AmirK Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'm replacing my shocks and struts with kyb gr2 outback struts, and new outback replacement shocks, plus POSSIBLY a simple solutions 1" strut space. does anybody see me running into any issues by lifting it this much? all this will be done in approximately 3-4 weeks. oh yeah plus another 0.5-1" lift with yokohama geolander at/s tires OR general grabber at2s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyer27 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 no predictions but i'd love to see the pics when it's done. I want to go up a bit also with my 09 and had read a bit about swapping struts/shocks with an outback so I'm excited to hear how it goes for you. Also, where did you find the outback struts/shocks? i've been looking and can't seem to find anything in the area (western NY) thanks and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vr4Legacy Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'm in for results. Don't think I'd ever want to do it to an LGT, simply because I like the handling of mine, but I always thought the 3rd Gen Legacy SUS was pretty mean looking. A 4th gen with some beefy tires would make a hella winter beater for the potholes we get around here. There are some Australian companies that offer lift kits... they may show some info on what else needs done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmirK Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 flyer, go to kyboutlet.com, and when they ask you what your vehicle is, just write 09 outback 2.5i instead of legacy, and the gr-2's pop up, but they're like half the cost of buying them anywhere else! for springs, i ordered them from subarupartsconnection. they're like the same price. i'll be able to do the whole thing for just about 400 bucks! you can get a coupone code for the kyb outlet that allows free shipping and 10% off at retailmenot.com, and i'm just going to pick up the springs, because subaru parts connection is based in NH haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005legacy2.5i Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 subscribed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contractkiller Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I know from building Jeeps that anytime you alter the geometry of the factory driveline, you run the risk of having some pretty gnarly driveline vibrations due to the more extreme angle of the driveshaft. This is commonly corrected by shimming or the proper, and considerably more expensive method, a Slip Yoke Eliminator. That being said, I have no idea what will happen with a Legacy but 3 inches is goin to be a considerable amount of change in the factory driveline geometry. Hope this helps! -Mike what did u mean when you said. it felt like i was driving a civic? did u mean the car felt like it was more dependable and it was getting better mpg's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnout8488 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 The driveshaft angle will not change as the differential is bolted to the subframe. The subframe is immovable. However, with enough lift, you might piss the CV shafts off. They'll probably be at an uncomfortable angle if you go much higher than a stock Outback. Keep in mind that the Outback uses body spacers for most of its lift, not just strut/spring. This keeps the CV shafts straight as the body is being lifted, not the suspension. The only problem you might have is that your camber will likely go very positive. You may need to bore out the top hole on your new struts so you can angle the camber more negative than factory. All that positive camber will make the tops of your tires tip OUT towards the fenders. Now that I've thought about it more, you might actually get more lift out of the Subtle Solutions spacers alone than just the Outback struts. Not sure though... but the Outback does get a significant amount of its lift out of the spacers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyer27 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thanks for the info AmirK. I also read about potential CV shaft issues on a thread in the Impreza forum, but it seems to be avoidable with proper precaution. I also checked out the Subtle Solutions site. They make 1" lift kits although I would definitely like to go higher than that. Maybe I'll have to find a local machinist who wants to make a custom 3" kit... who knows... guess I'll have to be patient Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow05gtRI Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 i've heard it's not a simple bolt-up, so subscribed for results. i looked into this for making a LGT winter machine haha... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyer27 Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 AmirK, just realized that you're in Manchester. My mom lives in Mont Vernon NH so maybe this summer when I go visit I'll be able to check out the finished product. As long as that's cool with you of course... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contractkiller Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 subscribed for results! this is gonna be awesome! what did u mean when you said. it felt like i was driving a civic? did u mean the car felt like it was more dependable and it was getting better mpg's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmirK Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 haha damn, that's a lot of scary info. the dealership told me that outback and legacy struts are direct swap outs. how would longer struts and springs affect the camber of the wheels? not sure i totally understand that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmirK Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 AmirK, just realized that you're in Manchester. My mom lives in Mont Vernon NH so maybe this summer when I go visit I'll be able to check out the finished product. As long as that's cool with you of course... i got no problems with that buddy. hopefully the finished product is worth seeing haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnout8488 Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 haha damn, that's a lot of scary info. the dealership told me that outback and legacy struts are direct swap outs. how would longer struts and springs affect the camber of the wheels? not sure i totally understand that The taller distance between the strut tower and the lower control arm effectively is what lifts the car. However, the lower control arm would then be pushed down farther, creating an angle for the knuckle that tilts the top of the wheel outwards. As the wheel goes up and down in the wheelwell its camber changes. When you're slammed, the camber goes negative. When you're lifted, it goes postitive. Also, unless you use the body spacers, the lower control arm bushing will be flexed in an unnatural position and may deteriorate faster - they're already a weak link in our suspension. If you're lifted, it will always be flexed rather than relaxed, and probably start to tear. With all that said, I don't think a 1" lift would cause too much harm. If you keep going up though, it might start to max out what the rest of the suspension is designed for unless you started swapping it out for all outback parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmirK Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 well... this just got a big more expensive. now, say i got outback lower control arms, would that put me back at a normal camber? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnout8488 Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 An Outback expert would have to chime in, but I think the LCAs are actually the same. The body spacer that drops them lower is what differentiates them from the non-outback. Rear suspension does have some different pieces though, but I'm not sure what those are. You'll probably be fine with a spacer lift in the rear though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmirK Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 just did a little research. the lca's are the same, and the camber i'll be changing with the lift will be easily altered with an alignment thankfully. and the strut/spring switch over will only give me about an inch and a half, because as you said, there is a body lift on the outback. with a strut top spacer i should be able to get almost the same ride height with no issues. this is from subaru themselves. woot woot! thanks a lot fellas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow05gtRI Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 http://www.paranoidfabrications.com/shop/category/subaru-legacy/ some spacers there, though the biggest is only 1/2" ...you're gonna need longer studs too (they sell them there) if you're putting in spacers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
define Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 You may have already seen this, but here is a thread about a guy who installed an aftermarket body lift on his Outback: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f100/lift-kit-installed-my-outback-52797/ Stacking spacers is typically thought of as a bad idea... The Outback springs without the drivetrain spacers will cause your axles to run at different nominal angles, and you may exceed their design in certain types of offroading. Best case, you just trash the joint. Worst case, the shrapnel takes something else out. But others have already mentioned that. Adding the spacers isn't terribly difficult, but you will need all the parts + longer bolts to make it happen. I was at one point looking at going the other direction with my Outback, but now that I have a bunch of Rallitek suspension goodness, I'm loving the OB. The body lift doesn't really do much other than make the Outback visually different from the Legacy (marketing). It makes approach and departure angles a smidge better, but they started out so bad anything is better. You will gain more from the taller tires than from the body lift, imo. Get some custom coilovers and axles made up, THEN we're talkin'... BTW, the steering column has an extension on it in the Outback. You may need that (or a custom piece) depending on how high you raise the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushman Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 I am trying to fix problems in handling after doing a lift similar to what the previous poster did. The car : Subaru Legacy GT 2001 2.5 automatic, 160,000 kms The mod : Subtle Solutions 1 inch spacer in the front / 1 inch + 3/8 inch in the back AND 4 Outback struts . ( Dealer installed and aligned) Right now on winter tires, 65x215xR15. (but did the same on previous smaller summer tires) The problem : 1. bounces back and forth over railway tracks, bumps. 2. wicked handling issue when going over pot holes, drain covers, bumps on the left rear wheel (especially). The back of the car does a rapid bounce to the left and i have to correct to the right. Feels like an empty F150 pickup on washboard when the rear end goes out and away from you. It also happens when you cross railways at an angle or expansion joints on bridges etc... This car use to hug the road, now it is unpredictable. Road is still dry at this time of year , but i am afraid that in the winter it will be downright dangerous. Really gives you this quick jerk to the side like it fishtails and the back starts floating. Now, what should i do to correct the problem? Options? i thought of going the full Outback way, body spacers, tranny spacer and Outback steering link. The body spacers would re-establish the suspension geometry, would that not fix the problems? It corners well when the road is smooth, but does not handle rough road well. Also, first week i had the lift, busted the front CV rubber boots open. Slit right out, grease all over the underside and on the exhaust and nasty smell... So all in all, i might not get involved with all the trouble if i had to redo it, but now i got to fix that lethal handling issue. thx for your input. The taller distance between the strut tower and the lower control arm effectively is what lifts the car. However, the lower control arm would then be pushed down farther, creating an angle for the knuckle that tilts the top of the wheel outwards. As the wheel goes up and down in the wheelwell its camber changes. When you're slammed, the camber goes negative. When you're lifted, it goes postitive. Also, unless you use the body spacers, the lower control arm bushing will be flexed in an unnatural position and may deteriorate faster - they're already a weak link in our suspension. If you're lifted, it will always be flexed rather than relaxed, and probably start to tear. With all that said, I don't think a 1" lift would cause too much harm. If you keep going up though, it might start to max out what the rest of the suspension is designed for unless you started swapping it out for all outback parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 As an FYI, most of the outback owners ditch the KYB 05-09 rear struts (do a quick search over on subaruoutback.org). The rear end just bounces too much with those. I am an OBXT owner and the rear is much more responsive and predictable after installing KYB 00-04 OB struts+rallitek overload springs+AVO endlinks+whiteline swaybar+reinforced AVO swaybar brackets. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated Too laff79 Posted October 23, 2012 I Donated Too Share Posted October 23, 2012 good luck with your Jeep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 good luck with your soon to be superu! fixed --> http://thesuperu.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated Too laff79 Posted October 23, 2012 I Donated Too Share Posted October 23, 2012 fixed --> http://thesuperu.com/ please don't misquote me, that's against forum rules you know. That link is to a lifted OUTBACK. These clowns are trying to lift Legacy sedans and wondering why shit is going haywire. Plus all those stickers on it are stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 please don't misquote me, that's against forum rules you know. sorry mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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