1 Lucky Texan

Before I had the opportunity to spend enough to get my WRX, I was trying to research what you seem to want to do - boosting performance of an NA engine (I was shopping for an OBS) but, there just isn't much. Easiest is to find a good intake and exhaust combo, but reducing unsprung rotating mass might be next (lighter rims and tires) then, maybe reduce rotating mass (lightweight flywheel, maybe alloy pulleys) then, reduce mass, take out anything you don't need - back seat, spare tire, tools - w'ever. maybe Sparco or other seats are lighter than stock??? dunno. There might be some way to buildup the internals for more compression and run avgas or something crazy like that. But - the crazier you get, the more likely you compromise the reliability. On the highways, really, you can't safely/legally utilize much of the POWER, but, you can do some mods and make the car more 'tossable'. The guy that holds the record at a local track drives 134hp Miata. And he can beat the pants off of all the torque monsters that show up - vettes, Mustangs, you name it. he also owns a Gallardo. So, you might actually check into a local HDPE or autoX track experience. Or go rallycross with it. Then you're looking at brake and suspension mods. Soobs are not good candidates for 1/8 - 1/4 mile rockets. You can do it if you throw plenty of $$$$ at it, but you'd be better off with a Mustang if that's where you wanna be. In addition to reading here, you might do some reading at NASIOC and at scoobymods.

if you live where there are a lot of soobs in wrecking yards - probably easiest to swap in a turbo plant from and wrecked WRX.

sometimes, you're just plain mean aren't ya? ;^)

hmmmm....universals are often for the rear sensor, they won't work for the front. but there probably are universals for the front so - dunno, might worth triple checking that anyway. Sensor 1=front, sensor2=rear. You could have a wiring problem somewhere or a bad ECM.

definitely worth checking for stuck calipers, e-brake dragging.

I will try to remember to measure the one in my wife's outback when I get home. The overall shape/design I'm certain is the same. I think there might be 3 colors - certainly 2 colors, of them as well.

90% sure that is 00-04 gen Outback/Legacy

I'm just some guy that's read a lot about soobs trying to help over the internet - I dunno what is 'possible' really. It does seem like the driveshaft needs to 'cleared' completely of blame before getting too crazy. I suppose you could swap left and right axles and see if the vibration moves to the driver's side. Can you get someone to shift the car while stationary and some listen for the clank at each corner? maybe someone could suggest a Subaru-experienced mechanic in your town that could check it out.

OK - the way I interpret the OP, the clank and vibration were BOTH there before the new axle - maybe I'm wrong. He may need to get it completely off the ground and have someone shift from fwd/rev and look/listen at the driveshaft and the transmission mounts, etc. Also, disconnecting the drive shaft and monitoring for the clank could tell you where the problem is - but it does sound like it's gonna be tricky to diagnose. BE CAREFUL!

huh...reminds me of the Banana Splits dune buggy - wonder who made those?

isn't this the one that's next to the temp gauge sender but with an xtra wire? Pretty sure it's not an 'uncommon' failure as many times as I've read about it. also, anyone know if post 2002 cars still have this sensor?

we'd all like to thank for helping to flush out all those old, nasty, silver GR-2s. :^)

I'm glad to read people say they last. I just put 4 on my wife's outback (03 H6) and like the ride. maybe picked up one more little rattle - probably due to the xtra firmness - but really, you can't feel it in your butt, just, the car feels tighter somehow. Of course, 3 of the struts may not have been that bad since only one rear was leaking oil. But , after comparing the new ones with the pull-offs, the new ones returned better after compression so - dunno how that would compare to new OEM. Her car only has 64K but, it's 96% or so secondary roads. And the bad rear strut mustv'e lost it's nitrogen as well as it's oil cause it wouldn't return at all. I got my struts from Amazon(actually, Just Suspension was the seller I guess). $279 If you have any split boots on axles, now's a good time for that work too. I replaced a front/right half axle at the same time as the strut install.

^^^this

you said there some steering wheel shake too? Hold are the struts/shocks? maybe a bad strut and a slightly out-of-balance tire is bouncing. You could have someone pace the car and monitor wheels. Or, maybe you could just borrow and entire set of 4 off a buddy/or someone's snow tire set, just to change the dynamics of all the wheels/tires for a test.

dunno about outside the US, but you could look around cars101.com.

you say you hear the motor? maybe the fan is slipping on the motor's shaft.

Did they have something similar to this before? (rear suspension parts on Foresters, or maybe some anti-sway bars or ???) And, are south, southwestern States excluded?

I admit to being ignorant about phones. Just pointing out that some of the gear that's easier to haul into the car than a full laptop, may require some xtra steps to set-up for scanning.

what have you been driving before? Soobs will rotate more neutrally or like a RWD car. If you've been driving Civics or Escorts, they understeer so - this car will feel different. maybe you could find a buddy with a Soob and ya'll swap and try (safely) some maneuvers, then compare notes. It may be you need to get to a skid-pad or a track and familiarize yourself with the Soob's handling. Also, experiment a little with tire pressure, sometimes and xtra 5-10% on one end over the other will make big changes in handling.

Did someone mix tires on the car? If someone put cheapo bias-ply on the car, mixed with radials, it can feel like driving on bowling balls. Or perhaps you have broken/damaged suspension parts - get it checked/fixed ASAP. and maybe someone can recommend a mechanic in Columbus if you don't know one.

have a coupla buddies pace you on the road and observe all 4 wheels for bouncing (bad strut/shock or tire) and 'run-out'/wobbling. If nothing odd is seen, probably the driveshaft or ??? I never did win an argument with DiscountTire about a vibration with a bad tire. Then, it started showing it's steel belt after only being 2/3rd worn out. Glad I complained twice because they knocked off $$ on my next set of 4. However, that vibration did change when the tires were rotated, definitely felt in the steering wheel too. At that mileage/age, if you are on original shocks/struts - they are likely shot. That's about 10K miles or less per year. That usually means a lot of secondary roads and stop-go type driving. Rough on suspension/drivetrain parts.

******but i forget sometimes too******* lol!!!!

My guess is 4EAT - no. But, isn't the new auto different and maybe the clutches would be OK? you didn't say what car.

That is why some people don't like the laptop - based cables, just too much gear to be careful of. Now there IS a unit that has a wireless bluetooth connection to your laptop. Might work with a netbook and maybe a smartphone. like this; http://www.dealextreme.com/p/obdii-bluetooth-car-diagnostic-cable-black-blue-orange-dc-12v-42825 dunno how you get the disc data into a netbook or onto a phone though....