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Subframe drop quick question


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On a 2 inch lift for a 1-1.5 inch xmember drop do we have to use the legacy steering piece? I actuslly just put a steering rack in my car and to adjust my steering wheel I had to lower my xmember to get enough room to get the knuckle out but even then I had to slide it and could bolt it in place before lifting the xmember back up(had it all the way to the face of the nut and stud flush on both nuts). So my question is am I missing something? Is my car going to self destruct if I drop the xmember and not use the legacy steering section? More than likely I worry about it causing added stress to the steering rack but could it be lowered and driven until I acquire one?

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I've researched this too and am collecting / building parts to do the job all at once.

(Recall that my car was recently re-ended and I'm working through insurance to see what will happen there.)

 

I believe that the steering knuckle is only required when you over 2"+ lift.

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I've researched this too and am collecting / building parts to do the job all at once.

(Recall that my car was recently re-ended and I'm working through insurance to see what will happen there.)

 

I believe that the steering knuckle is only required when you over 2"+ lift.

So we should be able to drop the xmember without the knuckle?

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So we should be able to drop the xmember without the knuckle?

 

for newer Subies:

 

For drops less than 2" inclusive it will not require an extension. use the default oem EA82 steering knuckle.

For drops over 2" it will require an extension, either make/weld your own, or find a early 90s Legacy with a compatible part.

 

 

Provision.. I haven't done it yet.  Someone else needs to come in here and confirm.

 

link to another related: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/164029-suggested-material-to-use-for-extending-steering-shaft/?hl=lift

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for newer Subies:

 

For drops less than 2" inclusive it will not require an extension. use the default oem EA82 steering knuckle.

For drops over 2" it will require an extension, either make/weld your own, or find a early 90s Legacy with a compatible part.

 

 

Provision.. I haven't done it yet. Someone else needs to come in here and confirm.

 

link to another related: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/164029-suggested-material-to-use-for-extending-steering-shaft/?hl=lift

Unless someone comes in and calls bull, I'm gonna drop my crossmember tonight real quick along with tranny crossmember and see how it goes I guess

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You will absolutely need a longer steering coupler.

 

 

If you don't you will be pulling up on the input shaft of the steering rack....it will leak like a pig in short order. If you could even get it to fit and steer.

On a max 1.5inch drop? I want to run the legacy knuckle either way eventually just because I'll feel better, but if I don't need to worry yet that would be nice lol. I dropped the crossmember 1/2inch today just to get some kind of drop on there. I'm waiting to decide on how far I want to go before I so anything major. For now I through some good thick steel 1/2inch spacers in, and the car seems to feel better. I don't know how to explain it and I certainly hope it's not all in my head, but the car just seems to drive different. The biggest difference I can physically see is when I lift the car up and it's full drop in the wheels my axles no longer hit my control arms. I'll probably go 1.25inches with new bolts, make some nice drop blocks, and I'll run the legacy knuckle just so I feel better. But for now I'd like to see how everything goes with a baby drop

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If you're lowing the crossmember and rack, you need a longer steering shaft. Period.

 

 

Frequently, with a 2" overall lift, the crossmember isn't dropped...so that's probably where the misinformation comes from.

Makes sense, I wasnt going to drop it but I'm tired of eating an axle per trip and I'm sometimes within 50 miles or less and yet I have new mounts and I'm decently gentle with the gas. I'd like to be able to drive this car long distances, it's been to Reno from Vacaville CA once and it ate an axle and blew another's boot

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I really need to drop my front and rear down too. I want to be able to drive long distance to go wheeling, and with my 2inch home made strut spacers, my axles are already starting to go

All I did was 1/2 steel spacers on only the crossmember (the rubber makes up for the difference from the tranny mounts at this low drop) and the car already feels worlds different. I just put a reman rack in it and once I had a rack in good condition the steering felt stiff and like it was binding almost, and my steering wheel always vibrated like crazy at speed since I lifted it. Just a half inch was enough to eliminate my steering wheel vibration pretty much 100% and my steering feels much better. Now I plan on making a better set of spacers and dropping everything a little more, but for now this seems alright, and I did go stretch it out and wheel it a little to see how it acted and it does just as good as ever. Oh and with the half inch it's just enough to get the cv axles off the control arms when you lift the from of the car.

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I'm trrying to save you headache.......Not dissing on yer fun, but you are going to wear out the bearing and going to tear the seal out of that new rack.

 

If you aren't stretching the shaft, it means you have the knuckle so barely on the end of the steering column as to be unsafe......it's yer steering man......no joking.

 

Get a longer coupler in there.

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I'm trrying to save you headache.......Not dissing on yer fun, but you are going to wear out the bearing and going to tear the seal out of that new rack.

 

If you aren't stretching the shaft, it means you have the knuckle so barely on the end of the steering column as to be unsafe......it's yer steering man......no joking.

 

Get a longer coupler in there.

half an inch? no way I can look at the shaft and knuckle is all the way up on both ends. The only thing I'm worried about stressed at this small of a drop is my tranny mounts since I didnt lower anything besides the crossmember. I dont even think the steering shaft tried to move when I lowered.

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half an inch? no way I can look at the shaft and knuckle is all the way up on both ends. The only thing I'm worried about stressed at this small of a drop is my tranny mounts since I didnt lower anything besides the crossmember. I dont even think the steering shaft tried to move when I lowered.

 

yes dude

 

you are gonna kill that rack.

 

I actually have experience with this..  tried a "mini-drop" on my ea81 sedan.....2 thick washers, about 3/8th in.  had to replace the rack within 6 months cause the bearing and seal on the input where shot and leaking.  I thought like you "it'll be okay"  against the advice of this board.  That was ten years ago.

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yes dude

 

you are gonna kill that rack.

 

I actually have experience with this.. tried a "mini-drop" on my ea81 sedan.....2 thick washers, about 3/8th in. had to replace the rack within 6 months cause the bearing and seal on the input where shot and leaking. I thought like you "it'll be okay" against the advice of this board. That was ten years ago.

O damn hella long, I'm just waiting until I have time to go to the junkyard again, I don't even like my drop it's just steel spacers from ace I want to do long spacers that mate the entire crossmember and frame and drop the tranny. I just don't have time and I severely don't trust this car driving freeways. Wheel shakes like flipping crazy going down the freeway before the drop.

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O damn hella long, I'm just waiting until I have time to go to the junkyard again, I don't even like my drop it's just steel spacers from ace I want to do long spacers that mate the entire crossmember and frame and drop the tranny. I just don't have time and I severely don't trust this car driving freeways. Wheel shakes like flipping crazy going down the freeway before the drop.

 

Outback crossmember spacers will fit the EA82 and are 1-1/4" 

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They on stock outbacks? What years?

96-99 also 98-04 forester

 

same cars trans crossmembers have round spacers that will drop the trans mount too. some spot welded on but easy to cutoff wheel.   (might need to adjust the shfter rear mount i.e. tab forward) grab the longer bolts too.

 

might want to drop the carrier bearing mount a half in. or so too.

Edited by Gloyale
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You should sell me just the 1inch drop setup if I don't trust my own building lol

 

What's to? build.  Grab the spacer from an outback.  done.

 

or drill 2 holes in a piece of steel tubing.

 

nothing to "build" here.  Nothing to fabricate, weld, etc.

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