Stewdogg's 2010 GT

Was the mesh from Custom Car Grills? Also, how was it trimming out the inside of the grill?

It's a Grill Craft insert I picked up on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Subaru-Legacy-10-12-Grillcraft-1-Pc-MX-Series-Black-Fine-Mesh-Main-Grille/312220877200?fits=Year%3A2010%7CModel%3ALegacy&epid=235671647&hash=item48b1d08190:g:yyoAAOSwKX9be9Sl

Cutting out the mesh wasn't too bad once you get past the fact that there's no going back, just take the dive and start cutting. I'll post up some pics and a little write up today.

Grill Craft mesh grill insert install

These are the two main tools I used for installing the mesh grill. I also used a stubby screw driver and a drill.

It's a 80 grit pad on the angle grinder and a small tooth metal blade on the saw. It both cuts and melts through the plastic.

I'm sure you could use a hand hack saw/file of some kind and it would just take a little longer.

There's 4 screws you need to remove from the back side of the grill, in order to remove the grill from the car. These directions come with the grill, so I'll skim a little.

Once out of the car remove any remaining screws from the back of the grill. There are two tabs you have to push down to remove the chrome center trim piece, I used a flat head screwdriver to push them down. Removing the trim piece just makes cutting out the mesh easier.

Now, start cutting.

This is the mesh section you cut out of the stock grill.

I just cut right where the cross pattern meets the solid part of the grill. You don't need to worry if it's little sloppy, you will be cleaning it up.

Another shot of where it's cut. There are 4 sections where you cut through solid pieces of plastic on the grill... the middle upper/lower and the sides where the chrome center trim terminates.

This is the tab and ledge you leave when cleaning up the edges of the grill. The tab is the mounting point of the Grill Craft grill insert and the ledge is what it rests on.

The other side tab/ledge.

Here is a shot of the top edge after it's cleaned up with the grinder.

Here is a shot of the bottom after clean up. I just followed the "line" that was naturally there from the plastic moulding. You can see the center lower tab and screw that attaches the bottom of the insert as well. You can kind of see the side tab too.

I guess I ran out of picture space in the last post...

Here's the installed shot... it doesn't have the chrome trim painted yet, but you get the picture.

If anyone wants any additional pictures, just let me know. I won't be installing it until I get the paint delivered and the trim painted.

Are you going to remount the emblem?

I'm going to leave it off for now, so I can get as much air to that heat exchanger as I can.

This mod gave me more space behind the grill. That allowed me to move the heat exchanger higher up and more in the air flow path. That was the main reason I performed the mod, but it looks good so far too.

I finally got the grill all painted and installed. I have been putting my isolation time to good use.

So, I have had a clunk in the front of my car for quite sometime and have done a bunch of things that were that were aged in the front end and the last is the driver's front ball joint. I replaced it today and viola, my car is quiet over rough roads and entering my driveway again!

I know I just wrote in another thread that I haven't broken bolts in a Subaru in sometime. The last one that mattered was the lower balljoint bolt that locks the top of the balljoint in place. It was in my 2002 Bugeye shortly after I got it and that was a pain to deal with. Since then I picked up a tool on the tool truck that has proven invaluable for the Subarus I work on. The tool goes in an air hammer and you turn it with a wrench. So, it bangs towards the bolt and you turn.

The one below is not from the tool truck and is much cheaper because of it.

https://www.toolpan.com/Mayhew-Tools-32029--Pneumatic-Shake-N-Break-Set-2PC_p_40300.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw7e_0BRB7EiwAlH-goLpzZKw8eT3YrkfK-zkx7KHulVkrnvDppMnzYDmR7f5M99Kr2YRyXxoCh-MQAvD_BwE

Edit: I found it for a cheaper price shipped.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H4Z853X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have used this to take out a bunch of the lock bolts from Subarus and it has been great every time. Better than heat and PB blaster (or your favorite penetrating oil) for getting those bolts out. I didn't even use any penetrating oil on mine today, just took it out dry. I still mark the end of the bolt to know when it turns, so I don't break one, but it has been working nicely.

That's inexpensive enough that it may be worth picking up just to have. Of course, I'd have to buy an air hammer, but I've been looking for an excuse to do that for a while now.

Working from home with easier access to the internet is dangerous for my wallet, no doubt about it...

That's inexpensive enough that it may be worth picking up just to have. Of course, I'd have to buy an air hammer, but I've been looking for an excuse to do that for a while now.

 

Working from home with easier access to the internet is dangerous for my wallet, no doubt about it...

I completely agree, I have had more time to do jobs here at home.

Everyone needs an air hammer in the tool box.

I found the kit for a better price shipped... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H4Z853X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I sent a set to my step dad who is in his 60's and still working on cars, but doesn't have one of these.

I completely agree, I have had more time to do jobs here at home.

Everyone needs an air hammer in the tool box.

 

I found the kit for a better price shipped... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H4Z853X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I sent a set to my step dad who is in his 60's and still working on cars, but doesn't have one of these.

That is fantastic! How have I not seen this before? Impacts are great for M10+ but this is a perfect idea for smaller bolts the impact would spin the head right off of.....like the pinch bolt on the ball joint

Thanks for sharing.

Speaking of balljoints - this is cheap and will save you hours of frustration if youre in the rust belt. Zip those ball joints right out of the knuckle.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JBJFK3C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That is fantastic! How have I not seen this before? Impacts are great for M10+ but this is a perfect idea for smaller bolts the impact would spin the head right off of.....like the pinch bolt on the ball joint

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Speaking of balljoints - this is cheap and will save you hours of frustration if youre in the rust belt. Zip those ball joints right out of the knuckle.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JBJFK3C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have had one of those removal tools for a while. It does work great if the threads on the bottom of the ball joint are in good shape. Every once in a while I don't take the time to put a nut on the end of the balljoint before smacking it with a hammer to break it free from the lower control arm. It is another great tool to have in the box for sure!

Thank you for sharing as well, I really enjoy when people share shop tips!

I miss my dad's 80 gallon air tank we had in the garage growing up. Air tools make things so much easier.

I have a cheap 80 gallon Porter Cable at work that's almost 15 years old. Most days I'm surprised it's still going and I use it daily.

I have a Ingersoll Rand 20 gallon Garage Mate at home. The volume doesn't keep up with the air tools very well, but the pump is strong and seems to keep up fine for my needs. I guess I wouldn't try to use a paint gun with it and you need to take a couple breathers if your using an angle or die grinder, but everything else has worked great.

Air tools do make everything easier to get off/on, but also easier to break things, if you don't know what you're doing with them. Sometimes the only way to find out it to give it all the ugga duggas and find out the hard way... the way I have learned most things in life.

with how good battery powered tools have gotten, you really don't need an air compressor for much anymore. air hammer and spraying paint maybe not but for the most part they do a great job. hell, aside from a couple bolts my 3/8 dewalt impact takes em all out, and the ones it doesn't (axle bolts etc...), it does if you just do the initial breaking by hand. i also adore my 1/4 inch battery ratchet(some off brand one because who cares about its breakaway torque), they make life so much easier, especially during reassembly.

that said, i wish i had access to an air compressor...

I got my wheels delivered yesterday after a 3+ week wait.

Here's a couple to compare the stock to the new set up.

And a couple with the new wheels.

I really like how they look and the more I see them the more I like them.

The brake calipers were cheaply painted red or orange from the previous owner. I painted the caliper and bracket satin black to make them blend into the background. I wanted to paint them navy blue, but thought better of it.

I went with the TSW Bathurst in 18"x8 with 35 offset and Continental DSW06 in 245 40 18. I like that the car sits a bit lower with the 40 profile tire, but I gained a bit of wheel well back. My speedometer is now off about one mph as well. When I checked willtheyfit website it said I was supposed to be almost dead on with stock on my speedo, but I think the 45 profile would have been closer to zero in my car for some reason. I think if I needed to get another tire at some point I would get a 45 profile tire to get rid of the arch gap a bit more and correct the speedo. My stock set up with the 25mm spacers and a 50 profile tire ran real tight in the wheel arch and could have possible have been rolled, but I think I could have also gotten away with it. This stuff is so hard to figure out in the ethos of thought and not actually being able to see it in person.

It is certainly a pretty nice looking wheel on the GT.

The speedometer reads a little high (~3% or so compared to GPS, from my observations) on the stock size tires, so you should be almost dead-on "the same" as compared to stock, but not quite dead-on accurate like you would be with the 245/45R18.

I think I mentioned this in a different thread already, but I can definitely see a difference in the butt dyno charts when I switch between my summer (245/45R18) and winter (225/45R18) sets. Pretty sure my next set of summer tires will be 245/40R18.

Thanks cww516

I think I'm about one mph down from my GPS with the new setup.

I think the look on the 225 50 18 compared to the 245 40 18 just is going to take a minute to get used to seeing. I can tell it drops the car a little more because the ground seems closer when I try to get out of the car.

I'm sure a 245 40 19 or 245 45 18 would be a perfect fit to take away the wheel arch gap, but the slightly smaller size drives a little better and I'm going for a driver more than a looker.

Kinda hard to tell if I get much butt dyno out of it because it just seems to rip on the E85 either way.

I was coming home from work through downtown last night and got in a little group of tuners. I got up to an open light with them and disappointed the first guy in the bright orange Honda so much that he just kept pulling away from me at about 80mph after I let up at 60mph. I then waited for the Scion and machine gun exhaust VW. Had a little fun gapping them and they paid their respects as I turned off to go home. Thats the kind of fun I'm lookin for. I missed getting to the line with the BMW because he blew the light, but I wouldn't expect him to to go as easy as the other guys. Like I said, just having fun.

Oh yeah, I'm still just on the E85 base tune as well.