gwilson87 Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 So here it is, finally got the wife her own car so the OBS is mine to toy with. I also happened to drift it into a curb causing the passenger rear strut to get bent, and passenger control arm to bend a bit also. So this is a lil journal of my fun build. My goal is to mostly use stuff from the local junkyard. Already picked up some outback springs I know there are a good amount of people out there who have had questions as to what springs/struts/etc to use for an OBS lift so hopefully my own trial and error can help some of you out. Not much done yet, but here are some pics none-the-less. So yeah, there is is thus far, more to come tomorrow hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoobieDoo Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Love those white gauges...I've not seen them before, having never been in a OB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 I found those gauge backers online like three years ago. Finally got around to putting them in. Just need to figure out where to wire them in at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 awesome:banana:cheers, brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 I figured I would add some style while I was at it. No one may ever see this, but oh well. Hopefully things dry up and I can get these on the car and start working on the front end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 ooh fancy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 Weather is really nice today so I decided to take the day off from school and get some work done on the car before heading to visit my parents. I got the rear struts bolted up, realized I need to swap out some arms a bit if I am going to ever have bigger tires on, but the back is back on the tires. The passenger side still seems a bit tweaked so I might have had more damage than initially thought. Gotta check for other bent items sometime. Here are a few pics of the rear of the car back on the ground. Back on the front of the car I got the control arm off to assess damage. This would probably explain the horrible alignment and the passenger wheel rubbing the fender while I drove it home from the school after the "incident". Just a little bent Oh well, another trip to the junkyard sometime next week hopefully to get a new control arm, and the struts for the front. Stay tuned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratty2Austin Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Back on the front of the car I got the control arm off to assess damage. This would probably explain the horrible alignment and the passenger wheel rubbing the fender while I drove it home from the school after the "incident". Just a little bent Oh well, another trip to the junkyard sometime next week hopefully to get a new control arm, and the struts for the front. Stay tuned! Oops! another victim of the weak point on the EJ front arms... Just a pointer, I think (not 100% sure though) that gen 1 and 2 legacy arms are interchangeable, this will make the junkyard trip easier... (double check though, I am only going by memory here) SJR and I thinking of reinforcing the lower control arms when I do my lift kit, on my Legacy- to avoid the bend you have here- I will let you know if the strengthening idea works! Your imp is looking good so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 Yeah that section does seem to be a crumple zone of sorts. Although I don't really plan on drifting the car into sidewalks any times soon or ever for that matter. The junkyard I am going to had a decent selection of outbacks, foresters, and even an impreza sedan which might have all the front end pieces I need. Thanks for the kind words, the wife thinks its too much of a lift, but I told her thats why she gets the wrx and this is my toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarutex Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Outback trailing arm brackets should move the rear wheels back into the center of the wheel wells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 Outback trailing arm brackets should move the rear wheels back into the center of the wheel wells. Awesome, there are a few outbacks at the junkyard so I should be able to get some. Pending they aren't pinned underneath the car... At my local junkyard all the cars are missing wheels and just dropped on the ground, but I should be thankful they aren't stacked on on top of another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 While in orem for the weekend I went to the junkyard to get some parts for my dads 4runner and while there found an outback with struts almost completely off, snagged those babies so I had something to work on today. The weather was fantastic so after getting some homework done I got to work on the front struts. Couldn't do much because the junkyards are closed today so my search for a control arm will have to wait till tomorrow, or tuesday. But I did get my fancy red boots installed and the struts bolted up at least. Here are a few pictures thus far. Also on my list of things to do is a rear disc brake conversion The lovely weather Strut stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 WIN! Got my control arm for $20 (from a outback? the entire front end was lying on top of a outback, but I know that it was the exact same as the forester next to it). It was only held onto the x-member by 1 bolt It even had the huge bushing on it that is the equivalent of an anti-lift kit, thats right, those expensive anti-lift kits, you can get them from the junkyard for a lot cheaper, at least if you can get them off with just a breaker bar. Anywho.... onto the good stuff. The car is together and drives. The rear struts rub against the tower wall and makes crazy clunking noises while driving, might need to pull them out and take a BFH to the tower walls. :machinegunleft: Other than that, the chamber issues are pretty much non-existent that I can tell, pictures will show it. I tweaked the front adjust bolts for as much negative camber as possible and it came out looking good. Might hit up some wiring tonight, and start planning what aux lights I need. Anyone know of if jackson rally still makes his styling lightbar that cuts up through the front bumper? here are the pics. Right after setting it on the ground. After driving it a little bit. Rear drivers Rear Passenger (still tweaked, might have more damage than originally thought) Front Passenger Front Drivers anti-lift kit on the cheap Clearance!! WOOO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 "Green" "Blue" +15 hp right here That is all for today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezapar Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Check the lateral links on the side in the rear that still looks goofy. They may be bent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail_pride Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 I like it. This will probably be my next Subaru if anyone around here will get rid of one. Too bad the brat had to go away but this is a good replacement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Looking very good! As sad as it is to let a Brat go, at least now you've got a slick daily driver that can carry passengers. Love the instrument panel lights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Thanks for the comments. Work has halted due to funding but tax returns might push things forward. Hoping to get a ghetto style lightbar to suffice until I can get a decent one made. Hopefully I can get it together well enough to make it out to a rallyx end of this month. Hopefully I can get some fun pics up for everyone to enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superu Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 I did forester struts in my wife's 93 iMP, and the rear clunking I had was due to the forester shock collar being smaller than the imp SHOCK COLLAR... So i put a fatty washer on top of the tophat before adding the stub nut , this sandwhiched everything nicely so the nut tightened to the washer rather than running out of thread before seating on the tophat... It looks good! Are you using OB struts AND springs?? I have a junkyarding favor to ask, since you're out looking all the time, and that looking is 4.5 HOUR drive for me spring height (as I've found) FOR, LEG, IMP left to right trailing arm height from OB and the stud difference (IMP left, FOR right) nice work, I like the progress!! might you be going to the rally cross on the s7th at miller sports park? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 Well shoot, guess I need to pull my rear struts and chuck a washer up there. Looking at your spring heights I might want to snag a bunch of forester springs and use the forester springs on the front of mine to possibly boost the front end a tad. Are those spring pictures front front springs? or rears? Also I am hoping to be out at the rallyx but we will see. I'm a broke A** kid right now so I for sure can't afford to compete, but I want to at least head out and see what all the buzz is about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted March 14, 2010 Author Share Posted March 14, 2010 Fixed my bumpity bumping from the rear struts thanks to superu's heads up on the need to add washers on top of the top hat. if anyone is curious, they need to be about 14mm sixed I.D. washers. OR just get 12mm and file them open till they are big enough since home depot goes from 12 to 16mm, you could get 16mm and grind the outside of the washer small enough to fit inside the top has as well... PICTURES! Enlarged washer It was a good day so me and the wife took the car out and went biking, no dirt shots yet, maybe later today or sometime this week. Needs bigger tires for sure. Hopefully this week will give me trailing arms and maybe lateral links also. Or at least hopefully I can find out what the other odd noise is coming from my car... It never ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 they are never "done".....you have to decide whee to back off, and where to power through....:lol:hope all is well. cheers, brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superu Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Word! Just got yer PM, then checked the thread (now after this rely to look at page 3 ). See you out there on the 27th!! WOOT WOOT!! I think that pic os all rear springs, FOR, LEG, IMP, since it was the rear I swapped out to give more tire room. But if you're going to do the OB trailing arm swap, you should be golden on OB or FOR springs! I have a hunch but not yet confirmed that FOR springs are a touch taller/stiffer than OB springs.. At least that's the hope for my rig. CU at MSP the 27th! Well shoot, guess I need to pull my rear struts and chuck a washer up there. Looking at your spring heights I might want to snag a bunch of forester springs and use the forester springs on the front of mine to possibly boost the front end a tad. Are those spring pictures front front springs? or rears? Also I am hoping to be out at the rallyx but we will see. I'm a broke A** kid right now so I for sure can't afford to compete, but I want to at least head out and see what all the buzz is about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superu Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Fixed my bumpity bumping from the rear struts thanks to superu's heads up on the need to add washers on top of the top hat. if anyone is curious, they need to be about 14mm sixed I.D. washers. OR just get 12mm and file them open till they are big enough since home depot goes from 12 to 16mm, you could get 16mm and grind the outside of the washer small enough to fit inside the top has as well... PICTURES!Enlarged washer It was a good day so me and the wife took the car out and went biking, no dirt shots yet, maybe later today or sometime this week. Needs bigger tires for sure. Hopefully this week will give me trailing arms and maybe lateral links also. Or at least hopefully I can find out what the other odd noise is coming from my car... It never ends. WORD! Nice lookin' rig! what size tires are those, you're runnng an OB rim there right? Anyhoo, with bikes and a rig like that, come visit me in Moab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson87 Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 I'm still on stock wheels and tires right there. Hoping to get the funding sometime for some 205/75/15 general grabbers Still trying to get some trailing arms. Nothing wants to come apart at the junkyard for me. I think I need bigger cheater bars. Anyone got access to some outback tailing arms they want to pull and send my way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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