In a bit, I am going to be replacing the rear LCA bushings on a 2000 Forester L. Mechanic told me the front bushings were fine, but I'll see how much play and how they look when I pull the rears off.

Questions:

1.) Assuming it's just the rears that need it (they leaked), do I need to separate the LCA from the knuckle/spindle?

2.) Do I need to remove anything other than the rear bushing bracket and bolt on the arm to do it?

3.) The Subaru FSM has you scribe a line when removing the bracket. If I am replacing the bushing,  is this step relevant since it'll be a new bracket and bushing?

 

Thanks.

1. It's safer to pop out the lower ball joint and remove tension from the LCA.  It could be done without this step, but you're going to need another jack and/or prybar to line things up.

2. If you popped out the ball joint, you can just unbolt the rear bushing and not worry about anything popping in tension.  Unhooking the swaybar endlink would give you more room to work if necessary.

3.  Scribe the line and copy it to the new bushing if you intend to final torque the big bolt with the car in the air.  Or you could snug up the bolt, lower the car to the ground, then final torque it there.

@nvu

 

Thanks for the info. 

Is the ball joint a clamp fit into the knuckle vs a press fit like on the truck? I obviously know you can pull the cutter pin and unbolt it from the arm. 

 

Back to the bushing scribe question. I'm trying to understand what to do with the scribe lines and a new bushing and mount. I'll tighten it on ramps to get it right.  I'm just trying to understand it. Is the bushing not concentric? It just spins around  the shaft on the LCA.

It's conical and not press fit, but likely be seized in there.  Simplest way is undo the cotter pin and knock it out with a pickle fork.

The oem front-rear bushing has the rubber fused to the outer casing and the center pin.  The rubber is not solid and has some empty chambers.  The center pin does not rotate freely, but does have some give.  Over rotating it either way would eventually rip the rubber.  This is for oem style bushings, aftermarket poly ones do rotate in the center and don't care how you tighten them.

That reminds me, the captive nuts in the frame, if you're in a rust area those like to crossthread when you're tightening.  Blow out the holes and run the bolts in and out of the frame to make sure they're smooth before attaching everything.

@nvu

 

Thanks buddy. I appreciate the insight. Didn't have any cross thread issues, but.i still have one side to do. 

 

In the rear bushing, do I need to loosen just the nut on the LCA and tighten or loosen the bracket too?

Easier to tighten the support bolts in the air.  Leave the big nut for last.

9 hours ago, Silverbullet555 said:

In the rear bushing, do I need to loosen just the nut on the LCA and tighten or loosen the bracket too?

With the front wheels up on ramps, I leave the bracket a little loose and draw up the nut so the bracket can move forward, then tighten the bracket and loosen the nut and then tighten it.

It's all done. I spaced the rear mounts off the frame using the same number of washers so I could get a socket and torque wrench on it. That set the right angle in respect to the arm. Put it on ramps and tightened to proper torque. Then I removed the washers and tightened the bracket, and torqued it back on ramps. 

 

How do you get a socket and torque wrench on the big nut with the bushing bracket tightened to the frame? 

 

Thanks for all the help. 

I use a long box wrench and my foot.