betzold Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) i have a 95 legacy wagon and i can drive it anywhere , im always folling my friends in their lifted pickups etc. only thing is i would like more clearance, especially with the tow kit on the back that hangs down a bit lower. i believe my friend put outback suspension on his but was wondering what the tallest or best suspension to buy would be? im looking for something that i can just get from a "pull n save" for fairly cheap and would be fairly easy to find. any ideas?? Edited March 10, 2013 by betzold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) 96 - 99 outback strut and spring assemblies will bolt on with no worries. you can then run stock outback tires, 205/70/15, insteasd of stock legacy tires, 185/70/14. you can get the struts and springs at a salvage yards for as low as $45. www.car-part.com. this is quick and dirty. or buy outback KYB-GR2s with either used or new springs. edit: if you swap in the outback trailing arm? it will recenter the wheel in the opening on the quarter panel. but you do not have to. Edited March 10, 2013 by johnceggleston 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betzold Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 so all i need is the struts and springs off of a 99 outback? seems like itd be simple to find that setup with the wheels and tires on it already. will i need anything else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betzold Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) and will that be a significant difference in ride height? i mean i dont want to go spend a bunch of money for like a half inch haha and what about this? they said the tires rub but if i went down to just a 15 wheel and like 210 tires? http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/95214-2004-forester-xt-suspension-on-95-legacy-wagon/ Edited March 10, 2013 by betzold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman18 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Yes, Strut assemblies off an Outback and the will bolt right on. It will give you around 3" more clearance, maybe a little more depending on tire size. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betzold Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 what about off of the forester? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) outback srturts are about 2.25 inches taller than the lego struts. i do not know what difference the outback springs will make. out back tires arew 2'' taller (diameter) than the lego tires, so that will add another 1'' of clearence (radius). you need nothing else. forester rear struts from the late 90s are shorter than the outbacks. but i have hears that there a foresters that are longer, 05 maybe, i'm not sure. but the 90s outbacks are a direct swap with no issues. have at it . pics below of my RED 97 GT with outback struts and springs. the factory struts were the same as the lego L / brighton. and my GREEN 00 lego L with outback (01) struts and springs. Edited March 11, 2013 by johnceggleston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betzold Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 http://www.ultimates...5-legacy-wagon/ heres a link to the lego with forester. 04 forester. but idk how easy the swap would be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman18 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Forester struts are the same length as Outback struts. The springs may be a little stiffer which would add the slightest amount of lift, and you would want 03-08 rear Forester struts because the spring perch is higher allowing for bigger tires. But 98-08 Forester struts will bolt right into 95+ Legacy, just like the Outback struts will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Outback rear struts will provide a little more tire clearance than 98-03 forester. I've compared them side by side. Forester springs give more lift than outback springs simply because the outback shares the same springs as standard legacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman18 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Yeah outback struts are pretty much the same as 03-08 forester struts. The 98-02 forester had lower rear spring perches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoastEJ22T Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I had a '95 Legcay with '04 forester struts and springs on it running on 215/70R15 Dunlop Graspics & 1999 Forrester 15" steelies. I only did the strut/spring swap and then used a 1/4" DIY plastic rear spacer to even it out a bit. It was a tank ...... no rubbing and had no camber or odd tire wear issues. I didn't even get it aligned after the swap, just marked my front camber bolts and reidexed everything on the reinstall. It was my DD (120km daily) like this for over a year with no issues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nerpel Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I have a 96 legacy wagon that i just finished lifting. I was building a six inch lift but a week into it i noticed that i over built. I now have 30/9 .5 by15 on it with no rubbing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatnow490 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 (edited) I also have a 95 legacy put 98 struts on the front and back. The front struts side by side you could see a were longer by an about an inch and a half. The back however looked like I was hauling a ton of crap in my trunk after I put them on.Have a forester I may take the struts off of and see if I can tell any change other than that any one have any ideas what to try next. Edited February 14, 2015 by whatnow490 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physicsgeek Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Since this has been bumped recently... I just installed 98 outback struts on my 95 Legacy L wagon. Did anyone have any issue with the camber when they dropped the car back down? I know that the front end has stock camber bolts, and I will lift it and adjust but it doesnt look like that would be enough to straighten them back up. Also, I have read several places that on the rear, a camber kit is a must and that rear trailing arms from an outback would recenter the rear wheels. any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman18 Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The stock bolts have enough adjustment in them to correct the camber. If you go more than just outback struts, then you'd need more. Same with the rear, there's enough adjustment in the lateral links. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physicsgeek Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Thanks man. I appreciate the quick response Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dumpstar Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 What about 00 - 04 Outback rear struts for a 95 Legacy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in Bellingham Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 What about 00 - 04 Outback rear struts for a 95 Legacy?The 96-99 OB struts for the rear will work , after 2000 they are coil over shocks, will not work for the older cars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy68°26 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 First post I have an -95 legacy Wagon and reading here have inspired me to lift a bit for the winter. My local junkyard have a -99 Forester im hoping to get a god deal on parts. As i understand the struts and springs will bolt right in, are there any more parts i should take from the forester? I'm not looking for a huge lift or to large tiers (norwegian laws are crazy strict on suspension mods ) maybe 2" with 195/65 R15. Will i get a saggy rear end because of the lower spring peachers or do the spring compensate for them? As you might have guessed i'm norwegian, hope my english isn't to bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Your english is pretty good. Yes, 99 Forester will bolt right in and raise the legacy about 2 1/4 inches. You can cut 1/4inch or 3/8 inch spacers to add just a little more height if you want. A plastic cutting board of that thickness can be cut out with a jigsaw and adds a little extra clearance for only a few dollars. You can clear a 215 75 15 tire with that setup. Stock outbacks were 205 70 15 and ride quite nicely. The combination of lift and bigger tires will net 3 1/2 to 4 inches of total ground clearance gained. Good for most trails and mud/snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy68°26 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) Thanks That will help out a lot in deep snow and slush/ice with deep tracks. Will defently look for som outback sized tires. Edited October 7, 2015 by Legacy68°26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thook44 Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Hello all! I just registered since I ran across this thread looking for replacement springs. I have '94 Legacy wagon and the rear end sags terribly from years of hauling weight and country roads. However, I have new struts I purchased only months ago. I reused the old springs not really having an option at the time that I knew of. Now, of course, I realize I simply need new springs to correct the rear end. I would like have a little more lift/clearance as well (maybe an inch), but the important thing is leveling the car and increasing the hauling capacity a bit. Not so that I can haul more than I do, mind you. Rather I need the vehicle to better withstand what I do haul plus the effects of rough roads. I'd guess what I normally haul to be equivalent to the weight of a car full of adult people. What are my options that would allow me to keep my new struts and original wheels? I have access to a body shop and can modify things if necessary. TIA for any helpful suggestions! ~ Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thook44 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Bump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thook44 Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Anyone? Should I start my own thread on this? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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