Suspension, and other bits n bobs...

[livetoclimb]

Recently purchased a late 2006 facelift Outback. Very happy as it’s a more comfortable ride than my previous car, plus faster and has a LOT more character. And cheaper to insure. And to buy... I paid a good price for it knowing it would need a little work, inc. suspension work.

Suspension is fine at moderate speeds, albeit a little bouncy. Slight creak/clunk from offside front. Suspect ARB bushes/drop links? Low speeds are where things seem a bit ‘loose’ - I can LCA bushes and drop links when I deal with the suspension...

Back end bouncy at higher speeds. Probably shot shocks, as it’s borderline on the ‘bounce’ test... replacement options? I’ve seen that the Pedders ones (Shocks and springs for rear) are well reviewed as an alternative to the self levelling ones which I presumably have, but they don’t seem available for the front for an all round  fix.

If I’m to replace shocks at rear I may as well do them all round. No concerns about the springs as they seem to support the car well and it’s not bottoming out. 

Other things... slightly sticky boot handle. WD40?

Boot lift piston things slightly juddery. Grease, or replace?

Gearbox and paddles seem to work well. Is transmission worth servicing for peace of mind? Is this DIYable? 

Is there anything else worth doing for peace of mind? Unsure whether AWD system is serviceable.

Answers, thoughts and general ramblings are much appreciated. 

Thanks, Shay. 

 

[flat6]

Late reply I know, but here goes:

What's the mileage? My advice for suspension refresh: for the front, replace drop links and arb bushes, plus lower arm rear bushes. While your in there, do the ball joints too. Keep the springs, chuck the rest away. Get new top mounts, spring seats and rubbers, and a pair of Bilstein B4 struts (part number 22-248145). For the rear, chuck the self-levelling shocks and springs, get a pair of Pedders springs (part number 7512), and a pair of Bilstein B4 shocks (part number 19-229584). New drop links and arb bushes, check all the other bushes for wear and replace as necessary.

Transmission fluid drain and fill is a good idea as long as you use the proper stuff from Subaru or Millers. Easy diy if you can get under the car.

Boot handle goes stiff, keep lubricated with white grease. 

AWD system is not serviceable, should give no trouble as it's well proven and integral to the design rather than an add on.

I'm in Bristol, message me if you need any other help with this.

[livetoclimb]

Cheers flat6. It’s currently in the garage having the suspension changed (Pedders all round inc front strut mounts, as well as any worn bushes. Also probably changing the trans fluid - need to speak to them tomorrow and check if anything else is needed... so you were bang on the money! 

The boot handle is actually sticking a little so I’ll grease that up - thanks for the tip! 

I’ve also just put on a full set of Michelin Latitude Cross which look great and should be good enough for all year round use... I do have a set of winters for it in the shed as well just in case we get Beast From The East next year. 
 

Sadly it’s already been keyed so once Subaru are back up and running I’m going to speak to them about getting some paint and I’ll buy a touch up kit and sort that out. 

It’s on 101k miles but initial prognosis when I dropped it off is that it’s pretty clean looking. Will update when I get it back.

[flat6]

Let me know how you get on with the Pedders shocks on the rear, I had 2 sets before I sacked them off and got the Bilsteins - they rattled. Sent them back, got sent another pair, and they rattled too. In the end Pedders refunded me in full. Great service, and I'm perfectly happy with the full set of Pedders I fitted to my Forester 5 years ago.

Make sure the garage use the correct atf fluid - either Subaru's own, or Millers SP111. It is important. There's also a filter between the Battery and the wing.

I ran mine on continental All Season Contact, great in the snow, cold and wet, and fine in the hot summer.

For touch up paint, just go to Car Paint Warehouse in Brislington with your paint code (it's on the VIN plate).They'll sort you out for a fraction of the cost.

 

http://www.uklegacy.com/forums/index.php is a lively forum with lots of good knowledge of this generation Outback.

[livetoclimb]

Great - thanks for the tips. It’s a Subaru specialist in Brislington and he Seems to really know his stuff. Will let you know about the Pedders. The existing suspension is knackered (and appears to still be original) so anything will be an improvement!