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Struts - what else to replace?


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Getting ready to order parts to replace all 4 struts on my 95 legacy. What else should be replaced with the struts?

 

Looking at the front mounts, the rubber looks cracked - so should I get new shock mounts (top hats... whatever they are called)

 

In the parts diagram there is some sort of rubber liner/insulator?

 

Also bump stops and the rubber boots (torn) ?

 

And should I replace the alignment bolts while I have them off? they look pretty rusty.

 

Just want to get a complete kit before I take things apart.

 

 

Thanks.

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I can't help you with top mounts, but when I took off the mounting bolts on my 95, some of the nuts took enormous torque to remove.  The threads didn't look good on two of them and the bolts wouldn't easily turn on them.  But I had a few bolts from the you-pull-it place so I replaced them.   

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You can probably get away with just replacing the struts themselves and reuse all of the other hardware.   Take a good look at the bump stops though, mine were toast.  Everything else usually can be reused unless trashed.

 

Rent a proper McPherson strut compressor for free from you local auto parts store and just switch everything over one at a time.  And air tools are your friends.  If you are not using air or at least a decent impact wrench to work on these things...you are working way too hard.    If rusty, soak with PB blaster or the like.   Also, you can mess with disconnecting the brake line or just cut the new strut bracket, bend it back, place the line in and then zip tie it.  No issues whatsoever.  U

 

Use a paint marker to mark your front camber bolts before removing...you'll see the marks.   Save you from having to get an alignment maybe.

Edited by oregoncoast
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On my '95 Impreza, the rear mounts were corroded. A part of the metal "skirt" on the bottom side, outside the rubber, had rusted away over a good portion of the circle. I left the front struts for later because they're not completely gone like the rear ones, but I'd be getting new mounts for them as well. New bump stops were needed too. I bought boot kits with bump stops. Bump stops without boots are OE part only, but would cost more than an aftermarket boot kit.

Edited by avk
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Contact djmark7.  I just sent him springs and top hats and he has new struts that he can not use as his strut towers were rusted out.  

 

djmark7

USMB is life!

  • NW New Jersey

Sent 22 August 2013 - 10:01 PM

welp spent money for naught rear strut tower rusted away from body, terminal looking for another one now, all i can spend is 1500, few and far between avail for that price

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thanks guys, I'll try to get in touch with djmark7. Looks like top hats people say mixed things, I know my boots are torn so I'm guessing bump stops are in similar shape. I'll be ordering new boots/bump stops, struts and maybe top hats depending on what I do or do not get from djmark

 

 

Coils are usually fine unless they are cracked or broken, right?

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On my Impreza, the rear end was sagging. Since I didn't know if it was only because of the bad struts, I ordered a pair of rear springs. But you wouldn't normally have to replace them. A pair of US-made Moog springs was around $55 shipped but the fit was questionable, so I ordered OE springs ($62 each) and am returning Moog. Diasppointed with Moog in this case, even paint was peeling off.

Edited by avk
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On my Impreza, the rear end was sagging. Since I didn't know if it was only because of the bad struts, I ordered a pair of rear springs. But you wouldn't normally have to replace them. A pair of US-made Moog springs was around $55 shipped but the fit was questionable, so I ordered OE springs ($62 each) and am returning Moog. Diasppointed with Moog in this case, even paint was peeling off.

 

My car sits level, but the struts are original and I can tell they are tired - the fronts I think have been leaking for a long time and if I hit the brakes the car takes a nose dive. 

 

(Some asked about axle boots/ ball joints: I replaced one axle that was clicking, other one looks fine. I replaced one outer tie rod end, both inners, inner boots, am planning on replacing one ball joint which feels tight but the boot has been torn for a while)

Edited by vladvv
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