while the strut has a different part number. I finished installing the rear struts this weekend, and it is just under an inch taller. When I compared the old strut vs new, the new was an inch longer. It made it a little harder to install, but nothing my jack couldn't help with. I have one new spring for the front, waiting for the 2nd new one to come in, and will probably swap the fronts next weekend...

From this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1251


Why is everyone saying to just swap all four springs, while this guy is saying to swap front springs and rear struts?

And, are there any reviews for King springs from Primitive?

[Acro2pilot]

At 4 inches of lift there is plenty of line once you re-route so your fine.

Nice headlights, what year/model did you source those from? I should do that myself.

[waffles]

TheRetrofitSource.com

They give you a $50 rebate for doing a write-up tutorial, but I always forget to take photos halfway along projects.

Sandblasted and painted my wheels with POR-15 last night. Which is a tough job in the snow, on a medical school budget. Also painted the non-mating surfaces of my new slotted and drilled rotors. And painted the caliper with red ceramic. Kinda wishing I'd powder-coated it all, instead. Maybe one day...

Kinda stuck on my project, since I can't seem to get the pinch bolt out of the steering knuckle for the lower ball joint. I've hit it with penetrating oil, heat, a large hammer, and a 1450 ft/lb air impact wrench. The thing won't budge. Same with the two bolts for the brake caliper brackets.
My plan was to take it all off and run electrolysis and POR-15 it all, after zinc plating. The chemical bucket and everything is just sitting and waiting...stupid rusted bolts....

Trying to track down exactly how high that King Springs will lift a Baja. If they lift 1.5-2 inches, then that's good enough for me. Would be the same cost as stock '05 springs and the over-priced Subtle Solutions spacer kit. Except with better quality springs. So I'm calling Primitive Racing on Monday for a quote on that. And their skid-plate set and maybe a bumper with light mounts.

Primitive's skid-plate doesn't extend all the way out to the bumper. If you look closely at their photos, there is about a 4 inch gap below the radiator. Not sure why they left it this way, since it acts as a mud/snow scoop. So I wrote and asked, but they haven't replied.

[waffles]

FYI -- Changing ball joints is a horrible, horrible job.


Completed:
-4 Goodyear Tripletreds 215x65r16 ($520 after $160 rebate, mount/balance)
(80,000 mile treadlife compared to General Grabber AT2's 45,000 mile, and
better in snow/ice. Cooper Weathermasters are great, but cant find local)
-HID headlight retrofit ($350, theretrofitsource.com)
-headlight lenses w/ single bulb orifice ($90/pair)
-ball joints (ROCA brand, $60/pair)
-grade 8 pinchbolts and other various
-inner and outer tie rod ends (MOOG, $30x4)
-inner tie-rod boots (autozone)
-rebuilt calipers (~$200, autozone)
-slotted/drilled rotors (Callahan brand, $250 for 4)
-ceramic brake pads (came with Callahan kit)
-drum parking brake pads ($17x2, autozone)
-drum parking brake hardware kits (autozone)
-POR-15 and ceramic painted rotor drums
-ceramic painted calipers
-electrolysis, POR-15, and ceramic painted caliper hangers
-POR-15 and epoxy painted wheels, flat black
-stainless steel braided brake lines, front and 2-piece rear ($150)
-painted inside wheel wells and various suspension parts
-new brake fluid


Still working on:
-3/4" lift King springs ($438, Primitive Racing) Thanks Paul!
-KYB struts ($235 for all 4, on sale on Amazon!!!)
-heavy-duty strut tops ($125/pair, Primitive Racing)
-Alignment ($80, local shop)
-iPhone-to-stock-radio adaptation (I prefer the stock radio's solid feel)
-aim the HID's a little better
-paint lower trim/lower body half
-urethane sway bar and control arm/trailing arm bushings ($130, Prothane)

Previously completed:
-dealership replaced and installed transmission
-dealership replaced and installed AWD system (rear diff, etc)
-dealership replaced and installed all wheel bearings
-dealership replaced and installed all CV drive axles and boots
-dealership replaced and installed complete timing belt kit/ 90,000 mile
maintenance
-Flowmaster 40-series muffler (~$100, but I dont like it)
-2.5" catback (local shop)
-NKG iridium spark plugs
-new wires and coil
-K&N air filter
-rebuilt A/C compressor and condensor/dryer, and all o-rings
-10" self-powered subwoofer under passenger seat
-Pioneer speakers all around
-LED taillamps, reverse lamps, dome lights, and turn signals (superbrightleds.com)
-new coolant and thermostat
-detailed interior



Ok, whew! Sorry about all of that. I like to keep an online log of it all, since I tend to lose paper records.

Anyway, the ball joints really needed replacing. Were lubing themselves with the split rubber boot for the past 20,000 miles. The tie rods were sloppy. Lots of play in the steering and wobbling/vibration on the highway. I recommend getting them replaced at a shop....with an air chisel and not outside in the snow!
The slotted brakes are great. And the pedal is much firmer with the stainless lines.
The HID headlights are beautiful!! Highly recommend these to all Scooby owners! The difference is night and day, pun intnded.


Replacing the bushings, struts and springs after Christmas. Again...in the snow. Really excited to see how the ride will feel. Biting the bullet and being the guinea pig on these Prothane bushings. No one knows if they'll fit the Baja.


Photos when i can....if anyone even reads this board..

[Hawk296]

Ball joints are horrible to do yourself! It is definitely a poor design for climates where people buy and use Subarus. I have had most of the pinch bolts break. I did purchase this http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp ... e&tool=all It makes the job MUCH easier (once you get the pinch bolt out)

[waffles]

Merry Christmas!





King springs and heavy-duty strut tops from Primitive. 2003 Outback 3/4" lift set.
http://www.writerguy.com/primitive/susp.htm
Notes:
- theyre not 30%lighter in weight than OEM. Theyre 30% heavier. Thicker coils and more of them, as obvious in pics.
-I'm concerned that Primitive's "heavy-duty" strut tops may be worse than OEM. They're exactly the same diameter and thickness in the mounts themselves. And the bearings are not sealed on top, compared to OEM which are.
Unless the bearing itself is higher grade (the 10-year-old original 2003 bearing had no play in it)....I just wasted $75.
Maybe should have bought these instead:
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp ... t=18570446

And I suggest these KYB shocks from Amazon. $243 with free shipping, compared to $85 each.... for the same shock.
http://www.amazon.com/KYB-FRONT-REAR-sh ... B002SZZ5HS



Write-up to follow. Maybe. Theyre pretty easy to change.

[waffles]

I suggest changing your struts ASAP. The OEMs were shot. Couldn't hold up their own weight....pretty funky.

Re-use the boots, conical washer, rubber isolator pad, spacer/springplate and bumpstop. 12mm wrench for the brake line and ABS sensor bolts (one each), and same at the three nuts at the top of the wheelwell. Two 19mm bolts holding the bottom of the shock to the knuckle. remember that the top bolt only installs in one direction...on purpose.
Loosen the assembly's single 19mm retaining nut BEFORE compressing the springs. It is under the little rubber cap in the center of the strut-top. Autozone's rental program has nice compressors, by the way.

I'll maybe put photos with step-by-step instructions later. But it's a fairly simple job, and if you really need instructions...you probably shouldnt be doing it in the first place, given the dangerous nature of springs. Just go slow. Remember that "OUT" with a directional arrow is stamped on the steel top spacer, showing to re-install it facing the beveled lobe toward the wheel/knuckle bracket.
The conical washer re-installs with the wider side toward the bottom. Beveled edge, smaller diameter toward the strut-top bearing. It pre-loads the bearing for you and spreads the compression force out from the spacer.




Notes:
-The KYB shocks have about 2 inches longer travel. Meaning, I need longer brake lines, because I dont trust these at their exact-OEM-fit length. Losing a front brake line is a great way to impress friends and family, by the way.

-i gained measurable height from replacing the tires and ball joints. I should have actually measured how much. Lol

-the progressive softer rate section of the springs seems to be in the middle. Just from what compressed first with the rental tool. Unlike motorcycle springs, in which the softer section is at one end.

-The yellow seems to be paint and not powedercoat. I may be wrong about that. (Always heard you cant paint springs and HAVE to powdercoat them.) It is very hard, chip/scratch resistant paint. But it does chip and scratch if it has to.

-a set of pass-through sockets would help get final torque on the top assembly nut, retaining the springplate to the strut. The strut shaft fits an allen wrench.

-pack the struttop bearing space full of grease, since it isn't sealed. Condensation will get inside past that rubber stopper and not come out, rusting the single retention nut and seizing the bearing. Will still get inside eventually, past the bottom seal. But, every drop helps, said the woman poisoning her husband...

-No stickers ship with either the springs or struts. I am annoyed by this.
Waffles likes stickers.

[waffles]

Conical washer faces this direction. Between the strut-top bearing and upper spring plate. Larger diameter surface mating to spring plate. Smaller diameter (shiny, clean side in this picture) toward top of strut.



Steering knuckle bracket bolts fits this direction. And washer goes on the top one.


You can use vice grips on the shaft of the OLD STRUT if it spins while removing the retaining nut. Dont mar the new one, as it'll eat away the seal. Bumpstop will maybe prevent it, if your placing is right...but....I didnt tell you that.



Retaining nut, where having pass-through sockets would help. 11/16" or whatever metric equivalent....17mm?


Autozone rental-program compressors worked great. When in doubt, compress more.


Side-by-side comparisons of "heavy-duty" strut-tops from Primitive and the OEM


Bottom

Side (sorry for shadow)

Non-sealed bearing in "heavy-duty" version

Sealed bearing in OEM


Spring comparison, unloaded. Sorry, should have got comparison photo of entire assemblies. I dont like slowing down for photos.


More pics tomorrow.