Caboobaroo

Only use OEM axles or you will probably be fighting the same vibration. With cheap remanufactured axles and new aftermarket axles, the tolerances within the inner joint can vary from being too tight to too loose. Both of which can cause vibrations while accelerating and decelerating. I've replaced quite a few aftermarket axles with rebooted OEM used axles and had good results too as long as they weren't making noise. That is also a cheaper option. Boot kits are fairly inexpensive and not too terrible to do. Just be ready for a greasy mess:brow:

I haven't been able to take the car out yet but after I align it, I will get back with the handling update. Still needing to finish up some exhaust work and a few minor things. Also been working on my other project too since the weather is nice:D Oh and I finally came up for a name for her.... Scarlett

Finally getting underway with my RX project once again. This is been a very slow and painful rebuild process but seeing as Scarlett is finally done, I figure it's time to jump back to him. Quick storyline. Back in September of 2004, I bought a black '89 RX from a scrapyard for $150. After many engines and headaches, I stripped it and put the drivetrain (minus engine) into my silver '87 GL coupe which became my "RX STi". Since the engine was blown in the coupe, I did a complete FWD 3AT -> FT4wd D/R 5-speed conversion, 5- lug conversion and a new stock EA82 SPFI. Drove the car for awhile but after a dyno session and making 71awhp, it needed more. After an unsuccessful attempt to get an EJ22T swapped and running in it, I sat on the car and did some tinkering. Last summer, I scored another black '89 RX body seeing as a friend bought the car wanting just the suspension and brakes. Sold off a few more parts and stripped the interior. Car has been a shell sitting on the side of the house for almost a year as Scarlett was getting a bunch of work done. First pic is the original black RX and silver coupe before the coupe got swapped. Then the silver "RX" in her glory days... And finally, to Lazarus:brow: When it was delivered. After he was stripped of everything and rear suspension in with 5-lug conversion. Interior stripped, blue interior is going back in from the silver RX. Over the last couple days since the weather has been nice, I've gotten the silver RX totally stripped and filled with old parts I don't want/need. Also got most of the front suspension put together on Lazarus to make it mobile again and once that's done, into the garage he goes. Then a complete interior clean, exterior tear down and clean up and the blue interior mounted in. Powerplant for the car is still up in the air but with Rob already having an EJ powered RX, mine might have to be powered by something different. Possibly an EZ30? I would go with a second gen engine with separate exhaust ports and AVCS. I have all the needed parts to drop any EJ combination into this car. Modified driveline, modified engine crossmember, correct XT6 and EJ transmission cross members and a few other parts. Also has an aftermarket sunroof which will get welded up eventually but my first goal is to

Even with OEM belts, they rarely make it to the 60k mile mark. Between oil leaks and coolant (plus whatever else gets on the belts with no covers on) can drastically reduce the lifespan of them.

Let me help fill in from the mechanic side of things. First off, I will say that I'm one of the best Subaru alignment specialists in the greater Seattle area. No, I do not work for the dealership either. That being said, here's my bit of info. When it comes to replacing inner tie rod bellows boots, you need to remove the wheel, then loosen the 19mm jam nut on the tie rod that locks the tie rod to the tie rod end. Once loose, remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the tie rod end where it bolts into the steering knuckle. Smack the knuckle a few times with a decent hammer and the tie rod end will "pop" out of the taper its in. Unthread the tie rod end from the tie rod, remove the jam nut to previously loosened and now you're ready to remove the boot. They are usually mounted onto the car a few different ways but here's the most common ways from the factory. You will obviously see the metal snap clamp on the small end over the tie rod but the rack side is either a metal style clamp or a metal spring. If its the spring style, then reattach your new boot the same way you took it apart. If its the metal clamp style, I usually use a prybar and a hammer to smack it off the boot which will pop it apart. Replace using a decent ziptie and reassemble. Always make sure to use anti seize on the tie rod threads and inside of the tie rod end. This will ensure they spin easier when it goes in for an alignment as it will need it. Now here's my little bit of information when it comes to getting even routine alignments and parts. Even OEM parts are not identical to one another so counting threads can get you close but not dialed in. On Subarus, the number one alignment angle that will really eat tires, is toe. I tell customers that if it's a daily driver, get the alignment checked once every six months. It's like having insurance for your tires. As far as I know, alignments are cheaper then a set of tires... If you were doing an axle and had to remove the strut mount bolts, you can merely mark them and install back in close enough to the original position. If you replace any of the tie rods or ends, go get an alignment. This is where my father would say something along the lines of "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."

You can remove the master and slave as a unit. Remove the two nuts holding the master to the firewall, the pin where it connects to the clutch pedal under the dash, a 12mm bolt that holds the bracket for the line to the firewall and the slave. Much easier to get it out and try it that way. I just did a master, slave and hose on a '99 Outback yesterday. You did make sure to get a new rubber hose too, right?

The difference between the diameter of the center hole on the backing plates you got are only 1/8" if that. I'm probably eventually going to weld in some support around the bolts myself once I get the car back to a daily drivable status. What ABS crap are you talking about? The tone rings? My rear brakes look completely stock except there is no tone ring on the back of my hub (XT6 hubs dont have holes for the rings to bolt to) and no ABS sensor. I also don't have any tone rings on the front hubs since I got my parts from a non ABS car BUT they still have the spot for the sensor in the backing plates. Since your car never came equipped with ABS, you won't need the tone rings and sensors.

Did you get both brackets from either side for the mustache bar? Once you get your old brakes off, you should be able to modify the backing plate from the Legacy to bolt onto the trailing arm. I ended up drilling one hole and modified two existing ones that were on my WRX backing plates.

No problem. I've done quite a few 5-lug conversions along with modifications and upgrades on EA82s, especially that whole 3AT FWD -> FT4wd 5-speed conversion. I actually have just about finished up a huge brake and suspension overhaul on my XT6 too:headbang:

The rear wheel bearings come as "one" unit as the inner and outer bearing a housed in one outer race. This race gets pressed into the trailing arm, then the bearings, inner and outer grease seals and the stub shaft. There is also the threaded lock ring on the backside that needs to be taken off which I believe the inner grease seal is housed in.

The bracket actually bolts to a pair of studs that are part of the unibody. Once you get underneath it, you will see indents in the bottom side of the frame rail where they would be. I just drilled straight up through the floor of the car and dropped the bolts down from the top, to give me a "stud".

Check out this folder of pictures from a car I'm actually stripping currently. Was the same as your car (3AT FWD) and I converted it to an AWD 5-speed and 5-lug conversion at once. Welded in brackets for the driveline and worked fine for lots of abuse. I also drilled holes from underneath through the floor in the cargo area and dropped some bolts down from the top to hold the brackets in. What else do you have questions on? Care to break it down a bit? Oh and here the link to my pics. http://rides.webshots.com/album/555167621jgSQVh

You would want to get probably a 10mm spacer to keep them away from the trailing arms but you won't be able to run anything wider then a 215. EA82 cars seem to have way smaller wheel wells then the XT6. The set of Enkeis i have are on my XT6 but i have also had them on my '87 EA82 coupe and they seem a lot smaller on the XT6. Thinking I might step up to a 18x8.5" +38 for it.

Yes it will rub. My roommate wanted to see how my wheels would look on his old RS so he swapped his Prodrive P1 17x7 +53 and they rubbed bad.

Shizam, registered for two cars!

Thanks! With all the work I've been doing, I've also tried to keep it as clean and perfect as I can, down to the type of bolts holding the radiator fans in. I've sourced up factory hose clamps for everything and pretty much want to keep it "OEM" since I've been doing most of the upgrades with factory parts:D I also have been working with a set of '09 WRX shocks to see what I can do to fit them:brow:

Oh I know! Rob and myself have an unwritten agreement that it goes back and forth between us so either way, it will always have a good home:-p So seeing as I've been working on it on and off for the last few months, I decided that I would like to give in to what I've been doing. The original brakes with slotted rotors was ok but she needed a bit more bite. I ended up trading some labor for a complete set of '04 WRX brakes. Did a few modifications to the rear backing plates to get them to bolt onto the car. I also mounted in a leather wrapped ebrake handle from a 2.5RS to give me a rear parking brake. I also upgraded the front end with '96 Impreza knuckles with new NTN wheel bearings and used '91 Legacy axles. I stole the KYB AGX front struts from my RX project (which I also got the knuckles from) and put them on the XT6 and boy did it improve the front end squish! They have a lot better dampening for my XT6 then the KYB GR2s I had on before. I also sourced up some Speciality Products Company adjustable radius rods and mated them up with a set of Whiteline polyurethane radius rod bushings. Still need to get the car to the shop for an alignment and bleed the brakes before I can start driving it again. I will have more technical details on the work I've done once I get all the pictures uploaded. Also trying to get my hands on a set of KYB made Blitz coil overs before WCSS this year.

You would have a 23 spline inner joint. Outer spline count doesn't matter between EA82 cars. Turbo, 4EAT, or XT6 have the 25 spline stub shafts on the transmission. Non turbo, 3AT, or any other EA82s without any of the ones listed before, have 23 spline stub shafts. Obviously stuff can vary, especially when parts are interchanged.

What's funny is I'm currently having an issue with my '04 Outback. Right after we got it, my better half avoided an accident but ended up hitting a ditch instead. Now it has a vibration that starts at 65 and gets worse as you go faster. Also makes it unsteady at highway speeds and darts a bit. I did all the suspension work it needed and aligned the vehicle so everything is on point. I figured it was going to be a bent hub or a wheel bearing on the left front corner as that's the side that hit the ditch.

Almost sounds like the axle nut on one of the front axles has backed off. Grinding sound might be the axle stub spinning in the hub. I would jack the front end up and check the bearings too.

Wow, that's a new one. I've also seen the bolts on the crown back out of the carrier and get chewed up inside the rear diff on a '05 Legacy.

It does not. The diff on the auto and manual transmissions used a copper washer that is reusable unless it gets damaged. The automatic pan uses the same steel crush washer as the engine oil pan, except on some Legacys and Imprezas that have a 8mm hex plug instead of the 17mm standard plug. Also in 2010, they started in with a new 14mm oil pan drain plug which uses a different size crush washer then before. There are also some random variations out there though.

And not just inflated but also check the tread on the spare. Pull it out and do a visual inspection on it. My shop has a '98 Outback as a shuttle car and it had a tire go flat. I went to put the spare on it (on the side of a very busy freeway off ramp for the shuttle driver) and realized the tread had separated away from the inner layers. Luckily I had taken a good spare just in case. Trust me, it's the last thing you think of until it's too late. I still need to check the one in my XT6 as I've never even pulled the cover off of it.

Might as well post a pic of my '87 that was still powered by an EA82 SPFI. Put down 71whp and 82ft-lbs but I don't remember at what RPMs. Was a few years ago.

Ah correct. I forgot about some randomness I've seen such as this.