What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

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czei
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What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by czei »

I've been scouring this board for previous messages but can't seem to find any compatibility information for a rear LSD.

My '91 NA Legacy has an open rear diff and I want to do the obvious upgrade, but want to make sure I get the right one. Are there differences in axels or the driveshaft that would make this car compatible with a subset of newer diffs?

If this has already been answered and I was just too dumb to find it, I apologize in advance.

Thanks!
rallyak
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by rallyak »

Both of my cars has 01 LGT VLSD with 4.11 gears with 95-99 outback rear axles. Need to change the flange or yolk off the old rear end so it matches your driveline and swap the studs in the rear cover and your all converted.
Charles

90' White/Gray Outback DD workhorse (670,xxx) miles
92' Onyx Metallic (430,xxx) Wife's DD
68' Barracuda formula S 340 4spd coupe (ongoing project)
66' Mustang 2+2 4spd wife's (ongoing project)
czei
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by czei »

rallyak wrote:Both of my cars has 01 LGT VLSD with 4.11 gears with 95-99 outback rear axles. Need to change the flange or yolk off the old rear end so it matches your driveline and swap the studs in the rear cover and your all converted.
Thanks for help! To clarify, you needed to buy outback axles to go with the '01 VLSD?
rallyak
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by rallyak »

Yes, outback
The ends look like this,
Image
And if you notice there isn't a clip in the groove and the end is tapered. The Brighton and L's are different with no tapper and a clip and different spline count.
Charles

90' White/Gray Outback DD workhorse (670,xxx) miles
92' Onyx Metallic (430,xxx) Wife's DD
68' Barracuda formula S 340 4spd coupe (ongoing project)
66' Mustang 2+2 4spd wife's (ongoing project)
czei
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by czei »

Thanks for posting the pics. The local enormous junkyard says they've got a 01 legacy gt 4.11 locking diff in stock for $200, which is great since there were some random Subaru rear diffs on eBay going for $400.

Is there any reason you didn't use the axels from the 01 LGT as well? I assume they would work.
rallyak
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by rallyak »

01 rear axels are too long. I also have more pics of swap.
Charles

90' White/Gray Outback DD workhorse (670,xxx) miles
92' Onyx Metallic (430,xxx) Wife's DD
68' Barracuda formula S 340 4spd coupe (ongoing project)
66' Mustang 2+2 4spd wife's (ongoing project)
czei
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by czei »

rallyak wrote:Both of my cars has 01 LGT VLSD with 4.11 gears with 95-99 outback rear axles. Need to change the flange or yolk off the old rear end so it matches your driveline and swap the studs in the rear cover and your all converted.
Sorry for all the questions, but "Outback" has been used on just about everything Subaru :-) In those years do you mean the Legacy Outback or the Impreza Outback?

Thanks,
rallyak
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by rallyak »

Sorry, I didn't specify. Legacy outback
Charles

90' White/Gray Outback DD workhorse (670,xxx) miles
92' Onyx Metallic (430,xxx) Wife's DD
68' Barracuda formula S 340 4spd coupe (ongoing project)
66' Mustang 2+2 4spd wife's (ongoing project)
jamal
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by jamal »

I keep meaning to get one too. And that 01 4.11 diff should even be a straight drop in for me.
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by Legacy777 »

What about differential case being longer on the newer Subies (which shortens the rear section of the driveline) or is the VLSD case the same length as the older rear differential cases?
Josh

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1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by rallyak »

I know the case for 01 LGT is the same size. I'm not sure about the newer cases.
Image
Charles

90' White/Gray Outback DD workhorse (670,xxx) miles
92' Onyx Metallic (430,xxx) Wife's DD
68' Barracuda formula S 340 4spd coupe (ongoing project)
66' Mustang 2+2 4spd wife's (ongoing project)
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by Legacy777 »

Ok, yeah it looks like there are two different types VA & T type and the VA types are probably the LSD which match our legacies.

http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... f_info.pdf
Josh

surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
czei
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by czei »

I got the new diff attached to the car before realizing the flanges don't match. (Yes, you warned about it but I misunderstood. ).

How the heck do I remove the flanges to do a swap? I tried drilling holes in a piece of steel and attaching that to the flange, and then using a breaker bar on the nut but twice the torque was so high the steel bent and broke!
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by mike-tracy »

czei wrote:I got the new diff attached to the car before realizing the flanges don't match. (Yes, you warned about it but I misunderstood. ).

How the heck do I remove the flanges to do a swap? I tried drilling holes in a piece of steel and attaching that to the flange, and then using a breaker bar on the nut but twice the torque was so high the steel bent and broke!

I take my diffs to a friendly mechanic, along with a 6-pack. He uses his 1000 ft-lbs impact gun to remove the flanges in about 1 second. If you research the installed torque spec of the nut , he'll even put it on right.
1992 Legacy SS 5mt, build in progress
Josh Colombo wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2002 10:23 am Wait....I'm confused now.
czei
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by czei »

Thanks, the swap only took 10 minutes at the mechanics this morning. I really appreciate that you took the time to share this swap; can't wait to try the LSD at a NASCAR dirt track tomorrow!
rallyak
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by rallyak »

I love mine on the ice and snow, and I hope you enjoy yours a well.
Charles

90' White/Gray Outback DD workhorse (670,xxx) miles
92' Onyx Metallic (430,xxx) Wife's DD
68' Barracuda formula S 340 4spd coupe (ongoing project)
66' Mustang 2+2 4spd wife's (ongoing project)
ShorelineScooby
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by ShorelineScooby »

rallyak wrote:Both of my cars has 01 LGT VLSD with 4.11 gears with 95-99 outback rear axles. Need to change the flange or yolk off the old rear end so it matches your driveline and swap the studs in the rear cover and your all converted.
So then would I be in the same situation using an '01 2.5rs lsd rear in my 92 ss?
06 Obxt (Clam-jam daily)
92 SS (Forever broken)
92 240sx Vert (Shitbox money-pit drift project)
mike-tracy
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by mike-tracy »

ShorelineScooby wrote:
rallyak wrote:Both of my cars has 01 LGT VLSD with 4.11 gears with 95-99 outback rear axles. Need to change the flange or yolk off the old rear end so it matches your driveline and swap the studs in the rear cover and your all converted.
So then would I be in the same situation using an '01 2.5rs lsd rear in my 92 ss?
Yes - I have an 00 RS diff in my 91 SS and those are the axles I used.
1992 Legacy SS 5mt, build in progress
Josh Colombo wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2002 10:23 am Wait....I'm confused now.
czei
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by czei »

Does it matter what transmission the rear LSD is paired with as long as the final drive is the same? My center diff just blew after the last race, and I'm trying to figure out what went wrong. The car has a '94 ohase one transmission paired with a 2001 rear 4.11 LSD and matching axels.
rallyak
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Re: What year LSD will fit '91 Legacy L?

Post by rallyak »

As long as your final ratio matches the gear in the transmission it doesn't matter what the rear end came out of.
Charles

90' White/Gray Outback DD workhorse (670,xxx) miles
92' Onyx Metallic (430,xxx) Wife's DD
68' Barracuda formula S 340 4spd coupe (ongoing project)
66' Mustang 2+2 4spd wife's (ongoing project)
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