Lowering my Outbacks the hard (Right) way

[Downshift1]

Ok, let me start this off by saying this project is not for the wimpy. I have a lift and every tool imaginable at my disposal.

There are a few advantages to doing this to your car.

1. Suspension options
A: BD/BG can use any GT/L or GDB length strut
B: BE/BH can use GT/L or JDM GT-B/B4 suspension.

2. Increased chassis stiffness lower center of gravity and faster suspension response.

I've done this project to my BH and BG out back they are very similar.

The parts that make an Outback an Outback:

Front: Cross member spacers, dropped rear control arm mounts, longer cross-member bolts, longer steering coupler, longer strut bodies, shorter steering column.

Center: Longer Pitch stop, Dropped transmission cross members, dropped rear shifter bushing (5mt), lowered drive shaft carrier bearing, heat shield spacers.

Rear: Cross member spacers, front diff mount spacers, longer cross member bolts, dropped front trailing link mounts, dropped sway bar mounts (BG/BD), longer strut housings.


Front process:

Jack the car up and support the front frame rails so you can get to the rear control arm bolts.

Remove the rear mount bolts and remove the front bolts from the control arms. Let the arms dangle. Remove the rear bushing and replace it with a standard unit (RS/WRX/ALK). Repeat on the other side.

Support the front cross-member with a jack at the jack plate (a friend would be helpful here). remove the two 17mm nuts holding the passenger side of the cross-member up. remove the drop bolts from on top of the frame rail. Lower the jack slowly. when there is a gap in between spacer and the cross-member. The spacer is held to the frame rail with a plastic clip (BD/BG) or with bolts (BE/BH). Remove the spacer.

Replace the drop bolts with Legacy parts, jack the cross-member up and reinstall the two 17mm nuts loosely.

Remove the two steering coupler bolts. Secure the steering wheel in the straight position.

In the BH/BE you can opt to replace the steering rack with a WRX or 04' STi unit (fine splines) and coupler (no rag joint). You will have to replace the steering column and invert the key spline in the steering coupler.

In the BG/BD you can use GC8 racks (coarse spline).

Remove the two passenger side 17mm nuts and let the jack down till you can remove the spacer. The steering wheel coupler will have to be removed to drop this side. Replace the steering coupler with a Legacy L/GT unit. lift the cross member back into position and tighten the four 17mm nuts. reinstall the steering coupler bolts. Reinstall the control arms.

Once you've reinstalled everything underneath you can replace the struts with the replacement of your choice just make sure they GT/L length.

Center Process:

Remove the center heat shield.

Support the transmission with a jack. Remove the transmission cross member. 5mt cars, replace the rear shifter bushing. Replace the transmission cross member with a standard GT/L one.

Remove the heat shield spacers.

Remove the drive shaft and replace with a standard unit. For this to save cost I simply removed the mount bushings and secured the shaft to the floor again. You will get a tad more noise inside but this is how GC8's are.

Rear Process:

Support the front of the diff with a jack. Remove the front diff mount bolts. lower the jack and remove the spacers. Jack up the diff and install GT/L length bolts.

Remove the bolts from the front trailing arm mounts, then remove them from the trailing links. Replace them with L/GT/WRX units. Reinstall the bolts

Disconnect the rear sway bar end links. (BG/BD)

Support the rear of the diff with a jack. Remove the cross member bolts. Lower the jack till you can remove the spacers. Jack the cross member back up to meet the body then install L/GT/WRX/RS length bolts.

Replace the rear struts with the L/GT/GT-B/B4 length struts.

BG/BD owners will have to swap out the rear sway bar mounts for L/GT/RS units. Reinstall the rear sway bar end links.


Common Parts (BH/BK/BD/BG):

Cross member Complete AT 41011AE00A (Auto Trans Cross Member)
Cross member Complete Front 41011AE020 (5mt Cross member Front)
Cross member Complete Rear 41021AC240 (5mt Cross member Rear)
Cushion Rubber-Gear Shift 35036AA010 (Rear Shifter Bushing)
Front cross member drop bolts 20540AA030
Transverse Link Bushing- RH 20201FA050 (Rear Control Arm Bushing)
Transverse Link Bushing- LH 20201FA060 (Rear Control Arm Bushing)
Rod Assembly-Pitching Stop 41040FA000 (Pitch Stop)

BE/BH Specific Parts list: (00' BH/BE GT Part Numbers)

Universal Joint Assembly 34170AE040 (Steering Coupler)
Trailing Arm Bracket- RH 20540AE000 (Front Trailing Link Mount)
Trailing Arm Bracket- LH 20540AE010 (Front Trailing Link Mount)
Flange Bolt 901000179 (Rear Cross Member Bolt)

BD/BG Specific Parts: (96' BD/BG GT Part Numbers)

Universal Joint Assembly 34160AE010 (Steering Coupler)
Trailing Arm Bracket- RH 20520AA030 (Front Trailing Link Mount)
Trailing Arm Bracket- LH 20520AA040 (Front Trailing Link Mount)
Flange Bolt 20540FC120 (Rear Cross Member Bolt)
Bracket-Stabilizer- RH 20520AA001 (Sway Bar Mounting Bracket)
Bracket-Stabilizer- LH 20520AA011 (Sway Bar Mounting Bracket)

Still working on some good quality pictures, not the best photo guy

If I missed anything let me know.

-Dylan @ DS1 Motorsports

[radu416]

For BH Outback Wagon lowered to stock Legacy GT or GT-B height, will the stock tires (225/60R16) still fit or is the drop so substantial that they will rub?

[rkrenicki]

For BH Outback Wagon lowered to stock Legacy GT or GT-B height, will the stock tires (225/60R16) still fit or is the drop so substantial that they will rub?

Outback sized tires will fit on the Legacy suspension, as long as the front camber is 0 (or positive) and you are still using an Outback steering rack. The rears will clear fine.

[radu416]

Just want to say thanks. I followed the instructions here, and with some guidace from rkrenicki I was able to delete the spacers in my Outback. I did have a Legacy donor car, and I did the swap with both car side-by-side.

A couple of things I'd like to add.

1. For manual cars you'll need to change the shifter assembly. I used one from a 06/07 Impreza. I had the COBB 5MT bushing kit (replaces #17 and #21) installed before, but that wasn't enough. The length/curve of #18 and #7 is different between OB one and what I used.

2. The wedge looking piece (#19 - compression member) is different between LEG and OB. #21 is missing altogether from LEG.

3. Outback sized tires may rub on the front spring perch depending on wheel offset. My winter setup (16X7"+53, 225/60R16) fit fine, summer (17x7"+55, 225/55R17) did not. I had to manually set the camber to something positive just to be able to roll into the tire shop. I needed new summer tires anyway so I got a different size. If you're attempting this and are attatched to a set of wheels or tires you may need to use a spacer to push the tire away from the spring perch. I didn't have any problems with the rear tires

Bonus tip: Just because your steering column is out and the steering wheel is not attached to anything, it doesn't mean you can pretend to be drifting and spin the wheel as many times as you want. RIP clockspring

[crjohnson]

G'day guys,

Bit of a long shot here but I was hoping someone might be able to tell me how thick the front subframe spacers are on a bh9 outback? I am looking at de-lifting the front of my car (already did the rear and am running the outback tailshaft still, no issues..), but I am intrigued about the steering column and knuckle changes.

Does changing to the liberty column+coupler/knuckle merely keep the angle of the column-to-rack input shaft correct? I would have thought that going to the longer liberty column and shorter-coupler would make the angle tighter/worse?

Is the liberty meant to have a tighter angle for clearance on say twin turbo models?

From looking at my outback it almost looks as though I could simply push each end of the coupler 10-15mm further onto the column and rack input shafts (pending clearance within the uni joints on the coupler intself).

FYI from what I can see the outback coupler looks approx. 30-32mm longer than the liberty/legacy. I wonder if there is an in-between length coupler from another model subaru? Might allow de-lifts without changing the column?

[rkrenicki]

So, the outback spacer is about 25mm thick. Since it raises the steering rack up with it, the coupler is shorter and the column shaft is longer to keep the proper angles. Turbos have nothing to do with it, as we didnt get them in the US at all for this generation.

I am sure there are a dozen people who can say that they did the job and didnt change the coupler and/or the column, but I am sure that it is putting a lot of stress on the joint causing it to wear much faster than it normally would.

The same could be said for the Outback axle. Since the center bearing is lower than it should be with the front and rear ends lifted up.. it puts unnecessary stress on that universal joint and bearing. For some people (myself included) the angle also caused the axle to rub on some of the exhaust heatshields.

[dusterbd13]

So, bringing this back from the dead.

Just picked up a 2006 turbo baja. It has the outback subframe spacers on it, and i intend to remove them and lower the car the correct way.
I thank everyone for all the work in this thread.

Is there anything to be aware of with the column swap?
Anything i should be aware of with the turbo drivetrain?

[rkrenicki]

Should be the same as any other Legacy. I think this thread covers all of the important bases.. but if you have any questions during the process though, feel free to ask!