Subaru died

[Will]

Hey guys the Subaru died. :cry: I was driving home and noticed it getting hot so I pulled over and shut it off. I let it cool down and checked the coolant and the cooling system thinking maybe a hose was leaking. Way worse, oil in the coolant. I guess with a $325 salvaged engine and a transmission that had 225,000+ on it I couldn't have asked for much more being that it was totaled when I got it.


*** I have been missing my Legacy very much and I am currently working on some wheeling and dealing to get another one. ***

[daddywagon]

i would take it in for an alignment check and go from there. while its on the lift you can check for bent or broken parts

[ouch1011]

Why spend money to have someone else tell you there are bent parts? Its obvious that there are.

Put it up on some ramps on the rear and see what is bent. Probably one of the 2 lateral links. The sway bar looks fine but the end link is being tweaked because the spindle is pushed in. They'll probably be fine once everything is in the right spot again. Might have to replace the end links.

[goodnight1985]

It isn't always easy to see if an arm is bent. You should get the alignment checked and most likely set right, but also check the balance of the wheels and see if they are true.

[Will]

Thanks for all the responses guys, the guy I got the car from had taken it for an alignment. Robertson Tires wouldn't even touch it, they had printed on the repair ticket "recommend frame shop", "left rear spindle bent." This info was referred to some guys at NASIOC and the guys there said it is impossible to bend a spindle because it is cast iron. A local shop said they could do an all wheel alignment for $85, the alignment lasted 4 months but the wheels were straight during this time. The shop did not mention anything to him about lateral links.
Something I forgot to mention in the original post was that when I got the car the rod in the left rear strut was bent about 1/4 of an inch and there is a large dent in the quarter panel. I was able to replace the strut easily. I have replaced the end link on the left side, the metal sleeve inside was wobbling and about to fall out. I started out replacing things that were cheaper and easier to replace, The left wheel was fine for about two days and then it started leaning again. I'm sorry if I sound ignorant, I have never had an AWD before and have only owned two other imports and I can say after finding how well these cars were built I will probably always have a Subaru around even though I was raised in a family with GMC trucks and domestic muscle cars.
I hope I can get this fixed soon, I can't afford another car so every 4 or 5 months I spend $60 on used rear tires, luckily I have only had the car a year this month. I will check the lateral link and let everyone know what results I come up with. Thanks, again.

[green97gt]

anyone who says its impossible to bend a cast iron part is a dumbass. plain and simple. they just havent tried hard enough = )

im not sure why they would recommend a frame shop because of a bent spindle.....

[ouch1011]

Depends on what alloy the iron is and how brittle it is :)

The rear spindle is replacable. Even if the rear subframe was bent, you'd still probably be better of getting a used rear subframe and bolting it in. The only way you'd need to have the "frame" straightened was if the actual point where the subframe bolts to the body was dislocated. Which is pretty unlikely.

[Will]

Thanks for all the help guys, you are all helping me learn quite a bit about this car.