Good suspension for Heavy Outback XT

[phildog33]

Hey guys , I went stage 3 on my 05 outback xt.. and then added all this weight in the form of sound deadening material, amplifiers, power inverter, spare battery, etc.. in the back of the car.

 

Its pretty low now in the back... but the car really kinda bottoms out when I hit a bump in the city.

 

Id like to keep the height as much as possible, just to have the clearance when I go to the mountains and in the city

 

What would be a good upgrade from this light stock suspension I have now.

 

All ive done so far with that is WhiteLine sway bars and Kart Boy end links.

But id like to get a good suspension to put on

 

P

[phildog33]

do you guys recommend this one? what will be the big difference from the stock suspension

 

http://www.fredbeansparts.com/index.php/bilstein-subaru-legacy-gt-suspension-conversion-kit.html

[vet]

I don't believe that will work on the Outback XT. You need something specifically for the Outback's different/higher setup.

[phildog33]

could i just use that setup but some different springs you recommend?

p

[whitetiger]

stock suspension with saggy butt spacers in the rear to compensate for the extra weight.

[OhBe1]

http://www.rallitek.com/RallITEK-Overload-Springs-2005-2009-Outback-Wagon/p-4610

[phildog33]

It says I can't use my Whiteline rear sway bar with those springs.

Shoot.. Why is that

[gofastroger]

Found a coupon for a website called discbrakepads.net (brakesale-0930-2010) and they only sell Lomandi Brake Pads. I was curious if anyone has used them before? Are they actually low dust? I’ve been cleaning my wheels everyday with my raybestos’s and they’ve been quite loud as well. Disappointing considering what I paid for them...Anyone use lomandi brake pads before?

[seabass07]

It says I can't use my Whiteline rear sway bar with those springs.

Shoot.. Why is that

 

 

According to them, the combination of a stiff sway bar and the springs adds too much over steer and can cause the inside rear tire to lift in heavy cornering.

[phildog33]

shoot, so is there anything you guys recommend for my situation... i have all this added weight in the trunk from my power inverter, battery and amplifiers and subwoofer...

and my suspension is really sloppy in general because I think the weight has worn them all out

 

I want to get something more solid, but keep the height

 

any ideas?

p

[seabass07]

This is the closest I've found to a solution other than importing jdm bilsteins from japan for 2k+. http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/81-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/24725-replace-rear-shocks-05-outback-8.html

 

It seems like the KYB G2 shocks from the 00-04 outback will fit perfectly and have better dampening. One person did those shocks with the rallitek springs and a jdm swaybar which is in between our stock one and the other aftermarket ones. They said it was good. There is still debate over whether it effects ride height. If others do this setup and like it, I will likely do it as well. I'll see if I can find a JDM swaybar first.

 

I've had my OBXT for about 2 weeks now and have already been grateful for the ride height after some crazy rain here. Went through 8" puddles without a worry. I've already ruled out going to the legacy suspension for this reason.

[Impatient]

Phildog, put a bigger FSB on, and don't worry about big RSB & Rallitek springs. Ask Rallitek. Or sell me your RSB cheap.

[seabass07]

I have not read of anyone with these springs and a stiff RSB complaining about it being dangerous or having any tire lift. It just makes the car start to oversteer at the limit instead of understeer. It sounds like the JDM RSB makes things more neutral with these springs. Unfortunately, there are so few people with these setups that there are almost no reviews of them. Like Imaptient said, the FSB would negate the oversteer problem while further reducing body roll.

 

I'll be doing a lot of wet and icy driving soon, so I personally would prefer a more neutral setup. If I already had a stiffer rsb, I'd still do the springs though. But since I don't, I'm going to do the JDM one.

 

Does anyone know if the JDM outback came with a different FSB?

[phildog33]

I just wanted to revisit this thread... if there is a good solution for my RSB whiteline with a good new suspension... to fix the saggy but issues im having and get better struts in the process

 

im think the blistein kit if its worth it, and i can still keep my ride height

p

[seabass07]

If you want to import the bilsteins from Japan for $2k+, then that's the best option. But I don't think there are any bilstein kits in the US for the OB that will keep the ride height. Only for the legacy in which case you will lower your car.

 

There are a lot of people with that sway bar and the rallitek springs and KYB GR2 shocks that like the set up. It will just start to over steer at the limit. If you don't like the possible over steer, then go with just the GR2 struts and stock springs with your rear sway bar. Otherwise just add in a FSB to negate the over steer.

[phildog33]

i have a nice 22mm FSB on right now... so in that case.. KYB GR2 + rallitek springs are a good bet? no over steer with the FSB i have on it?

[seabass07]

You will probably be good with that set up then. You'll have a little more over steer than you do now, but it will probably be a good setup.

[phildog33]

Thanks seabass, appreciate all your help

So I want to get all the KYB GR2 and rallitek springs, I need for my OBXT

 

Where do you recommend to purchase these parts?

p

[seabass07]

At this point, I'm not sure. I've heard good things about justsuspension.com and they have the best prices on the 04 shocks, but I ordered mine on 9/22 and they still have not shipped. Tire rack has them. I've always had good luck with them. Just read up on whether you want the 04 or 05 struts.

[Impatient]

I better waffle a bit on my earlier claim. CALL Rallitek. sounds like the springs would be helpful to you, but Rallitek is concerned about stiffening up the rear too much. Understeer/Oversteer, body roll, and adhesion limits are interrelated but different. Limiting roll and understeer might be good but might actually worsen ultimate adhesion (especially over a bump...let alone on snow/ice) if done in excess. That's why I've been sitting on the fence on which KYB's, which RSB, and whether to do the springs or not. I want all of the above, but your RSB is at stiffer end of the spectrum, as are Rallitek springs, as might be the 00-04 KYB's. In a perfect world, I would want more damping, more support, and less sway/wobble, but want in moderation. Take that back: in a perfect world I wouldn't be driving a Subaru Outback.

[seabass07]

I don't think you have to worry about the KYB shocks being on the stiffer end of the spectrum. They are an OEM replacement with a slight increase in dampening. If you want the best handling in turns, you will want the front and rear sway bar with the stiffer springs. It will be neutral, hence the front and rear will begin to lose traction at the same time. That will give you overall more traction at the limit. I don't think any of these parts are harsh enough to actually reduce traction at the limits, even over bumps or in snow. You will just change the balance between neutral and under/over steer. Keep in mind that you are not making these changes to a well balanced car. You are making changes to an underdamped and weak springed suspension.

 

If you set it up with coil overs to be extremely stiff for the track, then you would have problems in snow or over bumps. None of the parts we are talking about are that extreme.

[phildog33]

ok ive got my 2 bars.. FSB and RSB.. whitelines 22 and 21mm

happy with them

 

i just bought the 4x KYB shocks for 2005-2009 outback.

Excited to replace the old worn ones.

(Though I read that some ppl get the 200-2004 model KYB shocks bec they are stiffer.. anyways... im staying with the ones made for my car)

 

and

 

springs

 

Ill get the rallitek overload springs for the rear

what should i do for springs on the front... keep the stock?>

 

Im always bottoming out in the city when i hit pot holes

What do you think for the front springs?

 

Ill wait to buy until you respond Seabass

p

[seabass07]

If you're going to wait, then wait for Bimmer's review and look for others with this setup. It's all still guesswork. I'm just going on my experience and research with suspension from other cars and people's reviews here. There is still not enough reliable information on the parts. From reviews and logic, you will like that setup with the rallitek springs. If you drive around with a lot of load in the back, then you will definitely want the stiffer springs. But you might not need them if you don't haul a lot stuff.

 

The bottoming out is a combination of the springs and the weak compression damping in the struts. If you are willing to remove the suspension twice, then stick with the stock springs and see how you like it. If it's not enough, then go for the springs.

 

Personally, I'm going to wait and see how the 00-04 shocks effect things alone without any other mods. Then I will decide on springs, and from there decide whether I want both sway bars or just a rear. I know it will be a PIA taking apart the suspension so many times, but I will know how each part is effecting everything.

[phildog33]

Im going with FSB and RSB, and stiffer rallitek springs for sure in the back

 

But for the front... keep the stock springs?

 

(I went with the 05 shocks from KYB... should I have gotten the stiffer 00-04 ones??? i can tell them to switch the order)

[seabass07]

With the shocks, it's all up in the air. From different accounts, both models will eliminate the bounce. Just decide on whether you want stiffer compression or stiffer rebound. I decided on the 04 with stiffer compression because of the suspension bottoming out over bumps. But KYB said the compression is 30% stiffer...but compared to what, I'm still not sure. We have no baseline to compare them to. It seems to me that the 05 model will still be soft, but with stiffer rebound to stop the bounce, while the 04 has stiffer compression with less rebound. My thinking is that the 00-04 outback was a bit heavier and did not suffer from the bounce. KYB takes OEM specs and stiffens them up by about 15% for the GR2's. So it will be slightly stiffer than the oem 04 shocks that did not suffer from these problems.

 

However there have been people that went with the 00-04 front shocks and thought they were too stiff. I don't know what differences there are between the front springs from the 04 and 05.