19mm rear sway bar install

Now that I think about it more, I think what subisnob is describing is the same exact problem I had on my 4th gen. I think I fully tightened one of the bolts in place, and then the other bolt would not go in. So I had to loosely thread them both in first I believe. I guess what I was thinking in my last post is that removing the bottom bolt could take pressure off the bracket and possibly make the top bolt easier to remove, or if you install the bottom bolt that could apply pressure to the bracket in a different way, and make the top bolt easier to remove.

^^^Yes. MUST install all bolts prior to tightening. I tightened top first which is habit just because of the undue pressure on bottom ones because of the bracket. I installed wall mounted office furniture for several years and its same practice. Top tightens first when downward pressure is created by weight.

Great info guys thank you! It is very much appreciated.

Success!! I removed all of the bolts and reinstalled them and now everything fits properly.

 

Some tips from my experience installing the 20mm sway bar:

 

Install the top bolts of the bushings first, not all the way, then fit in the bottom bolts, then tighten both. Attach the nuts on for the endlinks last as the sway bar will be mounted to the car and since the endlinks have a give to adjust to where the bar is mounted.

 

If you're like me and only accrue tools as you need them, get a 12mm deep socket as that will give you the clearance for the upper bolt of the bushing. Also, buy a 14mm ratchet for the endlinks as the driver side has very little room there to fit in a socket wrench. Not sure if it's with the 3.6's, or maybe just my car, but there is something else that juts out almost into the driver's side endlink.

 

Thank you all for your input and advice! And good luck to those that will swap out theirs. Like everyone has said, the difference is night and day.

Is anyone greasing the inside of the rubber bushings or leaving it dry?

Is anyone greasing the inside of the rubber bushings or leaving it dry?

 

I left it dry. Super easy to loosen up and grease if it starts to squeak.

 

I think being so far back and unsealed, unnecessary grease is not a good thing because it traps dirt and moisture.

Thanks...thought so. Great advice my friend!

I put a small amount of grease on it. The spare parts guy recommended greasing it and from memory the Whiteline kit that I got for my old car came with grease.

 

I guess it's not a major issue to put some grease on later but I figure it certainly doesn't hurt given that its sitting out and saves putting it on later. Just need a smear as you say don't want it to be a dirt magnet

The newer Whiteline bushings are black because they are now using graphite impregnated polyurethane, so no grease necessary.

Key thing here is that for the sway bar , it is better to take the weight off the suspension to work those brackets. Either use ramps to keep the suspension compressed or take the wheels off of you are using jack stands. Then you can use your jack to compress the shock as much as you need to get the bolts to line up

Hey Fairfax! My aunt and uncles family have lived in Fairfax since at least 69, cool. Had to tell you that, Im from Hampton. Are you thinking about getting a new Legacy? Man I cant say enough good about mine.

The newer Whiteline bushings are black because they are now using graphite impregnated polyurethane, so no grease necessary.

 

Yeah my "old" Whiteline ones that came with grease were yellow.

Hey Fairfax! My aunt and uncles family have lived in Fairfax since at least 69, cool. Had to tell you that, Im from Hampton. Are you thinking about getting a new Legacy? Man I cant say enough good about mine.

 

 

Man , since 69! They probably have seen the place change so much over time!

I had a 2005 LGT and put 165k on it. Sold it last October. Definitely a fun car , but Subaru lost me with the way the styling and lack of GT model in the current lineup. Plus , rattles.

They got like 20 acres and huge log cabin mansion, they don't have the woods around them anymore, except theirs. I like the 6, better than driving a civic.

Stupid me, I should have done an alignment check. Both front tires were toed out, right rear was toed in too much. Getting tires rotated now. Will post pics of the before and after computer screens later.

Edited June 18, 2015 by rayms69

Stupid me, I should have done an alignment check. Both front tires were toed out, right rear was toed in too much. Getting tires rotated now. Will post pics of the before and after computer screens later.

 

 

Ray was this related to your sway bar install? I don't understand why your mentioning this in the sway bar thread?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ray was this related to your sway bar install? I don't understand why your mentioning this in the sway bar thread?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Because everyone who is complaining about the car wandering on the highway is installing a swaybar as a fix when it has been discussed prior that it's the alignment that should be checked as the cause and not the small 16mm swaybar.

 

Is that a run on?..lol Pretty dang long sentence.

Oh I didn't realize alignment caused wandering. Thanks! I know alignment can cause the car to pull but didn't think of it as wandering.

 

Got my 19mm sway bar in the trunk. Looking forward to installing. Hopefully this weekend. No Ramps so I'll be getting sweaty and dirty.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited June 19, 2015 by cdc782

There are two issues here - wandering and body roll. The swaybar certainly cures the body roll issue and the car definitely feels more planted to the road when cornering and throwing it around a bit.

 

Mine doesn't wander on the highway as much as it seems to be affected by stronger winds. I would tend to blame aerodynamics and the larger, more squared-off front end.

i noticed the body roll and I'm looking forward to the new 19mm. Edited June 19, 2015 by cdc782

i noticed the body roll and I'm looking forward to the new 19".

 

Just a minor correction it's 19mm and not 19"

i noticed the body roll and I'm looking forward to the new 19".

 

Car handles corners MUCH better with the 19mm bar.

For the $$, it's a great upgrade. Just make sure you install the top bolts first, install them by hand and only finger tighten until all 4 are installed.

I originally started this thread, the wandering was driving my crazy. So I hurried and got the 19mm bar installed before last winter. The car still seemed to wander a bit, so I got the alignment checked and the problem was found. Thought i would share.

Thanks for following through on this ray and being man enough to state that the issues was not all sway bar related but maybe a combination of the alignment and sway bar. Agree that the SB is a great upgrade for the money but that the alignment was/is most likely the culprit in the case of "wandering". Takes a real man to admit he may not have been 100% correct;)

I originally started this thread, the wandering was driving my crazy. So I hurried and got the 19mm bar installed before last winter. The car still seemed to wander a bit, so I got the alignment checked and the problem was found. Thought i would share.

I'm getting my alignment checked as soon as I get it back from the body shop ($6,000 repair caused by the other guy who forgot what "yield" meant).