I'm sure i know the answer but would it be a big deal if i got the 4 Forester struts from multiple Gen 2 Foresters ?

 

only yard that has all four that i need,only has one or two from a 03 and the other 2 are from a 04 (i believe)

 

only difference would just be difference in mileage right ,i assume..?

 

I'd like to have at least the swap done before May (spring Vermonster event),doubt i'll have the bigger tires (was hoping for 215/75/15s if they'll fit with just the strut lift)

 

(size i want is in attached comparison pic,gonna swap free tire to stock alloy and use for test fitting)

Edited November 8, 201114 yr by subie94

What year Outback are you putting it into? You'd have to of course make sure the rear suspensions are the same, multilink or mcpherson.

What year Outback are you putting it into? You'd have to of course make sure the rear suspensions are the same, multilink or mcpherson.

 

 

Oops..they're going into my 97 Outback.

I got 4 new struts from the bay of E for less than $500 and the springs off another site for $40. Why take the time to replace your struts with used from various models and mileage? I'd wait and gather the parts and do it once and know you wont have to do it again for a while. I wish I had stayed Outback struts and gone with King Springs so I sit level and had more tire clearance. Granted I clear everything fine and cannot stuff a larger tire in yet, but I also do not sit level and have to re engineer the rear to do so as I cannot put spacers in nor the replacement blocks I got. Oh well. Make sure the struts/ springs are from the EXACT SAME MODEL or you will be sitting uneven regardless as the XTs sit lower than the others and everything.

Where would I get king springs? I have outback struts on my 95 legacy and it sits an inch maybe an inch and a half lower in the front then the back.

King Springs come from Australia. There might be a few US vendors of them but they seem to come and go. They will ship them to you from Australia, but note the shipping cost and any possible brokerage/import fees.

 

Also the king springs catalog is for Australian spec vehicles; usually they will still fit but sometimes the spring upper diameter is different from usdm for some reason.

 

I've used King Springs lift springs on two of my soobs and I really like them. They give a nice stiff ride.

 

I'd like to have at least the swap done before May (spring Vermonster event),doubt i'll have the bigger tires (was hoping for 215/75/15s if they'll fit with just the strut lift)

 

First off, you won't get much if any lift putting forester struts on an Outback. They are about the same length as the outback ones are to start with.

 

I know 215/70r16's fit with minor rubbing on the shelf of the rocker panel in the rear wheel wells with outback struts. A couple taps with a hammer gives them the clearance they need. 215/75r15's should be about the same size.

 

With an outback, what you want to do is put lift blocks between the tops of the struts and the body. Measure the factory lift blocks between the crossmembers and the body, and make ones equal length for the struts. This reproduces the suspension angles of having Outback struts on a Legacy, which is known to work well and not cause any long term issues.

First off, you won't get much if any lift putting forester struts on an Outback. They are about the same length as the outback ones are to start with.

 

I know 215/70r16's fit with minor rubbing on the shelf of the rocker panel in the rear wheel wells with outback struts. A couple taps with a hammer gives them the clearance they need. 215/75r15's should be about the same size.

 

With an outback, what you want to do is put lift blocks between the tops of the struts and the body. Measure the factory lift blocks between the crossmembers and the body, and make ones equal length for the struts. This reproduces the suspension angles of having Outback struts on a Legacy, which is known to work well and not cause any long term issues.

 

 

thanks for the reply.i'll have to look into the different lift blocks available.don't want anything extreme,maybe just a 1-2" lift (wanna put 27s on eventually..)

You can run 27" tires as it is right now. I've got a friend running 215/70r16's which are 28" diameter on his WRX with Outback struts in it and they lightly rubbed on the rear edge of the rocker before we tapped it a bit with a hammer.

You can run 27" tires as it is right now. I've got a friend running 215/70r16's which are 28" diameter on his WRX with Outback struts in it and they lightly rubbed on the rear edge of the rocker before we tapped it a bit with a hammer.

 

cool.

 

i know going 215/75/15 (27.7") isn't much of a gain over stock size of 205/70/15 (26.3") but it'll be a start of gaining some height.

 

It'll be about 1.4" gain (providing my math was correct)