I know, I have to find out if the HG's have been replaced, but otherwise it needs, because it rammed a snowbank last winter:

 

-New rear hatch glass

-rear axle (I'm guessing just one side...wait, are they half shafts like the front? Pardon my ignorance)

 

General impressions?

 

Also, I know, more info is needed, gonna look at it soon...but, questions in the meantime are:

 

Should I expect that the...uh, drive train?... may be damaged if the axle's toast? I've replace plenty of front cv axles on older legacys and loyales, but is a rear Outback axle do-able and/or similar?

 

Snow's gonna fly soon...

Its 1/2 shafts like the front as you suspect. Most likely a good buy but I would be happier at 1200-1500 with the glass being broken.

Here's a pic of the area in question

 

 

It looks like that one support beam is bent.

 

ANd here is a shot of the same knuckle but of the sway bar and other parts. I'm wondering how likely it might be that any of these parts need replacement. Perhaps someone knows if that one bent piece in the first photo is made as a "fail-safe", in that it bends before anything else, and takes all the force...??

 

And here's a picture of the other side, for comparison. This side should be fine by my view, and no impact in the snowbank smoosh.

I have a 2002 H6 Outback that I bought wrecked, rebuilt it, and recertified it, and registered it. It had been run off road at a high speed. One of the rear arms was bent like that as well - so maybe that suggests it's common? In my case I left that alone and figured I'd work on it later once I got it on the road if I saw any tire wear, pulling, or other issues.

 

125,000 when I bought it.

200,000 miles right now.

 

So far no issues after 70-80k, still runs great.

 

The good thing about a wrecked EJ25 is that suggests the engine and trans were running decent before hand, no guarantee though but a good start.

The only thing about the rear halfshafts is that you're going to have to do battle with the lateral link bolts. It's that long sucker that runs through the rear knuckle.

have a 2001 3.0 outback was smashed in front but has very good rear suspention parts untouched yet

I have a 2002 H6 Outback that I bought wrecked, rebuilt it, and recertified it, and registered it. It had been run off road at a high speed. One of the rear arms was bent like that as well - so maybe that suggests it's common? In my case I left that alone and figured I'd work on it later once I got it on the road if I saw any tire wear, pulling, or other issues.

 

125,000 when I bought it.

200,000 miles right now.

 

So far no issues after 70-80k, still runs great.

 

 

So, you never replaced that bent arm? My tire is pretty askance, so I'm guessing it'd need to be replaced. Anyone have any tricks for this one? ALSO, I think the half shaft is fine! I would try to leave it in there and just replace the bent piece.

The only thing about the rear halfshafts is that you're going to have to do battle with the lateral link bolts. It's that long sucker that runs through the rear knuckle.

 

Are those bolts visible in the pics? It would be great to know what I'm getting into to make it easier...and any tips? Just rage it and do battle?

Could someone name this bent piece, to help in requesting said part over the phone or what have you:

 

 

I'm probably just gonna buy it and hope that that's the only thing wrong in the rear, aside from the hatch glass being gone of course.

 

thanks!!!

It looks like you may be in luck as the Outbacks have a different rear suspension than the Foresters and Imprezas, on which there are lateral links that come out from differential mounting and attach to the front and back of the knuckle, where they're all sandwiched by that dreaded lateral link bolt.

 

On the Outback, what you're looking at is what they're calling the left (driver's side) lower control arm. I wonder if it's worth heating and straightening and then doing a camber adjustment on that rear corner. Or perhaps a camper adjustment alone might do the trick.