Koni Yellow Sport Shocks - 2010+ Legacy Fitment

Hello guys.

My 2.5i car reached 150K miles and I have to take care of the suspension, since I got sick of the boat feeling with the OEM suspension setup. What I did 2 years ago is to upgrade the rear sway bar with 20 mm one and also added 13/14 springs on the back only. This improved the suspension, but I think there is more to be desired.

Since It is only a daily driver I am debating with myself if I should go with new KYB or with new Koni option. Before do that I need to educate myself a bit, therefore I’m using the opportunity to ask the devoted LGT community here.

Take into account that the car is driven in Europe last 3 years and is PITA to find the correct cross-reference part number there. Even is the parts look identical, no one is able to guarantee me if they fit. Luckily, I am here in US for some time now and will try to buy some parts and take them back with me upon my return (4 struts in my baggage will definitely trigger the customs’ screening interest). That’s why I would require your support.

I read enough to be convinced that the new KYB strut variant will solve the problem for a guy like me. Still, I want to explore the Koni variant as well and have an informed decision at the end. For that reason I am posting here and not creating a new topic.

Either for KYB or Koni variant, the correct parts order that needed to be acquired is:

v.1 (New KYB/Koni inserts) – (13-14 OEM springs front 20330AJ10A and rears 20380AJ10A) - (old Upper spring seats) – (new Top hats)

or v.2 (same parts, but with the old Top hats, if they are in good shape after 150K miles )

Did I skip some parts that need to be purchased in addition so far?

1. If I go with the new KYB struts and 2013/14 springs option, should I buy 2010/12 KYB struts or 2013/14 KYB struts for my 2010 car? The part numbers in KYB website are different for 10/12 and 13/14 models:

1.1. 2010/12 KYB front left 339223/ right 339222 / rears 340026 and top hats/mounts front SM5361/ rears SM5764

1.2 2012/14 KYB front left 3340107/ right 3340106 / rears 340043 and top hats/mounts front SM5361/ rears SM5765

Probably the struts listed above are identical, but still they don’t share the same part number.

2. For Koni option and 2013/14 springs, what else should I buy in addition :

2.1. New top hats/mounts for the 2010/12 model or use the old ones from the existing suspension?

2.2. Which Koni inserts for the front - 8610-1447S or 8610-1453S?

Thanks a lot for your attention.

This is what i went with for my 2010 LGT, presumably 2.5i is the same:

20330AJ10A COIL SPRING-FRONT

20380AJ10A COIL SPRING-REAR

3340107 KYB Front Left Excel-G Subaru Legacy

3340106 KYB Front Right Excel-G Subaru Legacy

340043 KYB Excel-G Subaru Legacy Rear

I decided to err on the side of caution and got OEM strut mounts, but the KYB ones might be just as good:

20320AJ00B STRUT MOUNT-FRONT

20370AJ00A STRUT MOUNT-REAR

You will probably want to replace the bump stops and definitely the dust covers after 150k. I cheaped out and got the KYB replacements SB103/SB113 for those, do yourself a favor and get OEM parts for these.

Very happy with the result. I mulled over getting Konis but the advice I got here is unless you're lowering the ride KYBs are just as good and less work.

This is what i went with for my 2010 LGT, presumably 2.5i is the same:

....

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Thanks a lot for the detailed reply. I will follow on what you advised me about the dust caps as well.

Having the right part numbers will help me a lot.

Wanted to comment regarding strut mounts: go with either OEM or Group N. The KYB strut housings are fine as donors, but the KYB strut mounts are sub-par and don't hold up. The bearing on my passenger side front strut mount separated from the center after only 2.5 years (two track days, two autox in that time). I have the Group N mounts and will be replacing them when the weather is a bit warmer.

This is my broken passenger side.

And this is the intact driver's side, what it's supposed to look like.

I cheaped out and got the KYB replacements SB103/SB113 for those, do yourself a favor and get OEM parts for these.

I agree DO NOT buy these. The KYB are good replacement struts (they are also the OEM manufacturer of Subaru Legacy's struts), I just wouldn't use KYB hardware.

Wanted to comment regarding strut mounts: go with either OEM or Group N. The KYB strut housings are fine as donors, but the KYB strut mounts are sub-par and don't hold up. The bearing on my passenger side front strut mount separated from the center after only 2.5 years (two track days, two autox in that time). I have the Group N mounts and will be replacing them when the weather is a bit warmer.

 

This is my broken passenger side.

 

 

And this is the intact driver's side, what it's supposed to look like.

 

Now you tell me. [emoji1]

Mine have been on for 8 months or so and no issues yet.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not exactly sure where the best place to ask this is, but are the bodies of the OEM and the Excel-G struts the same inner diameter?

OEM struts are $150+, each but a KYB is around $70 each. I'd rather cut up a "donor" strut than the OEM ones. I'm going to check out a pick-a-part locally that has a couple 15+ legacy's on their lot to see what they will quote me.

Not exactly sure where the best place to ask this is, but are the bodies of the OEM and the Excel-G struts the same inner diameter?

 

OEM struts are $150+, each but a KYB is around $70 each. I'd rather cut up a "donor" strut than the OEM ones. I'm going to check out a pick-a-part locally that has a couple 15+ legacy's on their lot to see what they will quote me.

New KYB struts work just fine as donors (that's what I did - lets you do the install as you have time, which was helpful for me) - that being said, you mention a 2015+ - not sure if the Koni inserts for the 5th gen will work for the 6th gen

Fyi, I've had this setup for 5+ years using kyb struts. In my experience, the inserts started to rattle 'side to side' because the 3 nubs would flatten out overtime. I think this was because the kyb circumference is just ever slightly too large (but not enough to use the included spacer). So the inserts are snug initially and you wouldn't know until a few years of use. Adding a .41mm brass ribbon as a spacer from Ace hardware fixed that.

...and now I'm chasing another light clunk noise on the right side

On the point about the Koni's fitting, there's another thread around here confirming this works on 2015-2019. I followed that for parts.

As I know it, the KYB's are good shocks, but the top hats and hardware are crap, so what I may do, is keep the KYB's around but cut the OEM struts for the inserts.

This is the first I've read about the side-to-side movement of the inserts. I wonder if the KYB Excel-G wall thickness is just a smidge thinner than the OEM ones. It'd be almost impossible to tell without taking them apart.

Maybe someone has some measurements?

Do you think putting the brass ribbon in at the beginning would have helped prevent it?

I can elucidate on that. It's entirely possible the noise he's describing may be made worse by the KYB top hats, if not entirely caused by it, especially after 5 years. The KYB top hats are perfectly adequate for daily driving, but they are only OEM-equivalent, if not slightly less quality, and the rubber wears out pretty quickly depending on your climate and car storage. My initial set up was Konis/KYB Housings/KYB top hats/Eibach Springs, later switched to H&R Springs. This only lasted 2.5 years for me, and I autox/track my car. My passenger front KYB top hat actually separated the bearing from the rubber, giving me both clunky, and minor side-to-side movement. I'll link my post from the What Did You Do thread regarding top hats below.

Essentially, the KYB struts are perfectly fine to use, and after 3 years, mine are not exhibiting the rattling within the housing that Adam is describing. However, skip their top hats, and go with the beefier STI Group N front top hats, and reinforced Forester rear top hats, I'll link part numbers below. I recently swapped mine, and lordy the difference is night and day. Should have just done these from the beginning.

Part #'s

-STI Group N Front Strut Mounts (B0310FE000)

-SG Forester Reinforced Rear Strut Mounts (20370SG000)

Firstly, the top hats. My passenger front tap hat has been torn around the bearing since roughly late summer/early fall. I'm 99% positive it happened during my last autox from last year, which took place in a parking lot. I remember a specific right-to-left harsh transfer on one of my later runs that resulted in a very noticeable *POP* from the front right. And since that point, and gradually more ever since, I've had a very obnoxious creaking, binding noise from the suspension whenever I turned the wheel. It wasn't until I got the top hat off during this repair that I realized how bad it was, and am thankful I made it all the way through winter (with copious drifting no less!) without an issue. Video links below show my steering sound before replacement, the strut off the car and the extent of the top hat damage, and the steering sound (lack thereof) after replacement. Smooth like butter again.

 

 

 

And the reinforced Forester top hats for the rear, just because why not if I'm doing the front, nothing wrong with some extra sturdiness back there.

 

Sorry, I should add, my top hats are fine. In fact they're relatively new and oem.

When I took my strut out, you could move the koni insert laterally in the strut and even twist it around by hand (even when the bottom bolt is tighten). upon inspection, the nubs were pretty flat too. I sent concerns over to koni but they said it looked normal.

It could've been a one off case, but it happened to both sides a few months apart.

Actually, you can see my post here about the whole thing, it was last year lol.

https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/did-you-do-your-5th-gen-todayii-v4-267765p121.html

[quote=Humble Rumble;6029398However, skip their top hats, and go with the beefier STI Group N front top hats, and reinforced Forester rear top hats, I'll link part numbers below. I recently swapped mine, and lordy the difference is night and day. Should have just done these from the beginning.

Part #'s

-STI Group N Front Strut Mounts (B0310FE000)

-SG Forester Reinforced Rear Strut Mounts (20370SG000)

Will these parts fit the Gen 6 Legacy, you think?

Cross referencing original part numbers between a 2012 Legacy, a 2017 Legacy, and a 2019 Legacy. I'm fairly certain they will. The way that Subaru part numbers are laid out, it's typically the first 5 digits delineate the specific part, the two letters signify the chassis used for, and the last three digits signify the revision within the part. If they first 5 digits are identical, it's typically exactly the same part, just slatted for factory use in certain chassis. They might not be EXACTLY 1000% identical, but having the first 5 digits match typically signifies cross compatibility. In the case of top hats, the part number across all the years I mentioned share the first 5 digits, so I would wager that they are all interchangeable.

Front Top Hats

2012 - 20320AJ00A/20320AJ00B

2017 - 20320AL00A

2019 - 20320AL00A

Rear Top Hats

2012 - 20370YC000/20370YC001/20370YC02

2017 - 20370AL00A

2019 - 20370AL10A

Now, deciphering Subaru part numbers is not an exact science for an outsider, but if you take a look, you notice that the top front hats all share the same 5-digit prefix, and went unchanged between 17 and 19. The would indicate to me it's highly likely that the STI top hats that fit the 2012 would also fit 17 & 19 and so on. As for the rears, we see that there appears to be a revision between 17 & 19, but all three still share the same 5-digit prefix, which also matches the 5-digit prefix on the Forester top hats that fit onto my 2012, so I'd wager those would fit either 6th gen as well.

One and only point, I had to drill out the center opening of the Forester top hats just a little bit larger to fit the Konis, but the bolt pattern into the car was identical.

That makes sense.

It figures they re-use a lot of the same stuff, even cross platform.