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OEM suspension + Spring install guide


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Hello folks here to share my experience with my first Subaru suspension install. First ive done many many installs on many cars ranging from fuel pumps gearboxes to heads all from Chevelles, to Ford Tractors to Grand Ams to my Legacy. I know there are excellent guides out there i.e. Fred Beans guide and a few on NAISOC but I wanted to make one that focuses on the layman, with tools that most folks have access to in a non-shop environment.

 

Before I started the first thing I did was READ, look, ask, sit in, read more, ask more, then I bought :) Sounds wild I know but Im particular about my vehicle and too low or not low enough would irk me to no end.

 

I went with Tein H Tech springs + KYB replacement struts/shocks + 1/4 HDPE spacers. I arrived at this choice after seeing a few Legacys with this setup and talking to owners abou their impression. I like the drop and to me the ride isn't harsh but more planted.

 

Tools:

Spring compressors (you can rent these at most parts stores)

19mm socket and wrench (short and deep well or pass thru)

17mm socket and wrench (short and deep well or pass thru)

14mm socket and wrench (short and deep well or pass thru)

12mm socket/wrench

3/8 and 1/2 drive ratchets and assorted extensions (4",6",12")

6mm hex socket and key

5mm hex key (optional for front endlink removal)

Flathead screw driver

Pliers

Jack Stands

Jack

Table or bench (for assembly purposes or you can do it at the vehicle)

Gloves (optional but will save your hands trust me)

Cheat pipe (24-30 inch long 1.5 inch dia. optional)

Wood block

Scissor jack

 

Parts I used:

KYB specific:

Front Right Strut: 339096

Front Left Strut: 339097

Rear Shocks: 341353

Rear mounts: SM5214

 

OEM specific:

OEM Front Strut Mounts: 20320AG00A x2

 

Springs:

Tein H Tech SKS70-BUB00

 

Reused parts:

Conical washer x 2

Bump Stop x 2

Upper Spring Perches x 2

Dust boots x 2

 

Now the debate ive seen is that you dont need new mounts simply rinse and reuse, I agree for the rears this is perfectly fine. For the fronts I disagree due the forces exerted over the life of that installed suspension.

 

If/when I do this again I will buy ALL components news, assemble on the bench and simply do a swap. This will save you a lot of time! :)

 

Lastly (and FIRST) SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY! If you dont feel comfortable or have room to safely work on your vehicle DO NOT! A scissor jack can do a lot for the occasional tinkerer...including severely hurt or kill you. :redface:

 

Start with the Fronts:

Removal and assembly:

1. Place the car on jack stands, open the hood and remove the wheels. Make sure to place a chock behind your rear wheels, never can be too safe. NEVER attempt this with your car solely on a jack.

2. First take a pic of your camber bolt orientation, this will help you to set the camber post install.

ref_camb1.JPG.c49c22f285dcf45d4ba502639891b420.JPG

3. Remove the brake line and ABS cable brackets with s 12mm socket and extension

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4. Place a jack under the knuckle and lift it slightly, you want to support the entire assembly not compress it.

5. Remove the three strut mount nuts. (I have a strut brace installed)

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6. Remove the lower 19mm bolts (The top is the camber bolt). If you dont have an impact gun it's time to whip out the old cheat pipe. Use your 19mm wrench and socket with your 1/2" drive ratchet, slip the pipe over the handle and apply pressure until the bolt breaks loose. Then ratchet them both out!

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Ahh always fun when the cheat pipe comes to play:lol:

 

Once both bolts are out, lower the jack and the entire assembly will drop out and you are done.

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The knuckle will rotate slightly and hang in place. This is not damaging to your vehicle or affecting your caster.

 

Repeat these steps for the other side and remember to snap a reference picture of the top camber bolts for the reinstall in addition to removing the front sway bar endlink!!! If you do not remove the endlink the hub will not rotate and you cant remove the lower 19mm bolts. This is due to the opposite side exerting force (b/c it is still connected and unsupported) through the bar, to the endlink, into the suspension assembly.

 

 

Now we move indoors or where ever you plan to assembly the front struts.

 

1. Lay out your parts so you know what you have and can easily access it.

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2. Get your spring compressors and place them on your stock springs. These springs are a hassle b/c you cant get three coils exposed enough to get the compressors on top of it or the recommended 180 deg. separation. Instead youll have to clamp two coils and crank them down to the ends of the threads of the compressors.

Use your 19mm socket and wrench to apply even compression on each side until fully compressed. Note that you dont have to compress them back into a tight coil merely enough to relieve tension on the upper perch in order to remove the above mount.

 

This picture is of the spring off but shows how much you need to compress each spring. Again these springs are odd most have 3 coils exposed on other cars ive gotten the clamps on 3 coils on one side and 2 the other at 180 deg apart not the case here maybe 150-160 deg and 2 coils a piece. I clamped down one side enough to fit the compressors over three coils on the other side.

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3. Now is the point at which you need pass thru sockets if you do not have them you will need to devise a way to secure the strut rod from spinning while you losen the the 17mm. Ive read using strap wrenches and other methods but I dont want my finger in between a compressed suspension spring for any amount of time :redface: Pass thru sockets work the BEST for this hands down

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Now you may get the urge to be uber brute force and double fist this bad boy:

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but save your arms!

 

Position your hex socket or key such that it rests on the work surface, use a combo of extensions or one long extensions and insert it through the lower strut bolts hole to prevent the entire assembly from rotating, then use your body weight to apply pressure on the 17mm pass thru ratchet.

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Once the 17mm nut is off you can disassemble by taking off the strut mount, conical washer, upper perch, compressed spring, dust boot and bump stop.

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Now I took this time to clean up my upper perches. Water and soap with a brush and viola!

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Here is a comparison of the H- Tech vs Stocker

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Reassembly

 

1. Place the bump stop onto the strut rod, then the dust boot over it. Then place the spring compressors on your new springs and compress it down. I would place it on the strut after a few turns to gauge how much I needed to compress the spring. I didnt want to go too much b/c I didnt want too much slack when trying to align the upper perch later.

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2. Next place the upper perch on top of the compressed spring, followed by the conical washer (BIG SIDE DOWN) and the mount itself. Dont worry about aligning things yet, just get it loosely assembled.

3. Now you have a loosely assembly strut assembly (phew;)) Make sure the lower coil rests in the notch of the bottom perch, when correct the "Tein" and part number will be facing the outside of the vehicle. Next back off the tension on the spring compressors until the spring starts to interact with the upper perch.

 

I apologize for not having a picture of this step :redface:

 

4. Now the upper perches are angled and have a recessed rubber bottom. The top coil of the spring fits over this piece. Before releasing too much tension orient the perch so that the two drain holes will face the the outside of the vehicle. Also the perch has two rubber nipples that should be relatively parallel with the wheel. Dont worry about the top mount as it spins freely when fully assembled and is no dependent on any specific orientation

5. Hold the perch steady and back off the tension fully.

6. Tighten the top mount nut down but not torqued.

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Notice in the finished photo the perches angle upward and outward, that is the side that faces the outside of the vehicle. In addition to that the ONLY side specific part is the strut ALL other parts are not side specific. This is confirmed by the part numbers. Now to be sure your finished assemblies go on the correct

simply check the part number stamped on the lower strut body 339096 is right 339097 is left.

 

 

Repeat for the other strut assembly.

 

Now to the rears:

 

Tools:

3/4" (19mm) socket

6mm hex key

1/2 and 3/8 inch drive ratchets

Spring compressors

17mm wrench

**Note**

I dont have a vice nor workbench to clamp the assembly into so I use my kitchen table and an extension to prevent the shock body from turning while tightening things up/compress-decompressing springs

 

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1538_zps6ca30789.jpg

 

Compress your springs by placing the compressors on each side of the spring (180 degrees apart) and alternate the coils clamped. Also make sure not to use the bottom coil as it will result in the spring resting against it when decompressed and you wont be able to pull it out.

 

Good:

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1531_zps1ea64008.jpg

Bad:

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1530_zpsd15bae7c.jpg

 

Alternate tightening the clamps to evenly compress the coil. Once finished place the spring on the shock.

 

**Note the tightly wound coils are the top while the not so tight coils are the bottom. Also the bottom coil fits right into the notch on the lower spring perch use this as a guide to keep the mount, rubber and coil aligned when decompressing the spring.****

 

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1532_zps6d6253f5.jpg

 

Then place the spring rubber (that what I call it maybe b/c im a NASCAR fan :lol:) and mount atop the coil.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1533_zps5abe1856.jpg

 

Use the supplied lock nut and add a washer to the mix (my KYB's only came with the lock nut no washer:mad:).Hand tighten. Now this is the part where a vice and bench will make your life much easier but if you are like me or assembling in the parking lot use a 3/8 extension or bolt and place the whole assembly such that the shock body wont turn.

 

I placed it in the tray that the compressors came it then used my 6mm hex socket and a 17mm wrench. The trick is to hold the nut with the wrench and turn the hex (the shaft) inside the nut to tighten.

 

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1536_zps39d493f8.jpg

 

The mout and spring rubber will be tilted this is fine once the nut is tight the mount will be level.

 

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1535_zpsbf542dae.jpg

 

Once the mount is tight back the tension off but not all the way as you need a little play in order to align the two body stud correctly. This doesnt need to be 100% perfect but you can get it VERY close. I used the extension to represent the axis of the control arm bolt. The two studs be perpendicular to the bolt head.

 

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r182/GEE-OTTO/IMG_1521_zps7ea51400.jpg

 

Once aligned back the tension all the way off making sure the lower coil rest at or near the lower spring perch notch.

 

 

Done with 1/4" saggy butt shims on top!

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***INSTALLATION***

 

Now that you have your suspension assembled lets install!.

 

Start with the fronts b/c they are much much much easier than the rears:eek:

 

1. Place the strut assembly back into the wheel well and prop it on the steering knuckle.

2. Rotate the knuckle so that the strut slips back over it and the bolt holes align.

3. Insert the lower bolt and loosely tighten the nut.

4. Now use your scissor jack to raise the entire assembly up until the strut mout studs are through the body mounting holes.

5. Thread on the three nuts onto the studs, you can now remove the jack.

6. Tighten the three studs bolts

7. Reattach the brake line and ABS brackets to the lower strut body

8. Insert the camber bolt and hand tighten.

[ATTACH]149818[/ATTACH]

9. Set the bolt back to the pre installation position then tighten down the camber bolt using your 19mm wrench and socket along with the cheat pipe to really get things snug. You will want to get an alignment afterwards to ensure proper camber is set.

10. Repeat for the other side.

11. Replace both wheels

12. Take you car off the jack stands (reattach your endlink(s) if necessary)

13. Now use your 17mm pass thru socket and 6mm hex key and perform the final tightening/torquing of the strut rod nuts!

14. Lastly replace the plastic strut mount cap.

 

***Rears**

 

Now to the surprise PITA of this installation. The rear control arm/knuckle did not drop like the fronts did, when the end links were disconnected.

1. Go into your trunk, remove the floor carpet to expose the shock top mount studs.

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I have front and rear strut tower bars in case you are wondering what that extra bling is in the pic.

2. Remove the two 14mm mount nuts

3. Place you car on a jack stand, remove the wheel and disconnect the endlink.

4. Loosen the 19mm lower shock mount bolt. I used my socket and wrench with one propped against the ground. This bolt did not slide right out b/c the shock/spring was still exerting force on it.

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I did not support the rear with a jack even with the stud nuts off it did not fall down, there was no play in the assembly :eek: I used two extensions one 8" one 12" and a block of wood to tap the bolt out. Once out the shock fell right out.

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I studied this setup looking for a hardline or some other magic tension exerting connecting piece that prevented this from freely flailing around and found none. The only thing I can think of is the bushings in the lateral or trailing arms have a decent amount of spring in them and dont like to be rotated. You will notice that your new assembly, when fully extended is much longer than the distance between the lower and top shock mounts.

5. Get your new shock assembly and loosely place it into the wheel well. I held the assembly with one hand while reach through the rear door, into the trunk to thread on the stut mount nuts. Do not tighten them down yet you merely want them to support the assembly and provide enough play to thread in the big lower mount bolt.

 

I needed my scissor jack and a block of wood to push the whole rear end control arm assembly down far enough to meet the lower bolt hole of the new shock. :mad:

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6. Eyeball the shock mount to align it with the knuckle mount bolt hole, you may need to extend the jack a turn or two to get it just right. Once you get the bolt through tap all the way in. A little lube helps this process greatly.

7. Use anit-seize and tighten the bolt down

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8. Replace your wheel, drop your car off the jack stand and tighten the top mounts nuts in the trunk

9. Reconnect the endlink

10. Done.

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More notes on the process:

 

It would be VERY helpful to have a helper with this project but not required. You could cut your work in half essentially esp with installation of the new parts and the bolt threading, jacking car up, holding shock etc etc. Alternatively you could buy all hardware new, assembly and simply do a swap corner for corner would take about 2 hours total.

 

Get pass thru sockets!

 

Very glad I did this project, doing so abolished many of the fears I had about suspension work on Subaru's and I got to inspect the condition of the little bushings and links under the car that one may never think to inspect. This also lead to my discovery that I have a bad driver side rear LCA.....next up "how to replace your LCAs" :lol:

 

Enjoy, if you have suggestions please reply or answers to the rear end woes def reply.

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Just installed some tein springs this weekend. Borrowed a hydralic spring compressor which made the job a whole lot easier. I still had problems with the bottom shock bolt in the rear. Found it easier to take off lca and sway bar end link than fuk with it.
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My biggest recommendation if you are doing this in the garage is to first take it to a shop and pay a few bucks to have the lower shock bolts loosened. This is especially a big deal if your vehicle is older. The main reason for this suggestion is that you pretty much have no leverage when the car is only on jack stands.
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Oh yeah, and where are the finished pics?

 

Coming today or tomorrow. I am about ready to tackle these LCA's, ball joints and endlink after I have my bowl of oats + blueberries and maybe DD:lol:

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My biggest recommendation if you are doing this in the garage is to first take it to a shop and pay a few bucks to have the lower shock bolts loosened.......

 

Where's the fun in that?

More tools and ##*$((%060 language!

 

 

Gee-Otto, your attention to detail continues to impress.

Keep on doing it.

 

O.

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Where's the fun in that?

More tools and ##*$((%060 language!

 

 

O.

 

There was plenty of that, just sucked that I had to put back together my rear suspension and drive it somewhere (raked stance ftw!) just to get the last bolt loosened...

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Well, I am not a daily mechanic, but I continue to do a lot of work on my and family members cars.

As a result thereof a Harbor Freight impact wrench does wonders in these situations.

 

O.

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There was plenty of that, just sucked that I had to put back together my rear suspension and drive it somewhere (raked stance ftw!) just to get the last bolt loosened...

 

You didnt heed my advice on the the cheat pipe eh? Sometimes cheating is good and really helps to loosen things up :lol:

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I did this all awhile back.... I had a 3 foot cheat pipe (from my jack) and a 280lb buddy, no dice. It took the shop 20 minutes to get it broken. This is with it on a lift... I watched the guy bounce across the floor using his commercial grade impact.
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  • 2 weeks later...

I going to get some pic up of the finished install its just been rainy here and im thinking about buying a set of BC BR C/O's :eek:

 

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These are up for sale I bought some BC's earlier today should be here Friday and Ill install them Saturday. :redface:

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In my experienc, I find it a lot easier to loosen the top center strut bolts while the struts are still in the car with the wheels still on the ground. You still need the pass through socket to hold the hex head from rotating. Obviously you don't want to loosen the bolt all the way, you just need to break it loose a bit.
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BC BR? I'll be looking forward to your driving impressions on this one. The funny thing is I almost went this route because it was cheaper than the first quote that I got from a shop to do my struts (and that was only struts+labor, no springs or anything). My concern was always the long term reliability of coilovers... and being able to justify it to myself, and then to the wife.
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BC BR? I'll be looking forward to your driving impressions on this one. The funny thing is I almost went this route because it was cheaper than the first quote that I got from a shop to do my struts (and that was only struts+labor, no springs or anything). My concern was always the long term reliability of coilovers... and being able to justify it to myself, and then to the wife.

 

Well change change of plans :lol: wont be installing these I am however selling them. Nothing wrong or against them but I was irked b/c my KYB+Htech left front was 1 finger higher then the right front.

 

I dropped the assembly and rotated the mount and VIOLA! I am in love:eek:

 

 

I know NO MORE suspension for me until i have to :lol: Now on to to that audio upgrade. :rolleyes:

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Im going with the exact same setup on my 05 LGT. KYB struts and shocks and H Tech Teins all the way around. plus the 1/4" spacer in the rear. I have all whiteline sway bars and Kartboy end links. Car should ride like it is on rails after i am done.
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Im going with the exact same setup on my 05 LGT. KYB struts and shocks and H Tech Teins all the way around. plus the 1/4" spacer in the rear. I have all whiteline sway bars and Kartboy end links. Car should ride like it is on rails after i am done.

 

Yeah man those spacers are key i debated the 3/8" spacers but you would have to get the extended studs. If over time the rear isnt where I want it to be ill go that route

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Well change change of plans :lol: wont be installing these I am however selling them. Nothing wrong or against them but I was irked b/c my KYB+Htech left front was 1 finger higher then the right front.

 

I dropped the assembly and rotated the mount and VIOLA! I am in love:eek:

 

 

I know NO MORE suspension for me until i have to :lol: Now on to to that audio upgrade. :rolleyes:

 

I've had 2 different spring setups on my stock struts. Had Rallitek and now running on Cobb. The front left is a bit lower with both setups. Apparently this is not uncommon on our cars. I don't believe it's the struts, cuz my car currently has less than 18k miles. It still bugs me a bit, because I never had this issue w/ my previous cars, but I tried not to think about it.

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