It’s a given that if you love cars, you love driving them.  Whether that means cruising around town or taking a road trip somewhere far away, it’s just plain old fun.  We love road trips, especially up to the mountains of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.  Preparing the cars for trips like these sometimes (usually) gets pushed back to the night before we leave.  Luckily we knew what to expect since we were just up in that area back in April for Boxer Takeover, so it was time to get moving.




The night before the trip for TougeFest was honestly a bit stressful since we all had things we wanted/needed to do, and not a lot of time to do it.  I started off by changing my oil.  I always use Rotella T6 oil since it is so highly praised within the Subaru community, even though it says it’s heavy duty diesel engine oil on the container.  I also use Subaru’s engine oil filters because sometimes OEM parts are best.




While all the oil was out, I installed my new Fumoto oil drain valve.  I was originally skeptical about having a drain valve as opposed to the traditional drain plug, but it had so many good reviews that I felt comfortable trying it out.

Once the oil change was done, I threw on my Megan Racing H-brace.  I happened to pick it up earlier that day off Craigslist about 45 minutes away.  I was eager to see if it made any difference, and since I only paid $40 for it, I figured why not, right?




This was pretty easy to install, it just bolts right up to the subframe and control arms to add in some rigidity between the left and right sides of the car.  After the H-brace, I remembered I had to add in spacers to my pesky front sway bar endlinks.  I recently installed a Whiteline front sway bar and endlinks, and although the quality is great, the fitment wasn’t.  Maybe it’s just the way wagons are with this stuff, but I had a pretty hard time connecting the endlinks to the sway bar because they were at such an awkward angle.  The spacers definitely helped correct the angle, thankfully.

The last thing on my to-do list was to swap wheels.  As much as I love my Works, I needed to throw on my WRX wheels for the intense mountain driving that would take place over the next few days.  This was mainly because I run stretched tires on my Works; they’re 215/40/18 Nitto Neo Gen tires on a 9.5″ wide wheel.  The WRX wheels I have are 8″ wide with grippy 235/45/17 Bridgestone Potenzas – much more suitable for mountain driving.  They also make the ride a lot smoother too!




After my stuff was done, it was time for CJ to take care of his to-do list.  He was planning on changing his oil, installing his V3 Cobb Accessport vent holder, installing new shifter bushings and a new rear pitch stop mount.  He got a majority of the work done while I had my car up on the lift, but we switched spots for him to change his oil.  The Accessport vent holder is an awesome addition to the interior.  It holds the Accessport in the perfect area to quickly glance at while driving, and the cold air from the AC blows on it to keep it cool.





If you’ve ever replaced your shifter bushings, you know the difference it makes.  The shifts feel so much more solid and notchy, and it makes the overall driving experience feel better.

The rear pitch stop mount was probably the most tedious thing on the list.  It wasn’t too difficult and didn’t take too long, but it involved taking off the top-mount intercooler.  The rear pitch stop mount holds the rear of the engine stiffer than the OEM mount, therefore keeping everything in place under hard acceleration.  It’s another great way to make the car feel more solid.




Last, but not least on CJ’s list was to change the oil.  He’s always used Mobil 1 Full Synthetic oil in his STi.  Obviously it’s a good idea to have fresh oil when tearing up the mountain roads at high RPMs all day.




Preparing for a road trip with your car can be important, especially on a trip like this.  We wanted to make sure the cars were ready for the abuse the next 1,500 miles would bring, so proper precautions were taken.  Fresh oil, checking tire pressures, swapping wheels, and throwing in a couple new parts all helped us conquer the roads with confidence on our trip.  Be on the lookout for the full write up of the trip coming soon!

By Ethan Pfab – @indecisivewagon