I just happened to take a look today at the clearance between the front tires and the OEM front struts I replaced a couple weeks ago on my 97 Legacy Outback. I made note of the alignment bolts at the hub connection and put them back in the same spot with the new struts. Car drives fine for now, but plan on taking it in for an alignment. Anyway, with the stock aluminum 15" wheels and the garish Michelin white letter tires that were OEM, there is practically no clearance between the inner side at the top of the tires and the strut.

Anybody got a 97 that can give me "finger measure" on this? Thanks!

 

BTW....I was using the search feature for this and ran across a thread about replacing the axle assembly on the passenger side---the side above the cat (and on the 92 right above the oxygen sensor) and as I did this also a week ago, instead of getting under the car and driving the roll pin up, try putting the top of your punch in a socket that just fits, then add about 2 feet of socket extensions and drive it out from the top down. Works great!

my 96 legacy (with outback struts) has tires that are one size bigger than outback tires and there's pleanty of room there.

 

 

in the end (assuming you didn't get regular legacy struts instead of outback) if a mm keeps things separated that's really all you need.

 

 

you could show us a picture

// Anyway, with the stock aluminum 15" wheels and the garish Michelin white letter tires that were OEM, ///

 

Take them to a tire shop and have them flipped on the rims so the RWL are on the inside....