Is lifting the 00 Legacy L wagon possible?

[koolminx]

It's going to be my son's snow car, needs more ground clearance.  Is there a way to lift the front and rear about 2" and then add taller wheels to give about 3-4 overall inches over this low current stance?

 

Thanks fellas.

 

Also, the driveline or rear Diff THUMPS at acceleration and deceleration, I heard it's a bushing issue that a good tube ow windshield Urethane will remedy.  Is this often done?

[m sprank]

Choices.  Kein makes one too if you trust China/eBay.

 

https://awdadventure.com/collections/2000-2004-subaru-legacy2/products/2000-2004-legacy-2-strut-spacers-w-multi-link-spacers

 

https://www.sjrlift.com/collections/2004-legacy/products/2-00-with-trailing-arm

 

https://www.sjrlift.com/collections/2004-legacy/products/4-00

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/295182269365

[koolminx]

Thank you I will look into them.

[koolminx]

The KEIN company is in the UAE in Abu Dabi, I'll not be going with their setup...  The other group is local in Oregon just down the street. Thank you M Sprank for the link.

 

After installing their lift, can you recommend struts that are better than the current Legacy L struts on the car for front and rear?  I am also seeking new wheels that will allow a taller tire give that third inch without cutting into turning radius too much.

 

Thank you folks for your suggestions!

 

Gary

[m sprank]

Even King, who makes a 1" lift spring for the car uses KYB Excel-G

https://get-primitive.com/product/springs/king-lift-springs/lift-springs-king-raised-springs-2000-2004-legacy/

 

I highly recommend a US based small company over anything in UAE or the rest of the world. 

[koolminx]

I prefer to use the local guys also. So what stretch would go best with this legacy drive train? Do I have to stay with legacy struts or can I go to the outback style or are they two separate beasts when it comes to the backside of the car?

[m sprank]

Outback struts and springs are longer.  Depending on how perfect you want the geometry/steering there are a few different paths to converting a Legacy to an Outback.  They are the same platform and share many parts, but the "lift" on an Outback includes suspension, axles, steering rack, etc. 

[koolminx]

OK. Basically we want 2 to 3 inches just for snow clearance on the road and through this lift that is link above we can achieve 2 inches and with some new rims and tires we can get one more inch without screwing the geometry up too much and they are able to easily do an  alignment afterwards?

[m sprank]

Yes.

Factory Alignment

To maintain factory alignment specifications Camber and improved Caster offsets are built into the steel spacers.

- We recommend that you get an alignment after your install, as there may still be a human error factor when installing the camber bolts.

Edited May 10, 2023 by m sprank

[koolminx]

Thank you.  You are awesome 

[m sprank]

Just now, koolminx said:

Thank you.  You are awesome 

I am the coolest person I know.

[koolminx]

I think I got your back, I think you’re the coolest person I know also for this week lol

[m sprank]

For the cluck in the rear, the rear diff bushings are most likely shot.  The clunk is normally an alignment issue.  Should be able to visually inspect.  If you cant replace them (I dont recall aftermarket options for that year) then filling what you have with something like urethane (a stiffer durometer than the OEM rubber) is what you can do. 

[koolminx]

I had planned on going back and filling them, but I haven’t lifted the car up off the ground far enough to even inspect the rear end. It’s low to the ground and an annoying piece of shit lol belongs to my son. We were just arguing the legacy L what does the L stand for? I told him it means L for long because it’s longer than a sedan and he says it’s L for luxury because he loves luxurious vehicles lol. 

[m sprank]

LOL.  It was the 2nd cheapest model in 2000 and the cheapest in 2001.

 

For most of this generation, the L was the lowest trim package available. From 2000 to 2002, it can be identified with unpainted plastic body molding, door handles, and mirrors. It came standard with the features from the Brighton, plus features that were mentioned as excluded from the Brighton trim, rear disc brakes, and larger tires. From 2003 to 2004, the L had gained standard features in the Special Edition (2003) and 35th Anniversary Edition (2004) such as the "snowflake" style 16" alloy rims from the 2000 to 2002 GT, painted plastic body molding, door handles, and mirrors, dual sunroofs on the wagon and a single sunroof on the sedan, simulated interior wood trim, a CD player, leather-wrapped shift handle and steering wheel, and other features only previously available on the GT.

[koolminx]

That is awesome to know. Thank you.

[doublechaz]

I put Whiteline diff bushings in my 2nd gen.  It is pretty hard to get the old ones out and not great getting the new ones in.  But it is fixed right.

[koolminx]

Bushings on the torque rod. Connected to this rear end are clear. This thump is a hard metal shop is Gabby from some other place but I’ll know once I get it up on the lift this week or next.