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Legacy Suspension Swap: What's Involved?


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I'd definitely consider getting all of the bits to do the full swap to an LGT wagon.
[URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard
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Actually it was quite simple. I bought a full set of springs and struts off a member here. Course they were from an 08 sedan, so I also had to order just rear springs from a lgt wagon, fronts are the same. Also has to swap out the rear bump stops with the LGT wagon model. Then you HAVE to get an alignment. Dropping your car 3 inches throws things off! After that Hello Handling!

 

The rims are MB Weapon 18x7.5 (i ordered 18x8) I however got the last set of these rims so didn't complain much. They are wrapped with Kumho SPT 225/40 I believe, should have gone 235, depending on the offset might be able to fit 245. The main qualm I have about my setup is the offset. They are would look great on a LGT wagon, but since the outback has flares they sit back a little bit.

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They Fit!

 

Summer I run 235/45/18 on 8.5" wide rim and they're tight against the spring perch but it works fine. Anything on a stock wheel should give you plenty of clearence

 

 

the rim/tire combination you are using is .5" shorter then the factory outback setup of 225/55/17

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I want to do something like this. I have 2 questions:

 

1. Assuming that I'm going to have to pay retail for LGT struts and shocks ($100-120ish, each?), could I just go straight to Bilstein's LGT-spec struts?

 

2. I'm worried about ride height. I don't want to "slam" my wife's Outback, both for asthetic reasons and because we actually need a bit of ground clearance on rough roads.

 

Can anybody who's actually done this confirm to deny what ET3 has calculated (below).

 

A 1" or even 1.5" drop would be a good thing, but the 3" drop mentioned by Schwartzki is a deal-breaker.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Bimmer

 

So, doing some math, I get a height for the Outback with stock wheels/tires at 4.87 inches, while the Legacy with stock wheels/tires is 3.80. So, the Outback has an inch of extra ground clearance because of the bigger tire/wheel combination.

 

I think I read somewhere that the Legacy has 6.1 inches of ground clearance, while the Outback has 8.7 inches of ground clearance. If you take the inch difference between the stock wheels/tires, the difference in height is now 1.6 inches, instead of the stock 2.6 inches...

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Bimmer

 

I didnt pay retail for mine, I paid a little over 100 for all 4 off a forum member here. I would say my 3 inches a bit more then what actually dropped. I didn't measure before and after height of the vehicle but when its sitting next to a 2009 Outback 2.5i it appears about 2.5-3" lower. Now if you remember the XT sit a bit about a half inch lower then the 2.5 so your closer to about 2-2.5"

 

Also I have additional drop since my tires are about .5" shorter then the stock outback tires since they were a very tight fit(no rubbing tho) So ET3's numbers could be correct. I wouldn't have a problem taking it off road(not with my 18's on) but i have to be careful now with the front scraping bottom on some stuff (driveways, curbs) whereas before I could just drive up and over the curb.

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I would say my 3 inches a bit more then what actually dropped. I didn't measure before and after height of the vehicle but when its sitting next to a 2009 Outback 2.5i it appears about 2.5-3" lower...

 

Also I have additional drop since my tires are about .5" shorter then the stock outback tires...

 

Please help me out:

 

Could you, Schwartzki, or somebody else who has done this, please measure how far it is vertically from the top of the wheel arch to the center of the wheel?

This'll give me a number that I can compare directly to my own car.

 

I'm worried about my tires rubbing... I just spent $600+ on new 235-55/17s, and they just barely fit in the wheel wells with the OEM suspension.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Bimmer

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I'll have the bumpstop part number soon. I have all three part numbers I posted sitting at the shop, I just need to find the time to go over, pick the shortest one, and install it!

 

Do U have an answer to this yet? I will be getting mine converted within the next few weeks and need to get these still.

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Something like that, yes.
[URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard
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And one more question. Can the outback top hats be used with the legacy springs and struts? Trying to part this together is starting to get hard

 

I used LGT top hats for everything. I dont know if the outback tophats will work on top of the LGT springs.

 

Another thing you are going to want is 1/2" saggy butt spacers...at least on my wagon it sits low in the back.

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I used LGT top hats for everything. I dont know if the outback tophats will work on top of the LGT springs.

 

Another thing you are going to want is 1/2" saggy butt spacers...at least on my wagon it sits low in the back.

 

Did you have to use longer studs w/ the 1/2" spacers ??

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I used LGT top hats for everything. I dont know if the outback tophats will work on top of the LGT springs.

 

Another thing you are going to want is 1/2" saggy butt spacers...at least on my wagon it sits low in the back.

 

Does it sag because you used the sedan suspension instead of the wagon suspension? Or is it just goin to sag regardless and need to buy the spacers?

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So what is the consensus? Duffman used stock LGT Wagon suspension with no rear sagging.

 

The consensus with a Bilstein HD swap, is that the rear will sag because of tophat design (apparently, which doesn't make sense because Spec-B's don't sag).

 

So do you use 1/2" spacers regardless of springs if you are using Bilsteins?

 

I'm going to be installing Bilsteins with JDM Rev C Spec-B Wagon springs. Is the rear going to sag?

[URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard
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