2nd gen legacy strut tower rust

[WoodsWagon]

I've discovered a manufacturing defect in the 95-99 legacys and outbacks. In the rear wheel wells, if you reach up into the strut tower box the wall of the box on the outer side disentegrates. It may be held together with a thin film of undercoating but the metal rusts to the point that it crumbles. All the other panels holdign the strut tower together seem to be fine, so just this one panel wasn't treated properly.

 

All 3 legacys and outback's I checked today had the same problem, from a 95 legacy, 98 outback, and 97 outback.

 

So if you have one of these and you live in the rust belt, go out and check. You just reach in above the rear wheel well with your palm facing upwards, run your fingers up to the top of the spring, hook your fingers in and pull your hand towards the outside of the car. You'll feel a flat vertical surface. Poke it and see if it crumbles. Or if it's even still there, it may be just a hole at this point. Or don't and live in de-nile, just watch out for crocodiles.

 

I'm not sure how big of a structural issue this is yet. There's 3 different layers of metal in there, the outer quarter panel skin, a formed brace layer, and then the vertical inner wall, which is what rusts out. The rest of the strut tower box and the horizontal surface that the strut cap bolts too seem to be OK, and are still welded to the rest of the body. The doghouse arch of the wheelwell seems to stay intact. I'm thinking of just cleaning the surrounding area off enough to goober a ***************ethane roofing patch over the inside there. That would keep salt slush and water spray from getting into the interior of the quarter panel and rusting out the rest of the body. It's a whore of a spot to get into to clean well enough to weld to, even with the strut removed, so a real patch isn't happening.

[1982gl4]

I have notice this too. Imprezas do it as well :-\ It's not super structural, but it lets the salt and mud and everything into the rear quarters and rust them from the inside out, hence why the are all missing the rear quarters in NE. I grease mine all the time and don't drive it in the winter because of it

-SB

[WoodsWagon]

This isn't the common rot seen right at the rear edge of the wheel well above where the bumper attaches by the way, this is deeper in. So reach deep and higher when you check for it.

[1-3-2-4]

I remembered to feel for this morning and sure enought it crumbled.. Wont that cause rust on the inside panel?

[1982gl4]

I remembered to feel for this morning and sure enought it crumbled.. Wont that cause rust on the inside panel?

It seems to cause rust mostly on the rear quarters because all the dirt and grim that goes up in that hole seems to settle in the rear quarters right by where the wheel well and bumper meet. However... One Impreza I had, looked good from the outside and this rust had totally ate away the rest of the towers. I only found out because a dog had chewed the rear seat belts and I had to change them. After taking all the plastic out I had discover the strut towers were ready to collapse and this was a 2000 it wasn't even old (by my standards!) So I didn't end up fixing that one :-\

-SB

[rverdoold]

My 91 legacy wagon failed MOT because of that rust. Outside looked really nice just very few rust spots. But could stick my whole hand in the holes where the struttower connects the chassis.

I replaced the springs on my 99 impreza wagon cleaned it completely and put the proper black tar on it everywhere. It is the only thing i can come up with.

[1-3-2-4]

Hmm so I wonder what's the best way to patch it?

[WoodsWagon]

Just checked a 95 outback in the junkyard and a 99 L, both had big holes in the strut towers, both sides. They were in there for unrelated issues.

 

It's a hidden spot, and not where anyone would normally check. With my now 100% failure rate off all my test sample of 5 cars so far I'd say it was pretty systemic.

 

Mabe subaru will do a buyback like toyota did for the tacoma frames? Lol, right.

[Fuzpile]

Thanks for the tip about this. If I had checked earlier I would've freaked out.

Just a note, Nippon steel isn't the same as we would expect on some vehicles. I had a 5 ton NPR type Isuzu truck once. The thing was great mechanically but the Frame was absolutely distinigrating. Origional 3/8 thick frame sections would laminate, separate into layers. I went over that thing with chisels and needle scalers.... I would end up with only 1/8" of solid metal in places. I had to sell it cheap after replacing all the rusty brake lines and much other work like all the battery box and other brackets.

[1-3-2-4]

took awhile to find this thread again but I just replaced my struts so I was able to snap a picture and look up where this area is..

 

strut had a collision with it.

 

 

[WoodsWagon]

Checked a 98 outback limited with dual sunroofs in the junkyard, rusted through in the same spot, both sides.

 

Thanks for the pictures!

 

My interim solution for this winter has been bituthane roofing underlayment. It's Grace Ice & Water shield. I clean off as much dirt from the area around the crumble zone, lay in sheets of the ***************athane and use a hot air gun to cozy it up so it's nice and gooey, then squish it down to make sure it's got good adhesion to the body. Seems to be working so far.

[Bonomo]

I have a 1993 Subaru Legacy LS Wagon.  A mechanic who was going to work on a problem with the power steering pump noticed a bad left rear strut and an exposed wire harness in the wheel well.   After replacing the rear struts, I pulled out the inside rear trim to prepare for welding.   Oy.

(BTW, does anyone know what the tube is hanging over the top of the strut tower that looks a bit like a Pitot tube?)

[heartless]

Bonomo - 93 LS wagon? I am betting that the car used to have air struts, and that is the air line that used to feed that strut (I have a 90 LS wagon that I pulled the air struts out of)

 

that short black bit at the top is plastic tubing that got cut off, right? if it is, then yes, that is the old air system for the air struts. you can safely remove that whole section if you want to.

Edited June 27, 2013 by heartless

[dumpstar]

Thanks for this post-- my 95 Legacy sedan has this exact problem on both sides. I've been considering taking two giant rubber mudflaps from one of my father's old trucks, cutting them to fit, and screwing the rubber in to help cover these holes you are talking about. I haven't tried it yet but if I do, I'll let you know how it works.

 

Also, my first vehicle was an old Chevy S10. I remember getting two cheap metal quarter panel skins to put over the rotted quarter panels / over the wheel wells. They looked similar to the one I attached a pic of.

 

Seriously--- why haven't they made quarter panel skins that fit the 2nd Gen Legacy's??????? It's a terrible rust spot for these awesome cars, and I remember it was a 15 minute job screwing on the quarter panel skins to my S10.

 

***If anyone knows of where to buy some, PLEASE link me.

[dumpstar]

I put spray foam "The Great Stuff" in there. Stops further rust damage on the wheel arches.