Got The Whitelines!! install Sat.

[Farfrumwork]

sooooooo,

I finally received my *standard-height* Whiteline Selects. Got 'em from Don@ PDM for an increadible $179 shipped !! Sweeeet it took a while but it's was worth it

I will be installing them myself this Sat (I have already taken the back seat and rear top bolts out - then it got dark, and I didn't have the top-hat bolts for the rear AGX's) but anyway..... I'm stoked to have a striffer - less rolllin' - standard dirt-road-height machine in my hands!!!!

I anm actually pleased by the color of the Selects - not as bright as I was thinking. not that it matters much, but a nice grey-blue.


I can give a reveiw after I get the alignment back in and have a chance to really Drive it. (it's gonna snow any day now too... so I gotta get it all donme so I can run it on my now race-depth RE730's before I put the M2's on).

other suspension mods include a FHI 18mm rear sway bar.

later,
Chad
aka. Farfrumgerman

[jacobhorn]

Congrats! I am anxious to hear how the install goes. I will be receiving my -3/4 inch Whiteline lowering springs soon and I have not yet deciede whether or not to install them myself. Please post pics when you are finished. Have fun!

[dvancleve]

Please post the gory details on the install. I am going to be dropping my Outback with regular Legacy struts sometime in the next month or so. I have done struts before, but not on a Subaru...

Thanks, Doug

[nuburu2]

Count me in as very interested in this swap as well! Finally got my WhiteLines from Don also, and am ready to do the Springs/AGX swap, but was hoping to do the stainless lines too, as long as I had everything apart. Come on Cobb!!
Chad, Please share as much detail as you can on this swap!!

Glenn O

[subysouth]

I am also very interested. I was about to buy the Whitelines for my wagon, until an e-mail from them said the drop on the "standard" springs would be ~35mm all around. More than I wanted. Please make accurate before/after height measurements. I hope the drop will be 1" or less.

Doug I dont think youre gonna see much drop in your OB with just a strut swap. The springs are gonna be what you need to swap to see any real drop. I dont know what the difference is between Legacy and OB struts exactly, but you could well end up oversprung also by just swapping the struts (or the strut not even fitting at all-not extending far enough to reach the strut top mount.) Do the OBs have taller springs than the Legacys or do they use blocks? If they use a blocks maybe removing them in combination with a strut swap could get what youre looking for.

Ive been curious what accounted for the OBs higher ride vs the Legacy. Can you enlighten me?

[Mx5racer]

It looks to me that the outback rides higher because of higher spring perches. If you had coil-overs you would be able to choose any ride height you wanted (within reason). You could have an outback in the snowy winter, and a slamed racer in the summer.

Chas

[etam]

dvancleve, I remember (correct me if I am wrong) that outback ride height does not come from spring/strut but come from new control arm design.

lowering the outback with spring/strut *might* affect the suspension geometry big time!

etam

[Farfrumwork]

All right... got it done!
It took me quite a bit longer than I had anticipated - but it was due to my own stupidity. haha. Just remember - better yet mark - where the top hats are in relation to the strut. (they are not too cooperative when going back together)

Total time was about 6 hrs. but If I could do it again it would take probably 3-4 hrs. This all by my lonesome in my carport too, if I had a helper I'm sure it would more than cut the time in half. ( and shops want ot charge for 7-8 hrs ! what a load of crap, I hope their mechanics are faster than me especially with air tools... but I digress).

as far as the installl goes - go to the "Mods" section and read through the STi suspension install for the RS. it is basically the same thing.

here are some hints though...

1) the rear top-hat bolts include one that hides under the seatbelt mechanism. it is a real PITA. A very small racheting 12mm box wrench might help here.

2) Have some xtra tools around. I broke a 19mm 1/2" drive, deep socket on the rear. As well as a 3/8" drive rachet !!
ps. a 3/4" socket works great in place of the 19mm.

3) the rears go back in fairly easily - although it is somewhat of a pain gettin' the top 3 bolts lined up (an extra person here would have been great!). The fronts sat about 1" lower than the mount holes on the struts - you will not be able to compress them by hand to get them to reach. I used the stock jack and my Al breaker bar tube to push them up a bit to align the holes. (See picture at bottom - if I can post it )

4) The front struts top hats have a very tight fit for the socket required for the 12-1.50 metric stop nut the AGX's use (that's a mouthfull) I used some Syn. bike chain lube to get in there nice and easy like.

5) when you are compressing the stock springs to take them off - compress them further than you think you need to - then compress them some more.

6) The front assembly has a tapered, pyramid style washer - in case you don't follow the last hint and can't tell how it was originally - it goes in wide side down ( yes I had to do the first front assmbly completelyover again too. I probably did the equivelent of 8 wheels worth of work -hahahahha).


REVIEW:

totally kick ass!
It is a *bit* more jarring around town - not harsh, but you can feel iregularities more. At speed, 40mph+, it is just as, if not more, smooth than the stock suspension.
This thing will absolutely RAGE into corners now. it is very neutral and controlable.
I only drove around for a bit - including playing with a freind in a '01 OBS - we drove up Flagstaff Mnt road in Boulder (it is steep and narrow, and has a couple 1st gear - very tight- switchbacks) it was awesome. I had to wait a while for the obs to catch up .
This is with the 18mm rear bar and RE730 rubber. I know... not a fair fight for the obs


LOOKS:

It looks pretty much the same. I, unfortunately, didn't measure the rear height before hand (sorry) but I did measure the front. the front was unchanged 385mm -(from center wheel to wheel well)
the rear "looks" a bit lower - maybe 10mm or so. I can only get 1 1/2 finger under there. Now it measures 350mm, using the same methd as above.

Can anyone go out and measure theirs -front an back??? just as a reference.

( I am trying to put pictures up - wish me luck)


later,
Chad

aka. Farfrumgerman

[Farfrumwork]

I can't seem to post more than one at a time??

hey, I'm a Mechanical Engineer - not computer!!!!! hahahha


Rears....

[Farfrumwork]

turn sideways to see front strut 'jack up procedure'

[Farfrumwork]

side view - all done

looks pretty much like a stock GT ... hehehe

forgot to mention - anyone in the Denver/Boulder area that wants to see + feel in person th Whiteline Selects experience - shoot me an eamil to Chad.Nelson@Valleylab.com

ahh yes, P/N's 70367 (Front I think), and 70381 (rear)

[dvancleve]

What kind of spring compressors did you use and where did you get them? Did you use an air wrench?

Thanks, Doug

[jacobhorn]

Thanks for the info and your car looks very clean. I am glad to hear that the ride is not much rougher than stock, especially at highway speed. Did you use an air compresor? How about a spring compressor? Thanks!

jacobjhorn@hotmail.com

[etam]

Chad, do it all by yourself, impressive!! I was at the shop for around 4hrs and waiting for the mechanics to put in V5/H&R on my GT and do the alignment. It looks straight forward WITH air tools. Cheap labour up here and I only paid C$200 including alignment

One thing though, your car looks just like what you describe, no change in front but lowered in the back (kind of tip up to me; any load in the trunk??).

later..

etam

[Farfrumwork]

I used hand tools (you NEED a 1/2" rachet, as my deceased 3/8 driver will attest to)
and I used a set of spring compressors I borowed from a guy at work. They are basically a 3/4" threaded rod with a single J-hook with nut on one end, and 2 J's on the other. you have to manualy turn your springs down - it took some work.


I am still lovin' the setup, but need to take few days off of work to go drive around!! haha that would be nice - but anyway, I am going to let it settle for a week or so then get an alignment. After that I will post more reviews and pictures of each wheel gap. We will see if it changes at all? (right now I think it would be good to get the Standard rears - and the Low fronts. That might yeild an overall 1/2" drop or so. With the AGX's anyway -as I think they may raise up the perches a bit in the front?????)

Tha car is MUCH more fun to drive. it even feels faster

next up...Brullen exhaust

-Chad

[dvancleve]

Originally posted by subysouth
Ive been curious what accounted for the OBs higher ride vs the Legacy. Can you enlighten me?

And etam wrote:

dvancleve, I remember (correct me if I am wrong) that outback ride height does not come from spring/strut but come from new control arm design.

lowering the outback with spring/strut *might* affect the suspension geometry big time!

The Outback height comes from two things for sure: taller tires (205/70R15 stock) and struts that have high spring perches (the spring sits higher on the strut). I don't know if the springs are actually different. If anybody does know, I would love to hear about it since I am still deciding whether to do springs and struts or just struts.

Thanks, Doug

[remarcable]

I've been eyeballing the poor man's coilover setup - AGXs and Ground Control height adjustable springs.

However.... I need some tires for the GT rims I just bought and it will be awhile before I have money for that. No sense in spending money buying suspension parts that won't even fit on the car with stock-size tires.

[traskw]

Did you use stock height Legacy springs or the Impreza springs?

What other hardware was needed besides the struts, springs, and tools?