Rhitter

I went the expensive route. I spent around 1500 (Springs, shocks, all new mounting hardware), but I did the installation myself. The Fred Beans Parts conversion kit for $1000 it includes a lot of parts you do not need if you looking to do it as cheaply as possible. Old parts can be reused. My car has 70k miles on it and I wanted to replace everything. BAC5.2 has a nice write up of the parts needed here: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/my-bilstein-obxt-setup-154057p3.html. Don't forget the Legacy bumpstops, they are cheap. If you do the installation yourself you can probably do it for a little over $1000. If you are handy with tools you can save another ~150 making the spacers yourself. Handling - there is a huge difference. Stock the car has a lot of sway, the back sways a lot, the car dives (and swoops?) a lot while braking or accelerating. This is all gone now. Every time I drive it I think, "this is how a car should feel." If you have been in any BMWs it feels very similar to them, imo a little better (the ride is a little more compliant. If your wife wanted and Outback because of the ride height. This is not the route to take. This thread details the alternatives: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/81-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/28368-2005-2009-outback-suspension-faq.html I still need to take it on some mountain roads to see how it really handles, but daily driving is very improved.

Unintended benefit of the drop 3-4 mpg better than before. So only around 60k miles before I break even. Nice! I think the back has settled a little more (~.5 inch). The car looks a little even all around now. Installation Pictures This is what happens when you attempt to put on a spacer made for the stock top hat onto a Spec-B top hat The one on the left has been widened Front Suspension comparison Rear Suspension with spacers

Added the the after pictures a little earlier in the thread.

Just finished the installation. Took me pretty much all day. I am sitting at about 3 fingers front and 4 fingers back. I have a 3/4 inch spacer in the front and a 1.5 inch spacer in the back. Ill take some pictures tomorrow and post them. How long should I wait before an alignment? I finished the installation on Tuesday (11.22.11) and was thinking of getting it done this Friday. Is that too soon? On another note: How do you install new bump stops? Just grab them and turn? Or is there something in the trunk I need to unbolt?

Before - 17inches all around (center of wheel to top of the wheel arch) After 15 inches in the front. 15 7/8s inches in the back. Before http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff447/macmatthews/Front.jpg?t=1321908956 After Before After Before After

The geometry issues I think have to do with the cars roll center not with tire wear. The tires you fix with an alignment. The roll center you fix with this [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Whiteline-Subaru-Center-steer-correction/dp/B004ZZVNOI]Amazon.com: Whiteline Subaru Roll Center/bump steer correction kit (RCA): Automotive[/ame] However, I think that kit is only needed if you go below the stock legacy ride height. (I might be really wrong here, It's possible that the body spacers / risers in the OB make this needed if you drop down to legacy height A couple people on this board have lowered their cars to legacy height (BAC5.2 and SublimeJoe) and they do not have the kit installed and I haven't heard any complaints about it. I think BAC5.2 has plans to install the kit as he recently went to pink springs. Sorry I can't give more details. I am haven't lowered mine yet. All my information comes from reading other people's posts here and at NASIOC

Derkahn, My current plan is to try the spacers from Paranoid Fab. They are much cheaper. I am hoping to put a 1 inch spacer in front and 1.5 in the rear. Based off of BAC's measurements that should give me a 15.5 ride height in front and 15.75 in the rear. I figure Ill have everything installed sometime in October.

Hey BAC, I asked SactoJesse a similar question a few weeks ago and was told "Rear springs are the same regardless of shock. Only the front springs are different depending on whether they are designed for Bilstein or KYB style top hats and struts. In other words, there are no Bilstein-specific rear springs."

Nice, let me know when you have them off and Ill buy them. To get the same ride height with Bilsteins you need to import a JDM specific kit. It's not sold in the US. I know of one person who has done this. He has a few threads on it here and at Subaruoutback.org http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/81-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/18967-ob-xt-jdm-bilstein-bts-5056-suspension-kit.html I guess you could have 2inch strut spacers which would give you close to the same ride height, but not the travel of the stock OB suspension.

Yep, I am dropping the outback down to Legacy height. Ill probably use strut spacers to lift it back up an inch. Right now from the center of the hub to the fender is about 17 inches. I am looking to make it about 15.5. My understanding was that there was something unique about the top hats for Bilsteins that required Bilstein specific springs. (This is taken from the JDM Suspension sticky in the Suspension forum). It sounds like the rears do not have this requirement and I just need Legacy GT wagon specific springs. Or if I am lucky JDM wagon specific springs. I am moving at the end of this month so it looks like Ill have to put the build on hold. But as soon as I start building it, Ill make sure to update this thread.

I figured I would just update this post as opposed to making a bunch of different ones. This week I am installing steering rack bushings (finished) and the Bilstein's. Steering Rack bushings (Whiteline kit) - 3 hours crawling under the car and extremely sore the next day. I looked at a few install threads. Found one by AVO that was the most helpful. This job really shouldn't have taken that long, but I had a few things stacked against me. 1. I had no idea what a steering rack looked like or where it was. 2. None of the install guides mentioned there is a lot of shit covering the rack. A brace that is held in place by 11 rusted on bolts. Which are a bitch to remove. 3. My Dad's garage (home for the thanksgiving week) has no order to his tools. I wasted so much time looking for the correct tools. 4. All the install threads mention make sure your steering wheel is straight...of course I didn't so now my steering wheel is crooked. Hopefully when I get an alignment they'll fix that, because I am not really sure how to. Results: Noticeable improvement at speeds 30+ (only tested to about 50). It's a minor improvement, but it is an improvement. Bilstein Suspension (in the process so I'll update this as the week goes on) 1. Spec-B top hats are not the same size as stock top hats. The Front spacers I ordered from Paranoid Fabrications are just too small. I need to take a jigsaw and widen the center hole. I maybe need to take off 1-2mm all around so it's not that much to small. 2. A pass through wrench or an offset wrench really is needed to assemble the shocks / springs. Original Post: I am considering replacing my stock suspension with a Bilstein setup. Through searching around on this forum I think I have a pretty good idea of what is involved but, I still have a few questions. Overall I am looking to make the Outback more fun while still retaining some level of comfort and usability (IE not too low). The Fred Beans kit will get me everything I need for the struts however, I am unsure about the springs. I think stock springs to retain the ride height are probably my best option. I know that in the front Spec B springs are required with Bilsteins. Is that the same for the rear? or can I use LGT wagon specific springs? -to help with the saggy butt (I know Ill probably need to run spacers either way, I was just hoping that LGT would mean I would need less of a spacer). Thanks for your help. EDIT: I found out that only the front need Spec B specific springs. For the rear LGT springs will fit.