Ordering new struts form my 2001 outback and most likely will go with KYB. For those that have done this DIY how did the strut mount look? Were they in good condition? I have 190k on the original struts and mounts. Tire Rack has the struts for 90 a piece and 56 a piece for the mounts. I would like to use the old mounts but it is hard to tell what kind of shape they are in until removed. Thanks for the help.
Struts
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i wish i would have had them on hand to replace. at 200,000 miles one of mine was cracked but not all the way around so i reused it because i didn't have it on hand.
of course only a percentage have issues so it sort of depends on you. i don't have time to go back in and do stuff twice and it's not worth my time so i'd rather have just paid the $100 to have the parts and be done with it.
don't forget to carefully mark top mount and bottom orientation as it all gets lost as you replace some parts and not others, etc.
of course only a percentage have issues so it sort of depends on you. i don't have time to go back in and do stuff twice and it's not worth my time so i'd rather have just paid the $100 to have the parts and be done with it.
don't forget to carefully mark top mount and bottom orientation as it all gets lost as you replace some parts and not others, etc.
the following link and some other links inside it, will give a little idea what's involved;
my mounts seemed fine but, I was at 1/3 your mileage when I swapped them (one was leaking, I chose to do the whole set)
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...3-2003-w-h6-baja-springs-kyb-struts-done.html
my mounts seemed fine but, I was at 1/3 your mileage when I swapped them (one was leaking, I chose to do the whole set)
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...3-2003-w-h6-baja-springs-kyb-struts-done.html
Strut mount deterioration depends on the local climate. If its salty due to winter weather or on the coast, change them. Also would be a good idea if the ones you are removing are the OE since the mounts have taken an extra beating the last 150k miles.
You only want to take them apart once, but I have seen mounts last a lot of miles and years. My 99 went 300k with the original mounts.
KYB is a great choice. My Cavalier is going on 130k and it still rides like I put them on last week. The 99 had the last set for the last 100k it was driven and would have lasted further.
You only want to take them apart once, but I have seen mounts last a lot of miles and years. My 99 went 300k with the original mounts.
KYB is a great choice. My Cavalier is going on 130k and it still rides like I put them on last week. The 99 had the last set for the last 100k it was driven and would have lasted further.
Did the work today and knocked it out in 4 hours. Glad I did the mounts, the bearings were rough and one was frozen. The struts were toast, amazing how well the car road with them. I also did the dust covers and bump stops. Night and day with the new KYB's. Compressing the springs went fine and had little thread left once compressed. I hate using those things.....like a time bomb! Got them on loan from Advance. Going to do the rears in a couple weeks.
Front Strut Mount / Part # SNAFU
Just finished the front struts (and brakes, rotors, and CV shafts - and oh yes, that left steering knuckle I cracked!) and found that a number of parts dealers have the wrong part number / spec for the front strut upper mount on the 2007 Outback Wagon 2.5i that I've got. When did I find out? Yup - once I had everything in pieces, of course. Ran to the dealer / shop nearby (I'm in MA - near Danvers, which has a great parts counter at Ira) and bought a pair of factory original ones, only a few bucks more than the MOOG ones that were too small.
I went back and looked on 6 different online parts dealers catalog and found the same, incorrect part # for this car! I figure there'll start to be more folks doing this job themselves, as these cars age a bit that someone will have to fix that.
I'd note that the front springs were a bit tricky with nice 'clamshell' spring compressor I've got. There are so few 'coils' that I had to really wedge the top hook under the 'top hat', and the opposite side lower hook between the bottom of the coil and the strut base plate / try. Once clamped down, it felt a lot safer than the double threaded rod type's I've used a number of times...
...and yes, the left side ball joint was so frozen / stuck - and my 'wedge' to pop it was not big enough, so I tried to GENTLY pry the knuckle open, and crack went the fitting. Ah well... $150 later and I was back in business. I was pulling it to get the new CV shaft in - obviously no need to mess with it for struts.
Lot's of great info. on this site - finally joined so I could post progress reports / things I find along the way. Over the years as my cars have gotten older (out of warranty) I tend to more and more work. From the old '65 Corvair to the '84 Full Sized Jeep, to the little Cherokee that could, to the now family grocery-getter Outback Wagon. Love the car, but it takes more maintenance than I'd have thought - but it did drive pretty well for having totally wasted struts! 130k miles was 2X longer than those should have been on there... maybe 3x longer!
I'll get the rears done later on, then take her in for an alignment.
Next? Clutch job!
Just finished the front struts (and brakes, rotors, and CV shafts - and oh yes, that left steering knuckle I cracked!) and found that a number of parts dealers have the wrong part number / spec for the front strut upper mount on the 2007 Outback Wagon 2.5i that I've got. When did I find out? Yup - once I had everything in pieces, of course. Ran to the dealer / shop nearby (I'm in MA - near Danvers, which has a great parts counter at Ira) and bought a pair of factory original ones, only a few bucks more than the MOOG ones that were too small.
I went back and looked on 6 different online parts dealers catalog and found the same, incorrect part # for this car! I figure there'll start to be more folks doing this job themselves, as these cars age a bit that someone will have to fix that.
I'd note that the front springs were a bit tricky with nice 'clamshell' spring compressor I've got. There are so few 'coils' that I had to really wedge the top hook under the 'top hat', and the opposite side lower hook between the bottom of the coil and the strut base plate / try. Once clamped down, it felt a lot safer than the double threaded rod type's I've used a number of times...
...and yes, the left side ball joint was so frozen / stuck - and my 'wedge' to pop it was not big enough, so I tried to GENTLY pry the knuckle open, and crack went the fitting. Ah well... $150 later and I was back in business. I was pulling it to get the new CV shaft in - obviously no need to mess with it for struts.
Lot's of great info. on this site - finally joined so I could post progress reports / things I find along the way. Over the years as my cars have gotten older (out of warranty) I tend to more and more work. From the old '65 Corvair to the '84 Full Sized Jeep, to the little Cherokee that could, to the now family grocery-getter Outback Wagon. Love the car, but it takes more maintenance than I'd have thought - but it did drive pretty well for having totally wasted struts! 130k miles was 2X longer than those should have been on there... maybe 3x longer!
I'll get the rears done later on, then take her in for an alignment.
Next? Clutch job!
On my 2004, I replaced the struts and springs at about 120k. The strut mounts looked fine, but the whole car was very rust-free for a Connecticut vehicle.
I went with KYB Excel-G struts. Not sure how much they impacted the ride quality as I changed the springs to King Springs at the same time. I plan to use the same combination for my 2008, but can't justify it for a while since at 69k I think the stock suspension still has time left.
I went with KYB Excel-G struts. Not sure how much they impacted the ride quality as I changed the springs to King Springs at the same time. I plan to use the same combination for my 2008, but can't justify it for a while since at 69k I think the stock suspension still has time left.
If I'm not mistaken, the '95 Outback rode at the same height as a Legacy and it wasn't until '96 that they got the lift. If you're comparing it to other Outbacks, that might be part of the reason it looks so low. Granted, at 215k, they could definitely use replacing anyway.
From what I've read it's just a Legacy with 15" wheels and some stickers on it. And slightly stiffer springs in the rear.
It's my wife's car, she's 5'5", I'm 6'2", my legs fall asleep in it. It's her "cute little toy mommy mobile"... that she drives like an F1 car. And runs over deer with...
It's my wife's car, she's 5'5", I'm 6'2", my legs fall asleep in it. It's her "cute little toy mommy mobile"... that she drives like an F1 car. And runs over deer with...
This has some info on it: Subaru Outback Archives 1995-1997: options, prices, history.
The leg room isn't great in the 1st - 3rd generation cars, that's for sure. I'm 5'10" and the passenger's seat is a bit cramped for me in my 2008. The driver's seat is fine, but I have it most of the way back so there's really not much extra room for someone taller.
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