JDM 20MM Rear Sway Bar Install Instructions (w/pics)

I've had it with the rain and I'm not going to take it anymore... At least that's what I told myself this morning when I popped awake at o'dark thirty to the thrum of a hard rain on the roof. The largest ever rainfall in the recorded history of Southern California has been keeping me from getting under my car to put in the JDM 20MM RSB. And I've only had it sitting around taking up space since what, New Year's Eve? Gives you an idea how long it's been raining here.

 

Anyway... come hell or high water, the bar was going in TODAY! So the dog and I headed off for our two mile Saturday morning walk, all the while the rain is turning to a drizzle and the sun is trying desperately hard to punch through the clouds. I'm thinking, it's going to work, it's going to stop raining and I'm going to get the RSB on the car... the dog just glances up when I talk to myself. By the time we got back to the house the sun is completely out and the sky is a beautiful, rain-washed azure blue. Looks like a great time to put the bar on the car.

 

So with that prelude and backdrop herewith are my pics and installation instructions: (Please read the disclaimer BEFORE you attempt this installation)

 

Standard Disclaimer: These instructions are provided to help members understand how to install a Rear Sway Bar on a Subaru Legacy. No representation or warranty is made as to your ability to follow these instructions or to properly install the rear sway bar on your vehicle or any other. Since you will be working under a car that is elevated, there is risk of injury to yourself and to others and it is your responsiblity to follow proper and reasonable safety precautions, before, during and after the installation.

 

Things you'll need

 

1. Auto ramps

2. Standard 12mm and 14mm sockets, plus a 17mm socket if you're installing the AVO Adjustable End Links (3/8" drive size works best)

3. 8" 3/8" drive rachet with a 3" extension

4. Duck billed crescent wrench or a very thin 17mm open end wrench

5. Spray can of WD40 lubricant

6. Eye protection

 

Preparation Instructions

 

1. Set up the auto ramps behind the back wheels and very carefully back the car up on the auto ramps, making sure that you site the tires squarely in the middle of the ramps. My car sits a bit lower with the Subaru Hitch and full-size spare and some of you are lowered, so recommend putting a 2x4 or similar piece of wood blocking in front of the ramp. This way you'll get a little lift going on before the tires contact the ramp and won't drag your rear fender skirt and/or stock exhaust cans while you're backing onto the ramps. I didn't have a piece of wood to put put in there. so I actually lifted the back of the car and jammed the ramps up against the back wheels because the rear fender skirts and the exhaust cans were just too low. Once you've gotten the car situated on the ramp, put the car in 1st or reverse gear (or park for you 5EATs), set the emergency brake and shut off the car.

 

2. Exit the car and then block or chock the front wheels so that the car cannot move forward off the ramps. Check the position of the wheels, relative to the ramp rest points to ensure the tires are well situated and resting in the detent/dips. Give the car a shake side-to-side to make sure that the ramps are fully balanced on their bottom frames.

 

3. Slide underneath the car from the rear and look for the mounting hangars for the left and right exhaust mufflers. There will be one on the outside of each muffler, located toward the front edge of the muffler. There will be one on the inside of each muffler, located toward the rear of the muffler.

 

4. Push the hangar back against it's mounting point so that it exposes as much of the mount as possible. Spray WD40 on these mounting points and then pull the rubber hangars off the mounts. Do one muffler then the other, allowing each muffler to hang by it's exhaust pipe.

 

5. Here's what the mounting hangars look like before and after. You may need to use a large flat bladed screwdriver or pry bar to get these off, but with enough WD40, they come off fairly easily. If you do use a screwdriver/pry bar, wrap it in a thick towel to avoid scratching any painted surfaces.

 

Next - Dismounting the endlinks.

So on to the enlinks:

 

1. You'll need a 14mm socket for this. The nuts are located on the backside (closest to the wheel hub) and can be somewhat difficult to get to if you're hand tool challenged. The main thing is to ensure that you get the socket on the nut squarely so you don't accidently "round off" the nut.

 

2. Do the top end link nut and then do the bottom, leaving both nuts slightly on so if you need to "tap" them loose from the back, you don't bung up the threads. I found it easier to get ratchet turn by working from the top down on the top endlink nut rather than from the bottom or side. You'll see what I mean when you attempt to loosen it. If you don't come in from the top, you'll have very little room to swing the ratchet.

 

3. You may have to use the duckbill wrench at this point on the "joint" side of the endlink to keep the end link bolt from spinning while your working the nut side of the equation.

 

4. Repeat the process on the other side. Once you get the endlinks loose, just pull them out of their mounting holes and loosely reattach the nuts before setting them aside.

 

5. Pics of the endlink mounts

Now that you've got the end links dismounted, you'll want to move on the to the sway bar mounting bushings.

 

1. You'll need a 12mm socket, a 3" extension (or a deep well 12mm socket), and the ratchet.

 

2. Start with the bottom bolt on the bracket and when you have this almost completely loose, loosen the top bracket bolt.

 

3. Repeat for the other side until both brackets are loose from their mount and the bar is hanging by the small bracket hook at the top of each sway bar bracket.

 

4. Gently rotate the bar forward, lifting it off of the bracket hooks and then work the bar up/down and back and forth as you slide the bar out one side of the car or the other. You'll need to jockey it around in order for the ends and bends to clear the sway bar mounting hard points and the exhaust system. Just be patient and gauge what move you need to make as you move the bar out from under the car.

 

5. Once you get the OEM rear sway bar clear, set it aside out of your way so you don't end up laying on it banging your head or body on it.

 

6. Now you're ready to prep your 20mm bar.

 

7. Fill the 20mm polyurethane bushings that came with the JDM bar with the grease provided (or use the Mobil 1 synthetic grease that BoxerGT2.5 recommend)

 

8. Work your 20mm bar up and over the exhaust pipes and jockey it into position in front of the sway bar hard point mounts.

 

9. Put a little grease on the bars, approximately where the bushings will mount up (the JDM bar has yellow bands, that you can see in the pic below, painted on where the bushings will ride) and then snap the bushings into place. Locate the bushing mounts over the bushings and hang the sway bar from the hang point at the top of the bushing.

 

10. Rotate the bar forward and reinstall your end links (I used AVO adjustables which worked fine for this application) tightening them down snugly. Torque spec is ~35 ft-lb (32.5 to be precise).

 

11. Relocate the sway bar bushing mounts and reattach them with the OEM bolts snugging them down securely. Torque spec is 30 ft-lb.

 

12. Spray some WD40 on the exhaust muffler hangar mounts and, while holding the muffler up in the correct location, refit the mounting hangars back to their original locations and you are good to go.

 

Pics of the bar mount points and endlinks mounted .

 

I'll review and make any changes for clarity. Appreciate any feedback too .

 

HTH

 

SBT

Is that the grease they gave you? I'm sure you like the ride much better.

 

Nice right up! Very detailed!

Thanks. It's the white silicon/lithium grease that AVO included with the end link bushings. I got only one packet of grease for both the front and rear bushings and I stuffed the rears pretty full. I figure before I put the bushings on the front, I'll get some of the Mobil 1 silicone grease that you recommended and do all four bushings while I'm under the car.

 

I didn't get much chance to try it out this afternoon but I did notice an immediately tightening up of the back end on hard right and left turns and that the "jiggle" is greatly diminished.

 

Two things I noted on the highway was how much more composed the car is at speed on the straights and through the sweepers and that turn-in has been greatly improved. And the pitching up and down through the turns is almost completely gone. Add a good set of performance handling springs and I'm going to be good to go.

 

It does exhibit just a touch more tendency to rotate the rear but that could also have been a function of a very wet sweeping turn and less than judicious use of throttle to see how it would react. No surprises though... very linear throughout.

 

SBT

Looks like a beautiful day her so we're going to go out this afternoon and tryout the car on some of our favorite backroads.

 

Will let you know how it all goes later.

 

SBT

Nice write-up Dale! Who would have thought those of us out east would get our bars installed before those in sunny SoCal.

Dale - Awesome walkthrough!

 

You motivated me to get mine on this weekend.

 

Shawn

Shawn,

 

Without taking the pics it's about a 20-30 min job once you're up on the ramps and situated. If I could just get the E30 and/or the MG done and out of the garage, I would have had this on as soon as I got my car in the middle of January.

 

Good luck and post here if you need any more information/tips.

 

SBT

The two bars are bent identically and even have the numbers stenciled on the middle of the bar. The only visual difference between the bars (other than the thickness) is that the endlink connection point on the stock is rounded. The JDM is squared off.

 

SBT

I did the install today and a couple of comments:

 

Only had one problem, couldn't get the bar to slide out and thought I was going to have to take off the cans. Searched (do I get points for this or something?) the forum and saw that others removed it without taking them off so I went back for another try and it came right out. It's tricky but you can do it with a little patience.

 

I used a Park Tool cone wrench for the 17mm bolts and it worked great. A wrench doesn't get much thinner that!

 

I cinched the AVO end-links all the way down. The stockers were a bit longer, maybe a half to three quarters of an inch in length. Is this ok or am I screwing something up?

 

The bushings did not fit exactly where they were marked on the JDM bar. They fit fine so I am not worried about it.

 

The stock bar felt heavier than I thought.

 

So my next upgrade will be a new set of tires next month and install the front end-links and bushings. Very happy with the way the car handles.

 

Thanks to Subietonic for the write up and pics. I think we should move this to performance mods or sticky it.

lol on the cone wrench. Yeah, that's about as thin as they come.

 

I gotta get me one of these JDM bars...

Just as a follow-up to my install, I took off the AVO end-links this afternoon because they were too short. I re-installed the stock end-links.

 

When I installed the AVO's, I had to pre-load the bar (read - pull down on the bar) to make the AVO end-link fit as they were about 3/4" too short as REM87O noted. I felt, after some more seat time, that this was causing, wagging from the rear end as the stiffer bar, now snugged down closer to the hub, was pulling up on the individual sides. Not a bad feeling, just not the right feeling.

 

Once I reinstalled the stock end-links, the wagging was gone, so the AVO end-links were contributing to it if not the whole cause for it. Car still feels tight as mentioned in my orginal post, now even more so.

 

I bought the AVO end-links because I plan to go with the Bilstein GT-B struts and STI Pink springs which will lower the car just about the same difference between the stock end-links and the AVO ones or about 3/4". Should be perfect fit then.

 

Just wanted to update everyone who was using either the USDM RSB or the JDM RSB that I DON'T recommend using the AVOs unless you're also lowering the car, in which case the AVOs would be the better fit.

 

HTH

 

SBT

I've had it with the rain and I'm not going to take it anymore...

 

Hey Subietonic...as much as you were fed up w the rain, at least it wasn't SNOW! I've had my JDM stuff hanging around for months -- finally the snow is gone and I'm aiming to install my JDM rear this weekend.

 

Really appreciate your detailed instructions, as well as report on the AVO endlinks, which I also have, but won't bother installing at this point, as I'm not lowering it yet (or maybe ever?)

Nice walkthrough. Did you get the torque specs from the manual?

Yeah I torqued them to spec indicated in the SM - ~35 ft-lbs end links, 30 ft-lbs RSB bracket/mounts. Thanks for the reminder, I meant to put that in the wirteup.

 

SBT

Gotcha- looks like 32.5 for the links and 30 even for the brackets.

great write up!

I was thinking rear Perrin SB in the future,..Here is a newbie question,..

 

Can I use the stock endlinks with the Perrin bar? I know it may not make the Perrin SB as effective, but is it ok to use it??

 

Also, with the Perrin,..i know adding a stiffer rear bar will make it tend to oversteer more,.so what settings are people using for the street as this is the application Id be using most?

SBT-

 

Thanks for the walkthrough. I received my bar from AVO today and got right to it after work.

 

The install went pretty well. I chose to jack up the rearend and the only comment I have is to lift the car as high as possible. Jackstands started at their lowest position and ended one notch up. I can't tell you how long I spent trying to get the new bar in but after I slowed down and used some common sense, it went right in. Afterwards I figured I must have spent too much time weaving the old bar out. So trying to replicate all those twist and turns in reverse was a complete waste of time. For those who will be doing this in the future all I can say is if you're struggling there's a better way.

 

I too used a cone wrench to stop the bolt from rotating. I first took out a 17 out but the O.E. endlinks need a 14mm. I'm guessing the 17 is for the AVO endlinks.

 

As for grease, I used Rock and Roll Super-Coat. It's a bicycle product but I bet it'll work great. I think time will tell when it comes to something like this. If things go south after a wet winter I'll certainly let y'all know. I just shot a bead along the center of the bushing and let it ooze out once it wrapped around the bar. Moved the bushing around a bit to assure it hit all the surfaces. BTW, I didn't attach the bushings until the bar was in position.

 

After the install I took it right out. I am fortunate to live near the entry of a nice canyon road. Unfortunately, there was too much traffic to get the full effect so I had to find some less populated twisties. I have to say, it improves the handling quite nicely. I plan to do more "research" in the near future. It certainly lives up to all the previous write ups. I do think this mod will have a larger negative effect to my mpg than the AP. It's been a long time since I've owned a car that was fun to drive.

 

Thanks again to SBT and all those who have passed along their words of advice.

 

Sorry no pics, it's just a rsb!

 

Ross

I just installed my Whiteline rear bar today and it took not even an hour work (after gf bothered me about eating breakfast,...)

 

Here are some pics I took,...I used 2 14mm open end wrenches (1 is ratched type), 12mm socket and 3/8in drive,..

 

Once you get the rubber supports off the muffler hangers, just "angle" the swaybar to get them out,..

 

here are some pics

 

http://tinypic.com/5x3iao

http://tinypic.com/5x3i1w

 

 

In this last pic,..you can see how I put the new bar in at an angle and then put bar "over" the top of the muffler to get swaybar end with holes to match up to endlinks,..Taking off OEM swaybar was in the same manner, angle to the side, work out one end, and the other end will follow,..

 

http://tinypic.com/5x3hvr

 

hope this helps,..I love how the car "turns in" now,..much less body lean and more responsive,..I still think a front strut tower bar would help,..but will see when I get my H-Tech springs in first from group buy,..

I did the stock to JDM sway bar swap last night. I had trouble getting the rubber muffler hangers off the pegs so ended up unbolting one of the mufflers at the flange to create a gap for the bars to pass through.

 

Given that I'm in the flatlands of Chicago suburbia, there is a dearth of smile inducing curvature to the roadways, and when it can be found it's usually occupied by others, but first impressions with around-town driving is that indeed there is an nice improvement to the feel at turn in, with less body roll. No r3egrets spending the ~$200.

 

Of course while the muffler was unbolted I had to fire her up, and was very pleased with the mellow, low purr at idle. I didn't do any any real revving as it was already 11 pm, and neighbors had windows open because there finally was a refreshingly cool breeze after days of sticky weather. I've got a pair of Magnaflow straight throughs sitting around that I have to eventually get welded up, and hope that the very agreeable voice of the boxer that I heard will become permanant.

Haven't done my 20mm rear-bar yet. Little reluctant. Based on my experience for 3 years with the 20mm rear bar with the WRX wagon it increased oversteer to the point where it could be dangerous. I increased the rear tire pressures by 4 lbs to diminish the tail dancing on trailing throttle. In the rain on an off ramp it was "pucker time". At first it did feel great. Like a 1000 lbs was taken off the car.

 

In a solo the car would almost pivot in its own wheelbase on a tight corner with trailing throttle. Not desirable when you should be braking earlier and be on full throttle at the apex, not waiting for the rear to come around until you're facing the right direction.

 

The Legacy wagon with Azenis 615's the center of mass on a ramp is right in the middle, where I like it. Maybe it's the difference of more weight in the rear of the wagon. Anyhow, make your own decisions.

 

Remember, if you run Solo2 "stock" it's illegal to change he rear bar.

Think I read somewhere that JDM cars come with 20mm rear bars, BUT WITH 22mm front bars.

Did mine today- very easy. And what a difference form the stock XT to this! It felt immediately like the rear sat higher and just pulling onto the road it felt stiffer. Definitely corners better-they should have built them this way.

Haven't done my 20mm rear-bar yet. Little reluctant.

Quit being a nancy!! No worries whatsoever.....I have pushed hard and no issues.....just better handling.