Subaru RWD Conversion! | Impreza Drift Car Build

This week we convert our GF8 subaru impreza outback sport from AWD to RWD for our drift car build. Tanya, is a 97 subaru impreza wagon that suffered a front end collision. We like cars that are bit unusual so we decided to give her a new lease in life as a drifting queen. At least, thats the plan... Make sure to follow the build by subscribing to our channel and following us on Instagram and Facebook! @TIRESIDE

[@willskijza80]

5:25 R.I.P. eardrums for headphones users

[@apachelives]

17:41 is worse

[@SavageMotoring]

Sick man! Love seeing another Driftaru builder 🤘

[@theupperleftgarage5206]

Love the videos keep them coming!

[@NorthforkNetwork]

sweet progress!

[@michaelduran7862]

I really enjoy your videos . Keep it up

[@TIRESIDE]

michael duran thanks bro! We appreciate it!

[@michaelduran7862]

If you see a white wide body 510 at rdm say hi

[@fuzzydogdog]

Haven't finished watching this yet but the production quality is amazing!

[@Adl-pk4hg]

Great video I did this 15 years ago with my gc8 wrx, issues I found wasn’t welding the spider gears in the centre diff but the rear diff and rear cv shafts handle if the power,I swapped to a sti ra spec rear diff after initial failures to the diff and snapped driveshafts but even this was not strong enough to handle rear wheel abuse, I then fitted a r32 gtr rear diff and driveshafts with custom billet outer cvs and my driveline has been great it has lasted over 10 years the only other change I’ve done is a 6speed conversion to help with the big power set up that’s in it now

[@jamesdillon1369]

Hi dude...did you manage to get extra steering lock on the gc8 somehow?

[@bakihanma7247]

Nice build

[@lashaarchvadze21]

Hello! How about drive ratios when u did rear diff? From gtr?

[@alycestapleton]

If you want a cheap locker or lsd just melt down some lead from car batteries then pour it into the centre where the spider gears are , but you need to block of the holes where the axles go also this doesn’t work on C clip axel diff’s

[@mikesti8406]

How much would you charge to pin the center diff? Great work.

[@CuttinChris]

What would you charge to pin the center diff for an Oregon local if we brought it to you? My turbo swap legacy is craving a rwd setup

[@SLa-hn4xu]

So you can take the front end of the transmission completely out if you are engine swapping an rear wheel drive to an subie powered car?

[@travisrichmond3915]

Can the same concept be applied to an 02 Wrx ? Not sure if anything changes from the 90’s model trans (like ur working on) compared to my model subie

[@chacarron95]

do I need to reinforce something after fix the center diff?

[@driftaru]

Pretty damn cool you guys made all these instructional videos! Dig it! Wish I had done this back in the day, nobody ever thought of doing this lol instead we documented shit forever on NASIOC etc. lol. Keep it up dudes! Oh and put 2jz’s in all your Subaru’s. It’ll fix everything I promise :)

[@michaelstocks6290]

I know I’m a couple years late but currently planning on doing something similar. But would it be possible to use a wrx lsd instead of welding the rear? If you know I’d love to hear

[@oldleatherhandsfriends4053]

So you are afraid to weld the center diff but not the rear?

[@jibrilali33]

Isn't it easier to instal the kotuc bias isolater instead of removing front drive shafts and tampering with the centre diff

[@rberth9016]

How about engineering an adapter shaft to take the place of the center diff? Direct drive...

[@gecko1406]

Pls dm if i paid u how much would you charge to put the pins into the vc on the center diff

[@baileynorth]

Ive git the same year car but not a wagon will this aplly to this cant find much about these cars

[@machinedred]

Please explain how after the dowels the diff was still spinning until you pushed home the drive gear ?

[@frontwheeldrip4253]

Front diff is limited slip, rear diff is limited slip, center dif is open.

[@rjsimkovich1785]

Question: What about the output/stub shafts that come off the transmission and go to the front axles? I've heard that you need to gut and fix the old axle cups to them to act as a counter weight and to keep the trans output/stub shafts from drifting side to side. Or did you just rock them spines exposed no problem?

[@TIRESIDE]

We didn’t have an issue leaving them exposed.

[@rodgerm7247]

Maybe a stupid question, but could you not just cut off the front axles and weld them to something sturdy under the body to lock up the front drive?

[@timm.6391]

Your impact sounds like a subie idling lol also, you can go rear drive and leave the front axles in..... there is a kit for this and allows you to return to AWD later if you choose.

[@CuttinChris]

Info on that kit?

[@redandwhitecoatkayden6372]

is this a 5spd gearbox or a sti 6spd gearbox

[@JonasVanHorn]

Are you planning on driving PARC on March 10th?

[@TIRESIDE]

Jonas Van Horn hopefully! Depends on if we get the dual calipers figured out.

[@JonasVanHorn]

TIRESIDE If you need an extra set of hands have Nic or Matt give me a call. I'd love to see you guys out there.

[@jakeabbott2782]

Why didn't you just gut the center diff and weld it together? Seems like the pins were alot of work for the same result.

[@TIRESIDE]

They are cleaner, and it’s easily reversible. Less of a chance of welds or chunks of metal breaking off in the transmission.

[@jakelowe3526]

what about the fluid coming out of thr front trans where the cv axles come from?

[@TIRESIDE]

Jake Lowe in the older Subarus its a sealed stub shaft that comes out of the transmission. The cv axel is pinned on to the stub shaft. In newer subies like wrx’s you would have to plug the hole where the axle inserts into the transmission.

[@caseymeadus964]

@@TIRESIDE my fiancé has a 2006 Impreza 5 speed standard, would this method work or would he have to plug the holes? Asking for him. Thank you

[@TheDarknessConsumesMe666]

If I don't weld the diff, will everything still work fine? Also, in a RWD conversion, do you get better fuel economy? Last question, is all the power going to the rear wheels or is it still 50% power to the rear and 50% power to the front (which doesn't do anything)?

[@kookyle]

Theoretically driving 2 wheels would be more fuel efficient than splitting power 50/50 4 wheels. Also less rotating mass with no front CV axles in which would increade fuel economy. 100% of power is going to the rear wheels. The center differential that he put the pins into is what dictates front/rear drive.

[@kookyle]

Also you don't have to weld the rear differential. Welding the rear differential is so that both rear wheels get power all the time. Stock it is an open diff, which means the power goes to the wheel with the least traction. Normal driving a welded rear end has no benefit and a few negatives.

[@TheDarknessConsumesMe666]

"power goes to the wheel with the least traction" - wouldn't the transmission know that the front wheels have the least traction, as there isn't an axle there?

[@kookyle]

@@TheDarknessConsumesMe666 transmission doesn't have any control. The center diff that he pinned is locked solid.

[@kookyle]

I was referring to the rear differential if you didn't weld the spider gears solid.

[@nabaddame5726]

Can that drilling just be done by hand or do the holes have to be an exact dimension from each other or it will be out of balance? Does that matter?

[@TIRESIDE]

I think if the pins are on a relatively close radius, the balance shouldn’t be affected. But because the casing is hardened, you’ll struggle trying to drill by hand. It would be best to set it up in a drill press and do it that way.

[@nabaddame5726]

@@TIRESIDE thanks! How has this been holding up? Would definitely be easier than welding.

[@TIRESIDE]

We haven’t owned the car for a while, but from what I hear, it’s still drifting!

[@Loose-goose]

How tough was drilling through that centre?

[@TIRESIDE]

Not too bad if you have a carbide still. HSS won’t do it. The part is only case hardened so once you get past that, it’s pretty easy to drill

[@Xshadowshadex]

How long did it took and how much did it cost to do this build?

[@TIRESIDE]

Xshadowshadex maybe a month and the whole thing cost about $500 including the car and parts car.

[@tumkaspeedsick9665]

Whats your rear shafts? axles

[@TIRESIDE]

They were factory

[@bkmz5414]

надо было пластину кинуть в диф

[@biancaramirez5788]

Uh, these guys are smart and du.b. A complicated process to achieve the same effect as yanking the front CV axles and capping the output holes. Way cheaper and way more fun

[@TIRESIDE]

That wouldn’t work. There’s no holes in the front output of this transmission for one. It has sealed stub shafts. Without locking the center diff it would just spin the front stub shafts and the car wouldn’t move.

[@mtotheizatt]

TIRESIDE be careful there are experts everywhere

[@ryantilley-general.shenanigans]

Did you think that out? I want to see the video of you doing that, i mostly look forward to the 'test drive'. Also du.b is spelt dumb.

[@buynaad3048]

Omg so tired of this stupid misfocusing camera

[@TIRESIDE]

Dante Vergil roger that, we have since upgraded to a canon with dual pixel. Much nicer.