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Discussion starter · #121 ·
I had been looking around for a roof rack that sat close to the roof. I did not want the typical basket on the cross rails. I eventually settled in a Prinsu.

Installation took most of the day. Hard part is pulling out interior parts to get access to the fasteners for the factory rails.
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The existing holes needed to be drilled out a bit to allow the plus-nuts to fit. I made sure to goop them a lot with sealant to prevent future leaks.
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Fitment was not precise. I kept everything loose until all the fasteners were started, then slowly cranked them down. I really like the end result!
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Discussion starter · #126 · (Edited)
I was getting tired of driving at night in front of people that insist on keeping their illegal off road lights on so I ordered a set dimming mirrors for the exterior. Since I already had the auto-dimming mirror inside, I knew I was good to go.The most intimidating part is popping the old mirrors off. I put some tape around the edges to keep scratches at bay. For some reason, the passenger side was missing the stabilizer spring.
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The additional wires were tucked behind the foam.
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I connected the wire harnesses and made sure to route the wires through the clips on the mirror to insure the wires will not hang up on anything. I also used a generous portion of lube for the tension spring. Took a little bit of pressure to pop the clips back into place. I also misaligned the spring and had to reroute it into the proper hole. I used a small dent puller suction cup to help hold the mirror while working on it.
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Shout out to the man in brown! We had the same guy for several years, he knew all of the neighbors. When we didn't see him for a while I asked about him and it turns out he'd had a heart attack and was on paid leave. It seems the brown co looks after their employees...
 
Discussion starter · #131 ·
Have you thought about the Rallitek rock sliders? I think they'd make that hilift more useful. They also make access to the roof a bit easier.
I was looking at the Crawford rails but the Rallitek look a lot more beefier. I have an adapter for the HiLift to grab hold of the tube bumpers. Works well.
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I know the wonders of having good rock rails.
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The man in brown dropped off another box of goodies! I have the WRX/STI lower control arms for the front ready for installation!
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Very nice!! You'll also gain a wider stance with these. Make sure to take before and after pictures!

I remember getting a set of these for my 07 WRX...back in the day. Such a great mod with a noticeable feel in ride characteristics. Although I had my car setup for road driving back them. I'm wondering how your Crosstrek will handle with these.
 
Discussion starter · #133 ·
Hit a slight hiccup with the LCAs. There is a subtle difference between the Crosstrek and WRX mounts around the rear joint. The Crosstrek has a stud (M370011) and a slightly different mount plates (20280B and 20280C)
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Here is the WRX diagram:
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I ordered the new bolts and mounting plates. Looks like everything else will line up okay.
 
Discussion starter · #135 ·
So, I finally took a road trip with the gear on the roof. The results were surprising. I was able to maintain 24MPG as long as I kept the speed under 70MPH. Anything faster caused the mileage to drop rapidly and wind noise to get much louder. The wind noise was audible at 65MPH but not noticeable once I turned on the radio. Climbing grades got a little rough. I had to drop down to fourth gear to maintain 65MPH up 6% grade. I also had the rear packed pretty tight with luggage to just above the rear seat.

Over all, I am quite happy and will probably leave everything on top since impact is minimal for my daily commute.
 
Discussion starter · #138 · (Edited)
Front LCAs installed. What a difference! Once I dropped out the old LCAs, I noticed the premature wear on the rear mount caused by the lift kit.
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Here is the new LCA
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One unanticipated problem I ran into was the mount plate on the rear. It had holes for strengthening plates. The new arm could not slide over the stud so it was fortunate that I bought the replacement bolts.
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The first drive was concerning. Tires were squealing driving straight. Once I pulled it back into the garage I could see I had rather extensive toe-out. I pulled the tie rods in three full turns. jounced the car a bit and re-examined. It looked closed enough so I took it on a drive. Everything felt great!

Now for the test. I slammed on the brakes hard. It kept straight, no floating feel at all! Only side effect is now the tires always rub on turns. I need to take a Dremel and cut out a little more off the fender.
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Discussion starter · #139 · (Edited)
Possible new project. I never realized until this week that the shifter and parking brake handle boots do not have the matching orange stitching found in the rest of the car (premium package feature)
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I found a company that makes custom aftermarket boots. LINKY

It makes the interior match better. Here is a pic from their site:
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