I'm gonna install the "comfort" model anti-lift kit on my '00 OBS (GG). It looks pretty straight forward to me ...but being a cynic I'm expecting a built-in snag at some juncture.

 

I'd greatly appreciate advice (or cautions) from anyone who's installed a set using hand tools and jack-stands.

I haven't done this, but I've looked into it. I'm pretty sure there's a write up on scoobymods, and some more info on nasioc.

 

May want to try looking there as well.

Thanks Josh, actually I just finished it up ...took me three hours. It was a snap. I think the trick to bulling through some of these jobs is to go in fearing the worst, then by default it could only go better.

 

The trick was to get it up high enough on the stands to allow longish (hi-torque) wrenches to swing freely in any direction. Second issue was dealing with the rust on a 6-year old MICHIGAN SALT car (that's about 12 in dog years). I just soaked everything in liquid wrench, then applied elbow grease.

 

Also, I had to remove the tranny cross-mount and the front tires in order to clear enough room for working.

 

I assembled all the bushing related stuff with marine (water resistant) grease, and used anti-sieze on all the fastener re-assembly.

 

Off to get an alignment done.

good deal

Always the uninformed and curious one : what's an anti lift kit?

frag, it's basically an aftermaket set of lower control arm (transverse link) rear bushing assemblies that replace the stock parts. It combines a firmer urethane bushings with a slight increase in camber. The "comfort" model is a less brutal urethane.

 

It gets rid of the wallowy feel in the steering as you dig some energy into a turn. It also reduces the tendency for the front-end to lift under acceleration, but only by a small amount.

a slight increase in camber.

More correctly, it's an increase in negative CASTER, but the active "component" resulting from the change is more dynamic camber into a turn. With the steering wheel straight ahead nothing effectively changes.

The thing about this kit....and the reason I haven't gotten one is that it removes it lift from the suspension geometry.

 

There's actually anti-dive built into the stock suspension setup. With the anti-lift kit, you remove the anti-dive. So the car has the tendancy to dive more under braking and what not. The increase in the amount of dive is said not to be much, and the amount will definitely depend on your suspension setup.

 

I will probably just be replacing that rear link with an upgraded link that is stock in geometry, but has the stiffer bushing.

I've driven around with it for a day now, and the decrease of lift / increase of dive are both minimal. The biggest benefit as you allude to is the reduction of slop. Previously under power the front would raise up and pull to the left, then during gear changes would drop down and drift to the right ....aggravating, but it doesn't do that anymore. This mod appears to be a good fit for the first-gen Impreza chassis, I recommend it.

 

Next I'm thinking of uerethane end-links for the front bar to reduce the front "rock" associated with minor left-right steering transitions, also aggravating.