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I have had this car in relatively standard form for 2 years now. It was converted to dual range manual early on as the Auto didn't maximise the driveability of the nice smooth H6. This gearbox started having issues and wouldn't stay in high range so while swapping to another box I decided to go all out and transform the car into what I think is the ultimate offroad combo. While it was in bits I took the engine out to do the 100k service as this was easier than changing cam cover gaskets and spark plugs while in the tight confines of the engine bay.



I then retrieved a Gen 1 Liberty dual range box I had in an MY. This was allready fitted with the L series 1:1.59 low range. While this was on the ground I removed the rear transfer/centre diff and replaced it with a DCCD rear transfer which allows thumb wheel controlled torque split from 65% rear 35% front right through to completely locked 50:50 split which is obviously ideal offroad. The DCCD setup was available on jap spec STI WRX's and this one came on a close ratio RA box that had broken gears, as I only needed the rear it suited my needs perfectly. The whole rear transfer just bolts on in place of the standard one with the weak viscous centre.



The next step was to give the car some clearance so an Ausubaru 2 inch lift was sourced in quick time from Dave, I opted for 3 inch strut tops and as the kit retains the factory Outback lift blocks it is effectively the same as a 3 inch in a standard Liberty. I also fitted the Kings raised springs which firms up the ride and gives another inch of lift without harming CV angles. I allready had 28 inch BFG AT's on 16 inch GT Forester rims and these now have plenty of room in the guards.



When combined with a Subaextreme front bar and sump guard the car is well protected. At the rear I had a mate modify an early L series rear tyre carrier to mount inside the standard rear bar using the strength of the towbar supports for stability. We also moved the outlet of the towbar up so it exits the bumper rather than underneath where it can drag when exiting steep areas. The towbar tongue is easily removed for offroad trips if needed.





The car is great to drive on road with all the modern comforts and will certainly perform as well offroad with the mods it now has. The H6 is a great smooth engine, with the free flowing exhaust that was fitted after the lift is revs easily and has an unusual note for a Subaru, almost like a Nissan 6, while not as powerful as the Turbo engines it has more than enough for my needs. Also the Gen 3 is the most purposefull looking Outback in my opinion and I think the car now looks how it should have from the factory. I plan on keeping it for a long time.

Very, very nice work

Looks well sorted and very capable off road.

And you work for MD?

Good write up mate and your OB has come up really well.
What's the stickers on the door? Sort of spoils it.

your outback looks great and makes an awsome company car

TOONGA

awesome mate. Its about time someone bolted an early DCCD center to a dual range box. have you had a play offroad yet?

Great car, very good job. Also spotted the Liberty ute in the 3rd pic hehe

Thanks for all the comments, yes the stickers are there as it is a work car, I have a Mountain Designs shop so use the car for promotion etc. I haven't had a chance to try it properly offroad yet, only got it going on Monday, still finalising the DCCD wiring, I have all the factory loom and controller including the light display for the dash just need to hook it all up. Unconnected it runs with the most power to the rear so is fine onroad. I should also ad it has a plated LSD in the rear out of an L series RX Turbo which is a lot tighter than the viscous ones.

Looks great, it'll be interesting to see how the DCCD goes off road.

Nice features, looks good too.
With 50:50 lock I'm guessing the offroad ability should be pretty much exactly the same as a stock L series 5spd.
Hope the mechanical LSD in the DCCD is up to the task of handling offroad traction changes (ie lifting a wheel momentarily then suddenly gaining traction again when it comes down etc). - it's a pretty different game to on-road which is what it's designed for. I hear you can customise how it operates quite a lot with an aftermarket dccd controller too.

Yep keen on comments about how The DCCD handles offroad tracks:)

VERY nice!

Your work and detailed write up shows the attention you've put into planning and implementing the build on this subi for a given purpose. You should be very proud! I'd love to see how it goes offroad in person, a much better perspective than a video in my opinion.

Cheers

Bennie

Very nice setup mate... drools..
Cheers
AP

Awesome OB you have there legacytt.. and by your user name I'm guessing you either have one or had one in the past?

Yes I will keep everyone posted about how the DCCD copes offroad and yes RSR 555 I have had 2 TT conversions in the past, the last one I changed back to single. I wouldn't bother with a TT again they are a bit too tempramental, I now get my turbo fix with the wifes WRX which I have fitted with VF28, front mount etc etc.

Completely OT, but do Mountain Designs still make that X-long sleeping bag? Can't see it on the webite? Bought one about 9 years ago...

Looks great Ian, am interested in hearing how the DCCD goes although i cant see why it wont work.

I got the DCCD setup working today after sorting out the wiring for the factory controller. I have mounted the thumbwheel near the dual range lever and at half lock you can start to feel the centre tightening up noticeably. At full lock it is like an L series in 4wd, binds up on sharp turns so a definite no no on bitumen. Completely open the rear wheels spin first so makes a usefull modification to run mild partial lock on road so the front wheels are less likely to cause understeer. The only limitation seems to be the much discussed gen 3 lack of rear wheel travel but it seems the rear LSD and locked centre overcome the majority of obstacles easily. All in all I am very happy with it and enjoy the options it provides. Shame these are such a rare option on WRX's, so if you can get one for less than 1k grab it, I got the whole box incl dccd and controller fro $700.

Hi,

So how is the DCCD holding up behind the h6 and offroad? I'm interested to find out your thoughts and if you have anything further to add since you got the DCCD working. You must have well tested it by now. Im also on the hunt for a DCCD rear transfer case:)

Yes it is working well, offroad it has heaps of traction even at half lock and is very much locked at full. I have mostly had it on uneven rocky loose ground when the wheels often leave the ground but with the rear LSD it keeps going without a drama. I would definately recomend it as a mod if you want the best of both worlds. I had an L series once with the locable centre diff, trouble was that when it was un locked the centre was open so you only had to spin a front wheel and you would lose traction, a pain on wet bitumen for example. With the DCCD you get partial lock like a viscous with the full lock option at your finger tips.

Hey i have the exact same car even in the same colour and i plan to do exactly the same mods as you minus the engine conversion and dccd thingy, i was wondering where did you source your 3" strut top lift from? Ive tried and can't find anyone selling any, also have you had any problems resulting from lifting the car that much since its been done?