idosubaru

I don't see SAI on the print out, doesn't appear to be there (but I am clueless about alignments). This one never had an alignment until recently, been 70,000 miles since I started driving it. Print out shows before and after of (where applicable for front/back): Camber, Caster, Toe. Total toe, Steer Ahead, Thrust Angle.

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HA HA! thanks! about how i feel. was *very* generous on the made up numbers to appease the anecdotal commentary. i dislike the aftermarket axle scene but try to be accommodating here. LOL

That's about average, 170k range stuff doesn't sell great. Ideally you want one with all new timing belts AND pulleys/tensioner as well as resealed oil pump and new cam seals. But that's hard to find....so where do they want to cut corners...price or maintenance? If they find another without the timing belt done - are they going to pay to have that done - a complete job? If they can afford a vehicle and $500 - $1,000 for a complete timing belt job. A lot of folks won't do that...they max their purchasing price out for the best vehicle they can get and maintenance is secondary. In that case...this one sounds pretty tempting. Unknown timing components is not a good idea on interference engines, if the belt breaks then the motor is toast as they bend valves just about every time (i fixed two last year - both 1999's). So....they might be better off getting the new timing belt if they're only going to save $500 to get one without any new timing belt at all. Ideally they buy one and have a complete timing belt job done properly - not on the dealers/sellers books - but that is unlikely depending on them. So depending how they proceed in those terms sheds light on how they should purchase. ***If they get it - make sure they add Subaru's coolant conditioner if they can't verify it was done, heck i'd probably do it anyway it's only $2.47 - it is required for that engine. As for the headgasket...it is true that the history is unknown but to some degree that's probably going to be the case for any EJ25 bought.... And the EJ25 Turbo headgsaket is the gasket to use and the heads should be resurfaced, they always have high and low spots...but again, not something you can expect on a used car. But if you're trying to get them in a Subaru they probably want something nice...like this...and will be looking at almost all EJ25 vehicles, the EJ22 equipped stuff was phasing out and in base models which most people don't want. So you're going to have to deal with EJ25 risk either way. That is a Phase II EJ25 - they don't over heat like the PHase I's unless they're run out of coolant. So - that engine is far better than the 1998 Forester engine, which I would say avoid. You basically want to avoid EJ25 DOHC Phase I engines which are: 1996-1999 Legacy and Outbacks 1998 Impreza RS and Forester Anything later for those given models are Phase II SOHC EJ25's and have far less headgasket headaches.

expand your search area. KY doesn't have a ton of Subaru's i don't think. $3,000 is insane but if you're looking at dealers that's what you get. you get better deals from individuals if you can put your time in and find someone that's had the car a long time, taken care of it, and knows it's history. dealers don't know anything except what they paid for it at auction. don't be itchy to buy though - just move on if folks don't respond, send pictures, answer questions or otherwise seem not easy to deal with. you want to find someone easy to work with that knows the car and is not selling something with an issue so if you expand your range of searching stay firm to moving on if you don't get enough info or any hints of hesitation from the seller.

*** Was this grinding present before the caliper replacement or only after replacement? Is the dust shield rusty, bent, falling apart? stuck caliper can pulse when they first start....i've heard it before particular if it's the beginnings of being seized due to the swollen pin bushings i'll mention in a moment. it'll get snug, too tight, but not completely seized and the rubber swollen bushings allow some give/play. they will also wear unevenly and the geometry of the pads is affected because it'll be one pin, not both usually. wheel bearings may be shot but weird for that to happen right when the caliper seized. (the failing caliper may have previously degraded the already low and aged grease and pushed the bearings to their grave, but that would be uncanny timing) if you have an infrared temp gun - hit the front wheels with it after the next drive. a failing bearing will generate lots of heat. take multiple measurements on both sides as the variations are wild sometimes before you can see a trend. won't take long to show a huge difference though (high's and lows). Subaru calipers generally don't need replacing, even here in the rust belt where bolts shear off, we have to drill stuff out regularly, the bleeder screws shear off all the time, caliper slide pins are routinely removed with torches, and brake lines rust through - we have much harsher conditions than you have and even in these conditions i've never seen a Subaru caliper that needed replaced, two that leaked but were rebuildable....it's really rare, so I'd keep my eye out for another cause. a collapsing brake hose will cause the caliper to seize. but, i'm doubtful as i've never seen it happen in a Subaru. they fail internally and when you press the brakes, they work as normal. but when you let off the brake pedal the hose is collapsed internally and won't allow fluid to back out of the caliper (or does so slowly since there's less hydraulic pressure to return than to brake) or the caliper to back off the rotor....so it acts like a seized caliper. in those cases the brake hose needs replaced and there's no way to really test the hose. i jack the vehicle up and by pressing the brake and letting off you can feel the wheel stop when the pedal is pushed...then still be hard to turn when the pedal is left off. let it sit awhile and it'll spin freely as the pressure slowly bleeds off...repeat to verify collapsed hose. also - throw the pin bushings away, they are a nightmare. i've seen a bunch of them seize. sometimes right after a brake job...pure speculation that being exposed to new grease or something causes them to swell in the bore and they seize frequently after a brake job. whatever the cause - i see this happen all the time. starts off as light squeaking noises as the rubber bushing is swollen in the bore...then progresses to unevenly warn rotors and loud noises and it gets seized as over time the rubber bushing is smashed into the bore. maybe it's more prevalent here in the rust belt because boots/grease get compromised easier because i don't see many people talking about them but they are a total PITA. it's so common i've been throwing them away for years and I'm all the better for it. older subaru's never had them, there's no symptoms without, so they're not worth my time.

if you're replacing it, who cares. get the new pipe and you're done. it shouldn't do anything all that noticeable. i've seen lots of cars with large dents, custom repaired exhausts...etc and none have ever driven notably odd.

great, now we're getting somewhere. you have a failing Ujoint (as far as i can tell) which is not that hard to repair. a failing ujoint or carrier bearings, vibrate and when they get really bad start knocking, WHAM, WHAM, WHAM. the rear view mirror will shake and speed dependent is typical. ujoints fail far more often than carrier bearings and there are 3 of them and only one bearing per driveshaft, that's the only reason i guess ujoints, but it could be the bearings. failure of either of these for a 2006 with such low miles is odd. one simple test you can do is to crawl under the car and grab (or pry) the driveshaft and see if it has any play in it. if it does then there's your problem. sometimes they can "seize" though and feel tight on the car, so if you don't feel any play that doesn't mean the ujoints/carrier bearings are good. both are really easy to fix, the only option is to replace the driveshaft. it is not available aftermarket so your only options are $ubaru or used. they are easy and cheap to do and don't fail often enough to warrant the cost of new so used is a great option here. probably $50 used - www.car-part.com. only an hour or so labor so that's not much either. if you have a 4 cylinder 2.5 liter automatic transmission then you can install the FWD fuse and this might alleviate some of the vibrations, not sending as much power to the rear. another option would be to install the fuse and disconnect the rear half of the driveshaft....that would also likely reduce vibrations and buy you time to source parts, etc. technically you can replace the ujoints but it's a non-traditional repair and requires more than what most mechanics/hobbyist dig into. iRockford sells the ujoints for $40 a piece or so and then they have to be installed, which is again a different process than most are used to.

thanks russ! steering does seem a little sloppy though i ignored it since i assumed it was tires which have a few more months left. will pay attention more to what you described, sounds more likely than tires.

"crazy bouncing" almost has to be struts. if you mean just vibration or something then need more details, if it's literally bouncing like a ball, then the struts are warn.

i already addressed the rear differential: I'm not sure why you're asking questions that were already answered and not answering questions that are asked? like does it seem mostly front or back or both? it will be very hard to help you if we can't see the car and you don't tell us anything about it. he brings up a good point - search for "ghostwalking" via google and see if those symptoms sound familiar.

i just ordered an assembly, thanks guys, not going to do the aftermarkets, the time pressing/installing or paying someone isn't worth it. still $50 each just for parts....

i read your thread and wondered too. i have other cars i can swap them to if i dislike them that much....we'll see. i was thinking making these whitelines may be slightly more forgiving material than the prothane you used? http://thmotorsports.com/i-444318.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=4443182001SUBARUIMPREZA&utm_campaign=GoogleShoppingSeanVehSpec&adtype=pla&kw=&gclid=CMCniM_647YCFcLc4AodjiIAhA i sent Whiteline a message about materials...

Print out says 0.5 degrees on the drivers side (in the red), the passengers side is green and says 2.0 degrees. the arrow on the diagram suggests it's fairly far out.

does leaking positively mean degraded performance/failure? i think the side i'm questioning the most is leaking. i think they couldn't get the caster portion of alignment in spec. i can't find those rear lower control arm bushings.....nowhere sells the bushing only except whiteline, etc and Subaru only sells the assembly for nearly $100 each.

here is an extreme example of a subaru with really bad struts.......and someone further abusing them....LOL

bouncing is suspension - heater/ac, differentials - none of that matters. definitely not differential...unless what you're describing as "bounce" isn't what we're interpretting...when you say bounce i'm thinking up and down as if you're sitting on a large ball and bouncing. bouncing almost has to be struts or springs. doesn't seem worse in front or rear?

take note, prices in the northwest are really high for Subaru's so it might be worth more than many other areas. around here - about what John just said too - $500. (if you were really lucky and waited awhile to sell it - maybe $800 or more) the more you want the longer it takes...or the less you want the shorter it takes.

How can I tell if the front control arms bushings in my 2002 OBW need replaced? 210,000 miles. When grabbing/pushing by hand I see no notable movement/play, but what is that verses the weight of the car. I can push the tire and see the rear bushing/bolt move a tiny amount - i have to watch really close...and i'm sure folks will say replace but my other ones did the same thing, so I'm thinking that's normal for the bushings to give a little.

first thought is struts though the age and mileage is low for such a bad failure of one, they are wear and replacement items. can you describe it better? random - do you mean that sometimes it rides perfectly fine? does it bounce when you hit a bump or while turning, only straight, any particular speeds, any speeds/straight/turns? any noises associated with bouncing? does the rear seem worse than the front? or front worse than back?

some folks say EA82 belts are notorious for breaking prior to the 60,000 mile interval even when eveything is "perfect". the ebay kits are great - all new pulleys and belts for $80 or less.

i'm mostly practical and the newer gens have the advantages shawn mentioned. i think it's what we know, are comfortable with "old dog new tricks" thing...it took me longer than it should have to move on to newer gen stuff...my wife, who is amazing and doesn't care if i have 10 soobs and has made 3 vehicle comments/suggestions ever - she was right all three times and i only listened to two of them LOL...started asking why i don't get into with newer gen stuff. i'm all the better for listening, 75% due to rust and 25% for what Shawn said.

can you upgrade your current car to match some of the things you like about the new one? Some things are easily addressed? gas - do you have to run on premium? some are "recommended" and not "required". if it's only recommended it may very well do fine on regular gas - i know the EZ30's were that way in the OBW's. foresters have far less demand than Outbacks, at least in my area, so much so that I avoid foresters. the idea that you're upset is what makes the marketing world go 'round. marketing loves (and intentionally creates) unhappy consumers. unhappy people make excellent consumers, marketing knows this and companies put gobs of money into it. most people say "WOW, they spent $500,000 on marketing - %50 of budget, that's crazy?" organizations say "look how much consumers respond to marketing - we made $500,000 for $500,000 of marketing" this explains tight lipped, etc...they have to be, all organizations do. revealing too much effects current sales, purchasing, etc. they need to be in control as if you are, or were, a company executive you would be as well. if you want the latest and greatest you'll have to choose wisely, pay for it, and have good timing.

what about simply relocating the coil? i wouldn't get universals anyway - they're usually cheap and EJ engines are prone to cylinder misfires with cheap wires, they'll do it right out of the box. magnecor likely won't have what you need but can make what you need if you give them the ends and lengths required. the problem i see here is every time you need a spark plug wire change you'll be in trouble again...at least with the Magnecors you'll never have to replace them, they'll last the life of the engine.

interested in shipping the not busticated axle, i'd take it. have the original boxes the new axles came in to ship it with?