Aftermarket Front Sway Bar Install- 2010 Legacy GT

Hi all. This install was done with a whiteline 26mm FSB on a MY10 LGT.

I didn't provide pictures. but you can find similar ones here;

credit to floppsbigfeet89, http://s275.photobucket.com/user/floppsbigfeet89/library/Front%20sway%20bar?sort=6&page=1

1. Raise car on ramps and Loosen the endlinks and front wheels lug nuts (17mm pass-thru wrench & allen key needed)

2. Back car off ramps and jack up front of car

3. Remove wheels and tie rod ball joint nuts. Use a heavy hammer to knock it loose. It helps to turn the wheel all the way left and right for easier access to the nuts. (2- 19mm castle nut)

4. Remove the two brackets holding the sway bar and pull out the bushings. Easier to access from the wheel well. (4- 12mm bolts)

5. Move the tie rod behind the sway bar (I tried to tuck it up by the strut)

6. Optional: if your exhaust is in good shape. You can remove the downpipe (or the piece after the cat). This will make sliding in the bar easier. I wished a thousand times I could’ve removed mine, but it’s oem and succumbed to rust, badly) (need 14mm socket)

7. Remove engine cover, strut bar if applicable (the tmic will hit it when you raise it), under car plastic tray and turbo heat shield.

8. Remove all engine mount bolts. One nut on each side of the engine/trans; a bolt/nut at the front engine mount by turbo. (Might need to jack engine up slightly pull this bolt out) (3- 14mm nuts; need long extensions)

9. Jack up the engine using a floor jack. The bigger (like a commercial size), the easier. I have a smaller one [similar to those jacks on sale at auto-parts stores with two stands], so I had to put 3 wooden boards underneath the jack to get reach. I also used thick cardboard between the jack and header as consideration to the engine. Don’t jack under the turbo!

10. You should now be able to pull the oem front bar out through the driver side or passenger side.

11. At this time it’s best to gather your bolts/nuts and throw on some anti-seize.

Easy part is done.

12. If you like me and hate scratching new parts, prepare to cry. There will be lots of rubbing and shoving, so much that the front sway bar will want to press charges. I took a roll of packaging tape and wrapped it around the bar to prevent as much as I could during install. (Then removed afterwards). It’s not going to go in easy (that’s what she said).

13. If you exhaust is still attached, you must go through the drive side wheel well, be sure that the tie rods are still out of the way. Start sliding the bar in normally and about 2/5th of the way in you’ll need to start twisting/turning the bar while it’s sliding through. The best position for me was directly under the car, offset towards the driver side, facing up. If I remember correctly, the bar will be almost upside down to reach over the subframe on the passenger side. I kept getting hung up here and just by a few mm, one of the bends on the bar wouldn’t clear. Don’t fight it if you get stuck, it’s not going to go through. You’ll need to try another method. If you’re lucky the new bar should fall right in place in the correct position (the last twists of the bar will make it sit upright)

14. I put the new brackets/ bushings with grease/ endlinks on loosely first before doing anything else.

15. Lowering the engine will be tricky. You may try to directly lower it and all three mounts will fit right back in, but it wasn’t easy for me. (If one side gets hung up, you may need to loosen it. For me it was the pass. side)

16. Slowly lower the engine every few inches, the driver side or whichever will start to settle.

17. Keep eye on the loosely mounted side and when the holes line up between the triangular mount and engine/trans, thread back in those 17mm bolts.

18. The front mount has a tight clearance. The bushing needs fall evenly into the brace attached to the chassis, if one side gets caught up, you can tear the bushing. It helps grease up where it would slide in place. Lower/ rise the engine enough until you can slide the last 14mm bolt in place and tight.

19. Remove the jack and Replace the turbo heat shield (5-10mm bolts)

20. Tighten bushings and end links. I also added the lock collars, but with about a cm of space from the bushing, so things can settle after a drive. I’ll retighten them closer later. Sway Bar Brackets - 18 ft-lbs

21. Re-install the tie-rods and please use new cotter pins. You may need to tap it back in with a hammer/mallot so the threads don't spin with the nut when tightening. Tie Rods- 18-22 ft-lbs.

22. Put your wheels back on and lower car and Give the car a good shake to settle the engine a bit more. Then tighten all of its mount related bolts. Engine Mounts- 24-26 ft-lbs.

23. Go for a ride, check for noises. Should be none, but if so, put the car on ramps and re-check those endlinks. Best to torque Endlinks to 33ft-lbs. while vehicle is on it's wheels.

24. Re-install plastic covers and done!

With my 24mm rsb, I have virtually no body roll (I’m on stock springs/shocks)

I just followed the general Subaru guideline

Tie Rods- 18-22 ft-lbs.

Engine Mounts- 24-26 ft-lbs.

Endlinks - 33ft-lbs.

Sway Bar Brackets - 18 ft-lbs

Everything else was just hand tighten. I also didn't torque the front mount simply because I didn't have much room for a torque wrench/ not too worried about it.

I'll add these to the install.