converting air to struts

[Guest Ryan Power]

Well, I'm on my way.

I've managed to obtain the front springs and upper strut parts from SuperRu-pair (sp?) and I'm working on the rear. I've ordered some

GR2s and they're on the way. I'll keep everyone posted.

Also, I have a question: The guy I was talking to at SuperRu-pair (again, sp?) said that the rear tires do not have to be aligned.

Is this true just on my car or on all cars? I always thought an

alignment was for all four tires.

[Guest dacKampf]

I don't recall any camber adjustment on the rear so he could be right. Then again, i'm no mechanic.

[Guest Legacy777]

yes there is a camber adj. If you look on the bolt that connects the bottom A-arm to the chassis or rear diff...there should be some sort of dust cover...if you pull that off there's a BIG nut and bolt....that you can adjust with....although there is not alot of adjustment with this bolt...that's why the guys that lower there cars more...(if they do it right) add something else new pillow ball mounts or something to give them a little more fine tuning with the camber and alignment.

[Guest Grounded1]

Final note. When I removed the rear air strutsI beleive the electrical disconnects were either out of my reach in the well or inside the car around the shock tower. I was on an anti-air roll so I just cut the wires and air line for the rears and tucked them away. The fronts connections are all accessable though so theres no trouble there. Save the air shock top plastic dust covers. They fit on the new struts and give you that masterful feeling when you see them and know there are no air shocks in sight. Also save the air system parts. There are still Suby people on this sight that would love to have some good used parts on hand for their air systems and you could recoupe a little cash for them.

 

Pat

[Guest mdwatm]

Pat,

I was looking for the info you got from the guy that had the shop you refered to.

I am trying to track down Part Numbers, for strut mount caps, and spring mount seats for a 90 Leg Wagon, and turbo springs for a 91 sedan. It appears the Subaru.com has some competative prices on new parts, as long as you have the part numbers. I am still trying to determine whether these parts will fit for sure. I don't want to get my car disassembled and determine the stuff I have will not work. I am also interested in what Ryan learns. What type of car is Ryan making this conversion on?

 

Mike

[Guest Ryan Power]

The car I'm converting is my Legacy 90 LS Wagon. I'm still having trouble finding parts for the rear of the car. It looks like there are at least three different types of caps and seats (I've been calling them upper strut pices. People seem to know what I'm talking about, though ) for the rear of the car. The sedan, the wagon, and the AWD wagon seem to have different parts. I havent been able to get any part numbers, but I really havn't been asking.

[Guest Grounded1]

Here's what I got:

2 rear coil springs Subaru p/n- 20381AA400

Front springs Subaru p/n- 20331AA050

Subaru p/n- 20331AA040

The front springs are right and left I assume.

2 spring seats ( for the front struts)

Subaru p/n- 20323AA100

2 strut mounts (front)Subaru p/n-20320AA100

Rear strut mounts Subaru p/n-20370AA011

Subaru p/n-20370AA001

There are no spring seats for the rear springs.

These parts are for a 91 Legacy LS 4WD automatic.

I didn't need a spring compressor for the rear struts/springs, only the fronts.

The strut dust boot kits are:

KYB p/n SB101

SB102 these are single part numbers, you need 2 each.

 

That's all she wrote...

If you want I could give the name of a good shrink you'll need when its all over. I was over the top when I did this because the air system was dead. I had the compressor hot wired to a switch in the car. I had 2 leaking front struts and a compressor that the bearing in it was knocking so loud the local pets ran for cover. The hardest part of the job was what your doing now, finding everything you need.

 

Pat

ps:why did you make me look at all those invoices again? I just realized what I spent!

[Guest mdwatm]

Pat,

Sorry for the anguish in looking at the receipts. They are a great help. the dealers are not keen to giving part numbers, unless one manages to hose them by asking if they will guarantee that these parts will fit the car with air suspension. Ask for the numbers to verify since they don't like to guarantee this typwe of procerdure.

 

I am still trying to get the 91 turbo sedan spring numbers and determine whether they will fit.

 

Ryan,

Keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks again.

Mike

[Guest mdwatm]

Has anyone tried subaruparts.com? They seem to have competitive prices.

 

I also have 91 turbo sedan spring part numbers.

 

Front R 20331AA160

Front L 20331AA170

Rears 20381AA850

 

Price for each spring at subaruparts.com is $42.36 each.

 

Still trying to determine if these will fit on 90 leg wagon.

 

Mike

[Guest Ryan Power]

I managed to get a Subaru Dealer to give me the part numbers for the

Legacy 90 Wagon. This is for the AWD non turbo only. Apparently the FWD and Turbo models are different. They also said that the parts for a 91 would not fit.

 

The numbers are:

20370AA010 Left Rear Mount

20370AA000 Right Rear Mount

20381AA400 Springs Rear

[Guest Ryan Power]

Sparuparts seems to change the numbers back the the 91 numbers above. Maybe they are compatable.

[Guest mn92leagcy]

Thanks for the help. Got all four in and she is up and running again. Just one problem. the switch for the hight on the dash comes on and off by it self. I took all the relays and fuses out so I don't have a clue why the light is coming on. Any ideas? Thanks again for the help

 

mn

[Guest JustaGuy01]

pop the switch out (remove it) and put in the blank hole filler from a non air suspension car,

 

this is not a bad place to put a driving light switch.

 

Power for the lights is right there on the cig lighter, and the power goes off with the ignition switch.

 

Gord

[Guest neuro optic]

So in pretty much everyone's opinion I should convert my 1990 Legacy LS AWD Wagon to convetional suspension.I do like how the height contorl works though. If I went throught the expense ($250 each) for new air struts; is the ride comparable to a conventional system and is it as durable being that they would be new components.

[Guest Grounded1]

I found that the ride with air chocks is very good and very comfortable. When I converted to normal shocks the first thing I realized is that I was never sensing the feel of the road. I feel the road more with the normal shocks but not in a bad way. It's not that the ride is less comfortable, it's just that the road and car reactions are transmitted more through shocks and springs. I like it better. The air shocks were great but I would rather sense the road a little more. It's kind of like the difference between driving a car with struts and springs in comparison with a car with rear leaf springs. You'll feel more of the road with the leafs than struts and shocks. You'll feel less of the road with air shocks than struts.

 

 

Pat