Struts and LCA bushings

So I recently found out that my struts are the OEM struts that haven't been changed in 167k kms (~103k miles). Bought the car at 131k (81k miles) thinking they had been done at some point but apparently not.

 

Anyway they need doing as they're leaking, and my LCA bushings are apparently shot according to the tire shop I got my winter tires installed at. I have no reason to doubt that as my alignment is off and I get a bit of clunking going over big speed bumps.

 

My question is can I possibly leave this until the spring (May or so) and still be able to drive the car without damaging anything else? I can do all the work myself once I get back to my home city, as I'm at school in a different province and I don't have the space or tools to properly wrench on my car. I'd also rather not have to pay the $1000 or more that shops are quoting me to do the work.

Yes you can leave the car as-is for many 1000's of miles and it will still be driveable. I waited until 126K miles to change my original LCA's and Struts/Shocks. You LCA are really shot when they start to knock while going over bumps in the road and your struts well they will still dampen just at a higher rate than a 100% unit. But replacement KYB struts and shocks and buy OEM bushing all can be had for under $350. I have a tutorial should you decide to tackle this on your own.

Thanks for the reply! I just sort of wanted to double check that this wouldn't be some sort of safety issue and that I could drive another 5k kms without the suspension disintegrating or wearing my expensive and awesome Nokian winter tires down to nothing.

 

If I can nurse it back to Calgary I'll definitely be using that tutorial and swapping out the dampers on all 4 corners, plus the LCA bushings if I can find a press.

The LCA bushings will likely lead to really bad wear on your tires. This was a lesson I learned the hard way. The alignment did nothing to prolong the life of the tires. If you can, I'd address that as soon as possible and then worry about the struts in the spring.

You're only 3 - 4 months from replacing these and you should be fine. I drove several months on torn LCA bushings, and who knows how long they were torn before I even noticed.

I follow your point, but I guess it depends on how much you drive. I drive more in winter due to skiing, so I'd hate to put 2,000 miles a month on brand new snow tires which wear faster anyway without a proper alignment.

I agree 100% with you, they should be replaced asap to help preserve the tires and alignment. But based on the OP's situation, he doesn't have a proper place to work on his car until he returns back home from school.

Ahhh ... I was suggesting shelling out the $250-300 to have a shop take care of the bushings first, then worry about the struts later.

Yep, the old rusty bolts and you need a press to replace the bushings any ways. Pay the man.

The LCA bushings can become a safety hazard rather quickly. When mine were shot on my 05 LGT, if I had to do a panic stop, the wheel would jerk out of my hand and I would have to hold it relatively hard to keep it in lane.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

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Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Enthusiasts since 2001.

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It's not getting bad yet. I don't get any wheel jerking, but my steering has been getting noticeably heavier lately under certain conditions (downhill 90 degree corners for example) and I have no issues under braking aside from a bit of nose dive but that's to be expected with my old struts.

 

It sounds like it'll be a good idea to get the bushings done sooner rather than later by a shop rather than doing it myself. I guess I'll need the lower-front and lower-rear bushings for both sides? OEM or aftermarket? Is ~$60 to $75 per bushing worth it for Whiteline or AVO stuff? Then there's labour on top of that, so I'm looking at $250 bucks for that approximately?

It's not getting bad yet. I don't get any wheel jerking, but my steering has been getting noticeably heavier lately under certain conditions (downhill 90 degree corners for example) and I have no issues under braking aside from a bit of nose dive but that's to be expected with my old struts.

 

It sounds like it'll be a good idea to get the bushings done sooner rather than later by a shop rather than doing it myself. I guess I'll need the lower-front and lower-rear bushings for both sides? OEM or aftermarket? Is ~$60 to $75 per bushing worth it for Whiteline or AVO stuff? Then there's labour on top of that, so I'm looking at $250 bucks for that approximately?

 

We have had great success with both the Whiteline and AVO bushing sets. Labor will cost the same for OEM or the aftermarket ones and the OEM ones will just break again on you.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/153798190.jpg

Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Enthusiasts since 2001.

Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) |AIM: AZP Installs

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

So is it the inner front (part no. W0506) or inner rear (part no. W53353) bushings that I need to order? Or is it both? Do they come separately or in packs of two?

 

I'm going to order soon from a local Whiteline distributor and I'm still a bit confused as to which I need and how many.

Replacing both is idea, but it's the front lower rear (ball) bushing that's more important.

Isn't the LCA bushing for the Spec B another alternative? Supposedly tougher than stock LGT, but I don't know about expense. I went with Whitelines 50,000 miles ago and they are holding up. Got some smartass remarks from a Subaru (dealer) mechanic when I brought the car in for rear wheel bearing replacement under warranty. I just asked him if the stock LCA bushings are so great, why were they torn up at 70,000 miles.

If you're still looking at this. Compare the Spec-B/STI bushing (same part #) at

$36 a piece (roughly) versus $12 a piece OEM.

 

Local Subaru dealerships may have both available in house. See if you can get the two side by side and compare the differences and decide for yourself if they are worth the extra $40 for the set.

 

For more reference on the issue, here's a thread that's helped me out some.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/81-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension/28368-2005-2009-outback-suspension-faq.html

 

The Spec-b/STI LCA bushings are the cheapest "upgrade" that I've found for the OEM bushings.

I ended up ordering a Whiteline Anti-lift kit and Lower front bushing set from Lightspeed Innovations in Red Deer, AB. Had them installed by a well-recommended local alignment shop but they charged me almost $650 for the bushing install + an alignment. Was that too much to pay? They also asked if I wanted to do my sway bar endlinks for $350 but I declined (they seemed fine when I changed my struts).

I hope they remember you at Christmas.

 

I think I was quoted $300 for both bushings - parts and labor. I also bought a lifetime alignment from Firestone for something like $150.

I was quoted something similar to that for just the labour and an alignment, maybe a bit closer to $400. The shop then said that they took more time (an therefor charged for more labour) because they had to torch out my bushings.