legacycentral bbs

Anyone put in an air bag suspension yet? The unmaintained dirt roads I've got to deal with around here are demanding more ground clearance... I'd like to be able to raise and lower the car from the drivers' seat so I can adjust as necessary, and still ride at a normal height when flinging the car around tarmac corners so's I don't flip over.

I guess since I don't have a shop yet, I'd look for someone local to help me install them, but I'd like to have the parts first instead of buying them through a local shop. No idea where to get parts that would fit the Legacy either - I'm still a suspension n00b (haven't done a damn thing with suspension, ever)...

Please to help

(I'd eventually like to put some wider and possibly larger tires on there too, for the extreme offroading courses I see lifted trucks taking around here... and a power winch would probably not be a bad idea for when I get myself stuck somewhere...)

Praxis makes a system that fits the WRX. It goes for about $3k on Tirerack. I'm not sure if it will actually raise the car above stock, or even get to stock height, but it might be worth looking into.

I know there are other brands out there, but Praxis is the only one I know of that does any Subaru.

well, subaru did
with legacy air suspension, what is the main problem with it? seems like maybe you could adapt some legacy air struts and airbag company's compressor/switches as an airbag system.

206er wrote:with legacy air suspension, what is the main problem with it?

How much time do you have?

The praxis setup is awesome. I would totally snag that if I had the money to waste. The air compressor/tank setup can be quickly converted for use with an air chuck!

Interesting stuff, thanks. I do like the idea of having compressed air available for air tool use, and to fill tires and such.

So some newer Legacys came with air struts that can be pressurized and controlled? Hmm...

I'll check out the Praxis setup, although that does sound a bit too pricey for me. I don't have that much to waste.

I was considering adjustable coilovers too but they sound like they're a bitch to adjust. If I can get 'em cheap enough they might be worth it...

Maybe I should just look at a straight lift. A bit more ground clearance without reaching the cornering-Legacy-tipping height.

In the North American market, the last Legacy with air suspension was probably the 94. I don't know if they continued to make this an option elsewhere. The Subaru setup is similar to the Praxis, and all air systems, but was using 80s technology, so it wasn't good for more than 10 years, at best.

Hmm... OK then.

I've been hunting through the threads here for some options for just a straight suspension lift. And since I'm clueless on the general topic, the info I've found makes no sense to me yet.

Any recommendations for an inexpensive solution here? I see plenty of lowering springs. Do I just need to get larger replacement springs? Or are there other parts I'll have to swap out too?

Sorry for my suspension n00bness

Inexpensive solution? Don't use airbags.

Airbags for height adjustment in the traditional sense are flawed by design. Mini-truckers are sorely mistaken when they believe that air-bags improve handling of a vehicle.

As you lift the vehicles center of gravity, you increase spring-rate. As you lower the center of gravity, you decrease the spring rate.

They do make a few "raising" springs. From what I understand, thhey don't make as big a difference as, say, swapping an Outback suspension in would, but they do help.

So then maybe you could go ghetto-style and install a set of raising springs and buy a set of spring clamps like the ones at the top of this page:

http://www.graystonengineering.com/suspensionpage.htm

The "lifting springs" are how lots of people lift Foresters. They also make blocks that simply bolt to the strut top and space the whole strut assembly away from the body.

I'm probably going to use the spacer method on the Forester this summer.

Though I wonder what an Outback Suspension would do to lift the Forester?

It would lower it probably.

If you're going to go with Outback or Forester suspension, make sure you get the engine crossmember spacer, the manual transmission crossmember (just the front part is different), the driveline joint, the differential crossmember spacers, outrigger spacers, and the front control arm rear bushing. Otherwise your suspension geometry will be all fucked up. It's a lot of shit, but it's important to keep your suspension performing properly, also the axle joints, and brake lines, and all that fun stuff.

Interesting. Spring clamps? I saw that photo of them installed both ways. Hmm. I am all about ghetto style.

Didn't see any raising or lifting springs yet though.

Do I just need lifting springs, or do I need to replace the struts too? We have both springs and struts... right?

I've been going over that suspension compendium and it just doesn't make any sense to me. I'm a suspension retard. I just want more ground clearance.

What about our CV joints; would adding any sort of lift put too much flex on these and break them prematurely?

Would longer springs outreach my struts?

Do early Outbacks have the springs/struts I'd be looking for? Would I also have to look into getting the CV joints or axles from that vehicle? Any idea what years / models I should look for in junkyards, or to order parts for?

BAC5.2 wrote:Mini-truckers are sorely mistaken when they believe that air-bags improve handling of a vehicle.

Mini-truckers are addicted to making their vehicles hop, not handling. As long as the truck looks cool, they don't give a rat's ass.

I believe that's the main difference between Legacy and Outback struts; the strut rods are longer on the Outbacks.

The corresponding springs should lift your car a bit, how much I dunno. I agree with Hardy though, you'd need to swap a lot of stuff, otherwise the whole car will be off-kilter.

So I need to find an early 90's Outback to pretty much completely strip if I want some lift done properly... I'll keep my eyes open then. Thanks.

Well...the true lifted Outback came out in 96...so I wouldn't really consider that "early 90's"

I think that the Outback Strut route is a good idea, and then if you want more lift look into King Rally Springs.

you could also build some lift coilovers with parts from a circle track supplier. like www.stockcarproducts.com they sell all the collars springs perches and whatnot individually, and pick from the crazy variety of rates and lengths they have.

Hmm.. that's an interesting option. So a '96 Outback has some struts and springs and CV joints that I want, as well as all that other stuff listed m'heah:

If you're going to go with Outback or Forester suspension, make sure you get the engine crossmember spacer, the manual transmission crossmember (just the front part is different), the driveline joint, the differential crossmember spacers, outrigger spacers, and the front control arm rear bushing. Otherwise your suspension geometry will be all fucked up. It's a lot of shit, but it's important to keep your suspension performing properly, also the axle joints, and brake lines, and all that fun stuff.

--actually, what's all that fun stuff if you wouldn't mind indulging my ignorance? Let's get a complete list here of what I should try and find from a '96 Outback. Any '96 Outback, by the way? Any trim I can find in that year?

Thanks guys. I promise I'll be back on the LegacEBC and LegaCU once I've got the shop built and my baby properly lifted and armored.