holter95

Unless I'm reading it wrong, he did not replace the cup. I did not have to either. In fact I'd think the cup would have to be pretty damaged (deeply scored or gouged) to warrant replacing it, and that is unlikely. It's a big meaty chunk of metal, and more likely the binding is in the bearings as they have a lot less tolerance.

Inigo Montoya, can you post a P/N list (and where you got them from) for the rebuild....bearing, cup, boot and all? I can't seem to find it on fred beans or any OEM catalog.

 

Unless the bearings/cup are damaged, there's no need to replace them. Simply clean thoroughly and regrease. If the bearings are gritty, you probably have to get them from your Subie dealer. I highly doubt the cup needs replacing at all unless you got gravel in the boot or you damaged the splines pulling it out of the differential (not likely).

Any updates from Bilstein NA?

Used this writeup as a guide for my CV boot replacement yesterday, and It's 100% correct. I may add for clarification:

 

- Be very careful when pulling the halfshaft out of the diff. There's a ring clip on the end of the halfshaft that can snag the oil seal on the diff on the way out.

 

- When reinstalling the halfshaft into the diff, the service manual says to insert the halfshaft into the wheel hub first, then the diff. This is crap, as I couldn't get it to align, or shove in. It takes some force. I recommend this:

 

1. If you've disconnected the LBJ, swing the spindle out of the way (towards the front of the car)

2. Get the halfshaft into position and CAREFULLY insert it into the diff until the splines start to engage

3. Swing the free end of the halfshaft so that it threads through the plastic fender shield (this is where the spindle needs to be out of the way), so that the halfshaft is sticking straight out from the diff.

4. With the halfshaft straight, push in on the halfshaft to get the splines to engage fully. It takes some force, and you may have to wiggle a bit, but with it straight, it works much better.

5. Then insert the outer spline into the hub

6. Continue reassembly of spindle to LBJ, sta-bar link, etc.

 

I found absolutely no need to disconnect the strut, as once I was able to pop the LBJ loose, the spindle would swing freely out of my way. Maybe because I have an Outback and the strut is longer, allowing more room to swing.

 

My only real problem was figuring out how to use the stupid boot clamp crimp tool... it wasn't obvious, so I fashioned my own way of crimping the bands with a small punch and a needlenose. Hope it works.

 

Total fix was $60 in parts (including 2-day air expedite). $100 in tools and supplies, most of which can be re-used for other repairs. It took me a better half of a day, but was worth the learning lesson, especially considering the near $1K estimate the stealership gave me to do the same.

I can take it. It wasn't obvious to me, so I wanted to clarify.

Yes, but is it 1 inch HIGHER or LOWER? You just say "within one inch of stock" and don't give dimensions for stock.

MS - what's the total $ with the top hats/caps, etc? It sounds like a highly desirable upgrade based on your comments, but a whole lotta coin at the same time, especially if you're knockin' on $1500 all-in.

 

Also, am I correct to infer that ride height is LOWERED slightly (pics aren't obvious)?

 

Is the 16 mpg just because you're feeling frisky with the new handling? Or did you jack with the alignment something badly?

Gawd... your vacation looks like so much fun. The pics are so good, it's like I was there!! Thanks for the pics - they're awesome!

 

Obie is jealous. He wants a vacay too!

Jazzy - I just bought your board off of COZ and installed it this morning. Works excellent! Now I'm just trying to figure out how to re-wire my Sirius Starmate for a clean-looking install... I hate those stupid docking cradles and all the space they eat up!

 

Expect my order for GLI and iPod interface soon (I feel I owe it to you to order these since I bought your board second-hand)

 

One thing I found is that the Subie doesn't like the Silent CDs burned by Roxio. I used iTunes and it worked fine.

 

A question/comment about installation: are there particular hot spots in the radio that we should be aware of when routing the audio patch cable? I zip tied mine to the chassis in a few strategic places... should have taken pics to supplement. Otherwise, thanks for a very detailed installation manual!

'05 OBXT Ltd 5MT - Silver/Grey