Front lower control arm 1996 OBW

[foxgap]

I had to replace the right lower control arm on the Legacy OBW cause the old one was rusted through.  I got a used one from a junkyard($25.00 what a deal) and had the local shop put the thing in.  I pulled the car out of his shop down a small grade to a stop and turned right.  The tire rubbed the mud guard, we took the car back in and loosened the arm back up and using the slotted holes in the rear mount moved it forward.  Tried it again ,no more noise. OK. Girlfriend is now saying it is rubbing again, not nearly as bad as before but every now and then it happens.  

 

What am I doing wrong????

 

We measured the distance between the tire and well on both sides and it seems to be the same.  Could the junkyard arm be bent just enough that there is a difference?   The car steers real nice and is not wearing the tire, yet. 

 

Thanks in advance all,   Mark

[LosDiosDeVerde86]

First thing I would do is drive it myself to make the call as to whether or not it's actually rubbing, and where. I don't know your girlfriend or how knowledgable she may or may not be, but is it possible she's actually just hearing the rotor rub the dust shield or any other manner of rubbing noise?

 

If it's tracking straight, the measurements are correct, there's no other weird noises on acceleration or braking, or any other kind of odd happenings, I'd say you're chasing a ghost.

[lmdew]

I've replaced several damaged units and they all bolt up without problems or adjustments.  If it is in fact the tire rubbing double check the installation and the aft side of the arm, that's where they bend normally when the car is in a accident.

[foxgap]

Thanks guys,  I am going to take a ride to the spot she says it rubs at, only a few miles from here.  At that point I hear it rub I'll stop the car and take a good look.  Seems really strange for the entire life of the car we never had a problem and now we do.  Could it be possible that the boneyard gave me an incorrect part?  I thought that the control arms were all the same for that body style. 

[idosubaru]

you have stock sized tires?

 

i'd wonder if it's bent.

 

what year/model did the new arm come from?  they are largely interchangeable so i doubt there's any difference at all.

 

if it's the control arm i'd think it's likely bent.  if you got it from a junk yard it's easy for it to have happened while it was driven or for a scrap car to have been wrecked or handled a lot in transferring - towing, pulling, yanking, lifting with fork lifts, you name it.

[ivans imports]

Check for damaged spring broken lowest spring wrap ? have had many bad springs as of late on that model

[idosubaru]

oh yeah - actually 1996 models had a spring recall or notice of some sort.  i had one break on 1996 legacy as well.

[foxgap]

I will have the shop check for the broken spring.   I did contact the junkyard that I got the control arm from and they are going to warranty it, I just have to drive over there in the morning and pick it up and of course return the first one.   I drop the car off tonight at the shop and the owner has said he can fit it in on Friday to replace it again.  The guy at the yard said that the control arms fit from 1990 thru 2004.   If anyone needs that info.....

[Fairtax4me]

They may have flipped the rear control arm bushing upside down when swapping it to the new arm. (If they swapped it) This would pull the back end of the arm in about 1/4". Might be just enough to cause rubbing.

 

Poke your head under and compare the bushings on each side.

[foxgap]

Yehaaa all,   The second control arm was the ticket.  Denny pulled the first one and compared it, looked the same, but when he put number two in it was like night and day.  Lots of room at the wheel well and still have room to move it in the slotted holes on the rear mount.  I took the first back to the boneyard  and Andy looked it over along with another Subie guy and they found a spot on the top of the arm where there was a dent in it that would throw it off just enough to screw it up.  He apologized for not looking closer because the car it came from was not wrecked when it came in.  Good people.  The yard is called Deerfoot and is in Wind Gap PA.  He has a TON of Subbies.  

 

next question,  should this car be allinged now?   

 

Thanks again to all who helped,   Mark

[lmdew]

I'd just do the string around all wheels and check to see that you have about an 1/8" clearance at the back of the front tires.  Watch for tread wear problems. If it goes straight down the road you should be good.

[ivans imports]

Bent parts can be very diffacult to find and time consuming glad you found it