bratman2

The rear axles will have any wear in one direction. So swapping them will extend their life tremendously. There are four mounts. Two engine and two transmission. I'd have to check but the first ones I ordered off Rockauto, maybe 7-8 years ago, were the wrong ones. I will try and find the correct number. I think General Disorder provided me with it many years ago. How many miles you have. I still have my original rears with 250k miles. swapped left to right with new grease and boots maybe 12 years ago. Mine is a 87.

You can pull the rear axles, clean the joints, grease and reboot. Swap them left to right, if they are still good. I have a vibration in mine when I get close to 60. Honestly I think mine are the tires. Have no idea what yours is. But, check your motor mounts and transmission mounts. That is my only guess being you have covered about everything else. Unless you got a bad axle out of the box. That has happened to me, more than once. Oh, you didn't mention rear wheel bearings. You might want to check them also.

Thanks, I let her know it's going to be a little more than I originally thought.

If it is using oil like crazy I would up the weight. At least a 10w30 but myself I would use the 0w40, being it is going thru that much oil.

I think it's locked up. Turn the key to on position and the AC on and you can't budge it.

I know, my 97 SVX is still running the original compressor. I have a friend that has all the AC stuff to purge and pull vacuum. I will have to check on if he can do a flush. Doesn't the AC compressor run on defrost? I think she will be okay for a few months until it gets warmer, so I have a little time. She claimed to hear a screeching sound when she started her car on very cold mornings. She told me that she cuts everything off before she turns the car off. Starts heat and such after the car gets running. Kind of surprises me she does this, I do too, but never told her to do that. I am thinking it was the compressor then even though she claims not to run the AC any until yesterday for a few minutes leaving work 45 miles away. I checked the car out a couple of times but of course it would not do it when I was around.

Daughter's 2010 Impreza compressor locked up and took the belt out about the time she got home yesterday. Car does have 149k miles but curious what generally causes them to lock up? Also what brand is a good rebuilt or new compressor?

I thought it was worth every penny!

Are you looking for a "Y" pipe are headers. Magnaflow makes a catted "Y" pipe.

I posted a question about Bilstein shocks for the SVX. No such animal. BUT, there are Bilsteins available for the WRX , and WRX struts can be fiddled onto an SVX, but its spendy as hell, near $500/corner for WRX Bilsteins on your SVX.. I wonder if plain ol' WRX suspension bits would be an upgrade. The SVX is quite porky, I wonder if the stock SVX springs might not be stiffer than WRX stuff. Anybody know? My thinking is that WRX struts gotta be better than 25 year old stock SVX struts.. On the cooling many replace the radiator for a thicker/higher capacity radiator. Don't know if that would help you are not. Mine has an aftermarket AMR aluminum radiator. The problem with stock SVX struts is none have been made in years. So any new ones you find will be well over a decade old. More like 15 or more years old. Some owners have bought new factory struts only to have them fail in less than a year, I am puzzled that you feel the stock springs and struts ride too hard. All complaints I have seen have been for too soft, yours may be the first. Check your struts/s[rings and make sure they are factory. Are those Douglas tires old and hard as a brick? Have 50# off air in them? The MotoGP springs on mine have a spring rate of 24% stiffer and all my tires are over inflated by several pounds. I have no complaints on the ride and none that have ridden in mine have complained. I think you have something else going on. The WRX/STI struts can be made to fit. I think you need the 04-06 STI ones. Your car will be lowered from that change. Guessing, but with the pedigree of a STI I would think the spring rate would be stiffer.

Pull them, clean them up, grease and new boots. Then swap left to right when installing. You will never wear them out.

What Subaru Scott said!!! Facebook SVX Nation has 10 times the traffic and response. Owner of a black 97 SVX here! I do not think Bilstein has anything that will fit. Don't remember the exact years but i believe 04-06 STI coilovers can be easily made to fit. They will lower the car which is already low. unless you find a aftermarket coilover that allows raising above stock STI height. Also a company from Taiwan makes Gecko coilovers, street version start at $850. I have read about 2 or 3 different people running these coilovers and are happy with them. I have the MotoGP lowering coils which lower the car 1.25" front and .75" rear. I have scrapped bottom a couple of times. The Moto GP coils are heavier duty but you are stuck with your stock struts, should they ever fail. If one of my oem struts pukes itself out i am most likely going with the Gecko coilovers unless I hear something bad in between that time.

Are the axles bad or just the boots? A dozen or so years ago i pulled mine because the boots looked like they were about dry rotted. Cleaned them, greased them, rebooted them and swapped them from left to right. Almost a quarter of a million miles and they are still good.

Please keep us up to date when you get going again. I am still driving the white Legacy back and forth to work. Almost hate to gut it. Pushing it back to Feb or first of March. I work at a ag chemical complex that devastates car finishes and windows. Figure it isn't going to hurt the Legacy and save my truck from some wear and tear.

Yes but at the expense of camber adjustment and DOJ boots if you go too high.

Does the 86GL lack the height adjusting nut/studs on the struts that Brats and such have?

My Brat has collectors insurance with Farm Bureau. They wanted me to bring to their office and took many pictures inside and out. They contacted me a few days later and said it was approved for up to $12500. Guess I need to check on my SVX too!

First manual transmission I ever heard of in one that new. Early WRX yes, Forester no. Clutch seems premature too but we don't know what the PO did driving wise and possibly the hills took a little more toll on it.

Seems for Interstate batteries it depends on where you live. GD shocked me with that statement as I have bought and used many Interstate batteries with no issues ever. My 87 Brat's Interstate was purchased July of 2010 and started my little Brat yesterday. Though I did top it off with a 1.5 amp charger a few days ago. We are seeing low teens to 12 degrees last night. Anyways to my point, seems many states get a made in Mexico Interstate while others such as us in eastern NC get a US made Interstate. If it is a made in Mexico it has to state so. The Optima in my 2006 Ford Ranger was made in 09 and it still works great too. Maybe I have been lucky! At nearly 8 and 9 years old each I have no complaints but for the price the Interstate takes top honors at my house.

Also look at your ground for the neutral cable, battery terminals, condition of your battery cables and such. Interstate makes very good batteries though yours could be close to end of life. Do you have a small battery charger? If so top the battery off and see how it does. Do you have a jumpstart battery. Very handy item to have. If you do top it off and sit inside by the door. Hook it up before you turn the key on these minus 0 mornings. Also check the water in the cells as stated above..

The US spec SVX had ACT-4 all wheel drive. Many countries got the SVX with the VTD, we just were not one of them. Strange they had dual versions and never sold that many.

Maybe I will try both. Thanks!

Thank you, I will study that some. A switch for power mode would be awesome.

The 97 is suppose to have sport mode but it is built in and there is no display on the dash for it. I'll look into that some. The shift doesn't seem soft or dragged out like I have heard some people claim. Wish I knew the history of the transmission in my 97. In case any mod had already been done. I only have a receipt for R&R of transmission and installation of cooler. I have completed one change with Redline D4 and the fluid that came out looked brand new. So I guess that is a pretty good sign being it was done in February 2016. I just don't like how fast it shifts out of first so fast. Thanks!

Good point. Maybe I should hold off until I source a EA82 5 speed. Wife is going to be pissed if that rusty 93 Legacy continues to hang around next year, lol!