Forester lift - parts list, suppliers, results
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:41 pm
EDIT: Lift performed on my white 1994 Subaru Legacy SS! Here are before and after photos, and below that is my compendium of parts that I used for this operation along with links / suppliers / prices and even shipping transit times. Hopefully this will come in handy for someone else in the future. I've omitted the steering section of my compendium, as those were parts just for my steering situation - totally separate from the suspension modifications, even though I had all the work performed at the same time.
The reason I chose to do this was mainly because my old, factory shocks were totally blown and needed replacement. I decided to lift as I could also use a little more ground clearance where I live (down a poorly-maintained dirt road). I ended up spending far more than I expected but the results are nice!
LATEST UPDATES: The mechanic left me with advice to go get 4x 1' sections of square steel tubing to help strengthen the body lift. The idea is to drill holes in these square tubes for the bolts and spacers to run through, so that upon a hard impact the spacers don't get forced into the frame. He has recommended that I do this for the crossmember spacers (installed) and the rear diff plate spacers (I still need to find these, the crossmember spacers from the front may do the trick).
So far, it drives much better and the ride quality is exponentially improved over my old blown stock shocks! It really bites into turns and with the extra clearance, I can really throw the suspension around to dig in deep. Very fun, and the dirt road to my house is no longer an issue! It's also nice to be able to hit a bump and not start bouncing and bottoming out
Before 98-02 Forester lift
After 98-02 Forester lift
I've found the following useful table entry in the Suspension sticky, which appears to give me exactly what I need to proceed (I will be editing this post as I research and am corrected):
If you have a....And want strut/spring combo......Then you need
92-94 AWD......SF (98-02 forester)......................Probably Nothing
neat...and I just learned that our shocks are part of our struts. There's one more off my list. I did not know this right off the bat so I figured I'd make the info available to others that may not know.
SUSPENSION - Shopping list with links to intended orders (italics are optional) - can look up OEM part #s also here - select 1999 Subaru Forester. I have also found an entire Forester parts manual here - handy! I've extracted the 98-02 parts manual for reference and easy retrieval here on Mediafire.:
Labor:
$476.00 Remove / replace rear shock & strut assembly
$280.50 Remove / replace front shock & strut assembly
$20.00 Shop supplies (probably for the lock washers and other odds and ends)
$170.00 Remove / replace engine mounts
$467.50 Lift front suspension & replace bushings
Total labor = $1414.00
Total for all suspension upgrades = a lot ($2056.40!)
ORIGINAL FIRST POST BELOW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original subject was: "Struts / shocks replacement time... Outback lift?"
So, hi everybody! I'm still around... been insanely busy but am finally living on my land in a house so things are starting to calm down. I have a 40' x 50' x 17' steel garage in pieces that hopefully will be put up soon. Until then, though, I don't even have a paved driveway to work on. So, I've been forced to have actual mechanics look at my car recently for my highway vibration & pull to the right.
I'd recently gotten an alignment done at this shop, and before that could be done they had to replace my passenger side tie rod end. This made sense, as if the tie rod end is in bad shape it will have too much play to hold an alignment (at least, as I understand things... I have very little knowledge of cars in general that isn't involved with the engine or the turbo and am trying to learn suspension and steering for my poor '94 SS)
Then, I had a jackhammer-like vibration at 75-80mph. They removed mud from the tires, rebalanced them, and that was gone.
However, then I started to notice it was pulling to the right again, and between 60-70mph there is a periodic vibration that comes and goes regularly and can be felt mainly in the steering wheel. The wheel shakes slightly, then violently, then slightly, then not at all for a couple seconds. Travelling above 70mph it pretty much goes away until I hit some sort of physical bump - then it starts up again for a couple cycles before settling back down.
Side note, I currently have 195/60/R15 tires. They are not all the same, due to one going flat and requiring a replacement. I took the wheel in, not the car, when I had this tire replaced (one of the many advantages to having multiple vehicles, I didn't even mess with my donut...). I did not realize it was that important to ensure that AWD vehicles had the exact same tire all the way around... could this have instigated the issues? I tend to think it's more the rough dirt / gravel road I have to go through to get to and from my house... it is quite punishing. Not to mention this T-leg has it's original suspension & steering parts (except the passenger tie rod end) from 1994...
Anyway, I took it back in yesterday to have them look into these issues. They came back with a laundry list:
Where do I get a replacement outer driver side tie rod? I have found endless posts and suppliers for inner and outer tie rod ENDS... but not tie rods themselves. Are these two terms used interchangeably? Do we have tie rods AND tie rod ends in these cars or am I sorely confused? Is it common at all to replace tie rods as opposed to tie rod ENDS?
Based on the fact that I have to negotiate a very rough dirt and gravel road multiple times a day, I'd like to use this opportunity to beef up the suspension and perhaps get the car set up for more off-road type usage. I'm interested in the OB/Forrester lift, as I could use some more clearance.. I'm also interested in coilovers if they are reasonably priced and would be a better option than the OB/Forrester springs / struts / shocks (Ground Control?)
I understand from reading posts here that the 93/94 Legacy has the correct top hats to accept the OB/Forrester setup. I just know damn near nothing about suspension and could use some assistance.
I plan to gather all the parts I need (once I know what those are) and then bring it all into the shop to install for me... then I can get the alignment done and 4 new tires at the same time. Just gonna be pricey so's I gotta plan and save...
Any suggestions, comments?
Thanks everybody!
edit: Mods, I apologize if this is in the wrong section but I am a bit unclear where steering posts go. This section mentions "axles" and that's getting pretty close... please move to the correct section if I screwed up
BTW I've already tried looking through those nice parts blowups we have available in our stickies... there are parts blowups for just about every system there except steering! I was hoping to see a clear blowup showing "outer tie rod" and "outer tie rod end" as separate parts to clarify my question but could not find it...
edit 2:
This was the original post that began the confusion, as I searched for "outer tie rod" and found this:
I have not yet been able to get a hold of the mechanic who told me this to ask for clarification, but once I do I will post an update here. (UPDATE: Clarified. Mechanic meant tie rod end, not tie rod. He uses the two terms interchangeably.)
The reason I chose to do this was mainly because my old, factory shocks were totally blown and needed replacement. I decided to lift as I could also use a little more ground clearance where I live (down a poorly-maintained dirt road). I ended up spending far more than I expected but the results are nice!
LATEST UPDATES: The mechanic left me with advice to go get 4x 1' sections of square steel tubing to help strengthen the body lift. The idea is to drill holes in these square tubes for the bolts and spacers to run through, so that upon a hard impact the spacers don't get forced into the frame. He has recommended that I do this for the crossmember spacers (installed) and the rear diff plate spacers (I still need to find these, the crossmember spacers from the front may do the trick).
So far, it drives much better and the ride quality is exponentially improved over my old blown stock shocks! It really bites into turns and with the extra clearance, I can really throw the suspension around to dig in deep. Very fun, and the dirt road to my house is no longer an issue! It's also nice to be able to hit a bump and not start bouncing and bottoming out
Before 98-02 Forester lift
After 98-02 Forester lift
I've found the following useful table entry in the Suspension sticky, which appears to give me exactly what I need to proceed (I will be editing this post as I research and am corrected):
If you have a....And want strut/spring combo......Then you need
92-94 AWD......SF (98-02 forester)......................Probably Nothing
neat...and I just learned that our shocks are part of our struts. There's one more off my list. I did not know this right off the bat so I figured I'd make the info available to others that may not know.
SUSPENSION - Shopping list with links to intended orders (italics are optional) - can look up OEM part #s also here - select 1999 Subaru Forester. I have also found an entire Forester parts manual here - handy! I've extracted the 98-02 parts manual for reference and easy retrieval here on Mediafire.:
- *Group N STi Motor Mounts part number RST-4100 from RalliSpec - $120 - Emailed orderform 7/24/2011, ARRIVED 7/29/2011
*Group N STi Gearbox Mount 5MT part number RST-4101 from RalliSpec - $75
*98-02 Forester Struts - KYB GR2s x 4 -
---Front Right - p/n 334189 - $65 from partsgeek.com - Ordered 8/24/2011 - Arrived 9/2/2011,
---Front Left - p/n 334190 - $65 from partsgeek.com - Ordered 8/24/2011 - Arrived 9/2/2011,
---Rear Right - p/n 334191 - $62 from partsgeek.com - Ordered 8/24/2011 - Arrived 9/2/2011,
---Rear Left - p/n 334192 - $62 from partsgeek.com - Ordered 8/24/2011 - Arrived 9/2/2011
*98-02 Forester Springs
*98-02 Forester crossmember spacers - On subarupartswebsite.com, labeled as "Engine C Member , Spacer" for $2.14 each -- Ordering 4 to be safe 8/29/2011...arrived 9/4/2011
*98-02 Forester trailing arm mounts from parts.com for $25 ea ($50 total) - can re-use my stock bolts - Ordered 8/24/2011 - Arrived 9/2/2011
The following parts were translated into Subaru OEM part numbers by a local parts store and special ordered. The names did not match exactly. I have a short list of part numbers here and I do not believe this included the subframe spacers. The rear camber bolts were also not used but I hung onto them.
*98-02 Forester control arm rear pivots,
*98-02 Forester control arm mount,
*98-02 Forester subframe spacers,
*98-02 Rear camber bolts:
Subaru part #s utilized in this lift:
* 25040AC000 - bolt x 2, $15.32 ea
* 20201FC100 - Bushing trans link x 1 (one side), $89.60 ea
* 20201FC110 - Bushing trans link x 1 (other side), $89.60 ea
Other Subaru part #s from these items that were not used / returned after the lift (the rest of the parts the Subaru dealer said I needed after I read him the above list of needed items):
* 20540AA111 - Camber bolts x 2, $3.53 ea
* 20174AA020 - Floating Bushing x 4, $38.02 ea
* 20175AA010 - Stopper CR/MBER x 4, $7.27 ea
* 20540FC120 - Bolt x 3, $2.33 ea
* 20540AC050 - Flange bolt x 2, $3.40 ea
* 20540FC100 - Bolt x 4, $2.98 ea
*OBX trailing arms 02-07 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5RS, OBX part number 10744 (adjustable trailing arms) - $99 + $20 shipping - eBay.com
*need 2 lock washers on top of the tophat just under the main strut nut(otherwise the strut piston clunks). I believe we used 9/16 grade 10 lock washers from Lowes(4 in total).
Labor:
$476.00 Remove / replace rear shock & strut assembly
$280.50 Remove / replace front shock & strut assembly
$20.00 Shop supplies (probably for the lock washers and other odds and ends)
$170.00 Remove / replace engine mounts
$467.50 Lift front suspension & replace bushings
Total labor = $1414.00
Total for all suspension upgrades = a lot ($2056.40!)
ORIGINAL FIRST POST BELOW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original subject was: "Struts / shocks replacement time... Outback lift?"
So, hi everybody! I'm still around... been insanely busy but am finally living on my land in a house so things are starting to calm down. I have a 40' x 50' x 17' steel garage in pieces that hopefully will be put up soon. Until then, though, I don't even have a paved driveway to work on. So, I've been forced to have actual mechanics look at my car recently for my highway vibration & pull to the right.
I'd recently gotten an alignment done at this shop, and before that could be done they had to replace my passenger side tie rod end. This made sense, as if the tie rod end is in bad shape it will have too much play to hold an alignment (at least, as I understand things... I have very little knowledge of cars in general that isn't involved with the engine or the turbo and am trying to learn suspension and steering for my poor '94 SS)
Then, I had a jackhammer-like vibration at 75-80mph. They removed mud from the tires, rebalanced them, and that was gone.
However, then I started to notice it was pulling to the right again, and between 60-70mph there is a periodic vibration that comes and goes regularly and can be felt mainly in the steering wheel. The wheel shakes slightly, then violently, then slightly, then not at all for a couple seconds. Travelling above 70mph it pretty much goes away until I hit some sort of physical bump - then it starts up again for a couple cycles before settling back down.
Side note, I currently have 195/60/R15 tires. They are not all the same, due to one going flat and requiring a replacement. I took the wheel in, not the car, when I had this tire replaced (one of the many advantages to having multiple vehicles, I didn't even mess with my donut...). I did not realize it was that important to ensure that AWD vehicles had the exact same tire all the way around... could this have instigated the issues? I tend to think it's more the rough dirt / gravel road I have to go through to get to and from my house... it is quite punishing. Not to mention this T-leg has it's original suspension & steering parts (except the passenger tie rod end) from 1994...
Anyway, I took it back in yesterday to have them look into these issues. They came back with a laundry list:
- Struts (I should just replace with GR2s, right?)
Shocks (no idea)
(might as well get OB/Forrester springs or coilovers too...must find exactly what I need and get everything!)
LF Outer tie rod!! (tie rod? not tie rod end?? I can't find tie rods...) EDIT - clarified, tie rods == tie rod ends when ordering parts
Motor mounts (do our cars have motor mounts that normally rip? Do we have an aftermarket performance replacement, perhaps polyurethane mounts?)
After all of the above, I will need another alignment
They also insist that I need 4 new tires, they have 195/65/15. Will be slightly larger, will help my ride height and short gears slightly (from the 4.11 tranny / diff).
Where do I get a replacement outer driver side tie rod? I have found endless posts and suppliers for inner and outer tie rod ENDS... but not tie rods themselves. Are these two terms used interchangeably? Do we have tie rods AND tie rod ends in these cars or am I sorely confused? Is it common at all to replace tie rods as opposed to tie rod ENDS?
Based on the fact that I have to negotiate a very rough dirt and gravel road multiple times a day, I'd like to use this opportunity to beef up the suspension and perhaps get the car set up for more off-road type usage. I'm interested in the OB/Forrester lift, as I could use some more clearance.. I'm also interested in coilovers if they are reasonably priced and would be a better option than the OB/Forrester springs / struts / shocks (Ground Control?)
I understand from reading posts here that the 93/94 Legacy has the correct top hats to accept the OB/Forrester setup. I just know damn near nothing about suspension and could use some assistance.
I plan to gather all the parts I need (once I know what those are) and then bring it all into the shop to install for me... then I can get the alignment done and 4 new tires at the same time. Just gonna be pricey so's I gotta plan and save...
Any suggestions, comments?
Thanks everybody!
edit: Mods, I apologize if this is in the wrong section but I am a bit unclear where steering posts go. This section mentions "axles" and that's getting pretty close... please move to the correct section if I screwed up
BTW I've already tried looking through those nice parts blowups we have available in our stickies... there are parts blowups for just about every system there except steering! I was hoping to see a clear blowup showing "outer tie rod" and "outer tie rod end" as separate parts to clarify my question but could not find it...
edit 2:
This was the original post that began the confusion, as I searched for "outer tie rod" and found this:
Sounds like this post refers to tie rods, but then when I look up the MOOG part numbers on Rockauto.com, they are tie rod ENDS. I searched endlessly and could only find tie rod ENDS.Moog makes outer tie rods for our cars.
MOOG Part # ES2974 Right Hand - $55 each
MOOG Part # ES2975 Left Hand - $55 each
SUBARU OEM Part # 34140AA030 {Inner Tie Rod End: Left and right} - $32 each
prices / info are from Rockauto.com
I have not yet been able to get a hold of the mechanic who told me this to ask for clarification, but once I do I will post an update here. (UPDATE: Clarified. Mechanic meant tie rod end, not tie rod. He uses the two terms interchangeably.)