Subaru Forester Off road Ironman Trail Test

Testing the long travel suspension on Spaas Creek Road in Kentucky. The tires are 245/65/17 KO2s. The wheels are Motegi Racing MR118. No sway bars for max articulation and a more comfortable ride. The springs are a little stiffer to accommodate more gear and prevent saggy butt when heavily loaded (this also helps the road handling when the sway bars are disconnected or removed). It has the Primitive Racing triple skid plates. The winch bumper was DIY. I was in no way compensated for this video. Thanks to Alex for filming. Feel free to ask any questions.

[@volvogt21]

I judge an off road vehicle and driver by how fuss free and undramatic they make trails look. 11/10 to you and fozzie.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Haha that's a great standard! Thank you! 😄

[@ericmoss8344]

Great video! Forester looks great on the lift and it performed quite nicely. Also, kudos to your friend running the camera and wading thru all the mud and water!! :)

[@andreaburlingame1542]

Yes, pretty solid carmera work!

[@happycamper4429]

That's the same road my parents walked to school everyday!!

[@orionxte]

This video was well shot, thank you!!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! 😁 I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for the nice comment!

[@full_metal_mofoe]

Wow. Impressive vid for the Forester. Decent job at the narration as well. Trail looks gnarly. Subbed

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Hahaha thanks!

[@ncd7184]

Nice video! Thanks for actually putting your subie to the test!

[@Benjamin-David]

Nice lift. About time a company made a suspension lift for a Subaru.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I know, right? I actually jumped it a few times today in my friend’s back yard. It performed flawlessly. We got some video of it too!

[@Benjamin-David]

@@MatthewHeiskell I had a 2 inch spacer lift on my 2011 Foz and it didn’t feel right. I bet your suspension is what would have worked for me.

[@jpshipwash6240]

What a well-done video!!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks for taking the time to write that nice comment! 😁

[@mattaywho27]

The car looks great! And seems to handle these trails super nicely

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks, I think that it has the perfect balance between daily drivability and off road capability.

[@decdragon]

Thanks for the real world video review of the Ironman 4x4 kit. Been thinking about buying a kit for my new Forester for awhile.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I started with a 1" spacer lift, then I changed to a 2" spacer lift, then I added rallitek springs, then finally I replaced everything with the Ironman 4x4 ATS. The Ironman setup is the best! We are so lucky to be able to get long travel suspension for this price.

[@davidjohn9006]

Nice demo … for those needing to go off-off road 👍🏼

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Many thanks! 😄

[@bruceyyyyy]

As if I needed more reason to buy this product. Thanks for showing the articulation off in real world use and not just mall crawling a ramp! (:

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Hahahaha thanks Bruceyyyyy!

[@gixxxer1k]

Was pretty surprised and impressed. Figured it would have got stuck numerous times with essentially open diffs but did well

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! It is a fun little soft roader!

[@sharkie308]

Clean setup man. The lift for my 2019 just came in will be holding off till the wheels and tires get it before installing.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! 😄 Awesome! Let me know if you have any questions!

[@sharkie308]

@@MatthewHeiskell install was pretty straight forward. Running 235/65 r17 and the combo has the ride dialed in. Much smoother ride than the factory sport suspension with the 225/55 r18. It's smoother than my Lexus GX now lol

[@offroadyaris5257]

Great video! Loved the trail. And thanks for putting some good info in the description section!!

[@punasurf4697]

Dude, that's a pretty gnarly run. Good job!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! 😄

[@rogerward3185]

Kudos to the camera operator

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! I'll let him know! 😁

[@johngifford7725]

Nice! That's the set I want for my 2010 Forester. Looking good!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Many thanks! 😄 Lift, Tires, and Skids and you can go A LOT of places in a Subaru!

[@juanpavargas]

Very good video. I am looking forward to change mi subaru Tribeca suspension to change it to off road

[@sartajs6405]

shoutout to the cameraman!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yeah! Alex did a great job! Thanks!

[@FourWheelDrew]

Hi mate. I love the way you shot this, great job! If you don’t mind sharing, how do you get the following shots, did you have a friend walking behind?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! Yeah, a friend was following. I mounted a 3 axis gimbal on a stick. The camera is a GoPro 7 with hyper smooth.

[@NotoriousPimpG]

Did the transmission crap out for doing that off road climb? Seems to be my question that im afraid for it to crap out due to “cvt” tranny

[@MatthewHeiskell]

No, the CVT has been surprisingly good off road. The key is to at least get a scan gauge 2 so that you can monitor the transmission temperature. If you’re serious about off roading, then you should add a transmission cooler like me. I made a video about my part selection and install.

[@thomaskrutulis2289]

Great camera work!!! What was with you out there?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! I was driving the car. My friend was filming with a GoPro on a stick. I put a 3 axis gimbal on the stick, AND the GoPro was using Hypersmooth.

[@davidbereczki4278]

Great video. Looks like a awsome trail

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! I love that you can camp at the start of the trail. If you’re ever in Kentucky, check it out 👍

[@ehsaymoo6774]

I like your camera man

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! He did a great job! 😄

[@kenhoward3512]

Definitely wouldn't want a vehicle wider than the Forester for trails like this.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yeah, my friend drove his power wagon down the same trail, it was very scratchy in a few places. It is not as relaxing haha 😄

[@Doc1855]

Great video

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks David!

[@isaacvargas1423]

Great video. I now know what lift to purchase!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yeah it is amazing! Here is my trail test footage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpikhJ9niduVj6s

[@isaacvargas1423]

@@MatthewHeiskell Thanks so much! Also, do you have the link for your bumper? I have a 2020 black forester sport myself and have been looking for the best option! So glad I found your channel! It’s an amazing looking rig!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@isaacvargas1423 Hey Isaac, unfortunately that winch bumper of one of a kind. My friend and I made it from scratch. I have already started making a walk around video though, and it will have more info about how we designed it.

[@Alien3D-Peru]

Your video was great, that suspension gives the Forester better capability. Aside from that, please, your opinion about this SUV, is almost my purchase decision. But tell me if you think it's really good, if it's worth it. Consumption, maintenance, performance. Desire for urban use and travel. Occasionally it could be to go off-road, in order to deal with some unforeseen events that may arise on such trips. I want to know my country. Thank you for your valuable opinion.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Hello Edman, I've had my Subaru Forester for over three years and I can confidently say that it is extremely reliable, safe, economical, and capable. It is not the best at any single thing, but it does everything really well!

[@cliffmontagnoli1886]

Nice work. Love the mods. Question...with the bigger tires are you concerned about the longevity of your transmission? Keep up the cool vids.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! Heat is the only serious problem for the transmission, and the cooler takes care of that. The ECU is VERY protective of the drivetrain too. The tires are only a little larger too.

[@mikane24]

Hi what’s your wheel and tire setup? do u recommend going with +10 offset wheels?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

The stock wheels have +48mm offset, my wheels have +45mm offset. My tires are 245/65/17 KO2s. There a lot more info in my build video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4XMoqKvqMtgosU

[@jg-rc9tt]

Awesome video! I was wondering if these prevent rear sag when loaded with gear (RTT+ other camping gear) was looking into rallitek springs to fix that issue but would be more interested in these.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! Yeah, the Ironman springs are slightly stiffer to carry a RTT and/or more gear. Keep the sway bars connected since you have extra weight on the roof.

[@SteveC-Aus]

Amazing channel and car - in hindsight would you still buy the Forester? I just ordered a 2022 Forester and am now wondering if I should have just gotten a real "4x4". It will be a street driven car most of the time. Hope we see some more new videos soon!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Hello Steve, congratulations on your purchase. You're going to love it! It has a really nice balance between daily drivability and off road capability (a couple mods can add a lot more too). The is a useful FB group called, "2019+ Subaru Forester Owners".

[@SteveC-Aus]

@@MatthewHeiskell thanks mate, really looking forward to it!

[@terryyouth]

3.04 - I think it rolled ovr that stick not off the ground. But nicely made video. Thanks for showing the stuff

[@stuartkcalvin]

Nice piece, thanks.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

[@arnelarson2849]

Great video Matthew! We have a 2019 Forester Base Model, which obviously doesn't have X-Mode. Would it even be worth making mods like this on that model, or would we want to upgrade before spending the money. I have come across several videos and comments that say X-Mode isn't needed in many situations. We don't do trails quite this tough yet, but want to be prepared in case we run across moments like this. Thanks!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Hey Arne, that is a tough question. I really love X-Mode and it helps a lot, but I think that I could live without it. I would just need to put a traction board down occasionally. I wouldn't let that stop you from adding tires, lift, and skid plates. I almost done with my walk around video. I will upload it in a couple days. It has TONS of info about off-road mods.

[@arnelarson2849]

@@MatthewHeiskell Thanks for the reply! The reasons we got the Base Model are numerous. 1) we got a good deal on a 2019 with only 5k mi, 2) the previous owners had spend $1,500 on aftermarket leather, 3) didn't want or need the sunroof, power seats, rear reclining seats, spoiler, etc. We thought we would need X-Mode, but it handled a 6% uphill grade with 7" snow a couple of weeks ago fine, and that was with the OEM All Season tires. Very happy with it, but want to throw some mods on it for the versatility. BTW, appreciate your videos!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@arnelarson2849 Glad that you enjoy the videos! It sounds like you got a great deal on your Forester. I NEVER open my sun roof haha. Tire will make the single biggest difference off-road. You can fit a 245/65/17 in there with the proper wheel offset. The next thing that helps a ton off road is disconnecting your sway bars. You can easily live without the rear one, but the front one has a significant effect on steering response. You might just want to disconnect that one when you're about to hit a trail.

[@frederick6650]

I love your videos! I'm looking to buy a new car and will try some soft off road with it, mainly to find beautiful camping spots not easily accessible. But I struggle between the Forester (2014-2018 XT) and the Outback (2015-2019 3.6). Any reason I should pick on or the other? A huge thanks and keep your awesome work

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! 😄 I suggest the 3.6L Outback. It can fit larger tires, no mechanical complexity of a turbo, and the displacement of the larger 6 cylinder engine will do better at low revs than the turbo 4 cylinder.

[@frederick6650]

@@MatthewHeiskell Wow I'm so glad I asked you. This sets the deal, I really appreciate your honest feedback and for you to take the time to answer. Have a great day :)

[@MatthewHeiskell]

You’re welcome! 😄

[@michaelreed649]

This suspension lift is what i would like for my 2009 XT. Why did you choose ironman suspension? What are some other options? Is there anything you would have done differently?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Hello Michael, I chose the Ironman suspension because I wanted long travel suspension at a good price. Unfortunately Ironman does not make suspension that fits your model year (SH). If you want want long travel, and not just a lift, then you can checkout Flat-Out Suspension and Gorilla Suspension.

[@michaelreed649]

@@MatthewHeiskell thank you, i have not heard of either of these companies. I appreciate your help

[@davesmith3884]

It also depends on the drivers ability, if you know how to drive and your car is set up properly you can go far.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Very true!

[@elliscurtiss]

Great video. What is your front bumper and winch set up?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! My friend and I made the winch bumper out of 3/16” steel. The winch is a Warn Axon 55-S. It is rated for 5,500 pounds. We recently made a new version out of 1/4” aluminum. I made a video about it.

[@elliscurtiss]

@@MatthewHeiskell ok I'll check it out

[@Milthiadus]

It's really interesting to compare OEM lift for subie (i mean new wilderness series) and your awesome subie with iron man suspension. By the way, did you remove all spacers lift kit that you have before and leave only ironman kit? Anyway thx a lot of ur video, hail from Russia, Siberia. :)

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Hello Илья Сычёв! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video. Yes, I removed the lift spacers before installing the Ironman suspension. You can't use both at the same time. The new wilderness series is cool, but it is expensive enough that you need to consider other 4x4 vehicles. But I am happy to see Subaru listening to their buyers.

[@jorge25262587]

@@MatthewHeiskell what other alternative 4x4 would you recommend with the same price tag ?

[@cuzimaluzer777]

I noticed you had a 2 inch reciever. I looked on the iron man website and it says that receivers might not fit. Just wondering if you had any issues and which hitch you went with.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I have the Hidden EcoHitch from TorkLiftCentral and everything is perfect.

[@dashizna786]

Do you daily it without sway bars? How quickly can you get them disconnected? Awesome vid!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I completely removed both sway bars over a year ago, back when I had the soft stock springs and a spacer lift. The new Ironman suspension makes it even easier to drive on the street without them. The shocks and springs are better for it. You can remove the end links and go for a test drive. You can remove all four of them in 15 minutes with a battery powered impact gun.

[@gilchrist4485]

"Scubaru" LOL 2:41

[@summit265]

Thanks for great video’s I have a 2021 Forester Touring and I am torn between this lift or no lift?😡😤🤬 my concerns are fuel economy, ride and maybe alignment issues. What is your overall opinion of this lift would you do it again or go in a different direction? I also have a RRT and it’s my daily thx in advance……..

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I love my Ironman suspension. No problem getting things back into alignment after the suspension swap. The ride is just a little stiffer, you could call it “sporty”. Little to no change in MPGs. Tires are what really hurt the MPGs for me, but switching from KO2s to Nomad Grapplers fixed that for me. I bet your RTT robs a few MPG at highway speed because of the extra wind resistance, you won’t even notice a drop if you switch suspension. Since you have an RTT you’ll want to leave your sway bars connected, because the higher center of mass. But you might as well use a spacer lift if you’re going to leave the sway bars connected. No need to indicate that it’s your daily driver, haha. The only Foresters that aren’t daily drivers are clapped out and heavily modified, but even a lot of those are DD’s.

[@dronepilot1333]

Nice video. Did you break anything whenever it is taken to off-road like this?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! Nope, no damage. And I’ve taken it off road many times.

[@amgineco]

HOW did you film this..? NICE WORK !!! Read the answer below.. very cool..

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! 😄

[@joevo3]

Hi... I'm Johan from Malaysia... Do you still using your original antiroll bar front and behind? Thanks in advance.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

No, I removed both of them.

[@joevo3]

Thanks matt...

[@jeremystout412]

Too bad they don’t make anything for the Cherokee KL. I was looking into different options for my ‘21 Cherokee. Very well done though!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! Oh nice! Did you get a trail hawk? You have a rear locker, right? Your Cherokee would crazy with long travel Ironman suspension. Do you have low range?

[@jeremystout412]

@@MatthewHeiskell I actually didn’t get the TrailHawk. Mainly because for whatever reason Jeep doesn’t have the 2.0L Turbo option anymore in the TH, they did in the previous years. The ‘19 and ‘20 TH with the 2.0L T has a 51.2:1 crawl ratio, and yes it does have the rear locker! I just have a Latitude Lux with the 2.0L Turbo and Active Drive I, I should’ve formed the extra money over and ordered it with the Active Drive II (low range). I really haven’t run into any obstacles where I’ve needed low range but it would be nice to have. I just use Autostick and put it in first gear manually. I feel like the 295 ft lbs of torque from the 2.0L T gives it a strong advantage even with the ADI. I still need to lift it, it’s surprisingly capable in stock form. I actually got my tow hooks put on recently (you have to get the TH crash bar for the OEM hooks to be installed properly). I was debating between Bilstein shocks/struts. There’s also the Dobison’s kit which seems to be a good option as well. Plus you have the Hazard Sky and MFC lift kits that are more of a spacer. Time will tell!

[@Dmitry_Pozharsky]

Почему на заводе так не делают?

[@jeffk412]

Shout out to the camera person!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yeah haha, he was getting some awesome shots! 😄

[@OL-Tom]

Nice video. I'm guessing the 2019 doesn't give you the option of turning off traction control. Helps a lot in my 2009 off road and in the snow here in NV.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I can turn traction control off, but I only do that in deep snow. I think your forester is old enough to do the center diff lock button mod. Have you heard about that?

[@drywallsculptingwithjason7137]

@@MatthewHeiskell i have a 2010 and am very impressed with how well it does off road but i am very curious about this button you speak of

[@PaintSandwhich]

It seems like most Subaru owners don’t use that button they just get a running start….I’d be turning it off a lot in mud for sure.

[@alexsimon915]

One more thing, how is it handling in high speeds without sway bars ?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

totally fine, try it yourself, just remove an endlink from the front and rear. you can leave the other. test it out for a few days.

[@alexsimon915]

Yep did that… seems to be ok as long as there is no sudden lane changes at higher speed…. Accident avoidance could get sketchy if you have to get out of the way it seems.@@MatthewHeiskell

[@grinnelljd]

Love the articulation. I've been debating a lift kit for my 2014 Forester and I like how this one seems to perform. Does anyone offer sway bar disconnect kits for the Forester where you can remove a linkage to disconnect and later replace it for on road travel? I have such a kit for my Sprinter 4x4, but haven't seen one for the Forester.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I haven't heard of any specifically made for the forester, but I bet that you could repurpose some jeep ones. It is actually pretty easy to remove all 4 stock end links. If you have a place to lay down under the car, and an impact driver, you could do it in 10 minutes.

[@Djpaulyt]

Awesome video man. Just bought a 21 forester. Tempted to lift.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Congrats! You made an excellent choice! I'm almost done with my detailed walkaround video. It has a ton of useful info if you want to move in the off road direction.

[@Djpaulyt]

@@MatthewHeiskell thank you! I’m eager. just hit the sub button 🤘🏼

[@mitreswell]

Smart vehicle to be taking off-road. How did you film this? Was it a drone? Really well done, you could make a video on how you did it.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

The camera is a GoPro 7 Black. It has built in stabilization called hyper smooth. You can get them for pretty cheap now. The real trick is that the GoPro is in a 3 axis gimbal and mounted on the end of a stick. You hold it like a golf club and the gimbal and hyper smooth work together to make nice smooth footage.

[@Honestandtruth007]

Is this Forester did MOd... Lifted ???? This is a REAL Challenge for some AWD , But not SUBIES....👍😅👍

[@MatthewHeiskell]

The Ironman suspension provides a 2" lift with longer struts and springs. Subarus are a lot of fun! 😁

[@Doc1855]

Nice

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks! 😄

[@NK-vw4ms]

Love the vid. Might try out this suspension or an ADF kit...now the question is how much will did this do to on-road? I have a 30 min highway commute to and from haha

[@MatthewHeiskell]

The ironman springs are a little stiffer to accommodate more gear, but that might just translate to a more stable on-road ride. I've completely removed both of my sway bars is that tells you anything. Leaving those attached should make the car feel more sporty on the pavement. I had a 1" spacer lift by ADF, then a 2" lift by Readylift, then I added Rallitek springs, finally I switched to the ironman kit. It is by far the best. You get the 2" of extra ground clearance, stiffer springs that don't sag when you put stuff in the back, AND more travel/articulation off road because the shocks and springs are longer.

[@semihguven5653]

Hi, I already bought the suspension lift kit. Autorized dealer installed 1 month ago. At that period when I drive the car at off road, the front anti-roll bar gasket came off. How can we solve this problem. I couldnt drive the car. Thank you for your help

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I think you’re talking about one of the two grommets. They are rubber and they surround the sway bar in the two places in the middle where it is mounted to the frame. You should be able to unbolt that bracket, move the grommet into place, then reattach the bracket. Or you can do like me and completely remove the front and rear sway bars. Doing that improves the off road performance by allowing the wheels to move completely independently.

[@semihguven5653]

@@MatthewHeiskell thank you, ı replaced but it is taken out one more time. If I take the bars completely, I think it effecs the stability and secure of the car?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yes, the car is slightly less stable without them, but you can go for a test drive and see if you’re comfortable with it. The best way that I can describe it is to say that it feels more like a luxury Cadillac and less like a sports car.

[@benw2578]

How has on-road normal driving been affected? Looking into this but don’t want to completely ruin that aspect

[@MatthewHeiskell]

It is excellent on the road too! The springs are a little stiffer which gives a sporty feel on the road.

[@benw2578]

@@MatthewHeiskell awesome to know, I’ll probably get something similar for my 2018. Thanks!

[@mikewallace8087]

The ultimate AWD system would be one electric motor for each wheel. Then engineer the best control system . The result will be elegant.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I agree! Have you seen the Rivian? That’s exactly how they do it. Pretty amazing!

[@mikewallace8087]

@@MatthewHeiskell I have not seen.

[@estebanjr11]

I have a forester wilderness. Would you recommend the LP adventure lift kit(11.2 ground clearance) or the iron man lift(10.7 ground clearance) I’m kinda leaning towards the Lp simply because I get more ground clearance

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Good question! I recommend the Ironman Spec-C suspension because it has more travel. Also, since the wilderness already has a small lift, the 2” spacers by LP adventure will put a lot of angle on your CV axels. This will make them fail sooner. Also, the Ironman will be easier to install since the struts are complete, a simple swap.

[@estebanjr11]

@@MatthewHeiskell the LP kit comes with spaces and drops the subframe to keep the rear wheels in their original location l. Does the iron man set have something similar?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yup! The Ironman kit comes with rear subframe spacers 👍

[@estebanjr11]

@@MatthewHeiskell awesome I appreciate the info! I think you swayed me towards this kit for my wilderness

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@estebanjr11 Awesome! That's the way to go. Lemme know if you have any more questions!

[@tripinapod6697]

Great camera angles/footage. Is there any bar work going on the front to hide the cut front end😊

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Maybe some corner sections soon!

[@truetierra]

I reckon if you dropped the tyre pressures down some more all those little spots where you struggled for traction you'd get first time.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yeah, I think that you're right.

[@johnkimberlywilhelm9005]

Also turn off x-mode and turn off traction control. I find x-mode is practically useless unless you are going downhill. That said I can't tell you how many crummy situations I've escaped with traction control off. My wife and I have a 17 forester limited that we've modified heavily like yours. Great job, awesome video. Sandy, our subi rips. If you're ever in Colorado let us know!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@johnkimberlywilhelm9005 What?! Almost all of my driving is with everything default. I turn x-mode on when things get tricky, and the only time that I turn traction control off is when I'm going through deep snow with x-mode enabled. Maybe your SJ if different than my SK ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@johnkimberlywilhelm9005]

@@MatthewHeiskell I know that x-mode was changed/upgraded for MY18, just don't know how because my subi is a '17 , so it's totally possible that x-mode is more useful on your forester. In the snow x-mode can be very handy, I've just had more success getting up and over obstacles with x-mode off and traction control off. Great example... I go up Pole Hill in CO with traction control off and x-mode off, but I go down Pole Hill with traction control on and x-mode on. Side note... Define the rattle that lead you to add the cvt spacer/bushing thingy. I think I've got the rattle and wasn't able to solve the issue, but what you said in the video struck a cord.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@johnkimberlywilhelm9005 Yeah, they differ from year to year, but what really matters is that you tested all of your buttons and found the combination that works best for your foz. I felt a vibration/shake around 17 mph under moderate to heavy acceleration. Especially when making a slight turn. I didn't feel it very much when accelerating straight ahead. The trans-mount insert fixed that. Another thing to consider, if your rear sub-frame is lowered/spaced, is the carrier bearing spacer. This puts your rear drive shaft back to a straight line.

[@norincofan1949]

how do your CV's handle the extra travel?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Good question. "Full droop" is the lowest position that the wheel can reach. This point puts the most angle on the CV's. It is the exact same for a 2" spacer lift and for the 2" Ironman lift. The difference between the to systems is that a 2" spacer lift shifts the entire travel range down by two inches. The Ironman suspension adds 2" of down travel while maintaining all of the original up travel. This is why the total travel of the Ironman is greater than a simple spacer lift. This helps a ton on the trail. And most CV's can handle the extra 2". You really don't encounter CV issues unless you go bigger than a 2" lift.

[@norincofan1949]

@@MatthewHeiskell Thanks! Also saw somewhere that you took off the sway bars permanently, do you see a big impact to on-road performance? Could you run the ironman lift with sway bars on or does that not make sense?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@norincofan1949 Wow, another great question! Yes, both of my sway bars are completely gone. At first I just removed the endlinks and rotated the bars up and out of the way. The rubber grommets in the swaybar mounting brackets provide enough friction to hold them out of the way. I drove with this setup for a few weeks before I decided to completely remove them. Getting rid of the rear sway bar improves off road articulation without any detectable penalty to on road performance. Disconnecting or removing the front sway bar improves off road articulation even more but the on road performance suffers from a decrease in steering sharpness. Obviously the car still turns, but it feels more like a Cadillac. Having both sway bars disconnected or removed increases the comfort of the ride, like when entering a drive way or driving down a rutted trail. Each wheel can move completely independently so you get a smoother ride with more traction. You can remove your endlinks and go for a test drive. I think that most people run their Ironman suspension with both sway bars though. The sway bars limit the wheel articulation a lot. Even the stock suspension performs better off road with the sway bars disconnected. The only time that you can use the full suspension travel with the sway bars connected is when you jump the vehicle (both wheels moving together through the full range). If you're clever and want the best of both worlds, then you can carry the wrench and socket to completely remove an endlink from the front and one from the rear when you reach the trail. TL;DR Sway bars significantly prevent you from fully utilizing the extra travel of the Ironman suspension.

[@norincofan1949]

@@MatthewHeiskell thanks for answering again! Last few questions: does unscrewing just one end link cause any wheel balance issues? Since the entire sway bar is now hanging from just one wheel? Also, for connecting and disconnecting the end links do you need a torque wrench to get it to spec or just tight enough is good enough?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@norincofan1949 There are no balance issue because there are still two brackets holding the middle part of the sway bar to the car's frame. No need for a specific torque on those bolts either. Tight enough is good enough.

[@omgcheeter]

Why did you de badge it ?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I think it looks cleaner and better without the shinny plastic badges.

[@vilhelmstein2091]

Where is this trail?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

It is in Kentucky. The trail is called Spaas Creek. Here is a link to it on Google Maps: goo.gl/maps/wvSRgyNWStfhsvMCA

[@fixcorrect]

How much dollar is that set?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

It’s about $1100 if you catch it on sale.

[@AZBADBOYz]

I'd love to hear what the actual gas milage is you get measured by fill up to miles driven method and not the ECU estimated usage?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

That's a great idea! I'll do that next time I have a road trip. I'll save you some waiting though . . . the tires are the single most detrimental factor. I recently switched back to my street tires since I'm stuck in class for the next few months and I'm back to getting nearly the original MPGs. I won't quote any numbers, cuz you're right, I need to top off the tank, drive, then top off again to accurately calculate the MPGs. But relatively speaking, it is almost normal. Also, roof racks are MPG killers too. Those are the two main things.

[@Subie_OffXroad]

Did you remove your sway bars? If so did you lock them in the wheel well or take it off completely?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Both of mine are completely gone. It is super easy to get rid of the rear one. You won't notice a difference on the road, but you will get more wheel travel off road. The front one is more of a tradeoff. Steering response is decreased a bit, but you get additional traction and comfort off road since every wheel can move completely independently. You can just remove the sway bar end-links and rotate it up and out of the way and test drive it like that for a couple days. I rolled like that for a week before I completely removed both of them.

[@Subie_OffXroad]

@@MatthewHeiskell it won’t wear outside of tires removing sways?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@Subie_OffXroad With or without sway bars you'll wear the outside of your tires doing a aggressive turns (on-ramp off-ramp at high speed). The reduced body roll from using sway bars will only help that a tiny bit. One solution is to have about -0.5 degrees of negative camber in the front. That's how mine is setup. Another solution is to avoid doing tire squealing turns haha. The forester is simply not a fast car, it is a go anywhere do anything kinda vehicle.

[@Subie_OffXroad]

@@MatthewHeiskell agreed. That’s why I’ve owned one several times over. This isn’t my first build lift on a forester but I’ve read, with a heavy load, 2”spacers will only component the Ironman suspension. Overtime when they settle, spacers help keep that true 2” lift. If there is any CV strain I’ll be the first to let you know for sure! I’ll be riding with a decent amount of weight. (I did get the new c-kit) I have also added AEM air intake, haven’t shortened it but I have a splash guard around the filter; and added a Borla Exhaust. Had LP Aventure on me previous and sounded too much like a bee hive. Borla is much deeper in sound. Also added a strut bar. I look forward to sharing with you.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@Subie_OffXroad Cool! I can't wait for you to make a build video, or at least a walk around video! I looked up that Borla exhaust, it looks really nice! I still think you're a mad man for running spec-c Ironman with 2" spacers. 😮 I have no worries about the rear, but the front at full droop, like when you're offroading and you put a front tire in the air . . . seems like the cv axle won't be able to extend that far or handle that angle. Hopefully the wilderness cv axles are longer or maybe designed to handle a steeper angle. Oh that reminds me, the wilderness comes with a small lift, right? Is that a strut top spacer lift or longer struts and springs like the Ironman?

[@basedSTi]

How does the lift and suspension effect your gas mileage?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

That’s a great question! The only modification that really hurts my gas mileage is the larger, heavier all terrain tires. I switched back to my original street tires for a long road trip, and the car was back to averaging 33mpg on the highway. WITH the all terrains, it averages 29 on the highway. My KO2s are a bit too beefy. You’d have a better experience with a lighter all terrain tire.

[@cuzimaluzer777]

What size tires are you using?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

245/65/17 KO2s

[@jeffweiss2861]

Ohio! I work at a Subaru Dealer in Cincy!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I'm in Dayton. Can they sponsor me by loaning me a new wilderness outback? I can take it down to Kentucky and get some awesome test footage! You'll have full rights to the photos and videos!

[@jeffweiss2861]

@@MatthewHeiskell Search for a Subaru Retailer in 45014 and ask for Jeff

[@wine.seeker]

Matthew, saw your suggested video for Tom. Did you pretty much come to the same conclusion on your road test without sway bar on the Forester as Tom does with Crosstek?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Tom did a great job with that sway bar video. I agree with everything that he said, except I go one step farther and remove/disconnect my front sway bar too. He does not have the long travel Ironman man suspension yet, so that might be why he does not feel comfortable removing/disconnecting the front one. Or it might be because of the stuff that he has on his roof (rack and spare). Sway bars are neat because it is easy to disconnect the end links and go for a test drive. If you don't like how it feels, you can just put them back on. You can easily ditch the rear one, but the front one does have a noticeable effect on steering response. You can try it out for yourself.

[@wine.seeker]

@@MatthewHeiskell thanks! I'm becoming big fans of both you & Tom. Your awning video, my wife asked, "Wow! How tall is that guy? Didn't you say his Forester has a 2" lift?"

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I'm so glad to hear that! I love his videos too. His production quality is insanely high. My tires are 2" taller, so I get an extra 1" of ground clearance from that too! So my forester sits about 3" higher than normal. I'm 6'4" haha. Normal size people can open a back door and stand on the nice little step that Subaru designed. 😁

[@chicken133221]

What year is your forester? Iron man says 2019+ for suspension kit.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

My Forester is a 2019.

[@polloamarillo9183]

what tires does the subaru have?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

245/65/17 KO2s. There is even more useful info in my build video!

[@WALKIN6TARG3T]

hi there i have a forester xt 2015 i don't see my model only 2019 is the model going to fit mine?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I don't think that it will work, but you can contact them and ask.

[@frs2768]

Do you think stock forester same year model can do the trail?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yes, if you bring some traction boards. Most of the crazy obstacles have bypasses. But there are other easier trails on the DBBB that you should do first. More info here: motoadventurer.com/2018/07/28/daniel-boone-backcountry-byway-an-adventure-guide/

[@hecvel2966]

Are you able to throw in a rear locker in this?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yes, but I won't. X-Mode does well enough for me.

[@summit3030]

if you need some extra fool the computer by adding brake to the abs it change the slip to grip.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Yeah, that is a classic trick for older vehicles. It is basically what x-mode is doing.

[@Subie_OffXroad]

What size tires?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

245/65R17

[@Subie_OffXroad]

@@MatthewHeiskell those are only 17s? They look so much bigger. I just put Ironman 4x4 PLUS the 2”spacer blocks on my ‘22 wilderness. 255/55r20 is what I’m looking to fit on

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@Subie_OffXroad Wow! Stacking 2" spacers on top of the Ironman suspension is going to cause a lot of CV stress. You think that you can fit 31"x10" tires? Do you have an outback or a forester? www.rallitek.com/blog/lifted-subaru-tire-size-chart/ Why do you want 20" wheels? Most off roaders like to use the smallest wheel that clears the brakes so that they have more tire sidewall to flex for more comfort and traction when aired down.

[@Subie_OffXroad]

@@MatthewHeiskell I bought the 3/4” carrier bearing spacers. It will all be going on tomorrow. Hitch is already on. I have a 2022 forester wilderness. I had a 2021 sport, had 18s on it. I’m thinking larger tires, more traction. But not necessarily height that makes a different but width. You’re running 245/60r17? Ill throw a few videos up when it’s all done

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@Subie_OffXroad No, I'm running 245/65R17 tires. Both a larger diameter and a greater width contribute to a larger footprint and more traction. Be careful not to confuse the metal wheel and the rubber tire. A smaller wheel is better off road than a larger wheel, assuming that the tire is the same size, because of the increased tire sidewall. More side wall is more better. It can flex more and provide better traction, especially when it is aired down. Glad that you got the carrier bearing spacers, they complement the rear subframe spacers by keeping the rear drive shaft aligned.

[@martinr8278]

Holyyyyyyyyyy Subaru. That’s amazing. Don’t let the boys on KZbin channel TFL see this. They demonstrated that the new crosstrek AWD can’t do three rollers. Darn those Subarus.....I guess they can’t do much off road or on rollers. Guess their AWD can’t do much 🤔🥱😂:

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I saw the exact video that you're talking about! Like what the heck was that?!

[@martinr8278]

@@MatthewHeiskell Amen brother! Their channel used to be so much better back about six years ago, they have a strong bias towards Subaru‘s since something had happened and they weren’t able to get their hands on a Subaru to test anymore, so their solution, buy an outback, which made absolutely no sense since they can evaluate it for one year and then what are they going to do the next year since they always change them LOL. I stopped watching them they just seem so bogus.

[@Doncan0823]

Subarus are very capable vehicles hindered by the annoying CVT transmission. What a shame.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Did you watch the video? They are clearly still very capable. Subaru HAD to switch to the CVT to make the car as efficient as the competitors.

[@darylhill9400]

@@MatthewHeiskell More CVT propaganda! It works Quite well with the Boxer engine!

[@johuiko8418]

Different eyes in comparison with mine

[@MatthewHeiskell]

What is different? 😀

[@wootwoot5032]

What year is your Forester?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

It is a 2019 premium.

[@bikebudha01]

Psst, hey man... someone stole your front bumper...

[@MatthewHeiskell]

hahaha ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@bikebudha01]

@@MatthewHeiskell Do you notice a significant difference in how it drives on the road, or a huge hit to gas mileage?

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@bikebudha01 Good questions! The springs are a little stiffer, so if you left the sway bars connected it would feel much more sporty on the road. The lift did not noticeably change the MPGs, but larger all terrain tires and/or a roof rack CERTIANTLY will! Those are the real MPG killers!

[@xiaoxueboshi666]

esc off？

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I left everything normal, except enabling X-Mode on the tricky stuff. The only time that I’ve found it useful to disable traction control is in deep snow. 😄

[@xiaoxueboshi666]

@@MatthewHeiskell thx. your vid helps so much.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Awesome! Are building an off road Subaru?

[@ozeltzex1]

Really nice kit but I don't think it really contributes to off-road capability. If you have a second stock vehicle it would follow easily with stock suspension and a 2" spacer.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Thanks for watching and commenting! I've done this exact trail before when I had a 2" ReadyLift spacer lift, you can find that video on my channel too. I can tell you for sure that the extra travel and articulation of the Ironman suspension makes it easier. Travel and articulation are critically important to off road traction, that is why serious off road 4x4 vehicles have solid axles front and rear. That is why they make sway-bar quick disconnect hardware. Trust me, I had a 2" spacer lift before I changed to the 2" long travel Ironman suspension. Wheels that are in the air are not helping. You want suspension that keeps all four of them on the ground.

[@ozeltzex1]

@@MatthewHeiskell I'm sold! Just got a the kit for MY crosstrek 😁 Yay!

[@MatthewHeiskell]

@@ozeltzex1 Awesome! It is a great kit!

[@dannymofopans]

Why make something into Something it wasn’t designed to be? Why not just buy an SUV that’s good off road.

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Good question! I really wanted a 4 door Rubicon, but they are crazy expensive. I picked the Forester because it is about half the price, safer, more comfortable, and more efficient. It is certainly less capable off road, but with a few modifications, it keeps up with my friends’ 4x4s on moderate trails. Plus, it is fun to have a less common off road vehicle! 😁

[@bill6960]

Because part of the adventure is using your own brains, instead of buying them off the shelf.

[@puffdc]

Haters gonna hate

[@FarrellsLandscaping]

Great Video.

[@DLH-ws2xy]

Nice.