How to Swap Trunk?

So I searched around, and I couldn't find a thread on exactly what to do to swap trunk lids.

 

I found one post that said, something like remove trunk lid carpet and unbolt the lid from the arms.

 

So let me clarify what I think this means.

 

A. Remove popits from trunk lid and take carpet out.

B. Remove that plastic covering the arm. Looks like it is just held in place at two spots by plastic "doors" that clasp together.

C. Ok, so after I do that, I should have access to the trunk lid bolts? These should be the bolts at the end of the arms sticking into the trunk?

 

After that, I would have to unclip the cable for the brake light and stuff. But is that it?

What size bolts are holding the trunk lid to the arms?

 

If anyone has any pictures, that would be great.

You are correct in your steps!

 

1. Open up trunk

2. Remove pop-its from the trunk lid and remove the liner.

3. Unlatch the plastic trim from the trunk arms.

4. Unsecure the wiring for the brake light electrical connection along the passenger side arm. From what I recall you do not have to cut the wiring, you should be able to pop them out of the holes without cutting the harness.

5. Disconnect the trunk lid release cable.

6. Have a second pair of hands hold up the trunk lid while you unbolt it. I believe it's 10mm or it could be 12 or 14.

7. If your trunk is equipped with a wing make sure you gently guide the rope out with the deck lid. The purpose for the rope is for safety incase the wing falls off from bolts being loose.

 

To reinstall...

- If performing a trunk lid swap, you want to make sure you adjust your tension bars accordingly. There are two positions one for "wing" another for without. The tension bars are located under the rear deck and are black.

- Have someone position the trunk lid on the arms. While the trunk lid is being held, screw in the four bolts hand tight only.

- Once the trunk lid is loosely secured to the arms have someone jump in the trunk with a flashlight and wrench to tighten down the lid.

- From the outside make sure the trunk is completely closed and guide one side to proper alignment. Once it's in a good position have the person in the trunk tighten the bolts down a little more than hand tight so the trunk doesn't move.

- From the outside make sure the other corner is aligned and have the person in the trunk tighten down the bolts on that side more.

- Check both sides and if it's good make sure they are tightened down to specified torque. See vacation pix for this information.

 

 

** Download the vacation pix and you'll see some nice ones of the vacation you are trying to take.

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1307043&postcount=204

 

Once extracted, open folders 15-Body >> Exterior Body Panels >> 08 - Trunk lid.pdf

Thanks!

Questions, how do you manipulate the tension bars? Do you need the special tool in the pics? Can you do it by hand? Can you adjust it later? After doing the swap.

Are the tension bar positions clearly marked?

I never did change the setting on my tension bars. Mine are still configured for "winged trunk" and I'm wingless now. It looks like you can just move them with your hand to the next hook without needing a special tool. For the first few days when I poped open my trunk the lid would open up by itself which was very nice. Now it just pops open and requires me to lift up the lid. I guess the tension bars have lost their ooomph over the past two years :-(

 

You can most certainly adjust the tension bars later after doing the swap.

 

The tension bar positions are clear to identify. There is a place to move it to another position of you are able to understand what you are looking at. It should be set already to whatever trunk you have and all you have to do is move it to the other position.

 

If you need help let me know what day you are doing the swap and I'll see if I can swing by and lend a hand.

^ Thanks...but I am going to Michigan, and swapping with a member there. Spoilerless cars with people willing to swap are hard to come by!

And before anyone jumps to conclusions, I am visiting people so the swap is a bonus. I am not driving there just for the swap, that would be craaaazy.

Very cool man... I would reserve about an 1:30 hours for the job. It shouldn't take more than that to finish the swap and clean up.

 

I got lucky and I found a guy in DE only a week after posting here. Drove to his place paying my tolls on the way. He really did get the plus side of the deal I should have really gotten alteast $50 for giving him the spoiler and delivering it to his door!!

Haha. I am happy enough to get it done. Being able to do it, while seeing family is just awesome

It just goes to show you how awesome the board is.

Sorry to res erect this thread but when doing a trunk swap and going from no spoiler to having a spoiler is there a female plug somewhere in the trunk that i just have to connect?

 

i have a 2008 if that changes anything

bump? I am doing swap tomorrow and would like to know the wire up beforehand...

I am planning on swapping trunks this Saturday and I really like how detailed this thread is. Thank you for the how to !!

I am planning on swapping trunks this Saturday and I really like how detailed this thread is. Thank you for the how to !!

 

Me Too!!

Maybe I read over it but I did not see this addressed above. The 2008 LGT key has a trunk pop trunk button. When the trunk is traded will the key pop feature still work? Is the pop feature in the car/bumper or the actual trunk lid?

It will still work, no worries... the actuator is not on the trunk lid... it's down under it. the trunk lid only has the "hook" that the latch actually holds onto. we just need to line them up and we'll be good to go.

PS> I need an address so I know where I'm going on Saturday

Hey,

 

I found these posts because I'm having some issues with my trunk. I have a factory-installed spoiler on my 2007 Legacy but the trunk hasn't "popped' for a couple of years. I have to be pulling up and use the fob button or it just relocks immediately.

 

My issue is that I recently got tired of it and asked my dealer to fix it (out of warranty by now). They charged me for some new rods but apparently they were the wrong kind, and then made me come back a couple weeks later. They installed those and still no "pop". They really don't have any answers for me.

 

I looked into the trunk and I'm convinced that they have them installed wrong. Someone here mentioned two positions - one for with a wing and one without - but neither of the bars fit into the obvious slot in the middle of my trunk. I can't imagine they are intended to haphazardly just dangle in my trunk and given that it doesn't work I'd say I'm right.

 

Any ideas? I really like my Legacy, but now that this is my local dealership I have a sour taste in my mouth.

 

Thanks for your help.

Hmm... I popped my trunk and mine doesn't actually pop up anymore either. When I lift the trunk up after popping it, it does lift itself with ease. It was able to open itself once opening it though.

 

Did you look at the vacation pics linked in post #2? There is a PDF doc in there that details how to adjust the torsion bars and their correct configuration.

Hmm... I popped my trunk and mine doesn't actually pop up anymore either. When I lift the trunk up after popping it, it does lift itself with ease. It was able to open itself once opening it though.

 

Did you look at the vacation pics linked in post #2? There is a PDF doc in there that details how to adjust the torsion bars and their correct configuration.

 

Thanks for the help. I checked the pics above but didn't find a detailed picture. Only a general one for the trunk and the tool. I'm not clear about the two positions for installing these.

 

The dealership is acting like I'm crazy for expecting my trunk to open. I don't expect it to pop fully open, but right now there's no point in having the in-car trunk lever as it's locked by the time I would get to the trunk. Grrr.

Wow. So when you pop your trunk it doesn't even pop enough to allow your trunk lid to remain in an unlocked position?

 

Maybe something else is wrong with the unlocking mechanisim?

 

I'll see if I can try to record some video on how to do this sometime.

Wow. So when you pop your trunk it doesn't even pop enough to allow your trunk lid to remain in an unlocked position?

 

Maybe something else is wrong with the unlocking mechanisim?

 

I'll see if I can try to record some video on how to do this sometime.

 

Thanks for the help. I spent some time playing with it and I no longer think the problem is the tension rods because once it opens, it stays open well. I think there's something rubbing against the trunk arms that keeps it from opening initially but isn't a problem after that.

 

I just wish there was a place with people knowledgeable about Subarus and trained in trouble-shooting...

Can't take a video for you anymore. Car is sold.

 

You might want to buy a can of lithium grease from the auto parts store. Hold a rag behind the areas where the arms rub and spray the lube on. This should solve that problem!

Sorry...revival. I've searched and I can't find the answer.

 

Does a 2005 trunk fit a 2006? Flame on.

05 to 09 = same

i was rear ended, so this was what i was looking for!! thx

Subscribed. Thanks for the write up.

Marked for use later, swapping trunks this weekend.

Really sorry for reviving an old thread but I just cannot for the life of me figure this stuff out. I just got an '09 Legacy without a spoiler and I found an '08 trunk lid with a spoiler on Craigslist and would like to do a swap. But the trunk lid section in the repair manual says that during the first step, which is removing the torsion bar, I need to use some kind of torsion bar removal tool, which I Googled and found out costs upwards of $100.

 

Some people's posts here suggest that I don't need to use such a tool. But then how would I remove the torsion bars without the tool? And would I need to use any other tools, like a torque wrench or something?

 

Thanks everyone and apologies for the dumb questions - this is my first car and I'm super new to anything car related!