Outback Mod Guide 05-09

Hoping this becomes a Sticky !

 

Well ive had the outback for a while now and i have read every thread that suited my mod desires, much of this is just facts from other threads but some of it is info from my own personal experience/ measurements...

 

if there had been a 1 stop shop for info like this when i bought my outback i would have saved me a lot of headache

 

1) 04 rear struts greatly improve stiffness and lift the rear 1/4-1/2 inch due to spring perch height

 

2) install Legacy struts and springs, this will lower the car 2.5-3 inches, rides like stock, and has plenty of ground clearance for daily driving. recommend 1/4-1/2 saggy but spacers if you have rear loaded frequently.

 

KYB is a decent upgrade 10% stiffer, but even monroe will get the job done and is oem equivalent, stay away from ebay brands like STAGG they are cheap for a reason, they ride like repainted used struts. ask how i know lol

 

King springs makes a standard height legacy spring for the rear raises 1/4-1/2, which eliminates the need for saggy but spacers, and greatly reduces roll, this paired with LGT front springs and struts is what i would recommend for daily driving on bad roads, but quite capable.

 

there are also Lowering springs made by various manufactures for the Legacy and even some outback specific coil overs. i do not reccomend using legcy springs on outback struts it will be to low for the elongated bodies to ride in there comfort zone and will blow out quickly. if you want to go lower the first step needs to be legacy struts,

http://www.rallitek.com/performance-...1998-2003.html

http://www.rallitek.com/performance-...1999-2009.html

http://www.rallitek.com/performance-...cy&results=275

http://www.rallitek.com/performance-...1998-2009.html

 

The outback stock 225 55 17 rubs the legacy strut a little depending on your camber. the higher offset the wheels the taller you can get away with. i was able to fit 17x7 +48 obxt wheels with 225 50 tires and -1.5camber

i now have 17x7.5 +35 w 245 45 -1.7 camber and i'm fine no rubbing ever on 2.5i suspension

 

Bump stops need to be changed/cut in half, or removed. if cut make it come to a point again involves shaving them, point makes for softer impact,

 

the rear upper control arms on legacy are diff from outback, but do not need to be replaced unless you plan on going lower than stock legacy.

ther are also body spacers, however they do not effect ride height only slight tweaks to alignment which is adjustable so not really worthwhile

 

3) Rear Lateral links are a great addition because they give you so much adjust ability for the alignment, the stock configuration only has one adjuster that does camber and toe simultaneously, so you end up settling on mediocre every time. with these you get full adjustment of camber and toe, the outback has +camber from the factory and handles so much better with legacy specs

i have mine at -1.7 front and -1.2 rear.

 

Make sure you get the vehicle aligned with 100 lbs or the most weight you will regularly carry in the trunk otherwise when loaded outbacks will be all over the road in the winter time. "Ghost walking"

2005-2009 Ghostwalking/abnormal winter handling fixes

 

4) Slot the strut mount holes for more caster in the front, this gives a heavier/sportier steering feel , and make the wheel return to straight faster on its own. ther are also bushings to do this even further or instead, but they dramatically change how the wheel sits in the fender well

 

5) slot/enlarge the upper strut bolt to knuckle this will give you much more adjustment than a camber bolt, and is safer because cam bolts are significantly thinner and weaker.

 

6) LGT or spec b rack some sti as well but LGT for sure, the outback and even 2.5i have a 3.2 steering ratio. the gt has 2.7 and speck b is 2.5

 

7) sway bars:

Tribeca front 25mm sway bar, requires different endlinks, rear forester links work well

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthrea...ar-111718.html

2006-2012 Subaru Tribeca Front Sway Bar OEM NEW Genuine 20401XA00A

 

 

 

Rear swaybar on legacy/outback is also very lacking a 20or 22mm rear bar is a great upgrade and prolly the best place to start from stock

Moog makes exelent end links and they are almost double the thickness of oem

Also for the rear avo makes a reinforcement brackets for the swaybar bracket, they are not needed for moderate street use, but i recommend them for racing. the bracket is very thin and if it bends your screwed

 

8) Front Brake upgrades:

Legacy GT Front calipers and 316x30mm Rotors

This uses a two piston sliding caliper similar to the other 2-pots, although brackets and [ame=http://www.amazon.com//s/ref/]http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/images/misc/amazon_icon.gif[/ame] [ame=http://www.amazon.com//s/ref/]calipers[/ame]

aren't compatible between other 2-pots. 17s are required with them.

Applications:

05-09 [ame=http://www.amazon.com/g/p/search/]http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/images/misc/amazon_icon.gif[/ame] [ame=http://www.amazon.com/g/p/search/]Legacy GT[/ame]

 

Also the addition of a master cylinder brace improves pedal feel due to less flexing of fire wall when depressing pedal, esp upon panic stops and racing situations

 

Steel braided brake lines Will also improve pedal feel, this is achieved because the steel braiding over the ruber hose keeps them from expanding when pressurized, they are also more durable due to protective coating

 

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1265631

 

9) Rear brake upgrade, the outback h6 rear brakes are a whopping 290mm !

all that is required is the brackets and rotors. the legacy/outback backing plate will accommodate these rotors, wrx will require trimming

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=522006

cardone 14-1605 is bracket

rotor is 2000 outback with h6,

Rear 290 mm OE Brake Rotors 2003 - 2006 SUBARU BAJA 2000 - 2004 LEGACY OUTBACK

290x10mm

This is well known as the H6 rear rotor. The Legacy caliper is the same as most other 99-07 1-pot Subaru calipers so you can up size to this rotor simply by purchasing the brackets and correct pads. if you use the cardone brackets they do not come with the sliders, also if purchased separately the sliders may not come with the rubber bushing that goes on the end of the lower slider for absorbing forward rolling impact noise

 

The "H6" bracket is part number 26625AE000. It uses pad shape D770

Applications:

00-04 Legacy/Outback non-brighton

SVX (5x114.3, 190mm parking brake)

Ver5 STI type-RA (5x100, 190mm parking brake)

 

the other option is the LGT rear Brakes it also uses a 290mm rotor but it is a vented 18mm wide vs the solid 10mm h6 design. this is obviosly the better track set up however it requires new calipers and brackets to acomidate the thicker rotors, thes will deal with heat much better due to the vent design

 

10) for turbo model, catless down pipe (hollow out stock) requires tuning of wgdc & Boost map

remove DP and just ram a punch/pole/broom stick..... get all the honey comb out. this is good for faster spool and higher max boost

there are only a few performance exhausts offered for the outback AVO & Nameless , but ther are plenty for the LGT which can be made to fit by using longer exhaust hangers (doughnuts) and trimming the bumper quite a bit, on the cheap there are muffler deletes that are much less $ than a quality dual muffler system

 

the other option is to use any system for LGT fitment and chop off the tips with turn downs

 

 

11) Tuning

 

COBB Access Port good for the entry level do it your selfer but locks you into very specific mods, for wrx AP is great lots of maps for common mod levels, for LGT its very limited intake exhaust 3 port and thats it your done now another 5-$600 for a pro tune, open source has much more adjust ability and is cheaper, $30-150 vs over $500

 

Btssm app for android, this app can be used as guages and a logger, on its own it can do everything but wide band making it great for keeping tabs on knocks and provides useful data for tuning, you realy need a wide band though otherwise you have to tune for 11.6 which is to lean for tmic

 

Tactrix/Vagcom, Romraider tune. there are many maps that can yeild incredible gains!

a) avcs settings can be maximized which raises VE a lot ej255/257's love 25-30 deg up till around 4400 then roll off

b) more boost ! stock turbo is good for 18ish psi and roll off, as the turbo runs out of steam the intake temps rise and Intercooler eficiency drops, this results in Knock 1psi is aprox 15hp, rolling off boost twords redline allows you to run more timing which can make more power

c) more timing

d) more requested TQ for 5eat automatics this makes a huge diff, turn lowes up a bit and last row to 400 interpolate beteween

e) lower fan temps, the ej runs great at 180f vs the 200f stock setting can reach, also keep under hood temps down

f) more wgdc down low yields faster spool, should be 90% till spool 90% is max, depending on boost level most turbos should run 40-60% wgdc from 3200-3600 Rpm till efficiency drops off, at which point it increases to 60ish as turbo runs out of steam, vf40 rolls off around 5500 rpm 16g rolls off 6-6200ish, 18 & 20 extend rpm range of max boost even further.

a really good WGDC map is much like trying to pull your parachute at the last possible sec and not break both your legs upon landing for best results the break points should be adjusted so that they are closer together right before and after the spool this will give you more control where you need it, i run 50% from 4k to 6k so no need for 4 50% cells in a row.....

 

Also the larger the turbo the more boost that can be made per same boost, for example if stock makes 300hp at 18.5psi, a 16g will make same power around 16-17psi, 18g 15ish and so on

g) 3 port boost controller is highly suggested and makes wgdc tuning smoother

h) wide band o2 sensor, you really have no biz doing any tuning without the ability to log an external wideband

i) reduce Knock

 

12) 04 sti FPR gets rid of the stumble many feel esp with aftermarket injectors, on my car this runs 45psi at idle and 60psi at WOT

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthrea...di-232816.html

 

13) vf52 turbo upgrade, good for more power up top, allows you to run max boost for a wider rpm range before tapering off, can be found used cheap on forums 2-300ish, this is about as big of a turbo you can install without upgrading the fuel system, unless you want to run lower boost.....

Be ware of cracks around the wastegate flapper all VF series turbos are prone to this... ad always check for shaft play when buying any used turbo. check this by trying to wiggle the inlet bolts in and outward, pretty much any play you can feel means its on its way out, if it moves enough to kind of click its done do not install,

 

14) Bullet proof stock TMIC, the stock intercooler has plastic end tanks and is known to separate if not bullet proofed. this involves wrapping it with steel bands and jb weld. without this mod i would keep the boost under 18psi. even when bulet proofed the oem unit stops being eficient around 18 either way so if you want more than an intake and exhaust this is the next upgrade you should get.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthrea...its-189608.htm

 

there are many aftermarket co that make larger TMIC units, I am told most of the small name co TMIS's fit poorly. I personally have an IPR and it fits like crap. i had to settle for 1 hole drilled in the middle of bracket on passenger side, on top of that i had to cut 2 Throttle body elbows in half and use the more extreme bend of both and put them together with 2 clamps and a pipe flared on both ends. then install on TB and push like **** till you get a Phillips head driver in one of the flange holes and twisting till the other hole lines up,

Perrin fits better than the knockoff but it is not an easy bolt-on (adding studds/bolts in the turbo flange helps alot). Supposely AVO fits better

The new GS unit comes with a splitter but isn't a 100% bolt-on as you need to raise the front of the intercooler in order to compensate the body spacers. No issues with rubbing bpv/bov as it sits sideways.

 

The Process west is and probably always will be king ! this is due to its Large size and much diff design, Process west Splitter for the LGT is now discontinued (IIRC some members had issues with BPV/BOV rubbing with the hood closed)

 

15) pin hole in the thermostat, woln't keep it from warming up, but will keep the temps down. i tried this because i had 2 diff aftermarket thermostats and one ran at 160 way to cold and the other ran hotter than stock , so i drilled the oem, it brought temps down about 8 deg f

 

Oil System/ be ware

 

first things first remove all 3 of the oil filter screens in the banjo bolts of oiling system, they clog and cause turbo failure as well as avcs failure and even blown engines

if you ever get a code for avcs pull over and change your oil before driving any further it is almost always the precursor to a blown engine or turbo if not fixed asap, the solenoids aer controlled via oil pressure and when they clog its often means glitter from bearings

 

there are aftermarket lines/filters but removing the oem is a must, its either that or replace/clean them every 30k. which involves removing timing belt....

 

use a good brand name synthetic oil and change it every 3k

 

if your turbo bites the dust you must very thoroughly clean as much of the engine as possible upon changing turbo and running it again, i don't care how many flushes you do its not enough ! the pan must be removed and either cleaned spotless or replaced, and the oil pick up and pump replaced clean inside of block as best you can, and proceed to change the oil very frequently till your sure you got all the glitter out

 

magnets on the bottom of the oil pan and oil filter seem to work very well keeping my bearings and turbo safe, remove the magnets when draining oil so contaminates can flow outward. the greddy style magnetic drain plugs with the point at the end do not work on our engine unless you modify the pan, there is a cage around the drain hole which makes them bottom out

 

when changing your oil make sure to fill the filter with fresh oil before installing it this eliminates the oil light coming on for a sec and is much better for the engine (jiffy lube and other shops do not do this !)

also get the car on the most extreme angle possible when draining the oil with cap off and dipstick out, this lets it vent and gets quite a bit more oil out, ive drained it all regular way and then jacked up passenger side a lot more and it get quite a bit more out.

 

its not good to use a flush on a turbo motor however it is a good idea to dump a q or 2 of cheap oil in at the end of draining this will get even more gunk that was hiding to come out, then you can use your desired synthetic

 

sti 11mm pump is a good upgrade

a catch can or even better an air oil separator aos is a great addition, this cleans the air in the return line from breathers, which is good because oil going through the intake will coat the intercooler and reduce efficiency

 

Turbos:

VF40 is oem 05-06 LGT/2.5xt

VF46 is oem 07-09 LGT/2.5xt

 

VF52 WRX oem turbo is a decent upgrade good for an extra 30-40 hp close to stock spool time

 

BNR 16g is even better and good for an extra 40-60 hp also close to stock spool time

 

BNR 18g is good for an extra 50-80 hp but has a lot of lag

 

BNR 20G is good for an extra 100hp and has less lag than the 18g

 

there are other makers of 16g 18g and 20g, even bigger ball bearing turbos but these are the ones i found specs for, as far as bnr vs Blouch the jist of it seems to be the Blouch is higher quality, but bnr is comparable at lower price they will make about the same power per size, this really depends on the tune and setup...

 

im running the bnr 16g and love it!

 

Now keep in mind when it comes to realistically picking your parts for a turbo fuel upgrade combo, these need to work in harmony and make sure you have all supporting mods required, do not upgrading your turbo size until you already have a fuel pump, turbo back exhaust, intake or larger maf tube, larger injectors and finally the means to log and tune

 

16) Fuel upgrades:

 

Injectors, there are two types top feed and side feed which you need depends on which tgv type you have. oem LGT/2.5xt have 520-565cc injectors these will take you as far as VF52 turbo with boost tapering down. if you want max power with vf52 i suggest 650cc, for 16g 750cc will work but its close ! i have DW 850cc with a 16g and my IDC is 80%

for a 20g i suggest 1000cc

until you are bigger than 20g i see no reason for rails or any other fuel mods, if you find 1000cc running out next logical step would be a fuel pressure regulator with a higer rat fuel psi vs boost psi, the oem unit is a rising rate style however it will reach its limits.

 

Speaking of TGV's you can delete them, they are kind of like individual throttle bodies for emission, after cold start they open fully and are just an obstruction, gutting TGV can yield 15 hp but requires the code be turned off in the tune

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1663677

 

Fuel Pump for up to 16g you can use DW 65c 20g or larger you need the Big one !

ps. DW units are true drop-in, quieter and E85 compatible.

-Walbro pump need some trimming of the housing. Beware of chinese knockoff. E85 compatible??

in my opinion walbro is more dependable but louder....

also if your new to subaru you can replace pump without dropping tank, there is a panel under back seat

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=2303133

 

17) Spark plugs ask for one range colder at the counter if the parts guy dosn't understand find one that does or go elsewhere

 

18) Stereo

not a lot of options due to the climate control being incorporated, there is a jdm climate unit that allows for aftermarket head units to be used. there is also a factory sub woofer which can be wired in and hidden away, another popular mod is the jazzy aux mod which allows you to plug in an mp3 player or other aux device.

 

the other option is to put a 2nd radio in the glove box, or run an amp to the speakers and do a tablet install.

related to tablet install... the storage compartment door above clock/info is a perfect place to put your phone or a tablet via Velcro, i put a piece on the door and a piece on the back of my phone and its perfect for obd2 apps and gps

 

That's about all i can think of good luck guys if you are noob sorry about the acronyms.......

saved for future edits/pics...

Nice!

added more info and Links to Original Post

Just a minor correction. The VF-52 is not an STI turbo. It's a WRX turbo.

thanks got it fixed, will be adding more suspension info soon, and possibly a tutorial for using romraider

Other small corrections

 

TMIC

-Perrin fits better than the knockoff but it is not an easy bolt-on (adding studds/bolts in the turbo flange helps alot). Supposely AVO fits better

-Process west Splitter for the LGT is now discontinued (IIRC some members had issues with BPV/BOV rubbing with the hood closed)

-The new GS unit comes with a splitter but isn't a 100% bolt-on as you need to raise the front of the intercooler in order to compensate the body spacers. No issues with rubbing bpv/bov as it sits sideways.

 

Fuel Pump

-DW units are true drop-in, quieter and E85 compatible.

-Walbro pump need some trimming of the housing. Beware of chinese knockoff. E85 compatible??

 

Brakes

-GS master cylinder brace improves the pedal feel (only)

-LGT rear brakes is a another bolt-on solution

 

Exhaust

-AVO and Nameless have outback specific catbacks

-Otherwise any LGT midpipe + outback axleback should fit (must check compatibility tho)

 

Turbo

-VF40 : MY05-06

-VF46 : MY07-09

Any LGT catback will fit if you chop the tips off and have turndowns welded on. I did this because it is simple and gives you the option to pick any catback you want. I could care less about showing everyone behind me how shiny my tips are. Function and horsepower trumps ricer cosmetics in my book! This is especially effective if you are going for the sleeper look.

Master cylinder brace doesn't fit on 08-09 5eat xt models, they are factory VDC cars and the cylinder mounting is different.

Master cylinder brace doesn't fit on 08-09 5eat xt models, they are factory VDC cars and the cylinder mounting is different.

 

Did you get this one?

 

http://www.grimmspeed.com/master-cylinder-brace-08-14-wrx-sti-07-09-legacy-vdc-09-12-forester/

 

I have it on my 09 5MT XT.

No I did not know it existed. Wonder if anyone has tried it on an auto vdc car?

awesome thread. lots of useful information.

 

I'm planning on upgrading my sway bars to aftermarket LGT specific bars but I'm not sure if there is any difference between sedan or wagon sway bars? or are they both the same??

 

any info would be great.

 

thanks.

awesome thread. lots of useful information.

 

I'm planning on upgrading my sway bars to aftermarket LGT specific bars but I'm not sure if there is any difference between sedan or wagon sway bars? or are they both the same??

 

any info would be great.

 

thanks.

 

Should be the same.

Thanks for the info.

yup its the same. ps the 20mm is a much needed upgrade but still understeers, id go 22mm if possible

How is this not a sticky?

So I've read through this and the other stickies and I had a couple questions... I want to put the LGT suspension on my outback. Is it possible I can just order new shocks and springs that fit a legacy and throw them on or do I need to find some off of a legacy? I assume I can just order new. Also is there any issue with the stock tire size rubbing after it's lowered with LGT shocks and springs?

Yes to all your questions.

 

The rubbing is usually pretty minor. But, you may have to do some fender work to get it all to fit right (I did, Rebourne did, One other Outback did at least)

Yes to all your questions.

 

The rubbing is usually pretty minor. But, you may have to do some fender work to get it all to fit right (I did, Rebourne did, One other Outback did at least)

 

Yep, driver front, quick roll with a baseball bat. Nothing too major. No cutting or hacking. Go lower than Legacy height , and you can expect to do more fender work if you want to keep the 225/55/17 stock setup. As is, I've got very slight rubbing on the driver side @ full lock.

Alright cool, thanks guys. So one more follow up question then: is there a preferred tire and rim size to swap to when changing the suspension so you don't have to modify any of the body at all?

If you go LGT sized, you can replace the ABS module so that your speedo reads right. But the manual is geared for larger tires,so RPMs will be higher at a given cruising speed.

 

Unsure what happens on the Automatic.

i was able to fit 225 50 17's on stock obxt wheels with negative camber, didnt have to touch the fenders at all. still had 2 finger gap, the only thing that rubbed for me was the strut/spring perch hit the tire when i had 235 55 17' i had to immediately get smaller tires !

If I drop it I'd probably plan on going with 18's with a negative offset. That would eliminate the need to modify the fenders correct?

No. That would do the exact opposite. Push the wheels so far out that you eat wheel bearings and have massive poke with the fenders in the way.

 

OEM offset is 48. The closer you go to negative, the more the wheel is pushed out.

 

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/images/wheel.offset.gif

If you go to LGT height, and run 18's, your safest bet is to stay with an offset between +40-48. Negative camber can help you, but an offset below 40, will most likely result in fender work. If you absolutely do not want to mess with the fenders, stay as close to +48 offset as possible. Of course tire size can make a big difference as well. From what I've seen, lowered Outbacks do good on 235/45 or 230/45. If "flush" is your plan, start reading up on how to roll & pull.