2018 Lifted Subaru Crosstrek Overview and Mudflap Install

[@kratos7678]

My girl got me a set for my birthday! Just installed them My crosstrek looks great!

[@EricBandholz]

Blake, keep on making these videos with the Crosstrek. Love them. Going to pick up a 2018 Crosstrek by the end of the year.

[@stupidchicken03]

You wont be disappointed with it!

[@joshhenning2043]

beard brand trek!

[@pgirard26]

I'm calling it now: lifted Crosstrek's are the new Tacoma's with a leveling kit. Once the brobrah's start getting sick of the ride, cost and lack of uniqueness, they will sell their Tacoma's for a Crosstrek.

[@KillaCityKid427]

pgirard26 WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!! ...that “BROBRAH” part! LOLZ

[@cafn8ed74]

A note about plexiglass- plexiglass generally refers to acrylic sheet, which is brittle and will crack or shatter if it gets hit (flying rocks or loading gear). Lexan (polycarbonate is the generic name) is much tougher if you can get some. You could beat it with a hammer and suffer only surface scratches.

[@mikeymaiku]

i work in sheetmetal and when we press these sheets of lexan i have to overbend 15-20 degrees to get them to bounch back to roughly 90 degrees... and yes you can litterally drop them from a helicopter and it probably bounce off the ground more than it would break and shatter

[@onexforu]

I really like the way the front guards look with the bend. I would follow that and bend the rears the same way, you know, for symmetry sake.

[@philsednev]

For real I want to get a crosstrek because of this car. Not gonna lie it looks so good and I want to start hitting some trails too

[@_J_U_S_T_I_N_]

God damn man I just bought an 18’ STI and seeing this beast lifted makes me kinda wish I woulda got the Crosstrek. Great build and great videos man.

[@garetht1236]

YES! Crosstrek! Smashed that like button.

[@chippedham]

Yo, thanks for posting with the idea to use the heat gun to bend the front flaps. I had to do the same thing and I'm running the method wheels wrapped with the 215 ko2s with no lift.

[@chemuzio-ssir2015]

Is there any rubbing in the front of the tires? Didn’t need to heat up and push back the wheel well? Just the mud flaps?

[@bobsamson7820]

When can we see this beast in action??

[@Kiss__Kiss]

Blake, Honestly nice to see you making Subaru content as you went German (Audi/BMW) on us lol

[@Cornuts1000]

go buy some 80 durameter neoprene if you can find a small off cut from a gasket cutter and make your own flaps

[@boomeralvord9067]

I use those same Gloveworks gloves, theyre great. sometimes I even use them for more than one day.

[@BlakesGarage]

Boomer Alvord yeah they really are the best.

[@trentwohlrabe7813]

do u have a link to the light switchs u got in ur center cubby

[@duhaslameh5124]

What about subaro forester ? What u shoud do to change forester to toyota land cruse ?

[@MrSokkermasta]

Just quick question did you buy that insert for all the switches at 05:21 or did you fabricate it!?

[@BlakesGarage]

He bought it.

[@stupidchicken03]

I bought the switches, but I made the cover for them

[@johnhamer7157]

Great mods on the Crosstrek guys. Now, what can you do to wring a bit more HP and torque out of that engine?

[@scuds03]

John Hamer There’s really no way to get any worthwhile hp gains outta the Crosstrek unfortunately.

[@mitchelljarvis2944]

Swap a ford 3.5L turbo

[@CarsWithJR]

I now has second thoughts about getting a roof rack. :/

[@stupidchicken03]

My WRX Channel still nice to have when needed! I just don't need to be a cool kid and drive around with it everyday lol

[@SirJamestheIII]

I've got a lower profile rola rack and it isn''t as bad. But still, the losses in economy are greater the faster you drive due to drag, so faster you drive, the more your lose on fuel economy. Though not as durable powder coat on the rola (cheaper rack) so I might need to do something about rust.

[@stupidchicken03]

SirJamestheIII ya my buddy with a 17 just got one of those. They do sit lower.

[@Kmhaack1]

He Blake, how did you make the switch panel? I'm looking at putting a switch pro in my Crosstrek and really like how you placed it in the center cubby.

[@stupidchicken03]

I made it myself! I have a write up on the xtrek forums.

[@TheWonderWiz]

what size are the wheels and tires???

[@rustyshacklefort3715]

Did you need to change gear ratios to compensate for lift and tires? Also how much mpg was lost?

[@stupidchicken03]

Rusty Shacklefort no changing gears. I don't really know what the mpg was like prior because I did everything with less than 350 miles on the car

[@sirmasteryan4958]

Awesome setup going on! Hope you guys get so big you put a Turbo on that shit or supercharger.

[@ericplautz3622]

With the new wheel and tire setup, is the car louder when driving in the city or on the highway? You mentioned the ride feels stock, but does it sound stock from inside the vehicle?

[@stupidchicken03]

I was a bit worried about humming or the tires being loud, but to my surprise, they're actually really quiet! Ive put on over 5,000 miles on them so far, zero issues or complaints.

[@db2102]

Can I see more of the out side of the car? Looks awesome from the outside of the garage

[@stupidchicken03]

Blake has some more vids on the car, Ive also got a ton of pics of it on my Instagram - thomas.teammoist

[@austinberger4670]

How did the power and torque fair with the lift along with the MPG without the roof rack?

[@stupidchicken03]

Austin Berger I average about 25 without the basket

[@SarahnTuned]

...wait how many MPGs??? OMG, don’t think I want a roof rack anymore. 😳

[@stupidchicken03]

It was pretty drastic. But it might also be because I have the snowboard rack on top of the basket too.

[@highwaymaintainer]

I have the crossbars that I added, didn't lose too much mpg

[@LoganLovell]

thoughts on selling my Jeep TJ for a crosstrek? I want to lift it and add a roofrack and so on, but will it be worth selling my Jeep? any opinions are welcome

[@stupidchicken03]

Honestly I couldnt say for sure. Ive personally never owned or even driven a Jeep. If you're into hard core 4x4 and rock crawling - the subaru is not for that. Subaru will do some mild off-road for dirt/mud/snow. Im assuming they also get better MPG for city/highway than the Jeep as well.

[@MrGboybst578]

Where did you end up tapping in for the acc power on your s-tech?

[@stupidchicken03]

I went straight to the battery. Always power available even without the key in the car. Just have to remember to turn everything off ;)

[@MollyMcBooter]

Just got the same mud flaps :) What size drill bit did you have to use? it got quiet & I couldn't hear him.

[@stupidchicken03]

Molly Lenore 1/8 would work!

[@kennethgouldjr.498]

Did you make the switch panel yourself or is there a kit for it?

[@stupidchicken03]

I bought the switches from Team Tech Offroad in Colorado. I made the plate that houses the switches myself.

[@juliussmith4001]

How do you like the sti spoiler and is it bigger than stock. Also what are the side things on the rear glass can they be removed.

[@stupidchicken03]

The STi spoiler is a bit larger, but if I had to do it again, I dont think I would get it. Not really worth the money. The black trim on the left/right of the rear glass?

[@juliussmith4001]

Thank you for responding Question how much is it and does it go on the extisting spoiler. thanks.

[@stupidchicken03]

it replaces the factory one. I think the sti one was $400 or so.. I ordered the car and added it on as an option so it "came with the car"

[@juliussmith4001]

You are the best you have great videos and i will be watching last questions #1 is the car as slow as they say i will be using it as a daily driver i learned after the break in period it changes. #2 do you think the hood from the sti will fit on the impreza sport i am buying one and i would like to customise it the dealership doesn't know ? #3 have you heard of sprint booster. #4 for this type of engine what do you think of synthetic oil. Thanks

[@stupidchicken03]

Yes the car is slow, but I knew that before I bought it - I have an STi if I want to drive quick. I doubt the hood will fit No idea what a sprint booster is I think the dealer uses synthetic oil

[@jacobkirkpatrick4724]

Awesome job, gents!! Love the content.

[@KillaCityKid427]

Holy craft brews Thomas!

[@stupidchicken03]

que?

[@SpencerHogg]

I love the Crosstrek content lately bro. I honestly love the lifted look with the wheels, it's just such a badass / offroad / rugged vibe. But I have a question - My buddy recently put the same lift kit on his Crosstrek too and now when he's travelling at low speed, cornering only in one direction I think turning right, he gets a weird vibration. He did alignment, checked all his bolts and torque specs, etc. but still having the issue. Do you know of any issues like this in this Crosstrek? Apparently it's a somewhat common issue?? (There's some forums on it, but nothing has resolved for him yet.)

[@stupidchicken03]

I havnt had any issues like that or felt a vibration. I have not seen a thread about it on any of the forums, at least non that I can remember.

[@jameschalmers4475]

Does this crosstrek have the 2.0 or 2.5?

[@stupidchicken03]

2.0, they did not offer a 2.5 until 2021 models

[@ryche001]

Im dying to lift my 2018 crosstrek but the dealer said it voids your warranty.

[@BlakesGarage]

Manuel Cespedes What! No, it can void certain items like the struts and such but they Literally have to prove that the modifications you did to the car would directly affect the part in need of warranty. Just do it don’t look back.

[@BlakesGarage]

www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/buying-a-car-does-your-warranty-cover-modifications-224816 good information on this topic

[@jakepureblood7571]

What is your fuel mileage with the rack off and with the tires? I put the same tires and a roof rack on my white 2018 Crosstrek and lost about 8 mpg also. I thought it was just the tires so I put about 10 more psi in them and it helped some, but if the roof rack is the problem I'll take it off.

[@BlakesGarage]

Noname it’s mostly the roof rack. On my WRX it killed my MPG by at least 5MPG

[@jakepureblood7571]

Thank you for the information and the quick reply. I will take mine off today and only use it when needed. I have purchased a Anderson lift kit 1.5 inch lift kit for my Crosstrek and will be installed next week. I found it difficult to keep the car in ECO on the highway and I put the tires and the roof rack on at the same time so I thought it was just the tires. Thanks again.

[@stupidchicken03]

Yup I figure it was about 8-10 lost on the rack alone. I had less than 350 miles on the car when we did the lift/tires so I didnt even get through a full tank of gas.

[@jakepureblood7571]

@stupidchicken03, it's hard to believe that the roof rack could do that. I bought the car new in Portland Or and drove it 300 miles home averaging 36 mpg then put the k02's and the roof rack at the same time then a week later drove back to Portland and the mileage dropped to 27 mpg.

[@stupidchicken03]

Mine might also be a litter worse then others because I have the snowboard attachment on top of the basket as well. Also, dont totally trust the cars MPG readout (if thats what you're doing). Mine tends to read 2-3 MPG higher than actual. Every time I fill up I just divide the number of miles driven on that tank by the gallons filled up. Averaging about 25 MPG per tank (without the basket).

[@johncaban4310]

What type of lift did you go with? (Body or suspension) What height? Total cost to do? Thanks

[@stupidchicken03]

The ADF lift. The link the to lift install and all the info is in that vid! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIqvZYeMl9hqfaM&t=

[@avi614614]

Blake what size tires does he have on the crosstrek?

[@stupidchicken03]

I put the 235/75/15. BUT older Crosstreks can not run these without cutting. The 2018 have larger wheel wells.

[@becks431]

Great vid guys see you in the forums

[@Redlinerocker]

Did you get your Crosstrek from Autonation in Roseville?

[@stupidchicken03]

No thank you. Ive had multiple bad experiences from them personally. I give my business to Maita.

[@l.a.m7645]

215/75/15 no rub

[@dbreardon]

So 29 links and not a single one for the mudflaps?

[@BlakesGarage]

rokblokz.com/crosstrek-2018.html

[@dbreardon]

Thanks!

[@michaelanthony1709]

Great looking ride

[@filmigs4875]

What's the mpg with the wheel setup, and thanks for putting these videos, keep them coming.

[@stupidchicken03]

Row Nu I average about 25/26 per tank. That's actual and not what the car estimates (its usually 2 or 3 higher).

[@avi614614]

what size are the tires

[@stupidchicken03]

235/75/15. These wont fit on the older models

[@avi614614]

Great cause im getting the '18 did you re-calibrate the speedometer or you just ignore the difference

[@stupidchicken03]

I just ignore it. Its only like 2-3 mph off so to me personally, not a huge deal.

[@Olywa17]

Wild dirt road. Great video. Enjoyed.

[@holywarrior_1726]

Where did he get that rocker switch panel??

[@stupidchicken03]

I bought the kit from Team Teach Offroad. Email Scott if you're interested in one and tell him Thomas with the Crosstrek sent ya over. I made the panel for the switches to sit in, but the switches, wiring, power distribution box is all one kit they sell. Can get it in 4-6 switches. [e-mail]

[@PCLoadletter333]

stupidchicken03 how did you make the panel for the console? Trace the opening with paper, then cut plexi? It looks like a great fit so hoping you can share your secrets.

[@stupidchicken03]

I made a template with cardboard, then got a small piece of (I think 16 gauge) sheet metal from Lowes/Home Depot. Traced the cardboard template onto that. Had to then cut out the six slots for the rocker switches. This is my build journal with everything ive done so far, and continuing to do: www.subaruxvforum.com/forum/subaru-xv-members-journal/141530-chickens-crosstrek.html

[@dannyboy1984]

Is the bigger tires rush the clutch a little bit?

[@stupidchicken03]

Nope everything feels just about stock!

[@dannyboy1984]

stupidchicken03 ok thanks bud nice car by the way ! Really like the 2018 model exept for the power 152hp coupple with the cvt .. i think Manuel is better

[@stupidchicken03]

Thank you. Yup, totally agree! Ive never owned a manual so I figured why start now lol.

[@Emmi2503]

hei! guy's like your videos. can I ask you? how much did you pay for the lift-kit

[@stupidchicken03]

Its from ADF: andersondesign-fab.com/shop/

[@truckerrickakamanowar]

Lol it's not the heavier tires and lift that increases underbody drag...... 8-10 mpgs less and now your in Jeep territory don't think it's the rack. Nice looking subie I'm not a hater I'm actually a Subaru fan.

[@stupidchicken03]

It was/is the rack. I can easily average 25/26 MPG with the lift and wheels/tires. Withe the rack on, it significantly dropped and you can feel a ton more drag at freeway speeds.

[@truckerrickakamanowar]

stupidchicken03 copy was just ribbing you and I believe you. Have fun with it good looking rig. I at some point will be looking at a subie to park next to my Jeep. When you lift a vehicle and add bigger tires it just the nature of the the beast that your mpgs are going to drop. What matters is that you are happy with it and just do you. Take care.😀✋🚙

[@stupidchicken03]

Oh yes I totally understand that, and i know that if I didnt not do any of this, I would still get even better than the 25 average im getting now :) It was just surprising that the rack made THAT big of a difference. This is my 3rd Subaru (wrx for 7 yrs, have a built sti for the last 3.5 still) and they've all been fun.

[@C_D_8]

does the eyesight still work?

[@stupidchicken03]

I dont have eyesight on the car.

[@SebastienRediconmediaDevaux]

i prefer by far the rallyarmor !!!!! pay for quality !

[@BlakesGarage]

+Sebastien Devaux I have to agree I definitely like Rally Armor better.

[@bladefang2585]

Whats the intro

[@Moonface00z]

wtf how did you fit those rugged tires ?

[@stupidchicken03]

the 18's have larger wheel wells than the previous gen Xtreks

[@car24dude]

Needs a motor swap. A WRX or STi motor will be AWESOME.

[@Cornuts1000]

35's wow you must have lost a ton of torgue?

[@Painfulwhale360]

Mike Reynolds Those are not 35’s lol. They are maybe 30’s

[@stupidchicken03]

I can't speak, the switches are from TEAM TECH OFFROAD in Co. Shoot Scott an email and tell him Thomas sent ya, he'll get you taken care of! [e-mail]

[@TheMobileDave]

How many different forms of Team Moist appear?.. lol.

[@stupidchicken03]

hahahah! Just a few ;)

[@MrApplesaucestuff]

They suppose to be floppy

[@Alexafamily07]

pop

[@MrEbm14]

You might have a lot of micro bacteria in your beard.