05 Outback suspension

[dj3841]

I bought an 05' Outback about 2 months ago and the front suspension seems abnormally "spongy". If I'm taking a curve on the highway and hit a bump the whole front end seems to skip.....it's a little freaky. Anyway, I'm wondering if this indeed normal or my shocks/struts are already shot....only 28,000 miles!

 

Thanks

[brett s]

Suspension is pretty soft, but it's usually the rear that people notice being rather underdamped.

[ruckus04]

I noticed alot of tire flex on my '05, notice the next year they moved from 16" to 17" wheels. First thing I did was get a beefier RSB and when the time comes I will get 17" wheels too.

[TimGinCentralNJ]

I noticed alot of tire flex on my '05, notice the next year they moved from 16" to 17" wheels. First thing I did was get a beefier RSB and when the time comes I will get 17" wheels too.

 

Out of curiosity, did your Outback 2.5i come with the same crappy Bridgestone RE92A's that the XT came with? Reason I'm asking is because I felt like the RE92A's (in addition to being made of a very hard rubber compound and getting awful wet and snow traction) had a fairly stiff sidewall, which I actually do like in a tire. I only realized how stiff they really were after I switched to a set of Falken Ziex 512's which got far better traction--but definitely had more sidewall flex. This is why I'm running my Falkens at 38F/36R to try and stiffen them up some.

 

If your Subie came with the same tires, I'm wondering if what you may be thinking is tire sidewall flex might actually be a combination of our floaty suspension and too small stabilizer bars front and rear (?)

 

I really have been considering the Megan Racing coil-overs myself. I'm not really in the "modding" crowd (funny what buying a house and having a child will do to your "fun money" supply!), but out of the long list of "dislikes" which most people here with Outbacks agree on, the suspension is the one thing which I'd like to remedy if I'm going to keep this car long term.

 

Cheers,

Tim G.

[ruckus04]

Don't remember what came on the car since we got our outback used and replaced the tires almost immediately with Bridgestone G007. What I did notice when we bought it was sidewall flex and lots of sway, the new tires and new RSB definitely made a difference. Also comparing to my Legacy I think the height of the outback also comes into play with the swaying. The OB is still a nice driving car, I just drive it a little different than the legacy. For example I just initiate turns a little earlier and so on.

 

Also if you are new to subaru they all have understeer because of the engine overhanging past the front wheels so that makes them handle a little different than other cars.

 

I too own a house and have a son turning 1 year old next month so my modding money is none existent.

[TimGinCentralNJ]

Don't remember what came on the car since we got our outback used and replaced the tires almost immediately with Bridgestone G007. What I did notice when we bought it was sidewall flex and lots of sway, the new tires and new RSB definitely made a difference. Also comparing to my Legacy I think the height of the outback also comes into play with the swaying. The OB is still a nice driving car, I just drive it a little different than the legacy. For example I just initiate turns a little earlier and so on.

 

Also if you are new to subaru they all have understeer because of the engine overhanging past the front wheels so that makes them handle a little different than other cars.

 

I too own a house and have a son turning 1 year old next month so my modding money is none existent.

 

I hear ya' on all counts

 

I bought mine new in Aug '04 and have had really good luck with it. I've never been happy with the operation/feel of the clutch on this car, but then again--it seems to be one of the biggest complaints on these cars--and the Legacys, too. I can overlook it so long as I'm able to address the suspension to some degree.

 

The other thing which definitely affects the handling behavior on these cars *(and I'm sure it's amplified my the mushy suspension) is the AWD--especially if you opted for the 5-speed manual which runs in 50/50 front/rear torque split as opposed to the XT's with auto trannies which have a slight rear torque bias during normal conditions.

 

All told, I think this'll be a car I can hold on to for a while--and run into the ground. Lord knows it's been a real savior in the white stuff!

 

Cheers,

Tim G.

[brett s]

Tires definitely make a difference - btw, RE-92's don't have a stiff sidewall at all. Falken 512's just have an extremely soft one, I'll never buy tham again (had them on my old 04 FXT) - between that & the rather poor longevity for the grip level. They only lasted about 25k of mainly highway driving.

 

I'm running Toyo Proxes S/T's on my 05 OBXT, I'm happy with them - far stiffer sidewalls, not loud, decent grip. Only have a few thousand miles on them so can't judge how long they'll last yet...

[TimGinCentralNJ]

I'm running Toyo Proxes S/T's on my 05 OBXT, I'm happy with them - far stiffer sidewalls, not loud, decent grip. Only have a few thousand miles on them so can't judge how long they'll last yet...

 

Appreciate the info. Out of curiosity, where'd you buy them and for how much?

 

Have been half-heartedly toying around with the idea of switching from dedicated summers (Falken 512's) and dedicated studded winters (WinterForce M+S) to maybe trying a set of Nokian WR's and running them all year long. Just not sure I'd be happy with the compromise in handling during summer or grip during winter.

 

TIA,

Tim G.

[brett s]

Got them from my local Kauffman Tire dealer, seems like around $550 installed (I could be wrong about that though, it's been a few months).

 

If you're going to go to the hassles of switching tires seasonally, ditch the Falken 512's & get decent summer tires - they are a mediocre all season tire at best.

[dj3841]

Yes, it did come with the RE92's and I have heard those tires suck in the snow. The snow is going to fly soon so I should look into some better tires anyway. I agree that the something must happen with the suspension....have you thought about replacing the RSB?

[macconis]

Rsb?

[OhBe1]

Rear sway bar.

[TimGinCentralNJ]

Yes, it did come with the RE92's and I have heard those tires suck in the snow. The snow is going to fly soon so I should look into some better tires anyway. I agree that the something must happen with the suspension....have you thought about replacing the RSB?

 

Yeah, I have talked with several folks who have the same specific complaints about the OB suspension that I do. According to a couple of guys who had tried installing just a new RSB, it did help controlling rear sway a little, but still left them wanting to address the poor shock/spring performance.

 

It seems that for a pair of new sways and about a grand for the Megan Racing coilovers, these cars can be made to handle decently. And just for the record, I'm not trying to turn my OB into an autocross monster; only to make it handle more "normally" at highway speeds and over bumps.

 

Having driven a friend's 2004 OB with the 6-cylinder motor just before buying my '05, it's funny how big of a step backwards the '05 suspension is by comparison. Although not billed as a "performance" car and not having 250HP or a 5 speed, the last generation OB really wasn't a bad car.

 

Cheers,

Tim G.

[OhBe1]

No argument. We're trying to get out '06 to handle as well as our old '98.

[brett s]

I can live with the softness (after getting tires with stiff sidewalls it's not bad at all), but I'd definitely prefer more damping especially in the rear.

[macconis]

Tim,

Was there any discussion about ride height with the Megan coil overs?

Wynn

[TimGinCentralNJ]

Tim,

Was there any discussion about ride height with the Megan coil overs?

Wynn

 

Hey Wynn-

 

Yep...as I recall (and you may wanna' do a search on either "MR coilover" or "Megan Racing group buy", etc to keep me honest), people here who had installed them said that at the highest setting, their OB was sitting at just about stock ride height. This would be fine with me since I'm really not looking to lower my OB for reasons of both ground clearance and aesthetics.

 

The only concern I have was my **understanding** that most coilovers usually need to be rebuilt every 40k+ miles. This wouldn't be surprising to me for people who track their cars, but I don't--and that sounds like kind of a short lifespan to me.

 

Not sure if anyone else here can chime in and shed some light on this (?)

 

Cheers,

Tim G.

[DiscoPete]

I've had my '05 OBXT since late July. It took me a while to get a feel for the clutch , but I'm finally getting competent with the 5 speed and I like the car.

 

But I don't like the bouncy suspension and Megan coilovers sound like the cure.

 

What will the installation of coilovers do to the Subaru warranty? The warranty is up in May, but Subaru has offered me an extended warranty which I am considering.

 

Any problems getting dealers to do alignments on modified suspensions?

 

Thanks!

[SeanP]

I put the MR coilovers on two weeks ago. I dropped ride height about 1.5" and am still dialing in the front rebound (19 clicks from firmest). I couldn't stand the way the rear would just bounce and bounce. At 80MPH it is just unsafe having the weight transfer around because of the bouncing.

 

I am really impressed with what I have now. The front rebound over some of the bumps is a bit harsh but the sense of control is great. Iam also running 18" wheels and JDM 20MM hollow RSB.

[eVoMotion]

I have a set of MRs on our OBXT. I dropped them to the lowest setting as I did not like the stock ride height. I like the ride and adjustability. I have yet to install the AVO RSB I bought this summer as I have not been driving the car until the weather change. RSB goes on ASAP now.