heartless

don't bother with the aftermarket axles - nothing good ever comes from them. get a good used one and reboot as Texan suggested.

and you aren't going to share??

using the FWD fuse when using the donut spare is a good thing the Manual should mention this - mine did - IF you need to change a front tire, you are supposed to put the donut spare on a back, put the good back tire on the front, and use the fuse to put it into FWD mode to protect the AWD system from damage for towing, please always ask for a flatbed if you need to have your vehicle towed - the car MUST be running in order for the FWD fuse to work. If it is not running it does not work, and towing on 2 wheels will damage the AWD system

However, that said, it could possibly be a rear disc... this is from a 1992 service manual

according to the parts catalog I have for those years they either had 14" or 15" rotors for the front

not so much the pistons that you have to worry about as the valves. 97 and newer are interference motors - meaning when the timing belt gives out there is a very good chance the valves will be damaged. I would suggest finding a different shop - one that specializes in Subarus - and get a 2nd opinion before you spend anything.

thanks for coming back and updating! Glad it was an easy fix for you.

that would be in the interior fuse panel, btw

for 1996: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Legacy_Outback/1996/Owners Manual/Specification/

those temps sound pretty normal to me. Fronts do the majority of braking under "normal" driving. Aftermarket would be fine for ball joints, just dont go the cheapest. get a good quality part from a known name.

https://www.harborfreight.com/Mechanics-Stethoscope-63691.html

dont "blip" the throttle - bring the rpms up gradually to around 1500-2000rpm and hold it. also make sure rear brakes are not dragging at all, and check that tranny fluid is at the appropriate level before you do this. tranny fluid should be checked with the car fully warmed up, idling and parked on level ground.

agree the leak is most likely from bad seals - either crank or cam. Those should be (should have been) replaced when doing a timing service.

told ya it wasn't low on refrigerant, LOL glad you got it sorted out and for cheap, too!

if your reader is not able to clear them, then yeah, disconnect the battery - but NEVER touch the opposite terminal like that thing you found suggested. Unless of course you want to risk frying electronics or something.. best way to discharge completely is to step on the brakes a couple of times. then leave it sit for a little while disconnected to make sure. don't know who thought that would be a good idea, but they ought to be Gibb's Smacked for it.