jonbfish

Appreciate the clarification. I'm going to get under it this weekend and see if I can get a feel for the bushings. I have a feeling some are probably worn out after that was mentioned. I'm guessing that if I go the assembly route that I will have to get the 05-09 ones as it sounds like its only the struts that are a direct swap and not the rest. Thanks for all the leads.

The body has 230,000 miles but a new short block at 200,000, King springs look like they are quality but maybe a little stiff for me. Now thinking I'll go with the KYB full assemblies. For the bushings do you think something like this https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/19.3105?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImeuc3rekiQMVUAytBh2PnABnEAQYBSABEgKIEPD_BwE makes sense? Or do you have something else you would recommend? Appreciate the help Bennie!

Went back and found this about the swap:

The issue is the rear shocks were close to/bottoming out with a few passengers, and when I had it aligned last they said there isn't a camber adjustment which basically means the springs are worn. I thought it was pretty common for this gen of outback to have the sagging rear suspension and am looking for the best replacement thoughts, assuming that just replacing the parts with normal OEM or having Midas do it would lead back to the same problem. Maybe the design is just flawed and there isn't anything different that that can be done.

Bought a used 07 2.5 Basic a while back, has been ok since I have a short commute and its usually just me but had two adults in the back seat recently and yeah, need to do something. I believe I saw on here years ago that the gen 2 was a better setup and could be swapped in, is that correct? Just look up the OEM part numbers and order from Subaru? Any preferred aftermarket brands or any of the chain repair shops have a good option? Not really looking for different performance, just want quality and longevity. Looks like it's a fairly easy job to DIY, just struts and springs? Or is there a full swap assembly worth buying? Any other parts to check or just replace when doing it? Appreciate any advice, tips, or recommendations. Thanks, this place is the best.

Well I tried again in the daylight to press the tab but ended up breaking it off. Does this need to be soldered back together or would one of those repair kits with some conductive glue work?

I'm doing a full rear hatch wiring harness replacement Got everything apart and swapped out the wires but when I got to the far end I can't seem to get the last connector off that is for the rear defroster. I can't tell if you are supposed to pull up on the tab or push down but neither seems to be working. It moves around on it slightly so I don't think it's welded to it or anything. Trying not to put too much pressure on it so I don't separate it from the grid. Anybody have any tricks? The defroster worked before the repair. 2007 Outback Wagon Basic

Thanks everybody. I had the front two tires re-balanced but he said they weren't way out, didn't seem to make any difference to me driving it. I wonder if it is a back tire (or brake) causing it, kinda thought about that. So far everything listed is pretty much what I figured would need replaced to get another year of it, and not some horror story about an expensive fix. And I'm not exactly doing the wheel bearing just because. If I would have had my press handy I would have changed it when I got it from the junkyard. I just didn't like the feel at the time but wasn't going to wait. Now I am going to take it in for another alignment so might as well replace the last wear part on the front end rather than have to get it aligned again if it for sure goes bad in the near future. Since I changed everything not long ago feel like it should come apart easy, and I'll clean the brakes while I am in there too.

A month ago I started getting a vibration at higher speeds in my 98 Legacy. At the time it was snowy and super cold so I thought maybe there was some ice build up or something causing it. Has since warmed up and it's still there with a back and forth wiggle in the steering wheel at low speeds. I don't remember anything that would have knocked the alignment out but that must be it? A year or so ago I changed all the tie rods and one of the ball joints, everything still seems tight. I had to get a new knuckle (came from a forester) and it seemed like it was slightly different but they didn't say anything when I had it aligned. I went ahead and changed the other ball joint and wheel bearing the other day, and am thinking I will replace the wheel bearing in the used knuckle (my press was loaned out at the time so I just left the old one in there) but it doesn't feel like there is play in it. My main question: is there anything else I need to check that could be causing this in the steering/suspension that would be very expensive to replace? The rust is really starting to come through so I have to question every chunk of money I invest. After the wheel bearing I will need new tires and probably some brake work along with an alignment. Would love to just buy a newer one but I think we all know that waiting a little longer on the auto market is the best play if possible with prices and availability. I just really don't want to put all this money in and then figure out I need a new rack and pinion or PS pump or something.

I'm replacing a wheel bearing in my 98 Legacy. I managed to get the pinch bolt and ball joint out (thanks to whoever said the Irwin bolt extractor sockets actually work!) and am putting it back together. I got a Napa ball joint that had a new pinch bolt with it, but on closer inspection it is longer and came with a nut for a drill out scenario. My threads are fine so I wonder is it ok to use this bolt and just run it all the way through? Do I need to clean the threads out or anything so it doesn't mess up the end of the bolt? I looked at a couple hardware store bolts but they didn't look like quite the same on the non threaded part. Or is full threaded ok?

OK, looking at this now. Is the tab in between the pins? I may have to post a picture to have you walk me through it.

So I finally broke down and bought a battery Milwaukee impact gun. Seems the technology is finally there to justify it. I bought a couple sockets that I needed right away, but plan to buy a decent set. I was at Northern and saw a $27 cheapo, and like a $70 one and an Ingersoll Rand set for $120. I'm thinking the IR is the way to go even though the price is high? Or is there some other name brand I should look for? Any idea what makes the expensive ones better than a cheap set?

Removed it and got it seated finally! I think I may have gotten a little crazy with the anti seize in there. Cleaned it out and am now good to go. Thanks for all the help.

Thanks for the discussion all, it is useful to have all these opinions in one thread. I was lucky to find another nice 98 a couple years ago, but the rust is starting to take hold. I would love to find a rust free, low mileage 00-04; do those still exist? LOL. What is the consensus on when the rusting issues were properly addressed? I see a lot in the midwest that have the spots over the rear wheels. I guess I'm not sure if mine had some lurking below the surface, or if it was just ineveitable here without a garage to keep it in, I want my next one to last a long time and outside of some of the issues discussed rust seems to be the limiting factor. Nipper - It sounds like you are down right now, but I have to say rolling around camping with a teardrop and a dog doesn't sound all bad. Good to see you around.

As somebody who is almost fed up with my '98, I appreciate this thread. Guess I feel ok about looking at 05-06ish for my upgrade, although all the info is good as it seems the days of the old reliable, simple subies may be a thing of the past.

When I looked at the hole it seemed like it was lined up, but the bolt just doesn't quite go through, and with one tap of the hammer it felt stuck in there and was hard to pull back out. I thought I heard it seat a little more when I took it off the jack but the bolt still didn't go right in. I'm going to pull it forward a couple feet tonight and take the wheel back off and have a look. Thanks about the connector! I'm sure it will be apparent when I look, but any resources for repining would be appreciated.

So when you say down, that means it could be in too far and need to come back out? Another thing is the junkyard knuckle seems to have more camber with the upper bolt in the same position, and the ABS sensor plug is slightly different and won't plug in. Do I need that connected in the short term to drive? The bolt broke on the old one so its going to take some work to get it out. With these slight differences is there a chance the knuckle I got is off enough the ball joint I have won't seat? I thought it was from a Legacy but not sure if it was a year earlier or if it was a Forester. This job has been a nightmare.

Had a rusted ball joint so had to get a junkyard knuckle. I tapped the new ball joint in with a hammer but the pinch bolt isn't quite getting to the threads. Is it possible I tapped it in too far, or is it not seated all the way? Just thought I would see if it should seat when I take it off the jack or if it needs to be finessed to the proper depth. After all the trouble the old one gave me I'm a little jumpy on the pinch bolt.

Just to close the book on this, I took it back to the shop that did the head gaskets and they said the pump was bad and replaced it no cost. Thanks for all the replies.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I replaced the gasket again (with OEM this time) and both lower hoses, but not the pump. I guess the most likely source is the mating surface.

So I replaced the above items, and as I was filling the radiator it started leaking a little. It's running along the oil pan and now dripping farther back than it was. The only other possible culprit I see is maybe the block plug? Either way, this is before the engine is even started that it starts dripping, even before its filled with coolant. Any other ideas of where to look? Or would the water pump leak just on a fill before its even ran?

Bump for any thoughts

Yeah I already changed a hose clamp on the upper hose because it leaked a little during a pressure test. The mechanic said it was an AISIN pump. I got new lower hoses, a new OEM gasket, and a couple new bolts. Does this look like anything is coming from the weep hole? I see a little trail but not sure with the dust on there if it could already be bad.

I can't tell for sure where it's coming from, but it does run down the back and drips off the oil pan. What grit sandpaper are you suggesting? I used some 1000 on the pump face but it seemed like it was too fine to do anything. A scotch brite pad sounds like a better option. I'm going to ask the shop what brand water pump they used.

I have a 98 Legacy with the 2.2. Over the winter I blew the top radiator hose, but it turned out the water pump was bad and it overheated. I had a local shop replace the head gaskets in March, they seem to buy a lot of Subarus and fix them up to sell so figured they knew what they were doing. After getting it back it seemed to still have an antifreeze smell but never saw any leakage. A week or so ago on the way to work it got hot. When I went to fill it up to get it home it didn't take as much coolant as I expected. Since then it has been dripping from what appears to be where the water pump bolts to the block. This weekend I took it apart and checked the pump. Everything looked ok, although the gasket seemed a little warped. It was the metal one. The parts store only had a Felpro paper gasket so I tried it with some high tack gasket sealer on both sides. It started leaking before I was even finished filling the radiator. Could the water pump already be bad after 5-10k miles? Would coolant leak out of the weep hole when its not running? Should I try to use some blue RTV and make a gasket instead of using a new factory one? Should I replace the pump already or is it more likely the block face is uneven and it won't seal?