D_J

Better control arm bushings - a good idea. That goes on the list.

 

I see that you also installed 25 mm sway bars front & rear. What brand did you select and why did you choose that over the other brands available? Did you add stronger bar mounts and end links?

 

Many people just add a rear sway bar. Does the front one make that much extra difference?

Yeah I looked at the stock front bar before it got pulled and it looks like 20mm maybe? I got a Tribeca front bar which is 25mm after the mechanic Shtboxer here recommended it for 2.5i. It fit perfect with plenty of room to spare. Shtboxer recommended Forrester endlinks that are designed for the rear stock bar and they also fit perfect - no issues.

The rear bar is 25mm by Perrin for only $89 but weighs a ton and barely cleared the exhaust. Definitely needed the AVO mounts for this massive bar.

The rear endlinks were a challenge...the dealer traded me a set of Whitelines for my Kartboys that didn't fit.

Also used front/rear heavy duty bushings with new u-clamps by Energy Suspension and Mobil 1 synthetic grease recommended by Subietonic in his install write-up.

Mike's car is identical to mine and he's very satisfied with his modification, so I imagine that it would work fine for me, too. I don't know enough to engineer my own suspension set-up, so I'm willing to go with something already proven to work well.

 

I DO know that the stock suspension on my Outback needs help. Early in my experience with the car I did a fast lane change at highway speed on the interstate and was alarmed by the way the car was pitching and rolling back and forth. I must have done it just right to get an oscillation going. I prefer a more planted road feel.

 

You mentioned something about the weight of the 2.5 XT vs the 3.0 engine being almost the same. Do you know of any advantage to using a different set-up? You probably know more about this than do. I'm ready to listen.

You may want to look at aftermarket lower control arm bushings as well. I got AVO poly bushings and makes handling more planted. Also will be installing AVO steering column poly bushings. These combined with the Bilsteins should significantly improve the handling.

I think the reason why the Outback handles this way stock is that it was truly designed to be a rugged off-road vehicle. So much so that some people say NOT to mod the swaybars because you lose some of the independent suspension qualities to go over rocks etc. Don't really need to go offroad that much personally...I mostly use my Outback as a truck for hauling stuff.

I just did and no dice. They basically told me that there isn't enough demand to justify building a kit here in the US.

He also said that they have been getting a few calls lately requesting Outback parts but that still there are no plans to make one.

http://www.bilsteinus.com/rdvehicles.php

 

Who wants to call? It should be someone with better communication and marketing skills than I can offer.

Just checking in - sorry for the wait.

 

I've pretty much gone through all my potential contacts for the JDM BTS kit and the best i can see is the offer from HKC for $1800 shipped to your US address. There is no group buy. If you are interested, contact HKC directly.

 

As for my involvement, i'm going to step out for a moment but i certainly hope that the collective here will crack this thing and get some decent suspension options in the USA for us!

Does that include all the parts, including top hats, etc?

I just noticed Japanparts now has a sku# for a kit for 2.5 and 3.0 Outbacks but currently lists for about $2000 - and probably is missing some of the misc. parts

http://www.japanparts.com/db/partslist.php?dealer=1&car=141&middle=3&small=9

THis all seams like "National Treasure", has anyone called Nicolas Cage?

well said

Wow...that's lame. At least they gave it a try. Yeah I noticed when I change the seat height it does seem to help temporarily. But then after a while the squeaks return. I called SOA and they just said it is a warranty issue and to go back to the dealer. The dealer told me that there really isn't a fix because the noises come back after a while just like you said ^

I just turn the volume up on the radio. Though sometimes I like just quiet too and those times the squeaks drive me insane.

Thanks for that ^

Bling factor mostly...but then again the radiator hoses do fail after a few years (5?) and these aftermarket ones should last a lot longer than stock.

Great thread...our color is very rare now. Only produced from 2008 - 2009 I believe. Here is my album:

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/album.php?albumid=376

Just got the Perrin LCP installed and noticed a 3 changes so far:

- The RPM's at idle speed dropped to almost 1/2 K. It might use a little less gas now at idle.

- High speed improvement once I hit 65+ the engine seems more responsive, feels more powerful and the RPM's dipped below 3K at 65 - 70mph. Previously the RPM's stayed at 3K at the same speeds.

- Acceleration is slightly more responsive in general

i don't think any 2.5i owners have officially taken their car on a dyno before and after parts so it's tough to say, but also because most of us realize the bolt-on modifications really only net minimal gains.

 

the ones included under section #7 are really where they would make an impact. otherwise for the high flow panel filter it'd be probably be like 1hp at most haha, to me i didn't notice any difference in the power but the combustion cycle just felt smoother as the engine was breathing easier.

 

light weight crank pulley nets like maybe 3-5hp? the engine revs a bit more freely but how much power that amounts to is probably not all that much either

 

exhaust mods, if you're just doing axlebacks, you're effectively just swapping the mufflers so it doens't really make a power difference, just a difference in the exhaust note

+1

 

My driver seat also rocks back in forth a little...

I have a 2009 with 8500 miles and the creaks have already started. Mine does the same thing kind of rocks slightly left to right and creaks. The dealer said this is a common problem and there are service bulletins about this.

the 8mm spacers have to be trimmed at the edges because of the coolant crossover tube, and make sure you have the right length bolts. there are two different types of intake manifolds. also two sets of gaskets. I did it in about 45 minutes, and you don't need a lift.

Have you noticed any difference with power improvement from the spacers? I think you are the only 2.5i owner that installed them.

Yeah and I think the donut spare really could wreak havoc on the AWD and alignment.

Do most Subaru dealers handle alignments? I'd rather go there than a regular alignment shop with less experience with AWD vehicles.

^^I'm almost set on going for the spacers. I already have the pulley and the hybrid intake. I'm just worried about screwing something up lol, any suggestions on what to look out for during the install? I don't have a lift so I have no clue how I should approach this.

Did you get the Grimmspeed spacer yet?

I'm close to pulling the trigger and maybe get the lightweight pulley too.

Any feedback on which pulley is best? Re: install I'm just going to take it to the dealer cause it might help with any warranty issues if they do the labor.

Perrin $97

http://www.fredbeansparts.com/servlet/the-1007/Perrin-Lightened-Crank-Pulley/Detail

Cobb $135

http://www.fredbeansparts.com/servlet/the-1008/Cobb-Tuning-Crank-pulley/Detail

Rallitek $130

http://www.rallitek.com/licrpu.html

i updated #7 to include the cams kit for people who really want to

It looks like Rallitek recommends a new spring kit along with the cam, so it would cost $1300 (+ at least 4 hours of labor?)

Rallitek also says this about their lightweight crank pulley:

"..Weighing only 1.0lbs, it is almost 5lbs lighter then stock. This is also the lightest crank pulley on the market. This gives you quicker throttle response as well as more horsepower and torque. Reducing rotating mass results in better performance."

http://www.rallitek.com/licrpu.html

the performance rocks! it soulds soo great. ya i am working on the shield.. got any ideas?

Is it a lot louder ?

This should be a good solution for a shield:

http://www.rallysportdirect.com/shop/cobb-tuning-subaru-legacy-airbox-p-3587.html