MichaelBrown86 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Hello everyone! I have a quick question, but first, some background: I own an 2005 Outback XT, and i'm trying to do the LGT suspension swap to lower my ride height. So far i have: Aftermarket/OEM LGT shocks/struts Aftermarket/OEM REAR shock mounts I'll be ordering some springs soon and i was thinking of using the Swift Wagon springs. Other than that, I'm only missing the FRONT strut mounts and i was thinking of using the 06-09 Legacy Spec b's. I was about to purchase a set when i read the following: "These are the OEM '06-'09 (there was no '05 Spec.B) Subaru legacy GT Spec.B Front Strut Tops. These are required when upgrading your GT Suspension to the Bilstein (or any Bilstein-style) struts. These can be used with the OEM KYB-style struts (Konis for example) but you will need to use a round spacer to make up the difference in thickness between the Spec.B and GT strut mounts or the nut will not tighten fully." What sort of "spacer" are they talking about? I'm almost ready to lower my Outback, but i want to make sure i'm not wasting time/money. Could someone give me some info on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 The spacer is essentially a thick washer. The nut will bottom out on the shoulder of the strut rod before engaging the top hat unless the spacer is used. Alternatively you could use Whiteline front upper mounts which are a higher durometer material and give an additional .75 degrees caster and .5 degrees camber. Those are made for the KYB style shocks so no spacer is needed. A word of caution - the Swift springs are made for Bilsteins and will ride very low on a KYB/OEM setup. When I had them on my car years ago I was ~2" lowered up front and was basically on the bumpstops all the time. The Crimson Dynamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBrown86 Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 So, basically just go to Home Depot and get a set of washers that fit the top hat, and around the threads? I wouldn't mind using the Whiteline mounts, but they're almost $100 more than the set of Spec b's. I'm trying to be a bit of a baller on a budget and if all i have to do is spend an extra 5 bucks on washers, that seems like a better option. The reasons i like the Swift springs are they actually offer a "Wagon" option; everyone else does one-size-fits-all for the sedan/wagon and it gives the rear that saggy bottom look. Also, they seem to be a bit more on the "comfort" side, which I don't mind at all. If they lower the vehicle too much with KYB/OEM shocks, i'm a little concerned about my OXTs larger side-wall tires. Are there any other spring options for wagon springs? Or am i stuck with having to order saggy-bottom spacers? Also, a bit of topic, but i'm also looking for Camber adjusting bolts, and everywhere i look, they say that they will work for my car but when i look at the "will fit this car" list, i never find the 2005-09 legacy on there. Is there something i don't know? I've looked at Whiteline, eibach, and SPC and its the same thing everytime. They're for a different car but they say it will fit ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danteneon Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Let me throw a couple of things at you. If you are going to keep OBK sized tires, be mindful that they may rub the strut. If you plan to go with wider tires and maintain the OBK diameter (like I did), they will rub. I avoided this by using SpecB struts since the perch is a bit higher than the LGT. The size tire you use will determine if you rub the body at all...stock won't, but wider tires may. As far as springs go, as long as you find a spring that is made for a LGT wagon, the saggy butt won't be as bad. I didn't see if you were going to leave all of the OBK frame spacers in place (I assume you aren't). Saggy butt spacers will fix the droop in the back, but I decided to leave the rear sub frame spacers in place which kept the rear from drooping. Consider that at your own risk however since that effectively changes the driveline angle at the rear. Time has yet to tell if it may be a problem. I like to cook my pets and my family. Use commas. Don't be a psycho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBrown86 Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Let me throw a couple of things at you. If you are going to keep OBK sized tires, be mindful that they may rub the strut. If you plan to go with wider tires and maintain the OBK diameter (like I did), they will rub. I avoided this by using SpecB struts since the perch is a bit higher than the LGT. The size tire you use will determine if you rub the body at all...stock won't, but wider tires may. A word of caution - the Swift springs are made for Bilsteins and will ride very low on a KYB/OEM setup. When I had them on my car years ago I was ~2" lowered up front and was basically on the bumpstops all the time. As far as the tires rubbing and the car being too low, i'm keeping the stock tires until i need new ones, then I'll install some smaller diameter tires on a set of 04-07 STI BBS wheels (different offset) In this thread, it shows that the tires are close but not touching the perches and there seems to be at least ~2" difference, so overall, I think I'll be sitting pretty will with KYB/OEM struts and Swift springs: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/lgt-wagon-suspension-swapped-into-outback-xt-140548.html As far as springs go, as long as you find a spring that is made for a LGT wagon, the saggy butt won't be as bad. Thats the problem i'm having. The only springs i see that offer a wagon option are Swift. Everyone else just has one set of springs for both sedan and wagon LGT's. I didn't see if you were going to leave all of the OBK frame spacers in place (I assume you aren't). Saggy butt spacers will fix the droop in the back, but I decided to leave the rear sub frame spacers in place which kept the rear from drooping. Consider that at your own risk however since that effectively changes the driveline angle at the rear. Time has yet to tell if it may be a problem. I'm not 100% certain i understand where the frame spacers are located. So far, i'm only going to be changing out the shocks/struts/mounts/springs. everything else is staying in place unless its a simple matter of not putting it back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottieBoy Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 How thick of a washer is needed? I'm putting in the Eibach/Koni on my 09 2.5i sedan soon and I got the SpecB top hats as well Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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