im new to this forum, just recently picked up a 1979 4x4 wagon.

i drove it home 100 miles even though it was a little sketchy feeling. wanted to start working out bugs right away.

 

the first thing that i noticed was a broken horizontal damper.

the next was that there were no bolts holding the crossmember to the frame!

 

i think the previous owner is retarded. he mustve pulled them all out to take off the brushguard.

first off, im glad to be alive.

 

but i do have questions. my manual doesnt specify bolt size or length and i need to get up and running (safely).

 

im gonna throw some grade 8 hardware through there but i want to get this right before i drive it.

the next was that there were no bolts holding the crossmember to the frame!

 

 

Not one single bolt and nothing happened in 100 miles? Did it drop at all? Drivetrain entirely flexed and the fan didn't hit the radiator either? I'm sending Kojak AND Columbo out for this mystery. Hey,its old school...

 

I guess the pitching stopper saved your .......

note for future everyone, check under car for bolts missing in action.

 

doh.

when i unbolted the broken remnants of the horizontal damper the engine+transmission+crossmember dropped out.

 

its my first subaru. i have always assumed that an engine crossmember would be welded. didnt even cross my mind. im used to working on much larger 4x4's. coming from a rock crawling background. building this as a hot rod for the woman.

 

 

so i bolted it back in using 3/8" grade 8 hardware with splitlock.

fabricated a new horizontal damper.

put it all together and reattached all the vaccum and electrical that was yanked.

test drove it. seems great.

fun little car when everything is working.

 

any info on hardware and how to adjust the horizontal damper would be appreciated.

 

thanks.

Factory Service Manuals are on eBay often. Cheap too.

 

Wow,pitch stopper saved the day ....