I was under there a few weeks ago assessing the whole thing and it looks like you need to unbolt some ebrake brackets, then unbolt the trailing arm mount from the body, looks like 3 big honkin bolts per side, and then when the front of the arm is hanging down you can get the bolt that goes through the middle of the bushing. Stick your head under there with a flashlight; it’s fairly obvious i think.

 

Buy the Whiteline poly 2 piece trailing arm bushings, and never replace them again + you won't need a press.

Save yourself the time & replace the bushings on the car without removing the entire trailing arm. After unbolting the ebrake cable brackets and the trailing arm bushing, jam a large piece of wood between the chassis & arm so you have clearance. Torch the rubber out & afterwards use a sawzall or similar to cut a slot in the remaining outer buhsing race to be able to punch it out of the arm. Then reassemble.

 

I've seen multiple Whiteline part numbers for the trailing link bushing. Anyone have the bottomline CORRECT part # for the 2005 Base Outback?

 

CORRECT part # for the 2005 Base Outback?

Whiteline #W63398

 

I've just found out that the Whiteline #W63398 requires that you RE-USE THE OEM OUTER BUSHING "RACE"/SLEEVE!!!! After cutting mine out.... UGHHHHH...The only confirmation I could get as to the "re-use" of the old bushing metal sleeve was from a "chat" feature of a performance parts distributor, Whiteline is quite DIFFICULT TO GET A HOLD OF!


Nowhere on the packaging does it mention needing to re-use any existing portion of the old bushing. I thought that they went in just a little TOO EASY!!
I guess I have a pair of Whiteline Bushings if anyone is interested...

 

Wait, what? No you don't. Or at least I didn't. They're supposed to go in with nothing more than hand pressure.

 

Yeah, here's the photos I took when I installed my Whiteline kit.

My entire drivetrain is pretty much all Whiteline bushings and links. All of them I cut out the races.

 

I guess I cannot share a link to my source yet because I am a newbie...Google or look up "How-to burn out Suspension Bushings: The Right Way- Suspension.com" and it is just after the "burning out the old bushing" section...

I am SO CONFUSED and HOPE I AM VERY WRONG in this case!!

 

I burned out my old Trailing Arm bushings....I didn't burn them TOTALLY out, just heated them enough to get the rubber soft so I could pry out the steel center thru piece. I then used a sawzall to cut out the outer bushing race.

1. I covered a small cookie pan with foil as a heat shield.
2. This kept the undercarriage and body parts from being burned.
3. I pried out the center steel bushing.
4. I cut out the outer race.
5. New Whiteline bushing slid right in, NO ISSUES.

When it came time to cut out the old bushing I used a short piece of wood to force the trailing arm down so I could get the blade in position. This piece of wood also held the arm steady. It worked great!

Let me know if you have questions.

 

Love that burning rubber smell!! Burned out my lateral link bushings from my '03 Forester.

 

Whiteline will not respond...

I installed my bushings with a less than satisfactory result on one side and get NO response after contacting Whiteline...LAME!!!!

My mechanic says, for what this particular bushing does, "it should be fine"... Any thoughts or opinions on this result would be appreciated.

 

The measuring tape and screwdriver are in the photos to illustrate the gap that SHOULD NOT EXIST...

 

...I can also confirm that the instructions as to which "half" ("big half"/"smaller half") of the bushing goes on which side (inside or out) were followed to a "T"...

 

I did mine last week. Everything seemed fine at the time, but now you're making want to go out and check to see if they have the same gap.

 

Ok, seems like I have the same problem on my drivers side. Wet and nasty out so I just used my phone in selfie mode to take a pic. Didn't check the passenger side.

 

Hmmmm...



What's your take on the performance and "level of concern" with this gap?

Just checked my e-mail thread to Whiteline, I've gotten one response (on Nov. 7th) since my original inquiry in late Oct. (the 28th), asking me for "an OD measurement" of the bushing (GOOD LUCK WITH THAT once it's installed), I sent the above pictures, and never got a response. My last "poke" was Dec. 13th, so I have basically just given up on them, and more or less forgotten about this gap. Until I am under my car doing some work, of course... Again, LAME!

 

Hey @Steelonthefly, I think I solved the mystery.


Last weekend I was under the car buttoning up some things so I could finally go get an alignment. I was back there prying around on the training arm, pondering what the problem could be. I put my digital angle finder on the rotor and it said the camber was something like -4°. I installed adjustable control arms but my previous posts were made pre-alignment. The gap is completely gone now after getting an alignment (long story... didn't turn out well... made a thread about it)


The extreme negative camber is what caused the gap in my case. Any camber or toe adjustment will cause the end of the trailing arm to move. Enough movement will compress one side or the other of the bushing. IMO this bushing should be one solid piece, but then it would be more difficult to install.

 

"If it seems too good to be true"...(or too easy to install) IT PROBABLY IS!!!

Hey @Steelonthefly, I think I solved the mystery.


IMO this bushing should be one solid piece, but then it would be more difficult to install.

Agreed!!! I wish I had stuck with stock on this one while I had my car apart... You live and you learn.


I have a lifetime alignment at Firestone, but haven't noticed the "deviation" or gap changing before or afterwards... I will definitely be keeping my eye on it!!


Thanks for the reply/thinking about me!!


Peace