Subaru pulling power

arc1 · Post by **arc1** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:25 pm

I have been driving Subarus as work vehicles for a while now, but I am still relatively new to the make.
On the building site today the painter was complaining on how he couldn't bring his ute down to the house as the driveway is quite steep and there was no way he would get back up again. I said 'the sooby would do it no worries
(83 4WD wagon)', in jest. He scoffed and said 'not with 15 drums of paint'. I said 'easy'. We worked out that the paint would weigh about 300 kg. Nothing came of it and he wouldn't risk 300 kg of paint anyway, being the sceptic.
20 minutes later a tile delivery arrived. He drove to the bottom of the slope front first in a dual rear axle HQ ute. When the load was off and he tried to reverse, he wasn't going anywhere. The main problem was that the rear wheels were'nt independant of each other and the driving pair were not making good contact with the ground (inner most to the cab). Infact they offered little drive at all.
The boss tried a few tricks with lime and the painters helped out with a push to no avail. I suggested towing him with the wagon. In the past I had offered with other bogged vehicles and my boss had declined. I had pulled out a couple of bogged utes with a brumby on other jobs.
So I brought the wagon down and hooked the HQ up to the tow ball with a tie strap and put it in low range 4WD. Admittedly I had to slip the clutch a bit to get him moving, but it did it easy in the end and I steadily pulled him up the hill. We came a stop at the top and he still had trouble moving so the subaru dragged him up again. The wheels never span and I had border line road worthy road tyres on.
The painter didn't even acknowledge the display or touch on the 300 kg challenge after I got a 2 tonne HQ to move up the slope. He can have his high powered low traction ute (obviously he and the boss have little understanding of the traction and pulling power of a low range 4wd vehicle) and 15 drums of paint.
Just thought I'd share that one, I am starting to become a big subaru fan.
Jeremy.

Phizinza · Post by **Phizinza** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:31 pm

Some people are amazed... And some are embarrassed

esray71 · Post by **esray71** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:50 pm

Um.... WOW:???:

shuffbag · Post by **shuffbag** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:51 pm

my friend tried to pull a trailer for his boss in his liberty, 3ton worth of building gear...... i pick up a cheap car after that with a hole across the bottom/back of the spare wheel well. it split the spot welds holding the rear section of the car on.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:21 pm

Heh... yeah thats funny when people under estimate on road "subaru" looking cars...

About um 8 months ago I had to pull out a mate in his commodore as he was bogged. So I said I'll pull you out, he said "no way you wouldnt pull me out", "i said yeah yeah I can, you watch" so hooked him up and he didnt even start his car and even put it in reverse, he was too slow and i managed to pull him out while he was sliding while in lo range... and I moved him to safe ground and his jaws dropped and was dumbfounded of how much power it had.
EJ22 Liberty vs 5.0 litre Commodore.... easy! lol
Cheers
AP

arc1 · Post by **arc1** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:59 pm

Thanks for the input. A friend of mine reularly refuses to believe that the subaru is a 4WD because it is a road car. Recently we drove up a track above big river (victoria) and it started snowing (150mm of cover). He wanted to turn back, but the wagon took it in its stride, even through snow covered muddy steep tracks with road tyres. He was impressed. So too were a group of serious four wheel drivers who happened to show up lost.
Jeremy.

subarooster · Post by **subarooster** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:57 am

haha, yeah i had the same thing happen. I own a 91 L series wagon with no modifications and a mate of mine in a 2000 model hilux got bogged twice in the same spot in a mudhole at the bottom of a steep hill and twice the subie has pulled him out with no wheelspin :P i must say he has alot more respect for the wagon now

Phizinza · Post by **Phizinza** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:34 am

Thats it, you can't tell people what subarus can do, only show them.

riksta · Post by **riksta** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:01 am

I think we all have had some fun watching somones face drop when we have pulled then out of a mud hole in a Suby, and the look on there face as there pride and joy comes to a safe place go's from disbelief to one of impressed.

Thats one of the best things about driving a Suby, when someone thinks that theres no way a little Suby can ever do that, and you do get up that hill or you tow that hilux out of that bog hole or get off the beach without being towed, or what ever elce, YOU feel good and proud to have a SUBY.

Veales · Post by **Veales** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:28 am

A mates of mines excel went off the side of Mundairing Weird road, which is a pretty damn big slope MY01 WRX pulled him half off a cliff/hill with no worries at All

Post by **Alex** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:06 pm

i like it on the beach when ya go past some people in big 4x4's....make it look like your struggling, then stop in a real hard spot whilst the all start laughing, quietly select low range and make as much noise as ya can all four spinning and launching out of the boggy stuff...the look of disbelief on their faces makes all the work we put into our subi's worthwhile.

love it

alex