Swaybars - 2004 WRX wagon = 1998 Legacy GT wagon?

[Huffer]

Does a 17mm swaybar from a 2004 WRX wagon fit a 1998 GT wagon?
(or BD sedan for that matter)

Cheers in advance for all knowledgeable answers.

[sharky nrk]

I looked at the rear bar on my wrx and the rear bar on my bk and they are shaped differently enough I don't think they will fit. Looks like the wrx bar will hit the floorboard. I could be wrong though

[Huffer]

isn't your WRX a sedan though?

[sharky nrk]

yes but rear bars are interchangeable - same part

[sharky nrk]

wagons came with 17mm rear bars, 02-03 Sedans came with 20mm rear bar after upgrading mine we put my stock 20mm bar on a buddies wagon. same shape

[Huffer]

The 2004 wagon RSB that I have looks like it's near identical to the adjustable Cusco swaybar I have on my BD, which is the same as my BK.

I'll just have to give it a shot this weekend to satisfy my curiosity.

[sharky nrk]

Let me know how it goes, i have a cusco bar on my wrx and it doesnt look like it would fit the leg but if it would it would open cheap bar options

[caoutback]

sharky nrk, why not just go with a 96 - 99 Outback RSB? They should just bolt right up (right?) and are cheap to get.

[sharky nrk]

oh I am in no hurry, but if a wrx wagon bar will work then a 20mm sedan bar will too or a STi bar. It just opens up the options a bit, plus I may have one sitting around somewhere. I will take some pics of my two cars bars and post them if I get a chance this weekend and show why I am skeptical but it it works then great. it sounds like he has the bar already so why not try and fit it

[scottzg]

a sti bar is too long (wide) it won't fit w/o modification, which as i recall are sti specific endlinks. Some bd legacies come with the bar that was designed for the bc/bf, and have stepped doohickeys to go around a structural part of the bc/bf that the bd does not have. So, the bd can take a bc bar while the bc cannot take a later bar w/o massaging the spare tire well with a hammer. GC/GD bars will fit a BD as well.

[sharky nrk]

I think after measuring this is correct. I will be attempting to put my stock wrx 20mm rear bar on my brighton wagon sometime this week. That will be paired with a 25mm tribeca front bar sometime in the future

[scottzg]

That will be paired with a 25mm tribeca front bar sometime in the future

I didn't really like the 25mm front bar. Car was very responsive and quick, but it was easily unsettled on bumps and the front end tended to wash out if i wasn't smooth with the throttle- no more lift oversteer.

[sharky nrk]

with the minimum amount of money I am going to spend on mods to the legacy, the 25mm bar is a little bit of a necessity for me. The 20mm rear bar was a free-bee from my parts bin, but I think I am going to find myself wanting for more front-end grip after its install. unlike the wrx which has several mods just to keep the car in the meat of the camber curve - he leg will pretty much only get whatever I can find cheap or free.

I do understand the downsides though, a big front bar is not for everyone

[sharky nrk]

ok well a story ensues

we begin our tale with a liesurely journey to swap rear sway bars. with a small grin on my face and the anticipation of increased roll stiffness I back the car up on to the ramps. everything looks good and I go and assemble the required tools. 12mm and 14mm sockets and wrenches in hand I slide up under the car. Much to my dismay not all is pleasant.

years of oil leaks, abuse, and dirt have created the worst and thickest layer of greasy dirt I have seen on a car. but I was not deterred. I started cleaning away the filth around the heads of the nuts and bolts and started to loosen them. all of them were rusted. Badly. some grease and effort and they came out but probably cannot be reused. a setback yes, but I have spare brackets so only the threads on the body need to be worked.

I pull out the bar and immediately knew I was sunk. the two bars were very different and there is a piece of the body on my wagon that was going to interfere with the bar. a test fit revealed a no go. dismayed I looked to my trusty friend the BFH. Several smacks and an inch of clearance was made (with the sacrifice of the underbody coating in the area and the physical appearance of the area as well - the BFH knows no niceties)

and them the final nail in my coffin was hammered and my journey began to look like a failure. even with the BFH there was not enough clearance. Further inspection shows a very specific bend in teh passenger side of the bar that was not in the 20mm WRX bar. I was defeated. Pry bar and grunting could not even get the bar to meet up with the brackets. Its just not going to work. filthy and dejected I had to accept the truth. Instead of going from 14mm bar to 20mm bar I went from 14mm bar to no bar ( I am going to have so source replacement bolts for the job ).

so I post before you a enthusiust defeated, but not a defeated enthusiast. I will regroup with a new plan and some more modification to the car and will emerge with a 20mm FHI bar on my BK ( since I already demolished the bottom of the car with my BFH buddy)

[Huffer]

Are you applying WRX sedan or WRX wagon bars to the Legacy?

[sharky nrk]

sedan, but wagon and sedan bars are the exact same shape just different diameters

[deadlydave]

bummer man, thanks for taking the plunge. Not all pioneers meet with success, but we're all better from your experience.

[Soarer]

Any progress on figuring out which rear sways will go on a BK wagon?

[jamal]

only a 92-99 legacy rear bar.