I just completed the 19mm sway bar modification. I know this mod has been mentioned in another thread, however I think it would be useful to have its own thread to consolidate all the info out there for those who are considering doing it.
I’ll aim this post at someone like myself who rarely works on cars but has a basic tool knowledge that goes a little beyond righty-tighty, lefty-loosey, but is also a little intimidated by the thought of “ripping apart” a brand new car whose suspension is really very adequate as is. I’m completely A.R . about knowing exactly what is the correct way to do something and using the proper tools to do it. I spent hours researching all the threads I could find on Subaru forums, as well as researching other issues and questions that arose as a result of that effort. The most helpful info I found was on this forum:
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-2014/24867-sway-bar-mod-picture-tutorial-7.html
First of all, why do it? I’m actually still not sure exactly why. It’s my understanding that the stiffer 19mm bar will essentially enable the back of the car to follow the front of the car in a more responsive way than the OEM 16mm sway bar and should reduce the rolling feeling in sharper turns. I liked the feel of the original suspension but was curious what difference it might make. The bar runs the length of the rear axle and connects the left and right side suspension assemblies together. My concern was that I would trade up to crisper handling at the expense of a harsher ride. That concern turned out to be totally unfounded.
Secondly, how hard is it and what tools and experience level do I need? Big picture, it’s ridiculously simple. You’re essentially undoing 6 bolts, swapping out the OEM bar for the 19mm bar, and re-tightening the bolts {on a new car with no rust you could probably get away with any kind of a 12mm and 14mm wrench (or rachet) as a bare minimum, but more on tools later}. The bar is a long rod running underneath the back with a 90 degree forward bend in each end. The ends are attached by a 14mm bolt to the upper end of a short vertical piece about 4” long called an endlink. The lower end of the endlink is attached to the lower control arm on the rear suspension. The bar itself is bolted onto the car frame at each end by a C-shaped clamp with 2 12mm bolts at the top and bottom of the clamp. The clamp holds a 1” wide bushing which encases the bar. It took me about 2 hours because I took my time and looked around underneath and thought it through so that I wouldn’t find myself undoing something I couldn’t put back together. If I did it again I could easily do it in under 1/2 hour. The most time-consuming thing would be using Goo Gone to remove the part sticker that peels off in microscopic pieces.
So how do you do it? Here is where it gets a little not-so-simple because I read a lot of conflicting advice, but here is the sum total of what I could glean.
1. First position the car properly. Everything I read suggested that this install should be done with the suspension loaded (ie. weight on the wheels). Right away I got confused because the Subaru recommended procedure for the install has removing the wheels as the first step. I modified their procedure and left the wheels on as most people seem to do. Also, you could probably scoot underneath in a pinch, but it becomes a whole lot easier to raise the back end on ramps or jack it up and lower it onto wheel cradles. I used Race Ramps RR-30 Rally Ramps and they were perfect:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H5PTQIU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I hate trusting my life to a single point of failure so in addition to using ramps with the parking brake set, I also positioned backup jack stands and chocked the wheels.
2. To remove the bar, I first disconnected the 14mm endlink attachment. This bolt has a smooth flat end on the outside end facing the tire, and the other inside end has a hex cutout in the bolt end that accepts a 5mm allen wrench. On a new car you could probably get it loosened with a 14mm rachet or wrench and spin it free by hand. If the bolts are rusted or stubborn, once the bolt is initially loosened it may spin with the wrench, so it would need to be held on the same end as your 14mm wrench by a 5mm allen wrench inserted in the bolt end. The ideal setup is a ratcheting 14mm boxend wrench on the nut with a 5mm allen wrench on the same bolt end, but you could probably figure out a way to coax it out using less orthodox methods.
Next you simply loosen and remove the 4 12mm bolts holding on the 2 bushing clamps. Don’t worry about it falling - even with the endlink bolt nuts removed the bar is still held in place until you maneuver it off the bolts. Make a note when you remove the bushing clamps that they are also secured at the top by a hook that goes through a small hole in the bushing mounting plate.
3. To install the new bar, most people have been using this Subaru part:
Subaru Outback Rear 19MM Sway Bar Kit (Part No: 20451FG020-20464FG020 x2)
You have to first position the two bushings on the bar - there is a split in the rubber that opens to fit it over the bar. The kit comes with instructions on where to position them but big picture there’s really only one place that they can go and it’s pretty obvious if you look at the original bar. The bushings that come with the 19mm kit are stamped “18”, and the bushings on the 16mm OEM bar are stamped “15”. It all works, so go figure...
I first loosely installed the 14mm endlink bolts, and then lightly bolted on the 12mm bushing clamps to make sure the bushings were centered properly. Then I snugged down the endlink bolts a little on each side at a time until they were pretty tight. Then I used a torque wrench and tightened to spec (14mm bolt is 24.3 ft-lb). This is where having the rear end raised on ramps is really nice to accommodate the extra shaft length of a torque wrench. Then I torqued the 12mm clamp bolts to spec (28.0 ft-lb). That’s all there is to it!
So here are some questions and “tips” that I came across to muddy the waters.
1. Will this void the warranty? PROBABLY NOT given that it is a Subaru part. It would have to be shown that the install caused some problem. Consensus has it that a Subaru mechanic wouldn’t even notice the difference with a casual glance. If you use an aftermarket brand then I don’t know.
2. Will the stiffer bar require a “beefier” endlink? Apparently not.
3. Should you lube the bushings? The original bushings show no indication of a lubricant. They are made of softer rubber and work fine by themselves. Aftermarket poly bushings are made of a harder material that will eventually squeak if not lubricated.
4. Should you use locktight or some kind of lubricant on the bolts? The original bolts show no evidence of this.
I learned a lot about torque. Torque specs are based on “dry” hardware. If there is anything that eases the way the parts move during tightening (eg locktite, anti-seize, etc) you can actually overtorque a bolt to the point of snapping it off. Don’t overthink it - I wiped my bolts dry and torqued them down just fine. You could probably get away with the backyard mechanic special of tight plus one more push for good measure. I also learned that a torque wrench should be calibrated and stored with the torque at the lowest setting. I pitched my 20-year-old wrench that had sat forever with the torque at a high setting and got a new one.
When all was said and done, I honestly can’t discern a noticeable difference in handling, but I sure had fun doing it. It did track straight as an arrow through a wicked crosswind the other day. If anyone can correct anything I said please chime in because I’m by no means an expert.
I’ll aim this post at someone like myself who rarely works on cars but has a basic tool knowledge that goes a little beyond righty-tighty, lefty-loosey, but is also a little intimidated by the thought of “ripping apart” a brand new car whose suspension is really very adequate as is. I’m completely A.R . about knowing exactly what is the correct way to do something and using the proper tools to do it. I spent hours researching all the threads I could find on Subaru forums, as well as researching other issues and questions that arose as a result of that effort. The most helpful info I found was on this forum:
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-2014/24867-sway-bar-mod-picture-tutorial-7.html
First of all, why do it? I’m actually still not sure exactly why. It’s my understanding that the stiffer 19mm bar will essentially enable the back of the car to follow the front of the car in a more responsive way than the OEM 16mm sway bar and should reduce the rolling feeling in sharper turns. I liked the feel of the original suspension but was curious what difference it might make. The bar runs the length of the rear axle and connects the left and right side suspension assemblies together. My concern was that I would trade up to crisper handling at the expense of a harsher ride. That concern turned out to be totally unfounded.
Secondly, how hard is it and what tools and experience level do I need? Big picture, it’s ridiculously simple. You’re essentially undoing 6 bolts, swapping out the OEM bar for the 19mm bar, and re-tightening the bolts {on a new car with no rust you could probably get away with any kind of a 12mm and 14mm wrench (or rachet) as a bare minimum, but more on tools later}. The bar is a long rod running underneath the back with a 90 degree forward bend in each end. The ends are attached by a 14mm bolt to the upper end of a short vertical piece about 4” long called an endlink. The lower end of the endlink is attached to the lower control arm on the rear suspension. The bar itself is bolted onto the car frame at each end by a C-shaped clamp with 2 12mm bolts at the top and bottom of the clamp. The clamp holds a 1” wide bushing which encases the bar. It took me about 2 hours because I took my time and looked around underneath and thought it through so that I wouldn’t find myself undoing something I couldn’t put back together. If I did it again I could easily do it in under 1/2 hour. The most time-consuming thing would be using Goo Gone to remove the part sticker that peels off in microscopic pieces.
So how do you do it? Here is where it gets a little not-so-simple because I read a lot of conflicting advice, but here is the sum total of what I could glean.
1. First position the car properly. Everything I read suggested that this install should be done with the suspension loaded (ie. weight on the wheels). Right away I got confused because the Subaru recommended procedure for the install has removing the wheels as the first step. I modified their procedure and left the wheels on as most people seem to do. Also, you could probably scoot underneath in a pinch, but it becomes a whole lot easier to raise the back end on ramps or jack it up and lower it onto wheel cradles. I used Race Ramps RR-30 Rally Ramps and they were perfect:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H5PTQIU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I hate trusting my life to a single point of failure so in addition to using ramps with the parking brake set, I also positioned backup jack stands and chocked the wheels.
2. To remove the bar, I first disconnected the 14mm endlink attachment. This bolt has a smooth flat end on the outside end facing the tire, and the other inside end has a hex cutout in the bolt end that accepts a 5mm allen wrench. On a new car you could probably get it loosened with a 14mm rachet or wrench and spin it free by hand. If the bolts are rusted or stubborn, once the bolt is initially loosened it may spin with the wrench, so it would need to be held on the same end as your 14mm wrench by a 5mm allen wrench inserted in the bolt end. The ideal setup is a ratcheting 14mm boxend wrench on the nut with a 5mm allen wrench on the same bolt end, but you could probably figure out a way to coax it out using less orthodox methods.
Next you simply loosen and remove the 4 12mm bolts holding on the 2 bushing clamps. Don’t worry about it falling - even with the endlink bolt nuts removed the bar is still held in place until you maneuver it off the bolts. Make a note when you remove the bushing clamps that they are also secured at the top by a hook that goes through a small hole in the bushing mounting plate.
3. To install the new bar, most people have been using this Subaru part:
Subaru Outback Rear 19MM Sway Bar Kit (Part No: 20451FG020-20464FG020 x2)
You have to first position the two bushings on the bar - there is a split in the rubber that opens to fit it over the bar. The kit comes with instructions on where to position them but big picture there’s really only one place that they can go and it’s pretty obvious if you look at the original bar. The bushings that come with the 19mm kit are stamped “18”, and the bushings on the 16mm OEM bar are stamped “15”. It all works, so go figure...
I first loosely installed the 14mm endlink bolts, and then lightly bolted on the 12mm bushing clamps to make sure the bushings were centered properly. Then I snugged down the endlink bolts a little on each side at a time until they were pretty tight. Then I used a torque wrench and tightened to spec (14mm bolt is 24.3 ft-lb). This is where having the rear end raised on ramps is really nice to accommodate the extra shaft length of a torque wrench. Then I torqued the 12mm clamp bolts to spec (28.0 ft-lb). That’s all there is to it!
So here are some questions and “tips” that I came across to muddy the waters.
1. Will this void the warranty? PROBABLY NOT given that it is a Subaru part. It would have to be shown that the install caused some problem. Consensus has it that a Subaru mechanic wouldn’t even notice the difference with a casual glance. If you use an aftermarket brand then I don’t know.
2. Will the stiffer bar require a “beefier” endlink? Apparently not.
3. Should you lube the bushings? The original bushings show no indication of a lubricant. They are made of softer rubber and work fine by themselves. Aftermarket poly bushings are made of a harder material that will eventually squeak if not lubricated.
4. Should you use locktight or some kind of lubricant on the bolts? The original bolts show no evidence of this.
I learned a lot about torque. Torque specs are based on “dry” hardware. If there is anything that eases the way the parts move during tightening (eg locktite, anti-seize, etc) you can actually overtorque a bolt to the point of snapping it off. Don’t overthink it - I wiped my bolts dry and torqued them down just fine. You could probably get away with the backyard mechanic special of tight plus one more push for good measure. I also learned that a torque wrench should be calibrated and stored with the torque at the lowest setting. I pitched my 20-year-old wrench that had sat forever with the torque at a high setting and got a new one.
When all was said and done, I honestly can’t discern a noticeable difference in handling, but I sure had fun doing it. It did track straight as an arrow through a wicked crosswind the other day. If anyone can correct anything I said please chime in because I’m by no means an expert.