Cowgirl

How many things can go wrong.... First, you have to remove the wheels. That alone is almost a week long project, because they are so rusted on, that you have devise some way to MAKE them come off....including and driving with 2 loose lug nuts, which of course makes you realize that the numbnut who worked on the car last has stripped the lugs and studs. So as you are continually taking them off and putting them back on causes you to sheer off a lug nut stud. But hey! You were already planning to replace the lug nuts and studs anyways... Next you have to remove the old air bag suspension system, which makes you wonder if what you are getting into is too good to be true. Along the way you discover that a brake caliper bolt is stripped and refuse to come out. So you have to remove the caliper and put it in a vice. Apply some , and it comes out, but can you find anyone who just sells the bolt...we shall see....Oh yes, and it definetly needs brakes shoes/pads and drums/rotors all the way around too.... Now come the fun part; Ordering the new parts. If anyone sells them. Then it takes two weeks to get them because they are special order AND backordered......get said parts, and guess what? You don't HAVE ALL of the parts you need!!! So back to the parts store, for MORE special order expensive mumbojumbo.... SO we finally have all the parts we need (we think) and DH goes to install them and discovers they might have sold him the WRONG PARTS!!!! His wagon is a 1994-- the parts he has are for a 1995!~~ :banghead: It's past closing time, so DH decides to go ahead and try the parts anyways.........THEY DON'T FIT!!!!!!! :banghead: So DH calls parts store, and tells them what's the deal here!?!??! So today he goes in to talk/return/whatever, and they tell him that they called and talked to distributor/whomever they get the parts from, and they said that the parts are correct!!! WTH!?!?! SO!!!! After all this, DH is stumped!!! Help me help him........ WHEN INSTALLING A STRUT AND SPRING ASSEMBLY HOW DO YOU DO IT PROPERLY!!?!??!?!?!? If you know of a thread that deals on this subject, please link it to this post....thank you in advance from a weary tired stay at home mom who is about to shoot her DH.......

Glad our "auto repair adventure" can give you a laugh!! :brow: ;)

Well, I had to give DH "Acetelyne torch" lessons, but I did the heat while he "tapped" the wheel with a sledge hammer. It didn't take much of either (about 1-2 minutes..) and that rear wheel popped right off!! :banana: So now DH is working on removing rear suspension...auto parts store called yesterday, and the new parts came in!! So DH will be picking them up today!! (btw-- I just love the :Flame: smiley!!)

:clap: He got one rear wheel off!! :mad: The other rear wheel still refuses to come off!! He said he loosed 2 lug nuts and drove it on a local potholey dirt road. It took him a few "laps" but finally the one tire broke loose. But the other tire refuses to budge!!! So here comes the :Flame: !!! But we have to get the tanks filled with gas, so that has to wait. BUT!! He ordered the new shocks/struts and springs with all the other parts necessary to do a conversion....$$???? $1,000!!! :eek: ..... This car better run for a LONG LONG TIME!!!!!

Okay, you guys rock :headbang: !!!!....Last night DH, read the posts and said, "hey, I thought about that but wasn't sure it would work...." So he went outside and took the Subie for a "turn around the block". It took some "technique refining", but he got the front two wheels un-rusted!!! He is out there right now, working on his "rear wheel technique". For the fronts, he loosened two of the lugs, drove about 20 mph, and then did some slight turns to "jerk" it loose. I guess his plan for the back end, since he cannot get the turn method to work for them (in our sub he can't turn tight enough...), he's got to come up with some potholes or something....he says he'll let me know when he returns what worked so I can post it....

Oh yeah, BTW....I'm a dork...I just actually looked at the rear of the wagon and it's not a "LSi", it says "Ti 4WD."..... :rolleyes: I should know DH isn't too swift with cars......

I did think of that last night, but in the cold and dark, didn't want to suggest it to DH and then have it backfire on me...I will tell him today, and see if he wants to try it......Worth a shot!!! (also wasn't sure I was being uber-safe with that "idea", but if others have done it with sucess, I guess I'm not crazy after all... )

Yuppers, he/we tried that too!! He even dragged me out in the cold, to the semi warm garage to help him rock it....didn't budge the wheels but we did scoot the car a few inches....*heheheheee*... as for denting the body--actually it already has a nice "side swipe" right on the one front fender, so no worries there!! I told DH, maybe that is why there is the "crunch" there, someone else tried to do this trick, and dented the car... :brow:

Actually he did try that .....a sledge with a realllly long handle....didn't budge it...and that was after an overnight "soaking" with WD-40...I told him to get some other stuff that works better, but couldn't remember the name of product...

Hi Guys!! I told you we would be great fodder for your laughing pleasures.....here goes: DH (dearest husband) has started to try to work on our new 1994 Subaru Legacy LSi 4WD. Since it needs suspension work, he started with taking off the wheels to get a better look. Only thing is--he got the lugs off, but the wheel won't come off!!! (Okay, okay--once you have composed yourself I can continue.. :rolleyes: ......................) So!!! Anyone have any ideas??? How can he get the wheels off??? DH idea is to take to tire joint and pay them to do a "tire rotation" and let them try it have at it.....WDYT??? Is he asking for trouble, or will they do it??? They might just send him away "unrotated", but he figures it's worth a try.....

Here goes your first laugh guys--.....see my new thread "Wheels on the Subie Go Round But Won't Come Off!!!".......ahhhhhhh, the fun begins....

Thanks!! I will try to do a search for posts by grossgary now.... :headbang:

I can tell you are not a cat lover..... :rolleyes: Do you have that bumper sticker " I love Cats...they taste like chicken!" ???? *HAHAHAHAHAH* :lol: (just so you guys know, I *am* a cat lover and own 3 of them....but I also know all the jokes..... :brow: )

Hey! No offense taken..... and you are so right!! Either you ARE a mechanic, you like to tinker and learn to become a mechanic, or you don't own an Aero!! Ours runs really well, but needs some body work...typical on an Aero....

I will have to keep those places in mind..... DH is friends with a mechanic at Datsun Doctor in Pontiac area, and all they work on is foreign cars.....I'm sure DH will be picking his brain as he works on the Subie...

Yes Professor...........(Ya'll, I think burtonsnowman has had too much to drink , y'all..... :drunk: ...*hehehheheheeee*)

Point taken!! Only I'm not from the south and don't feel that I have right to (nor the correct pronunciation) to type "y'all". So I figured I'd stick with the "Yankee Ya'll"...... kind funny actually.... I've been waiting for someone to correct me on my other webboards I belong to, and you are the first!!!!! *heheheheheee*

That's what DH is hoping for!! Good gas mileage, traction in snow, and enough room to haul 2 kids and 3 dogs!! We are in the SE corner--Detroit area....

Air......yes, yes, I can hear all of your collective sighs.....DH just spent last night poking at that very system with his new Haynes Manual....there is a definetly air leaking from somewhere on drivers side....he thinks the bag is ruptured, but is not exactly sure because he has yet to find the compressor/other components of the system.....he says he will prolly just to a conversion.....(btw, "suspension in need of work" is why we got it for so little $$...)

Thanks guys!! As for the actual name of wagon, I'm a bit confused....Hubby says it said "Legacy" on the back....LSI???? Could that be it?? Hubby says its not an Outback....he's been looking at tons of Subie's for sale, so he's gotten pretty good at knowing what's what....I'm a "Subie Virgin".....Just drove the one we bought today--my first Subaru drive....Oh! and it is definetly at 1994.....HTH clear things up....

I just thought I would introduce myself (and Hubby) who will pick out his screen name and log on later. We just bought our first Subaru today!! It is a 1994 Legacy Outback Wagon AWD 5-speed. It is definetly a "fixer upper", but for the price we paid, we are happy to put some time into fixing it up!! I will be posting threads as I need help and advice, so I look forward to getting to know a lot of you and your Subaru's!! This Outback will be Hubby's car, but I'm the girl who took Auto and Diesel Mechanic class in high school and at the tech school!! Hubby is learning, and is very clever with mechanical things, so I instruct and direct, and he gets to be the "grease monkey"! ;) I drive a 1994 Ford Aero XLT E4WD van (hey now! no Booing!!), and the Aero has a big fan base of "shade tree mechanics" trying to keep them from rusting away. I (and my DH) have been the fodder for much entertainment on my Aero board, and I'm sure we shall entertain ya'll too!! Well, that's about it I guess....HELLO EVERYONE!!!!