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Whiteline solid 20mm rear sway bar test fitment for 2020+ Outback installation and notes

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#1 · (Edited)
Edit: Since the group buy has ended, the product is available at retail: Rear Sway bar - 20mm heavy duty blade adjustable (2020+ Outback)

Installation guide by @Alex_W here: Gen6 Sway Bar

Whiteline has responded to our request for a stiffer rear sway bar, and now it's here, in prototype/sample format for test fitment. The intent is to have a minimum run of 100 bars if there's enough interest. This Sample bar is 20mm solid, with selectable stiffness via two different endlink mounting holes. I will install it using the soft setting, which will still be approximately twice as stiff as the hollow 19mm OE bar. UPDATE: the Group Buy has ended Whiteline 6th Gen Outback 20mm Rear Sway Bar Group Buy

Update - Whiteline will provide bushings that fit into the OE clamps instead of the clamps depicted below and I am having a set sent to me for test fitment.

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I'm posting this before the installation to give people an opportunity to ask for observations in advance, or to give me advice. I have installed thicker rear sway bars in 2 other Subarus of my own with no issues. Will be using the OE endlinks. Whiteline has provided instructions that I will follow:

Special thanks to @Duncan Heinz for making this happen and @Mamberly who will help test it!
:love:
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Installation is complete and sorry for the delay. Took a brief test drive as well. Instead of talking about the installation first, the results:
With very limited driving, the car feels 1000 pounds lighter, much less ponderous. Drives much more naturally, resists crosswinds better, turns with more urgency but never nervous. A rear sway bar increases front grip to prevent understeer, and in this case theory matches my limited impressions. The front turn-in is sharper but the rear doesn't feel loose at all. Feels like better grip both front and back with a better balance. While in theory the rear will be less independent and may ride rougher, I wasn't on broken pavement so can't say, but it felt good over things like manhole covers, reflectors.
Driving out along the coast because it's the weekend, tourists on mopeds slowed things down, but I tried to make space and drive with pace wherever I could, but it was limited.
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Removal of the OE bar - this is how it looks stock. First step is to loosen the endlink where it attaches to the bar. If there are signs of corrosion on the top stud you'd do well to use some penetrant (e.g. WD-40) a day ahead.
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14mm socket or wrench will work, but it's on fairly tight. There is a 5mm hex recess in the end of the upper stud but you only need to use that when torqueing it afterwards to 40.6 foot pounds. Make sure that you can get the hex all the way in otherwise you may damage the stud by stripping the hex opening. In many cases the threads are corroded (as seen below) and some penetrant can be used a day ahead to ease removal. It's also suggested that after installation you should spray some rust inhibitor inside the hex so that it doesn't get corroded and prevent future full insertion of the hex.
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With the nut removed just push the threaded bolt out from the sway bar.
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You can remove the OE bracket 12mm bolts and the bar will come out. When reinstalling the torque spec is 28 foot pounds for the bracket bolts below.

It may seem like the exhaust is in the way but just turn and maneuver the bar and it can be pulled out the side without taking a wheel off or exhaust or anything. If my ramps were lower it would be more difficult.
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The Whiteline bar is nearly a perfect match to the OE bar.
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Installation will be in the next post.
@lidksmy provided the 2021 Outback diagram as follows - included are dry torque values. If you use liquid thread locker it lubricates the threads and torque values should be reduced by about 20%
Brackets (15) held by 12mm bolts torqued to 28 foot pounds [T1] The mating surfaces between the bracket and the mount should be clean and dry. If you inadvertently contaminate it with grease then please clean both mating surfaces before re-installation or it may clunk.
Endlinks (16) 14mm open end torqued to 40 foot pounds on the top [T2] with 5mm hex center studs and 28 foot pounds on the bottom in the lower control arm [T1]. Make sure that your 5mm hex is fully inserted otherwise it may strip and cam out.
 
#37 ·
Installation is complete and sorry for the delay. Took a brief test drive as well. Instead of talking about the installation first, the results:
With very limited driving, the car feels 1000 pounds lighter, much less ponderous. Drives much more naturally, resists crosswinds better, turns with more urgency but never nervous. A rear sway bar increases front grip to prevent understeer, and in this case theory matches my limited impressions. The front turn-in is sharper but the rear doesn't feel loose at all. Feels like better grip both front and back with a better balance. While in theory the rear will be less independent and may ride rougher, I wasn't on broken pavement so can't say, but it felt good over things like manhole covers, reflectors.
Driving out along the coast because it's the weekend, tourists on mopeds slowed things down, but I tried to make space and drive with pace wherever I could, but it was limited.
View attachment 521219

View attachment 521220
Removal of the OE bar - this is how it looks stock. First step is to loosen the endlink where it attaches to the bar.
View attachment 521221
14mm socket or wrench will work, but it's on fairly tight. There is a 5mm hex recess in the end of the stud but you only need to use that when torqueing it afterwards.
View attachment 521222
With the nut removed just push the threaded bolt out from the sway bar.
View attachment 521223
You can remove the OE bracket 12mm bolts and the bar will come out.

It may seem like the exhaust is in the way but just turn and maneuver the bar and it can be pulled out the side without taking a wheel off or exhaust or anything. If my ramps were lower it would be more difficult.
View attachment 521225
View attachment 521226
The Whiteline bar is nearly a perfect match to the OE bar.
View attachment 521227
Installation will be in the next post.
This is from the 2019 Factory Service Manual - presuming torque values are the same.
Brackets (15) held by 12mm bolts torqued to 28 foot pounds [T2]
Endlinks (16) 14mm open end torqued to 24.3 foot pounds [T1] with 5mm hex center studs
View attachment 521152
I’m in for one but not sure if this will void the warranty on Outback for not using OEM parts or so called doing modifications on the car?
 
#3 · (Edited)
Update: A few installation concerns about the Whiteline end-links have been raised later in the thread so I'm bringing it up.
  • In just over a year, several people have used the stock end-links with the Whiteline rear sway bar and have not had any issues despite the end-links being about 20 degrees at rest. It's unknown if the stock end-links may fail down the road but so far so good - it is a viable option if you want to avoid the following:
  • With the Whiteline end-links, several people have had issues where the center section comes loose. This is a known issue with adjustable end-links in general so the following tips are to permanently transform the adjustable end-links into solid non-adjustable end-links to prevent this.
  • Disassemble and degrease the end-link's threaded rod and golden center section and let them dry.
  • Re-assemble the end-links using permanent thread locker, Loctite 263 or equivalent, or epoxy.
  • For stock height suspension, make sure that you have the proper 90 degree orientation as shown below at the shortest end-link length, with both end-links being equal. If you have a lift you could make the end-links slightly longer, 1/2" longer for each inch of added lift.
  • Torque the jam-nut to approximately 20 foot pounds, again using epoxy or thread-locker to secure it.
  • If you didn't loctite the end-links you can still add loctite after the fact - not as good as doing it ahead of time but you could use high strength Wicking Loctite 290 or 294
  • There is a new concern that some Whiteline end-links may lack lubrication of the top of the link with the spherical ball joint. Exercise your end-link (the left side of the image below) and you should hear some grease moving around inside the joint. It should have resistance but move smoothly throughout its range of motion.
  • There is a ring clip holding the rubber boot over the bearing and it can be removed with fingernails to ensure there's grease in there. If grease is missing from yours or you suspect something is wrong with your end-link, contact Whiteline before attempting to install it.
  • If you want your end-links to be absolutely rock solid, see this post: Whiteline solid 20mm rear sway bar test fitment for...


  • The Nylock and washers supplied in the Whiteline end-link kit that were supposed to go on the bottom of the end link through the lower control arm will not leave enough bolt length to leave a couple threads exposed - this is not best practice. Whiteline is now saying to re-use the longer OE flanged bottom bolt and flanged nut that does not need washers.
  • The images below are with the universal brackets but now Whiteline is providing bushings that fit in the OE brackets that you should re-use. Be sure that both mating surfaces between the brackets and where they mount are clean and dry - if you inadvertently contaminate them with grease they may slip and clunk, so clean both mating surfaces before re-installation if necessary.
  • See this post for more info on the whiteline end-links Whiteline solid 20mm rear sway bar test fitment for...
Installation photos were difficult to capture because of dirty hands but the description should be sufficient:
  • The bottom bolt of the endlinks do not need to be removed or loosened, but if you have trouble inserting the endlinks into the bar you can do this. I didn't need to, but I completely removed one of the endlinks to take measurements (not going to be given here unless someone wants them) Edit: If using the Whiteline endlinks yes the bottom bolt needs to be removed.
  • Maneuver the bar into approximate position the same way the old bar was removed.
  • Insert the end links into the soft hole in the bar (you can change to the hard setting in the future but start with the soft hole first). The soft hole is the one near the end of the bar, furthest from the pivot.
  • Loosely put the 14mm nut back on the endlink stud. (with Washer if using Whiteline end-links)
  • Take the provided grease and liberally fill the knurled bushings
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With the bar loosely centered, put the bushings on just outside of the stops. Put the Whiteline bracket over the bushing, (edit-the production bar will have new bushings that fit the OE brackets) and loosely put the OE bracket bolts back in.
Go back and just lightly snug the end link nuts, and lightly snug the bracket bolts. The non OE bracket works fine but the holes have a lot of play in them. The mount where the bracket attaches to has a slight contour at the top, so as the bracket gets lightly snugged it should move down some. I think it's important for the bracket to be on a flat surface when it's actually tightened. It's possible to pull the bracket down to the lowest position in order to fully tighten it but I chose to push it up as high as it could go while remaining on the flat part of the mount. You can see in the pictures below how it was positioned. After everything is snug then torque upper end link nut (not nylock) to 40 foot pounds and the lower end-link bolts in the lower control arm to 28 foot pounds, torque the bracket bolts to 28 foot pounds.

Tip: Make sure that the 5mm hex is fully inserted when doing the 40 foot pound torque on the top stud because it can easily cam out and damage the hex opening. To get proper torque I used a 14mm crowfoot 90 degrees from the torque wrench head.

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Do not use a nylock on the top nut. Whiteline is now saying to re-use the flanged OE nut and bolt on the bottom for the lower control arm.



Correct install below:
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OE end-link with OE flanged nut below:
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As a final tweak, several members have loosened the set screws on the collars that keeps the bar centered between the bushings, and moved them closer to the bushings to limit the bar's horizontal travel. You don't want the collars pressed against the bushings but neither do you want the bar migrating too far to the left or right. I didn't move my collars but this is a final tweak for those of you who are perfectionists like @Alex_W
 
#9 ·
Whiteline has responded to our request for a stiffer rear sway bar, and now it's here, in prototype/sample format for test fitment. The intent is to have a minimum run of 100 bars if there's enough interest. This Sample bar is 20mm solid, with selectable stiffness via two different endlink mounting holes. I will install it using the soft setting, which will still be approximately twice as stiff as the hollow 19mm OE bar.

View attachment 521132
I'm posting this before the installation to give people an opportunity to ask for observations in advance, or to give me advice. I have installed thicker rear sway bars in 2 other Subarus of my own with no issues. Will be using the OE endlinks. Whiteline has provided instructions that I will follow:

Special thanks to @Duncan Heinz for making this happen and @Mamberly who will help test it!
:love:
Is a est price mentioned?
 
#11 ·
No estimated pricing given to me yet and remember it's only a sample/test piece and the final product might be slightly different. As mentioned in another thread it's possible that we have a group buy with special pricing. If they need to revise something then maybe one of the other volunteers can test V2? The reason why Whiteline is letting me test the bar is that Duncan put a bug in their ear, they saw that my posts are detailed and easy to follow, I take pictures, and I'm just a regular guy not a mechanic. They want to know if a regular guy can put the bar on with no issues, and get accurate reliable information on any fitment issues (I bought a caliper just in case) before they begin a production run.

It was raining earlier today and it's still pretty windy but I'll start by removing the OE endlinks, brackets, bar, making measurements and taking photos of the differences and put the info in the 2nd post above.

There is a concern that the OE endlinks may not survive long with a stiffer bar especially when used at the firmest setting - when people autocross Subarus with stiff rear bars sometimes the OE endlinks bend or break, but since I haven't measured the OE endlink yet Whiteline doesn't know which one should be used. Some of their kits include upgraded endlinks. In the other Subarus that I've put stiffer rear bars on, I've only used OE endlinks and they never bent or broke on me, but I wasn't doing autocross which puts extreme loads on a sway bar. Will probably have more info and photos in an hour or two.
 
#12 ·
Not to mention if someone tries to do some off road. If the stiffer position on the bar is used in off road situations that put a ton more stress on the bar, too. I can see factory link giving up quickly, or at least squirting out the bushings on the links.
This may be a non-issue, but I wonder about how strong the mounting points are and if there are any possibilities of deforming the mount points or pulling the bolts out of the body due to the stronger bar.
 
#13 ·
This is taking a lot longer than I thought because in the process of taking photos and measurements and dirty hands and not wanting to get my camera greasy there's been a lot of glove changing and hand washing. The old bar is out and I'm taking photos comparing it to the new bar along with the hardware differences.

Regarding off road strength - if the off-road is low speed then it should be no issue. It's when there's high dynamic forces that it might need augmentation - so high speed off road would definitely need beefing up of a lot of things, including the sway bar mounts. Once I'm done with the install I will have a week to put the bar through a bunch of on-road driving including the drive I took earlier, no high speed off road, but normal dynamic forces of spirited driving but not autocross level. After that @Mamberly and I will do a back to back road tests of our Onyx's with and without the whiteline rear bar. I'm only going to use the soft setting.

It may be another hour or two before I put up all the photos in the 2nd post.
 
#16 ·
It should fit a Legacy just fine but wait for Whiteline to give the official application guide. Yes I am using the stock springs and struts - updated the second and third posts! The install was successful with no issues, I think the bar is ready for prime time. For better tarmac handling I would recommend it as-is however I will be driving it over the next week and after that @Mamberly and I will take turns driving it on a more demanding highly curved road to see if there's any hint of oversteer. Stability control won't be defeated so in essence we will be testing the envelope of performance with a stiffer rear bar and if the stability control can cope with it. So far so good, and given the experience that other generation Outbacks have with stiffer rear sway bars I don't think there's any reason to doubt that this one will perform just as well for the Gen 6.

On a Gen 5 the recommended bar is 19mm but it only has one mounting hole. The Whiteline Gen 6 bar is 20mm but the "soft" hole is 10mm further from the pivot than the OE bar, so this extra leverage reduces the stiffness down to an acceptable level. It also has a "hard" hole which is 10mm closer to the pivot than the OE bar.
 
#18 ·
Do you have pictures of the cobb end links? I took measurements of the stock end link do you want them?
 
#20 · (Edited)
The rear endlinks for the Outback are unique and not shared with the Legacy, Ascent, or anything else. I'm pretty sure an adjustable would fit but I prefer fixed length. Just noticed that the Cobb ones are made specifically for the Gen 6 Outback. Hmm!



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#25 ·
I don't know the timeline but now that the test fit is successful I guess it's just a matter of scheduling production. I don't see the need to change anything about the bar. The sample is black but Whiteline sway bars are silver powder coated. There might be the possibility of having the group buy/intro bar in red as a limited first-run color, or black, or it can be just the standard silver. Also no indication on pricing but if I have any additional info I'll put it in the thread. Might have to create a separate group buy thread at some point if the mods here allow it. Not sure what the rules are about that.
 
#27 ·
I think the hard hole may stress the OE endlinks too much so I'm not going to test it, but if you're doing autocross in an Outback then you might want a little bit of controllable oversteer to get around very sharp corners, or if you are a really good driver and know you'll not do things like lift throttle oversteer in manual mode or stab the brakes while going through a corner too fast.

Things like understeer, oversteer, are dynamic and a perfectly neutral car can be made to understeer or oversteer. If understeer is severe you get plowing - the front wheels turn but the car literally goes straight instead of turning. A mustang doing a heavy throttle turn from a stop may understeer severely because the front tires get very light. Then if the rear tires slip from too much torque it may suddenly go from understeer to oversteer. That's why there are so many videos of Mustangs crashing when leaving car meets.

With Subaru's AWD, stability control and torque vectoring, with an engine that doesn't overpower the chassis, our margin of safety is very wide so even with the hard hole the car should be fine for street use as long as you understand that you can induce oversteer with certain inputs on certain surfaces. For example the Tantalus round-top drive has elevation changes where a damp hairpin is steeply up, or steeply down. If I take a steep down hill hairpin and stab the brakes will the car come to a graceful stop or will the rear slide out? This is what I will be testing next week. Without the stiffer rear sway bar the Outback was understeering moderately - it never "went straight when trying to turn" but it began to eat up the outside edges of the front tires. I can already feel how much more nimble the car feels with the Whiteline 20mm solid RSB in the soft setting.

With a weak rear sway bar, a tremendous amount of lateral force is put on the front outside tire when turning. That's why the edge of the tire was being chewed up. When the force on that tire exceeds its grip then that highly loaded front wheel will slip. That's because the majority of the twisting force of the chassis is loading on that front wheel. With an ideal sway bar setup under normal conditions the twisting force of a turning car is more evenly balanced to front and rear tires. If the rear sway bar is too stiff then the twisting force goes majority to the rear wheels, and you get a situation where the inside rear tire may lift. In a front wheel drive front heavy car, this works pretty well so you see this commonly in VW Golfs and other cars like that when racing. It improves the front grip.
 
#30 ·
I'm pretty sure the Wilderness bar is still hollow but stiffer than the regular OB rear bar (25%?) just to account for the one inch higher ride height and that the Whiteline bar is significantly stiffer. The Wilderness being an off-road centric trim won't be coming with extra strength rear sway bars.

Zeder, the parent company of Whiteline also owns Nolothane and other brands, so if we want the bar in Red it may come in Nolothane packaging even though it's a Whiteline bar. In that way it will be truly unique. The regular production will be silver. Is there anyone who thinks the bar shouldn't be red?
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For an inexpensive but stronger rear sway bar end-link I think this Mevotech might work fine:
 
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