legacycentral bbs

WOW! Sorry, Just really excited about this whole legacy message board. Figured I'd post up my suspension plan, and hopefully get torn apart, and recieve some much needed input.

91 L wagon 4wd (ruby red)
Springs/shocks=worn/blown. after I do my 95+ front end conversion, I plan on replacing my shocks with Koni yellows, and my springs with either Intrax or H&R springs.

Bushings=Mostly dryrotted. I need to replace many of my suspension bushings, and have been searching for a urethane bushing kit for my car, I know for a fact that energy suspension does not make one, and I've had no luck finding any others online either.

Strut bars=nonexistant I dunno whether I'll make them, or buy them, depends on if I can find them for less than $170

That concludes my basic suspension setup.

How does this sound as a progression of mods...
Bodywork/front end swap(Hit a deer bout a month ago)
suspension
seats
ej20t(rollin over to 200k tomorrow)
stereo, tint, etc
more suspension
basic engine boltons

I have plans to autocross the car, so suspension,then power is my main concern, but it's also my daily driver, so I figured making it a little more comfortable wouldnt hurt either.

i dont know about their springs, but i've heard horrible, horrible things about intrax shocks. I do know that intrax springs do not affect the spring rate, just the ride height. Basically, the favorite spring amoung rich rice.

Legacy turbo swaybars are an easy, not so extreme upgrade. You need the ?front? one anyway if you are putting an ej20t in. They are shaped differently.

H&R springs are jim-dandy, as are whitelines. I talk about cutting springs and measuring spring rates, and as a result everyone hates me.

Shocks- consider KYB gr2's and AGX's, they're the favorite on this board.

later model legacy/impreza rubber stuff usually fits BC/BFs.

Oh, since you have a 91, you have the tapered rear springs, sucker. You will need to change the top mounts to the later style unless you go with the whiteline springs. Speaking of Whiteline, they have an anti-lift kit that looks pretty swanky.

You completely forgot wheels. Personally, i routinely sidewall my tires around high speed turns. It doesnt even perturb me anymore. I'd love to get my hands on som 16-17 inch rims, preferably with a 7 inch width. Our 5.5 inches is just silly. I'd also like my hubcaps to fit on these fantasy rims too, but im a wierdo. Offset is the big deal finding rims, we need a 50-58 mm one. Any old 90s subie rim will work, except the svx, which is just a nightmare all around.

hrmmm, so a bronze wrx wheel doesnt have the right offset?


damn.

LaureltheQueen wrote:hrmmm, so a bronze wrx wheel doesnt have the right offset?


damn.

where you finding bronze WRX wheels?

Any newer OEM subaru wheel excluding the SVX is pretty much interchangeable.

Technically, I think, the WRX wheels have a 3mm smaller offset than our stock wheels (52mm vs. 55mm). The stock WRX tires are a little larger in diameter, too, by nearly an inch. I think this is true of all Legacy/Impreza/Forester/Baja/Outback models that came with 16" wheels. Usually, this won't matter, and they'll fit anyway, but if you corner hard, have worn springs, or use wider tires, you might get rubbing.

Im interested in the "95+ front end conversion" that ought to be fun. Why are you doing it though, so much work for a front end that didnt really look that great to begin with.

Why do you want the Koni struts? The KYB units are proven to work very well, dont think Ive ever heard someone complain.

You can replace most of the important bushings, but they are included in other parts. For example ALK comes with bushings, the Adjustable rear control arms come with bushings, whiteline makes stearing rack bushings.

Since you are doing your suspension anyways think about grabbing some better top hats.

Check the sway bar end links you have. Are they the "pin in box" style? You may need to do a full conversion, including new rear control arms in order to get rid of the older style attachment.

Cone shaped springs are a pain in the ass, your car isnt US spec right? If not I think your fine.

I would Imagine that Ruby's US spec, we bought her here.

I dont know why, but I just dislike the stock front end on my car. Its a huge box, with a little pointy front, sorta reminds me of a mouse. I also plan to get into doing bodywork as a profession(after proper schooling, of course) and what better way to start out than with my own car. This swap will be relatively simple to do(minor amounts of bondo) and not a WHOLE LOT more expensive than replacing all of the imperfect front end parts. I also want to build a car that nobody in my area has. Something that will make a true subaru enthusiast either a bit confused, or at least take a second look, but the average car person not realize. Besides, I need a hood scoop for when I have a turbo motor. :p

Since I've heard nothing but good things about the KYB's, I may as well get those, I'm just going on my own, and friends experience with hondas and koni's

There's a 92 legacy at the junkyard that i've been yanking parts from, will a used top mount work? And if so, the tools i'll be needing will be spring compressors, and a few other miscelaneous tools, correct?


Finally got the damn bumper off after trying for the 4th time today.

Whoa! Going to school for autobody?

LaureltheQueen- my name's Steve, I'm 5'11" in good shape I like kayaking, biking, and travelling as well as Subarus. My dream is to sell some novels to a movie studio and semi-retire into building custom cars... Im in Beverly, MA. People say I look like Keanu Reeves, but I don't see it... Anyway, care for a long distance relationship?

Just kidding. Its very hard to find women that care about cars more than spending all their money on new ones so they don't have to worry about maintenance.

That conversion sounds interesting. Please post some pics when you're done.

Steve

Hrmmm.... After doing even MORE calling around. It seems as though I'll either have to spend $1000 on a 95+ front, plus the cost of supplies, and paint. I dont have that kinda cash right now, and since I rolled over to 200k miles yesterday night, I'd rather dump cash into a swap....

Any clear corners available for the 91? I'll still have to replace most everything in my front, but it'll be cheaper and easier to find i'd imagine.

LaureltheQueen wrote: Any clear corners available for the 91? I'll still have to replace most everything in my front, but it'll be cheaper and easier to find i'd imagine.

overseas there are. you can get clear bumper lights off a us turbo though.

Laurel, don't mind Steve, you wouldn't be interested in him. I love all types of Subarus (I have two ) and I love many types of music (except country ) and I'm a very nice guy. I'm just your type

Haha, relax guys. Laurel, welcome to the board. I'm joking, Steve, she's closer to you anyway

I agree that it's interesting to see a mechanically-inclined girl on here, but gender isn't a big deal here. Only great minds here, no sexes...

I must agree with Ciper in that I don't see how the extensive work of making a 95 front end fit on a BC/BF would be justified when it doesn't really look that much better...

And yes, definitely go with the KYB's. I don't have them, but I wish I did. I have Monroes, which are good for ride but crap for handling...

You'd be amazed what a set of GR2s and decent tires can do for handling. BMW drivers are even more amazed, I believe.

My wagon's got 225K and runs like train.

Steve

Okay, after my first autocross, I've scrapped the front end plan. I decided that I'll keep my eyes open for front end parts, but not actively look, instead, all of my $$'s going into suspension, then motor, which takes me to my NEXT question, will a 92 turbo hood fit my 91? I'd imagine it would, but making sure is always a good plan.

Also, how much can I expect to pay for KYB AGX's?
and will I need to get 92 shocks to bolt up to the 92 top hats i'm getting, or will anything work?

I don't think it will fit. You can either get a 91 turbo hood or just cut in a scoop. You can get a WRX scoop cheap. I'm actually cutting in a WRX scoop on my 92 turbo for my TMIC. If you plan on having a top mount farther down the road you may want to go that route

Ummm... I've found agx's for the 92 legacies, will they fit my 91? The place online didnt have listing for agx's on the 91...

The only front end parts that will fit a 91 are from a 90 or 91. The 92-94 hoods are shorter, shaped differently for the different headlights, etc. etc. Get a 91 turbo hood...

I'm not sure if the 92 AGX's willl fit, because (although this is not universal) the majority of the 92-94 Legs got the non-tapered rear springs, while the 90-91's did. I don't know if this will matter, since the taper tightens toward the strut mount, not the strut itself...

You can probably match up some springs with some struts with some strut mounts that will work somehow...

You can put agx's on a 91 but it takes changing some parts so that your car can take the non-tapered spring strut combination.

Well, theres a 92 sedan at the junkyard, I think i may just pull the whole strut out of it, and put springs/shocks for a 92 on, then swap out my old ones, providing they'll fit in, I'd imagine they would... is that correct?

LaureltheQueen wrote:Ummm... I've found agx's for the 92 legacies, will they fit my 91? The place online didnt have listing for agx's on the 91...

You do have AWD correct?

If so, then yes they "should" fit. You will need to make sure they AGX's you get are for a 92 wagon.

The springs and top mounts are different on the 91, but that shouldn't bother the struts.

Sorry if I sounded confusing. I was refering to the strut tops/top mounts that we have to change so that our cars can take the non-tapered spring. I think that the strut should fit fine, from everything I've read. I talked to a guy a while back who did this and he said he needed to get some parts from a 92 in order to make it work, but I don't know what he was referring to because at the time I was less knowledgable about all this stuff. So it probably wouldn't hurt to look at the 92 setup, but I don't THINK you'll need anything from it.

I can call the mechanic and see what he did if you like.

-Ryan

P.S. He didn't use the whiteline tapered springs, he used eibachs which don't have the tapered spring, so.... Is it concievable that the strut assembly couldn't take a tapered spring? Anyone have thoughts on this?

Okay. . . when asked if there was anything I could do to help Laurel out (we live 80 miles away and get to see each other only occasionaly) I was appointed with the task of finding KYB AGX shocks that will fit the 92-94 AWD wagons.

The price to beat was $425 for the set.

A very low price to begin with, given that many places charge over $500.

Did I beat that? YOU BET! I rule at finding obscure things on the internet.

http://www.p-s-t.com has them for $389 a set. . . SHIPPED.
They're called Performance Suspension Technolgy. They're out of New Jersey, and it seems ALL their sets of AGXs go for that price. SWEET!

Goin to the junkyard on saturday, with a friend in tow to pull the whole strut assembly off this 92 sedan(will it all work, its a swap FROM a sedan to a AWD wagon...)

I think i'll just build the full strut assembly, then, when I get time to have the partywagon out of commission, throw the new struts in there, get a camber kit and have an alignment done. Sound possible?

Yukonart,

can you please remove the pic from your sig. This board is borrowing space and bandwidth, so to conserve bandwidth we ask that the members don't use pictures in their signatures.

Thanks

Done. Sorry, didn't realize.

Soo. . . the only way to make this all work (with a camber kit) appears to be getting the suspension mounts from a 1992-ish turbo sedan? And get springs for the 1992 wagon? (for correct spring rate)

Sheesh. . . this'll be sweet when it all comes together.

no worries.

top mounts from a 92-94 legacy non-turbo/turbo will work, same with struts, except wagon