Taking my lifted SH Subaru Forester off road (BFG ko2) Ft SJ forester with X-mode

[@GlenB1963]

That is a bad arse little SH. I've got an sh non turbo with 225/65/17s but just geolandars. It is absolutely awesome on soft sand as I'm in Brisbane and drive at double island point. Keeps the cruiser boys honest. Nice video.

[@ALNSMOVERLAND]

Nice track ! The foz did great ! (As usual ahaha) Loved the YIOUUUU at 2:05 !

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it 😊 yeah the fozzys always do well! Cheers

[@Vodafone16v]

You need to do a video presenting your SH! Show us what mods you have to day. Really looking forward to lift the SH at home and throw in some AT tires. Cheers!

[@MontyScott]

Yeah I was thinking that could be a good little video to make 👍🏼 I kinda want to do a couple more things first then make a walk around video. Yeah man you'll love it, it's made a huge difference for me doing a lift a d tyres! Cheers

[@levantolevanto-ej9us]

@@MontyScott what size are tires?

[@MontyScott]

Hi, they are a 225/70r16 BFG ko2 👍🏻

[@Ghryst]

"SH" + "mods" = syntax error an SH *is* a forester with certain very specific factory-mods.

[@jamieedwards4371]

Hey Monty how do the tyres you have fit? I have a sh forester putting in a 2” lift and changing rims to 16x7 with +15 offset, do you think I would have trouble going a set of 235/70/16 the over all diameter is about 16mm bigger so halving that around the tyre would be 8mm, cheers

[@shanemerritt6438]

Yeah would have liked to see the SJ go thru same spots as a comparison

[@MontyScott]

Yeah maybe if we go back he could give it a go 🤙🏼 it wasn't on the way to where we were going... Thanks for checking out the video though. Cheers

[@JinKazama92]

what a beast of a crossover

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate 😁💪🏻🚙💨

[@jonwojcik4494]

Those BFG At ko2's look awesome and aggressive on the forester. I have them on my jeep JK and they look like street tires.

[@MontyScott]

Thanks! Haha I bet yours are a lot bigger, mine work out to be a 28.4 inch tyre. Cheers

[@Albuermeduardo]

I´ve seen you on instagram. The engine noise is awesome.

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate, it definitely puts a smile on my face!

[@sylonosa9189]

Love the laughing in the background 😅 Great vid boys

[@MontyScott]

Haha 🤣 thanks mate! This one's a bit of an old video but it was good fun😁👍🏻

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Great video! To help capture the steepness of the trail, film from farther away.

[@MontyScott]

Thanks for the tip 👍🏼 also thanks for checking out the video! Cheers

[@Eric5ohhh]

That was a great video man. The car looks great and sounds awesome too. I just got a 2009 Forester X but I’m planning on doing a 1.5 spacer lift with some new wheels and tires. Wish I got the XT though. That was some awesome trails you were on, I’m definitely jealous since I live around New York City! Lol

[@MontyScott]

Thanks man, I appreciate it! Yeah the XT is a bit of fun but the X will be great as well... You'll love it with a lift and some new wheels and tyres👌🏼 I actually live in Melbourne and have to travel about 2 hours or so to get to this location. Is there any good trails a couple of hours out of New York? Cheers

[@Eric5ohhh]

Monty Scott I’m on Long Island which has pretty much no open land unfortunately but there are some state parks that let you drive on the beach and through some sand dunes. There are some places to go when you aren’t trapped on Long Island or in the city if you’re willing to go upstate or into New Jersey. Do you ever have any problems with your tires rubbing? I’ve read that it’s a close fit since the tire sits so close to the bottom of the spring perch

[@MontyScott]

Oh fair enough, sometimes it's worth the travel time to get to a good destination though, last trip I did was interstate and was about 6 or 7 hours away! I don't have any problems with tyre rub but it is close, I had to reshape some of the fender liner to get it to clear with a little gap... if you went the next tyre size up or had a more aggressive offset wheel set-up then that would be a different story👍🏼

[@Westralia]

Great video,looking to buy a 2012 XT this week.Will follow your mods.Love the sound-pure!

[@MontyScott]

Awesome, I hope you you're happy with it! Thanks for checking out the video 👍🏼

[@moonsapling]

Did same kind of stuff in my new 2003 fozzie (the 2.0 model). Dual ratio gearbox is like heaven! I dont know if i want to lift it though... It rides so smooth!

[@MontyScott]

Lifting is fun but if you don't require more offroad capabilities then I would keep it stock 👍🏼

[@AllTerrainAction]

With everything we do and where we go, I'm yet to run into a Subaru off road.

[@MontyScott]

It's definitely something a little different but I think it's a growing scene 👍🏻

[@lupoforester5213]

Nice! wow ... :) thanks for sharing!

[@MontyScott]

No worries, thanks for checking out my video 😊

[@bantatrain9473]

yeah, not a bad spot at the brokeback mountain retreat. 4 out of 5.

[@wahchow07]

I love it after hours of dirt tracks.

[@cellardwellergaming8388]

Monty, did your buddy go up the same route in his SJ? If so, is there a video uploaded of it? Curious to see how the stock Forester with X-mode compares.

[@MontyScott]

Hi mate, no he didn't try the same track that I did. the x-mode is great it's a lot quicker to stop the spinning wheel, but he doesn't have a lift and also I believe the 5eat in my car is a little better for off-roading than the cvt in his car. Cheers

[@martinr8278]

Looks amazing! You did a great job with your forester. Awesome machine out there! Love Subaru

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate, it's always a good bit of fun! They're great little cars 👍🏻

[@sloth_e]

Where can I see info on these builds? Parts, availability, off the shelf or modified and cost etc. I didn't even know Subarus came with hi/low range after the old wagons decades ago. I want an 4wdable suby but need to weigh up against a genuine 4x4 in a heap of factors. Cool as to hear the boxer and they look cool too. I want to "rally pack" one haha. 10 steps ahead of myself here.

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, I have some details of the build in the video description and more info on my Instagram. I found the best place to get info is on Facebook, there are some off road Subaru pages that have heaps of info on them! Some of the newer manual Subies do come with hi/low range boxes but this one is actually just a 5EAT no low range available in the auto unfortunately! thanks mate, I love the sound of a turbo Subaru! Yeah man, get in to it! go and have a look at some of the pages of Facebook Subarus Offroad International is a great place to start. Cheers

[@sloth_e]

@@MontyScott awesome! Cheers for the info man. I'm onto it.

[@markeggleston5127]

Could you tell me who did the lift on your Suby and did it have Xmode?

[@MontyScott]

No X-mode on this model, this was the last year before the new forester for 2013 came out which had has X-mode 👍🏻 The lift is a 2 inch subieliftoz kit and I got it installed at a local suspension shop. Cheers

[@patrickwilson694]

Great video. Keep them up

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate 👍🏼

[@3739blog]

Hello, awesome SH. I'm curious about how it rides with the lift compared to the stock? Is it plushier on the dirt now? Thanks!

[@mclainbrown5696]

if it is a spacer lift that goes on top of the tophat the ride will be exactly the same as stock.

[@foresterboy2011]

Monty, amazing rig and vlog. What are the tallest tyres you can run on a stock 3rd gen forester. Reason I'm asking is that in United kingdom we dont have available free land to rome like you lucky guys have in Australia so I dont need the lift but want to retain my stock 17 inch rims. Your forester is a beast in the rough stuff.

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, sorry for the late reply! There isn't a huge choice of tyre sizes if you stay with 17 inch wheels... You can put a 225/65r17 on but depending on brand you'll most likely need to modify the guard liners a bit. If you get some 16s then you've got better options 👍🏻

[@JasonISF]

Nice Toyota 86 wheels mate

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate, they're a good option 👍🏻

[@JasonISF]

@@MontyScott where abouts in VIC are you off roading? When I bought my 2004 Outback a few years ago I took my dad on some muddy fire tracks somewhere north of Ballarat, was surprised it actually got through some sections with road tyres, although low range helped but the AWD on Subies is fantastic. Gonna be putting on off road tyres and lifting it soon I reckon.

[@nathanvernon8320]

Great video mate! Loved it 👍🏼😃

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate 👌🏼

[@istp1967]

Have Suby, will Travel 😎👍👍👍

[@mikewasowski1411]

Awesome. Bloody awesome

[@MontyScott]

Thank you!

[@JonDZ_Adventuring]

Congratulations on your lift!!! I got my SJ lifted a month ago, 2” in the front, 2-1/2” in the rear. Did any of your driving dynamics change? More top heavy? Vibration upon acceleration?

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, thanks! Yes it has changed it but not by much, I'm pretty happy with it but I am getting some vibration under acceleration as you mentioned... I am in the process of eliminating that at the moment. How about you, did you get any vibration or drastic changes? Cheers

[@JonDZ_Adventuring]

Monty Scott sounds similar to what you are experiencing. Although I notice a reduction in handling characteristics when pushed, for everyday driving there’s not much of a difference. When hitting bumps on the streets, the ride is noticeably harsher, but meh, that’s not too frequent. It’s everything I expected would happen. My SJ FXT is no longer OEM height, and it doesn’t drive that way either. It’s a trade off. But one I’m glad I did! The vibration upon acceleration is our axles binding up I believe. I only get it when I mash the gas pedal. But not so much when cruising.

[@MontyScott]

@@JonDZ_Adventuring Yes, its definitely a compromise as you said! I too was expecting the changes and am completely happy with the car the way it is now minus the shudder! yeah I believe its the front axles... I will see how I go fixing this! Cheers

[@giuliocevalloscastro930]

@@MontyScott Hello! I'm thinking on lifting my SH, wanted to ask what should I be aware of in terms of consequences?

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, sorry for the late reply! If you lift the car obviously the centre of gravity will be higher so it won't have the same handling as factory but for everyday driving it's fine, only notice this when you really push it! Still feels pretty good though. You may have to change your front drive shafts if you get the wobble under acceleration that I and a few others got after installing the lift... Not super common but it's a possibility. Front control arm bushes will most likely wear out faster as they have more angle on them and you'll likely need to adjust your exhaust to clear the rear subframe after you drop it with the lift install. Lastly you may also require new front sway bar links but not necessarily just have to see how you go. All in all its worth it if you'll use it, I love mine now 👍🏼

[@thejoseandresshow]

Paddle shifters on SH Forester?? How?

[@MontyScott]

It's a limited model they made for the Australian market called the S-edition, it came with a few different things over the standard XT... From factory it has a VF52, 5eat with paddle shifters, STI wheels and a few other things like different suspension and cosmetic changes 👍🏼

[@thejoseandresshow]

@@MontyScott nice! how does the 5eat compare to the 4eat?

[@MontyScott]

It's great! It has engine blip on down shifts to match the engine and gearbox speeds for a smooth and sporty shift, the revs are nice and low when cruising on the highway and this particular one comes with a VTD center. Unfortunately it's not quite as strong when pushing the limits compared to the 4eat and it also comes with a rare diff ratio and a Subaru made diff unlike just about every other Subaru with either a r160 or r180 (Nissan based diffs) so that means there is no option to upgrade the diff to a lsd or fit a modified Nissan locker. Overall pretty happy with it though 👍🏼

[@johnnumbat9782]

Hey Monty Good video series - Who did your lift kit? as I want to raise my stock 2009 XT Forester here in SA

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate, it's a subieliftoz kit 👍🏻

[@الحارثبنزيد]

I like it! Wow

[@10MMsocketfinder]

Love your FXT, how did you get it to sound like that. I keep rewinding to hear that sound. I’m getting the same one you have Touring but light gray interior. Can’t wait.

[@MontyScott]

Thanks man, you'll love it! The exhaust is combination of a dump/downpipe by Invidia for the 5eat thats in my S-edition and a cat back by Hi-Tech Mufflers (a local Australian company in Sydney)... It's something a little different than your standard subie rumble 👍🏻

[@10MMsocketfinder]

Monty Scott wow , it’s a 5 speed auto? That’s awesome, I thought they only 4eat.

[@MontyScott]

Yeah man, 5eat with paddle shift and a few STI goodies included that only came in the S-edition which was available in selected markets... We got it here is Australia for the 2011-2012 Forester.

[@ahmedel-hares6885]

Did you have any fitment issues with the tyres

[@MontyScott]

Very minimal rubbing but I adjusted the plastic guard liners with a heat gun and it's never been a problem however I think heating the plastic has resulted in it becoming brittle so if I was to do to again I'd probably just trim it 👍🏻

[@NathanElcoate]

Great videos, thanks!

[@MontyScott]

Thanks mate I appreciate it! Cheers

[@NathanElcoate]

@@MontyScott Cheers matey I am in the midst of trying to find an XT coming from Pajeros your videos convinced me I am making a good move :)

[@MontyScott]

@@NathanElcoate excellent, you will love it! I think that a Pajero would be better as a dedicated off road vehicle but a forester is a great compromise for added benefits elsewhere! Good luck and I hope you find a good one! Cheers

[@quintensmets6859]

is that a forester sj spoiler on your sh?

[@TheGrayWolf81]

Did your SH Forester come from the factory with paddle shifters?

[@MontyScott]

Yeah man, it's an S-edition which was a limited SH model that came out in 2011-2012 in selected countries. It's a 5eat with a factory fitted vf52 turbo and a few other extras 👌🏼

[@LeggySti]

Hey Mate, CVT trans i take it? hows the trans been with your ownership ?

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, it's actually a 5eat. The SH Forester didn't get a CVT transmission they only started using them on the SJ Forester 👍🏻

[@LeggySti]

@@MontyScott hows the auto trans holding up?

[@MontyScott]

It's good right now but I have replaced it recently, after years of hard driving and lots of off-roading the centre diff let go so I just replaced the whole trans. Keep in mind I am running a few mods and had it dyno tuned so it's got more power then standard running through it and I don't hold back from giving it a hard time🤣

[@SLA2014]

Cool! what tires do you have on?

[@MontyScott]

Thanks, I have BFG Ko2s in 225/70r16 👍🏼

[@juliosdiy3206]

Do u know if puttin a 235-70/15 size tire and rim on will fit?

[@MontyScott]

Yes it can be done but will require some trimming and modifying to be done to the guard liners and the body. Also you may have to run a more aggressive offset to clear the spring perch depending on tyre choice. I hope this helps 👍🏼 cheers

[@juliosdiy3206]

@@MontyScott i think i will try to leave 1 inch clearence front and back depending on size of diameter of tire and would do additional 2 in lift and 1in wheel spacers. Also im looking to find some good plastice to put around the wheel well overlapping about 1/2 in to stop flying grits.

[@БаярааБямбадорж]

Tire size

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, the details of the build are in the description but they are 225/70r16 in this video. If you check out my latest videos I'm running bigger tyres now👍🏻

[@edwardlupp7451]

hi, how much of a lift do you have on the grey forester and what size tires please?

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, only the silver SH Forester has a lift which is a 2 inch subieliftoz kit the grey SJ forester is on 225/65r17 tyres with stock suspension 👍🏻

[@cram42]

Noice!

[@gankhuyagbayasgalan7702]

What is your muffler? name... cost...

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate I've got a Hi-Tech Mufflers cat back system with an Invidia dump pipe 👍🏻 not really sure on the cost because I got it a long time ago.

[@leota1600]

what intake are you running and what BOV?

[@MontyScott]

In this video I'm running a process west intake with the factory BOV👍🏻 in my newer videos I've removed the CAI and changed to a custom airbox and snorkel 👌🏻

[@simonmodig]

sweet

[@MontyScott]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it 👍🏼

[@alfarebel8770]

Is that sh xt s edition?

[@MontyScott]

Sure is mate 👍🏻

[@simmosays]

What shocks?

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, these were kyb shock which I personally found to be a bit soft but have since gone back to S-edition shocks as they are a bit more firmly valved especially on rebound 👍🏼

[@adriand3753]

Fack thats good!

[@MontyScott]

Thanks man, I appreciate it 👍🏻

[@Bogart1980]

Any rubbing after you lifted it and put the wheels and tires on?

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, after I lifted it and before I put the wheels on I had to reshape the guard liners slightly with a heat gun to make a little extra room. I'll link my instagram post below so you can see, it didn't take much but for this wheel and tyre combo it needed a little work 👍🏼 instagram.com/p/Bon8YFDnY5V/?igshid=1uytpqw8xvzc1

[@MontyScott]

Hey mate, it depends on brand and tyre type that you go for as there is quite a bit of difference from one to another! It's very tight with my tyres the way I have done it but people do run bigger and just have to modify a little more I didn't want to hammer the pinch welds behind the plastic but that can give you some extra space. I hope that helps! Cheers

[@johnnumbat9782]

No need asI just read your description thanks 😒