The $9 ALK

[macipusy]

So yesterday I picked up a set of 99 GT rear front control arm bushings for $9 from the local pull and save.

I found out the 98 and 99 GT's and Outbacks use the bushing bracket which offsets the bushing and lowers the control arm mounting hole by about an inch. This is the same concept as an anti-lift kit.

I installed these yesterday and the car has a lot more control in turns, especially long sweeping ones. Feels more balanced overall. On acceleration, the nose doesn't lift that much anymore either. Overall a great cheap suspension mod.

I am going to try to find another set and press in the poly bushings I have. That should stiffen things up a bit more.

[n2x4]

Forester's do too:

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic. ... hlight=alk

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic. ... hlight=alk

Edit: which poly bushings do you have? Hopefully not the prothane ones...

[macipusy]

Yes, they are the prothane.....why?

[n2x4]

Yes, they are the prothane.....why?

I've yet to see a successful install. The inner sleeve is wrong:
http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic. ... hlight=alk

[jamal]

I put one of those bushings in. It worked fine as far as I know. Whiteline makes replacement bushings for that, and even an offset one.

and it's the $9 almost ALK.

[macipusy]

You used the prothane bushings? If they work that would be great.

The stock ones that came off the 99GT seem to be leaking fluid already....just 1 week on my car and they were totally fine when I installed them.

[jamal]

not me personally, but I've installed a set. I have the whiteline alk and am very satisfied with my purchase.

[ultrasonic]

...
I installed these yesterday and the car has a lot more control in turns, especially long sweeping ones. Feels more balanced overall. On acceleration, the nose doesn't lift that much anymore either.
...

The Whiteline ALK that you are comparing to is designed to reduce the amount of anti-lift that is built in to the stock suspension geometry. The net effect is intended to increase traction under acceleration by allowing more lift.

They published a white paper explaining the whole thing:
http://www.whiteline.com.au/articles/Ef ... 0ALK_b.pdf

Either way, this part substitution should net much of the same results as using the Whiteline kit. Especially with a urethane or Group N bushing. That's a cheap mod, and that's cool.

[massdrewski]

now this explains why my 98GT handled sooo much better than my brothers 98 wagon.

[jamal]

So yesterday I picked up a set of 99 GT rear front control arm bushings for $9 from the local pull and save.

I found out the 98 and 99 GT's and Outbacks use the bushing bracket which offsets the bushing and lowers the control arm mounting hole by about an inch. This is the same concept as an anti-lift kit.

I guess I hadn't mentioned this, but no, GTs do not use a different bushings. Here's a 98GT bushing next to a whiteline ALK:

[macipusy]

The 99 GT ones I got were more like the Whiteline on the left in that picture....the stock 91 bushing was more like the one on the right

[jamal]

I think it must have been from an outback or sus. only the lifted up cars got the taller bushings.

[macipusy]

I swear it was a green 99GT I pulled these off of....if the taller bushings never came on the GT's then the owner must have swapped them before wrecking it.

[RJ93SS]

any update on the proper year/make this is from?

[macipusy]

96-99 Outback and Forester for sure