ARGH! Spring swap issues...

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:45 pm

GOD DAMMIT!

Why doesn't sh*t just fit together like its supposed to?

I finally get a few days off to start my build and wadayaknow? The front King Spring replacements I got for my outback struts are too wide for the spring top by about 3mm overall. The rear springs are a good 40mm too wide and look nothing like the originals.

So either KS have screwed up their specs, or something is wrong with the shocks I picked up and the wrecker lied about what year the model was...

Could one of you 'in the know' check up the following part numbers for me? These are taken straight of the struts (genuine Subaru, KYB manufacture):

Front RH: 20310AE140 F425 MCRH
Front LH: 20310AE150 F425 MCLH

Rear (both): 20365AE010 H124

Argh. And I still haven't heard from Subiwan kanobi re instructions for installing lift kit... Looks like I'll have to work through each part of my workshop manual that's relevant.

Please someone make my day better!

Thanks,
Owen.

bobbyjimmy · Post by **bobbyjimmy** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:15 am

Just going off what you said about the rears, it sounds like Gen III (late 98 - late 03) or maybe Gen IV (late 03 - late 09) struts.

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:28 am

Well, followed it up and as bobbyjimmy suspected, the parts I have are from a gen 3 outback, not gen 2

. I called the wrecker I got them off, only had a 1 month warranty. I had asked him to check that the manufacture date was before 11/98 and he assured me they were - apparently it was my fault that its the wrong series. Wreckers, what do you expect? So there goes that $250....

So I'm now in the predicament of being rather poor (uni student) and cannot at the moment afford the $800 for a full set of KYB (burson's quote) struts for the gen 2 outback. I have a full set of King springs waiting for the correct struts.

Three of my five tyres currently show patches of wire, so I need to get new rubber on ASAP. I have my shiny new set of 16" alloys with 205/70/16 rubber on them sitting there waiting, but until I get the struts nothing can happen.

My lift kit was made for the raised outback struts, so even if I were to get liberty struts from the PAP yards then a) strut spacers wouldn't fit properly, and b) I doubt the 205/70/16s would fit very well on standard liberty struts.

Seems like my best option for now is source some cheap second hand tyres to last me until I can afford new outback struts or a wrecked outback comes up....

Any other suggestions?

Argh, and I was so excited about getting everything finished this week!

Owen

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:59 pm

Arrgh! Bugger mate! I'm feeling for you... That's a real blow! I know how you feel when you've got something you really want to add to your subi and it doesn't go together as it should

As for the lift kit, its easy to put in. First of all you need to find where each piece goes, that shouldn't be hard to do. Then you need to jack up the car and place on jack stands, remove the wheels and place under the vehicle. Start from the rear too

Then using the jacks you take out all the bolts and replace one with the longer bolt for the lift kit. Lower the jacks, slip part of the block into place and put a bolt in, then remove the first bolt and twist the rest of the block into place. This won't always work but it really helps to keep everything in the place it should be.

It'll probabily take you a day to do it, let me know when you'll be doing it and I'll see if I'm free to give you a hand if you like

Hope you get the strut issue sorted! Maybe mum and dad'll give you an early xmas pressie

Cheers

Bennie

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:51 pm

Hey bennie, welcome back! Sounds like you had a great time over in the states

After I put up my cranky post I emailed loads subaru wreckers accross the country and as luck would have it, japwreck in melbourne have a '96 arriving tomorrow morning

! $650 for four struts and the trailing arm mounts... a bit more than I hoped, but heaps better than $800 for just the struts.

So my day went from woe is me to GO is me! Woohoo! Now I've got till friday night to get it all done. So yup bennie if you are free in the next few days, your help would be much appreciated - although I'm guessing you thought it'd be a bit further down the track!

Cheers,
Owen.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:06 pm

ScubyRoo wrote:I've got till friday night to get it all done. So yup bennie if you are free in the next few days, your help would be much appreciated - although I'm guessing you thought it'd be a bit further down the track!

You guessed right mate! Unfortunately for you I'll be working the next two days... Are you getting it ready for the cruise on saturday?! That'd be awesome if you could make it!

So what are you doing on here?! Get cracking! You've got my mobile number yeah? Give us a call if you need some verbal help

I'll be able to spare the time from work...

Cheers

Bennie

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 6:01 pm

Hey bennie, nope I don't have your number - can you send it to me via pm?

Unfortunately I have to work on saturdays, otherwise would definitely have been up for the road cruise - look forward to seeing some pics. That rally road looks sick...

I've picked up a couple of maps for offroad tracks around benella, thinking maybe a few days in the new year?

I'll have to remember to take photos as i work!

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:40 pm

So how did it all go and where are the pics ?

Cheers

Bennie

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:20 pm

Hey guys

Well it's been an interesting few days, replacing the thrust bearing and threading a set of hired spring compressors, work and missing spacers are delaying completion

I've taken photos as I've gone, with a full account of spring swap and strut conversion from air to spring. I have photos of most of the lift install and will try and do as a complete write up as possible once it's all done.

I think I am missing several spacers which i'm pissed about, but I'm waiting to get as much done as I can to be sure before I email Dave with a list of spacers missing. After waiting so long for the kit to finally get here, i'm extremely annoyed that it's not complete, hopefully he'll be nice and express the missing bits out

... I just hope Dave checks his PMs soon after I send the list off.... So far I'm missing the inner control arm (2) spacers and a set of spacers that accompany the main spacer of the rear diff crossmember. I've installed the front xmember blocks and just have the gear box remaining (I think!), which I still haven't finished attaching back to the engine - two person job I reckon!

Annoyed that it's dragging out, but fingers crossed to have as much as possible finished tonight so that all I'm waiting for are the extra spacers. Then it'll just be a matter of bleeding brakes and Scoobs will be all grown up!

Till next time,
Owen.

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 12:43 pm

Just got the engine and tranny connected at last! YAHOO! So fiddly and hit and miss, feels so good to hear that slide and clunk! AWESOME! Now to the rest of the job...

Installed rear gearbox xmember spacers this morning - missing spacers for front xmember

Will finish off joining of transmission and engine now and tidy up engine bay before installing front struts and the moving onto back suspension.

Photos soon!

Cheers,
Owen.

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:48 pm

Just finished front left had side, that'll do for this evening! Here's how he looks:

and

Hopefully will be to the point by lunch tomorrow of just waiting for missing spacers!

Cheers,
Owen.

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:11 am

Well front end is completely done, just need to bleed brakes which I'll do once the rear is finished! A bit of bashing last night in the wheel well to allow the struts to turn freely, the left side copped the worst of it as it turned out i was bashing in the wrong place... Right side went much smoother

I marked out and photo'd exactly where I had to bash out, it'll be in my write up.

Other major difficulty yesterday was getting the front stabliser bar to reconnect. Got it all back together eventually but it was quite a process of experimentation with angles, tactfullness and brutality. Once again pics will be in the write up.

I've installed everything that came in the box, however I've come up short on spacers. I'm missing the Outer A-Arm on left and right sides, and also the Front Gearbox Xmember, although I have bolts for them. I am also missing the smaller (thinner) spacers, 4 in total, that accompany the rear diff's front xmember (I'd imagine they'd be the same as the centre bearing's spacers) and no bolts were provided for these either. It took a loooooooong time for me to get my kit after money had changed hands so I'm hoping dave is on the ball with his messages and able to make time to get these missing parts out to me...

Outer A-Arm (2 spacers)
Gearbox front xmember (2 spacers)
Rear diff front xmember (4 thin spacers + bolts

Here are photos to clarify, the final photo is what was contained in the kit once unpacked (note springs and struts not included...):

Outer A-Arm spacers (x2)

Rear Diff's front xmember (x4 + bolts)

Gearbox front xmember (x2)

Kit contents:

So close, yet so far! Off to change springs on rear struts and swap out pneumatic struts, then it's brakes and so close to being done!

Cheers,
Owen.

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:04 pm

Hmmm, should I have spacers for the rear sway bar? It's a good two inches (coincidence?) away from where it's supposed to be attaching....

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:21 pm

Watching in here... nice nice..
Cheers
AP

tex · Post by **tex** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:14 pm

Watching with a keen eye as well. This is very similar to my Christmas project. So should make mine easier knowing what to expect. Pity I didn't get mine done first to save you all this anguish and trouble.

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:41 am

Hey tex - well i'm sure you'll find my write up useful, I'll try and get it done asap for ya. It's the trouble and anguish that makes it such an adventure - although at times I wish I had instructions, I reckon I would have saved almost a full day if I'd known what I know now... Hopefully it'll save you, and others, from the same problems...

AP, thanks for getting that sump guard for me, I'll be able to pick it up next week

Major roadblocks of yesterday:
R trailing arm bolt stuck solid... no luck with the standard breaker bar, so I got my 3m bad boy out... I broke two Supatool socket pieces before giving up and buying an angle grinder from bunnings

! That got rid of that sucker!

The strut to hub mounting bolts needed half a day of soaking in WD40 before they would budge and a lot of muscle to get back in.

The air connectors and electrics for the rear struts were tucked right out of the way and not included in my POS haynes manual, so I spent half an hour on the first side battling with the connector and access... second side took 5 minutes, of course...

Brakes have oodles of air in them, spent half an hour on one wheel using BVC's method (the spray bottle and tubing) with no luck whatsover after 400ml of fluid gone through the system. Figured i'd give it another go this morning and see what happens. I have Scoobs booked in for a bleed and wheel alignment tomorrow, so i just need the brakes good enough to get me 10minutes down the road.

Today, after giving the brakes another shot, I'm taking the rear struts back off to paint where I bashed out before putting them back in and reassembling everything I took off to get to them on the inside. Also plan to pop out a dent in the front quarter panel and get to making my new battery bracket now I have my angle grinder (yay, no more zip ties!).

Cheers,
Owen.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:50 am

ScubyRoo wrote: AP, thanks for getting that sump guard for me, I'll be able to pick it up next week

Not a problem, when I see you, you'll find me under your car looking at the lift.
The sump gaurd will require modification since you've installed lift kit, it will be approx 1" longer required.
Cheers
AP

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:55 am

AlpineRaven wrote:Not a problem, when I see you, you'll find me under your car looking at the lift.
The sump gaurd will require modification since you've installed lift kit, it will be approx 1" longer required.
Cheers
AP

Hahaha, for sure! My angle grinder and drill are spinning up in anticipation!

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 3:27 pm

AlpineRaven wrote:Not a problem, when I see you, you'll find me under your car looking at the lift.

That'll be me too! I'd also like to say that I'm a little jealous right now...

Cheers

Bennie

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:43 pm

El_Freddo wrote:That'll be me too! I'd also like to say that I'm a little jealous right now...

Ah your time will come mate, soon I hope!

Hey here's a question mainly to lib owners, Dave reckons to leave the rear sway bar unattached (thus why no spacers in kit) as it brings better offroad performance.... How so?