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Help Understanding the Outback Suspension


chucktoo

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[font=Arial][size=3]Hi[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]We hab my Outback up on a lift a KTR today installing an Uppie. I asked the guys at KTR if they could help me figureout where the ride height difference is.[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]What we found were spaces [ ~2.5" ] between the subframe and frame that they had never seen before on any Subaru. Is this the difference between the Legacy and Outback ? If so anything that attaches to the subframe on a Legacy may work on an Outback ?[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]The rear suspension was clearly new and different in that the straight control arms on other Subarus are curved down on the Outback. It looked like the link to the sway bar from the suspemsion maybe longer and that is how they use the same bar ?[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Sorry I did not have my camera this time but will take pictures next time when we do the down pipe and cat back. I'll make some measurement so we can compare them to the Legacy.[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Charlie[/size][/font]
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I can't say for absolute certain right now, but it looks like the rear swaybar on the Outback has longer "arms" at the end. The endlinks look about the same length, they may be a tad bit longer, but they were fairly long in general on the new Legacy. The spacers make sense from a design viewpoint. They maintain the pivot points that were designed on the lower riding Legacy as best possible. Which means that if you just throw a coilover designed for the Legacy GT suspension on, you may end up throwing things rather more out of whack than would be normally expected. Explains why the benign handling traits of the standard Legacy carried over to the Outback so well. You could probably get away with some lowering springs from STi or others like the Swifts I have on, and some shorter endlinks to match the drop, without adverse affects. At least, not any more than doing the same thing to a Legacy GT. It would simply just lower it 15mm (in the case of the STi springs) from it's present height. Since the JDM Outback that I drove rode on stiffer springs/dampers than the USDM Legacy GT it should take such handling changes without major unpleasant side effects, as long as they are designed for a wagon. Cheers, Paul Hansen [url]www.avoturboworld.com[/url] [url]www.apexjapan.com[/url]
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Thanks Paul If your are looking for a test case for JDM Outback Wagon parts I am will to try them with the understanding they may not workat my risk . Email me off line if you would like to try. Charlie
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  • 1 year later...
[quote name='champagne 2.5i']Would the sway bar for a legacy wagon work on an OB wagon? it looks like the perches are the same type.[/quote] Yes, the Legacy sway bars should work fine on your OB. I have the Perrin Performance rear sway bar and the Progress front sway bar on my 2.5XT OB. Both are adjustable and I have them mounted to their stiffest settings. They definitely make a difference in the ride and handling. The rear sway bar not only helps with the cornering, but seems to tone down the "bouncy" rear end. The front sway bar helped improve roll and turn-in.
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[SIZE=2]Basically, the choice to go with two different sway bars was more a matter of economics than anything else. I like Perrin's rear sway bar because of the 3 adjustment points and the stiffener braces they include with their kit. The red finish is also cool! I got the Progress front sway bar from eBay from a seller by the name of neverenough2003. It was $145 shipped. The Perrin rear bar I got from North American Motorsports ([U][COLOR=#0000ff][URL="http://www.namotorsports.net"]www.namotorsports.net[/URL])[/COLOR][/U] for $235 shipped. Both are 22 mm bars, and both seem to work well. [/SIZE]
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  • 2 weeks later...
Initially I fabricated some end links of my own with some mechanical control rod parts. However, there was a little bit of slack in the spherical joints, so the sway bars had a tendency to rattle a little. I reinstalled the stock end links, and they have worked just fine. Basically, they only work in tension, and the amount the stock links are going to stretch under the forces applied by the sway bars is very little, so IMO the endlink upgrade is not justified.
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