Lifted Subaru Outback BH off road build on 30″s

Being a kid of the 90s obsessed with cars, I remember how I first saw the BH Outback on the pages of a car magazine. Even though it wasn’t as aggressive and cool-looking as the trucks and SUVs of that era, the Outback’s adventurous design immediately jumped out at me, suggesting that this could be a cool car for a road trip with my dad.

SUV-worthy ground clearance, plastic body cladding, fender flares, and a raised roof with built-in roof rack promised that this vehicle was much more than a utilitarian station wagon (which by that time were dying out as a class).

Despite the fact that market interest for station wagons was in a negative trend for years, the late 90s – early 2000s were the time of a major rise in Subaru sales, and the 2nd gen Legacy Outback BH is partially responsible for that. It became evident, that people didn’t want just “a wagon”, they needed a cool wagon, and the Outback was it. People simply loved it because it perfectly combined the capabilities of an all-wheel-drive SUV with the road manners and efficiency of a regular car.

Owner’s Insight

Some of the bolts didn’t want to line up properly due to component angles, some of the bolts didn’t have enough threaded length & needed washers. For the radiator hoses, I had to measure them and go through the entire universal catalogue of hoses from several suppliers and order a couple options for each main hose just to get ones that somewhat fit.

I also made the mistake of trying to swap in a thicker aluminum radiator at that time, and failed because I wasn’t prepared for the modifications it needed to clear everything. While not part of the build, something challenging was when I ripped the front control arms out of the unibody on the local Gambler 500 and spent weeks fixing it with the help of my neighbor.

Off-road Build

The owner of the Outback we’re featuring today decided to push its off-road capabilities further into SUV territory and enhanced it with a whole bunch of awesome upgrades that improved all aspects of the vehicle.

Suspension

Being a long-term fan of 4×4 vehicles who owned off-road dedicated Jeeps before, he had major plans for improving the wheels, suspension, and drivetrain of the Outback. The suspension system has been dramatically upgraded with a 4″ lift kit featuring Flatout Suspension GR40R coilovers, providing approximately 10″ of travel.

Rear Locker

One of the most significant mods was the rear differential auto-locker which ensured that both wheels are spinning when the AWD is slipping off. The wheels have been upgraded to 15×7 Black Rhino Boxer rims wrapped in 235/75/15 Toyo Open Country AT3 tires.

Exterior

The exterior has been modified for both aesthetics and functionality. A VIS Racing carbon fiber hood with a custom hood scoop improves engine cooling, while a DIY custom ABS mesh front grille adds a unique touch. The vehicle’s protection has been enhanced with a Primitive Racing 3/16″ engine skidplate and a rare OEM steel rear differential skidplate.

Lights

To get more light on the night roads and off them, the owner installed a 3″ bixenon projector retrofit in the headlights and additional Diode Dynamics LED pods for improved visibility in various conditions.

Other mods

The interior has been reconfigured for overlanding purposes. The rear seats have been removed to create space for cargo and camping gear, and MOLLE panels have been installed on the front seatbacks for organized storage. A custom gauge cluster bezel houses additional gauges for monitoring transmission and engine oil temperature and pressure. The vehicle is equipped for extended trips with a 12V refrigerator/freezer, an EcoFlow River Pro power station, and a custom sleeping platform. Recovery gear, including a Smittybilt air compressor and various tools and spare parts, ensures the vehicle is prepared for any situation encountered during off-road adventures.

Full List of Parts

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Conclusion

This extensively modified Subaru Outback pushes the boundaries of this platform. Through carefully selected upgrades to its suspension, drivetrain, and body protection, the owner has significantly enhanced its capability to tackle challenging terrains. Based on our off-road capability rating, this build gaind a solid score of out of 70 points possible thanks to the full suspension lift with heavily oversized tires (30 points), Rear locker (10 points) and body armor (5 Points) making stand on the same line with dedicated 4×4 SUVs.