90 Legacy struts

[Mike Copeland]

My "new" '90 legacy AWD wagon feels like I'm driving a row boat in
moderate seas Are struts a DIY? What is a decent strut? Don't need
racing parts but don't want crap that only lasts 20k either.

Thanx
Mike

 

[Dmitriy]

My "new" '90 legacy AWD wagon feels like I'm driving a row boat in
moderate seas Are struts a DIY? What is a decent strut? Don't need
racing parts but don't want crap that only lasts 20k either.

Thanx
Mike

Anything made by KYB is good. The GR-2s are pretty cheap too.

Struts are a pretty easy DIY, it took me about 8 hours to do all 4 on
mine, bleeding the brakes and all... and this is the first time I ever
did something like that.

 

[Mike Copeland]

Anything made by KYB is good. The GR-2s are pretty cheap too.

Struts are a pretty easy DIY, it took me about 8 hours to do all 4 on
mine, bleeding the brakes and all... and this is the first time I ever
did something like that.

You have to disconnect the brake line?

 

[johninKY]

The brake lines pass through a bracket that is welded to the strut. If you
split and then bend the bracket you can then separate the line from the
strut and avoid bleeding the brakes. Bleed sequence is RF/LR and then
LF/RR if you do have the blleed the brakes. Rent a good spring compressor
and you should'nt have any major problems.

 

[Mike Copeland]

The brake lines pass through a bracket that is welded to the strut. If you
split and then bend the bracket you can then separate the line from the
strut and avoid bleeding the brakes. Bleed sequence is RF/LR and then
LF/RR if you do have the blleed the brakes. Rent a good spring compressor
and you should'nt have any major problems.

Thanx for the answer, but it brings up another question....why the weird
bleed sequence? I am used to the standard sequence of starting with the
wheel farthest away from the master cylinder. Why is the Subbie different?

 

[Dmitriy]

You can go the 'cut-the-tab' way too, it might save you some time... I
decided not to because I didn't want to cut my new struts and because I
think it's good to occasionally bleed the brakes anyway.

I don't think the order really even matters in this case unless you are
completely replacing the fluid. Since you'll only be getting air at one
wheel at a time, you just bleed that wheel to get it all back out. Just
keep an eye on the level of fluid in the reservoir to make sure you
don't get any air into the cylinder... because that will require a LOT
of bleeding :-D

I did mine the northursalia.com way (R. Pass. -> R. Driver -> F. Pass.
-> F. Driver ) and my brakes seem to work *knock on wood*

 

[johninKY]

I guess it's a Subaru safety thing. With a conventional dual system you
lose all braking on either the front or rear axle when a line breaks. Not
good in the event of an emergency stopping situation because the car is
almost certain to spin out of control. Subaru decided to get around
this by designing the dual system this way: one front wheel and the
opposite rear wheel = one braking system and the other front wheel and its
opposite rear wheel = the other brake system. This is why the wheels need
to be bleed in a diagonal patern. Why front first and then the rear is a
mystery to me.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

I guess it's a Subaru safety thing. With a conventional dual system you
lose all braking on either the front or rear axle when a line breaks. Not
good in the event of an emergency stopping situation because the car is
almost certain to spin out of control. Subaru decided to get around
this by designing the dual system this way: one front wheel and the
opposite rear wheel = one braking system and the other front wheel and its
opposite rear wheel = the other brake system. This is why the wheels need
to be bleed in a diagonal patern. Why front first and then the rear is a
mystery to me.

My '78 Honda Civic had a dual system in an X as you describe. Probably
not new or odd.

Carl