r/battlewagon

hi all, i am losing my mind trying to go down this rabbit hole and decided to just ask.

lifting a 2002 wrx wagon with forester struts. have a set of 16” steelies that i’m going to be throwing on, what tire can i safely run that will also fill in some of that gap at the top.

we did a test fit with my friends baja tires and there was just barely a fingers width gap by the strut tower. but at the same time they didn’t look tall enough for my liking 😭 the offset is also way different between his style rims and the steelies i wanna throw on. i am currently unsure of exact offsets but could find out.

camber IS also slightly off, also hoping correcting that will give me a little more room to work with.

i’m more than happy to make any needed modifications to safely run a tire that is both functional and pleasing to the eye. this is my first offroad build and i am LOST lol. thanks in advance for all the advice 🫶🏻

-front angle photo is with front forester struts in, and on 215/50/17’s
-side angle is with my friends 215/70/16’s on

After maybe 14 years of combing the internet and dying for a 240 I finally picked up my fist.

I'll give you the rundown on non mechanical upgrades I have in the works and could use some advice as well. Day I brought it home, had put powder coated 940 wheels on it however the original 14s were in the trunk. Pics https://imgur.com/a/KGkH1ub

Looking to raise it 1.5" to give it a little extra but not got wild on the geometry. I've seen the STS kit. Here are the 14s https://imgur.com/a/K2NLjxu and I'm having them powder coated this color minus the bezels (all the center caps are there):

I know nothing about the wheel/tire clearances, so I'd greatly appreciate a tire combo that would have a larger sidewall and a little more meat without having to trim anything. Appreciate it!

Hi… having a conundrum:

This is AdventureMobile… my trusted companion for the past five years. She’s a 2015 Outback Premium. I got her already outfitted with a lift kit, a JDM grille, ditch lights, lightbar, roof rack, trailer hitch, aftermarket wheels and all terrain tires, spare tire, K&N filter, new exhaust, and an under-seat subwoofer. I’ve added a wireless CarPlay head unit, a digital rear view mirror/dashcam, new front struts, ball joints, brakes, and new tires. Two years ago, she got a valve body replacement that was somewhat bungled by the dealership, but resulted in a new (used) transmission. Everything was great and we celebrated 200k miles earlier in the year. Two weeks ago, a stutter started. Took it in, and the prognosis was valve body. Since it had just been done two years prior, that seemed odd. Dealership got in touch with Subaru, and they extended the parts warranty, and put a new valve body in. Picked the car up on Saturday, and discovered that the stutter was still there. Took it back, and after some extended testing, they discovered a misfire from cylinder 2. Prognosis: needs new plugs and coil packs. $1,400. But that would just treat symptoms, as there is an oil leak… to fix that (including plugs/coils): $6,600. Oh, and the rear wheel bearings are making a noise. $1,200 (or $800 at my neighborhood mechanic).

Needless to say… that’s a pretty steep bill for an eleven year old Outback with 205k miles. Can I, in good conscience, sell this? FB Marketplace? Craigslist? Cars & Bids/Bring a Trailer? I’ve got some potential replacement rides lined up, but most likely not going through a dealership. So not just doing a lowball trade-in. Any insights would be appreciated.