Cusco RSB braces do not line up with stock mounts?

[KZJonny]

Spent some time searching for this, and nothing came up, but I figured someone else out there will have come across this and maybe has an answer.

 

I was installing my set of Cusco rear sway bar braces last evening and realized that the holes drilled in the braces do not line up with the weldnuts on the back side of the sway bar brackets on the subframe.

 

The holes in the brace are closer together by ~1/2" or so. So, I can get one sway bar bolt in, or the other, but not both. (the topmost bolt with the backing plate lines up just fine where it is supposed to.

 

So..... It seems like either I need to drill new holes in the brand new braces, which doesn't make much sense to me.

 

OR

 

There exists somewhere sway bar holders where the spacing of the bolts holes is close together, and I need to drill a hole in the stock subframe and use a bolt and nut that would then go through the Cusco braces just the way they are.

 

I've found photos online of these brackets installed, and what *look* like stubbier bar holders, but haven't come across anything available to buy yet. (Could possibly modify the ones I have?)

 

I can grab some photos or measurements tonight, it was just too late and dark by the time I got the bar back in and cleaner up.

 

Cheers

[KZJonny]

Perhaps something like these Energy Universals are a good solution?

Obviously I would need to measure the diameter of the swaybar to ensure it would fit...

I just like the idea of using purpose built parts, but in a pinch, anything is better than having the braces and not being able to use them.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Energy-Suspension-9-5158R-Greasable-Sway/dp/B000CN7BTS/ref=asc_df_B000CN7BTS/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292992180896&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=997688002721537994&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000767&hvtargid=pla-569541954400&psc=1

[Infosecdad]

I had to drill a half a hole further apart on my Cusco braces.

I believe the JDM Spec B holes are closer together and that's why we have a slight mismatch in North America.

 

AVO makes a USDM spec size I think, and so does a forum member.

[whitexc]

Yes, not sure of his forum handle but he can be found on eBay at cke_ssp. I bought his brackets and while the transaction took some time the pieces fit nicely.

 

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[Febreze Mee]

Traildogck makes the brackets. He's way more active over on the OB forums then he is here. You can find his email under his LegacyGT user page.

 

LegacyGT handle: https://legacygt.com/forums/member.php?u=78225

 

Subaruoutback.org handle: https://www.subaruoutback.org/members/traildogck.52978/

[KZJonny]

Awesome. Thanks all.

 

For the price, I pulled the trigger on the Energy brackets. Really didn't want to drill more holes in the Cusco braces if I didn't have to... makes far more sense to drill through the thinner metal of the factory parts.

 

If they arrive and won't line up, it's an amazon purchase, so easy to return. I do know traildogck from the outback.org site (my daily is a 3rd gen OBW) and will definitely reach out to him it what I bought doesn't work out. But for $40 delivered, a set of poly RSB brackets with zerk fittings seems like a pretty good deal.

 

Not entirely sure what who made my RSB, since it came with the car, and is completely covered in rust, but it is definitely at least 22mm, so hopefully it fits up okay. I suspect it is Cusco as well, given that the uninstalled front sway bar, now installed. is a Cusco unit, but I don't suppose I'll ever know.

 

Sooo much corrosion to deal with in the rear of the car... Ah well, Ontario life. At least she'll never see another winter.

[KZJonny]

Following up on the sway bar bracket question.

Looks like the Energy Suspension parts will do the job just fine. Might help someone else who hits the same snag in future.

I don’t think the RSB reinforcement is critical given my use scenario, but I did have to get the trailing arm brackets to install Spec B rear end stuff, and it wasn’t a whole lot more money to get them at the same time.
 

Glad I did, since it took months for them to arrive from Japan.

There was lots of help here mentioning how you need to adapt the trailing arms, but this was a snag I wasn’t expecting the day I went to install them. Hopefully these hold up alright.

[lagwagon]

Does this look like it will fit the front as well? I've got a chronically creaking front sway bar that is a 22mm Whiteline. 

[KZJonny]

20 hours ago, lagwagon said:

Does this look like it will fit the front as well? I've got a chronically creaking front sway bar that is a 22mm Whiteline. 

I can take a quick look. Installing the new RSB mounts got shoved waaay down the priority list while other stuff was going on, so they're still in that box.

My first guess would be "no", just based on size and mount location, but I bet the mounting holes could be massaged a little to fit. I'll take a picture of how they look mocked up when I have a chance.... So, that is certainly not a hard no.

Cheers!

[KZJonny]

Finally had a chance to take a quick look while under the car doing some other work. I would guess that these could be used on the FSB as well as the rear, but not without a bit of nipping and grinding to make the larger bracket fit into place.

Definitely not the end of the world, but maybe it would be worth looking to see if just the bushings are available, tho they may not fit into the stock brackets. (FWIW, I stuck a Cusco FSB into the stock brackets, with the supplied poly bushes no problem.

I have also read elsewhere that some have recommended wrapping the bar in a few layers of teflon where it meets the poly, so that could be another option to try and tame the squeek?

[GearJamr]

I was going to do that to mine, but didn't feel like taking apart the lower suspension and braces/covers to get the clearance.  Liberal application of ES polyurethane lube took care of it.  The teflon tape would just be an added layer of "protection", might make the lube interval longer.

[BoozeRS05]

My 10yr old rear sway bar looked like death. So I popped it out, sanded, washed and repainted it. Looks much more expensive again now.