Front & Rear WRX Brake Swap to 95 L Wagon + KYB AGX

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:00 PM

Last year I decided to swap out the front and rear brakes for WRX. This will be mostly pictures at first. I'll fill in the pertinent information as time goes on. This took me approximately two weekends to do alone.

Before pics:

It's not the most beautiful car in the world, and there is some rust on the driver side rear fender well. The main reason for this upgrade was that I was driving 85 miles a day to work and back and the brakes were shot, so I figured I would upgrade instead of pay pretty much the same amount for new parts.

I bought a used 2005 WRX front and rear brake swap off of ebay. The FRONT came with caliper, pads, rotor & the REAR came with the all that plus the hubs.

First thing first. I know that I was going to need new wheels to fit over the larger rotors and brake calipers, so I picked up a set of used 05 LGT wheels and had them installed.

Next, I set to work on the front:

Old Front Disc brakes:

I also decided to put all new shocks and springs on the car. The main reason I did this was because when I got the new wheels installed at a local shop, they told me my driver side rear strut was shot, and that it was $650 including parts and labor to replace. I went to tirerack and found that I could order 4 brand new KYB AGX struts and H&R sport springs for about a $100 more than the quote for ONE strut. I figured since I was going to be down there digging around I might as well do all of them at once. How hard could it be lol?

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Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:00 PM

Yes, I realize that I probably should not have re-used the top hat, but my budget just wouldn't allow me to keep adding more on. I figure I can always swap them in the future.

OLD:

TAKING NOTE OF THE CAMBER BOLT:

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:01 PM

STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINES REPLACEMENT:

I actually wrapped the line with electrical tape here to keep it from rubbing. I don't know if it would have worn through or not, and it's not quite as pretty but I have peace of mind.

FRONT ROTOR COMPARISON: Yeah, I probably should not have spray painted the rotors so haphazardly, but I gave it a light sanding and the rest burned off so all is well...
WRX is on the left, Original is on right:

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:02 PM

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:02 PM

FINISHED!

UGLY REAR DRUMS:

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:02 PM

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:03 PM

05 WRX REAR HUB ASSEMBLY:

DRYING CALIPERS:

GETTING READY TO DIG OUT REAR STRUTS:

ALIGNMENT STUFF:

BACK TO THE REAR STRUT REMOVAL: You can see all of the PB Blast residue. I will admit, IN THEORY this swap is super-duper simple. Just a few bolts here and there, but gawd-dammit when a bolt just WONT budge, and when an air tool wont make it budge either, AND when you can't get a cheater bar in -- you start to wonder if you will ever get the swap done. Well, thank you PB Blast. Just have patience. Spray, walk away and work on the other side. If it still won't budge, spray again, walk away... rinse, repeat...

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:49 PM

I am still amazed at how cut and dry the removal was, and probably more so when I installed the WRX rear hub. It really is just like LEGO blocks. The WRX hub just popped right on. I was almost giddy as I was putting the WRX hub on ha!

NOTICE I MARKED THE TOP HAT WITH RED PAINT: This helps keep everything aligned. You WANT everything aligned.

THIS CAME IN VERY HANDY: This little puppy got a good workout and saved my sanity many times. Still not as strong as a cheater bar for breaking an axle bolt free, but made this project immensely easier for the things it was well suited for.

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:49 PM

THIS ALSO CAME IN VERY HANDY! As mentioned earlier, PB Blast should be a part of any DIY Home-Auto-Mechanic-Wannabe's list of tools. It takes it's own sweet time, but it's so powerful it must be made of unicorn sweat or something.

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 05:50 PM

Completed Installation:

Type2 · 01-09-2011, 06:05 PM

Thats pretty much the whole swap. I'll fill in more how-to dialog in the future. In retrospect, the swap really wasn't too bad. I messed up on the front shocks and had to take them out again. That was a pain. That is why I marked the top hat. You need to keep the springs properly aligned.

One of the biggest pains was swapping the rear parking brake/cable out, mainly because I had to remove the rear seat and also because it was barely long enough. I had to loosen the parking brake setting on the rear brakes to their max. The parking brake doesn't work very well anymore, so maybe I'll go and tighten them up again sometime, but since it's an automatic I'm not too worried.

Compared to how it used to be, my car feels like I can stop on a dime. I ended up putting the shocks to their softest setting because the ride was too rough. I highly recommend this swap. The car handles great, and my goal is to do a full WRX swap, or to sell it to someone who wants a quick drop-in swap candidate.

beaviscih · 01-09-2011, 09:29 PM

Very nice. The car is very clean for a '95 excluding the front and rear bumper skins. At some point you may want to upgrade to an SVX brake master cylinder (1994 SVX for non-ABS systems IIRC). The install isn't nearly as difficult as what you did and there is a noticeable difference in the braking.

Jaxx · 01-10-2011, 10:14 AM

you did zip tie the floating metal flange to the bracket on the strut? right?

those appear to be GD_ brake lines that bolt on vs the spring clip ...
a good zip tie will last a long time and keep the line from making rim/tire contact

Type2 · 01-10-2011, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaxx

you did zip tie the floating metal flange to the bracket on the strut? right?

those appear to be GD_ brake lines that bolt on vs the spring clip ...
a good zip tie will last a long time and keep the line from making rim/tire contact

I did not tie the floating metal flange to the strut bracket. You know, I knew there was something amiss with the front brake lines. They just didn't seem "right". I had a feeling that putting electrical tape on the brake line to keep it from rubbing probably wasn't a standard thing... Either way the metal flange isn't going anywhere.

Konrad02ts · 01-16-2011, 11:21 PM

Damn! Good pics and sweet set up! I hear ya about those rear axle bolts. Did pinks on mine with KYB's, and those bolts are a pain in the a$$ to break free. haha
I'm considering replacing the rear drums on my 02 with discs... Was that a pretty hard conversion? I got a quote from a shop that it would run about 2 grand, and said screw that. But is it possible as a DIY? Let me know. (Please PM me the details) Thanks

Ethan_Lehmann · 03-01-2011, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaviscih

Very nice. The car is very clean for a '95 excluding the front and rear bumper skins. At some point you may want to upgrade to an SVX brake master cylinder (1994 SVX for non-ABS systems IIRC). The install isn't nearly as difficult as what you did and there is a noticeable difference in the braking.

will a master cylinder from a svx with abs not work?

CarverSnell · 10-15-2011, 12:14 PM

Any pictures of it with all of the wheels on?

Type2 · 11-01-2011, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarverSnell

Any pictures of it with all of the wheels on?

aprezzal · 02-29-2012, 07:51 PM

Now that is inspiration for doing my 93L wagon!

Type2 · 03-04-2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aprezzal

Now that is inspiration for doing my 93L wagon!

Thanks! It was well worth the time, money and effort. I sold the car in December and moved on to an 04 FXT, but my 95L will always have a special place in my heart.

Type2 · 03-04-2012, 05:33 PM

Oh, and btw - it handled much better than my FXT.

rsg9115 · 06-13-2012, 10:58 PM

Do you need the rear hubs to do the swap?

01-09-2011, 05:00 PM	#1
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	Front & Rear WRX Brake Swap to 95 L Wagon + KYB AGX Last year I decided to swap out the front and rear brakes for WRX. This will be mostly pictures at first. I'll fill in the pertinent information as time goes on. This took me approximately two weekends to do alone. Before pics: It's not the most beautiful car in the world, and there is some rust on the driver side rear fender well. The main reason for this upgrade was that I was driving 85 miles a day to work and back and the brakes were shot, so I figured I would upgrade instead of pay pretty much the same amount for new parts. I bought a used 2005 WRX front and rear brake swap off of ebay. The FRONT came with caliper, pads, rotor & the REAR came with the all that plus the hubs. First thing first. I know that I was going to need new wheels to fit over the larger rotors and brake calipers, so I picked up a set of used 05 LGT wheels and had them installed. Next, I set to work on the front: Old Front Disc brakes: I also decided to put all new shocks and springs on the car. The main reason I did this was because when I got the new wheels installed at a local shop, they told me my driver side rear strut was shot, and that it was $650 including parts and labor to replace. I went to tirerack and found that I could order 4 brand new KYB AGX struts and H&R sport springs for about a $100 more than the quote for ONE strut. I figured since I was going to be down there digging around I might as well do all of them at once. How hard could it be lol? * Registered users of the site do not see these ads. Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 06:07 PM.

01-09-2011, 05:00 PM	#2
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	Yes, I realize that I probably should not have re-used the top hat, but my budget just wouldn't allow me to keep adding more on. I figure I can always swap them in the future. OLD: TAKING NOTE OF THE CAMBER BOLT: Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 06:11 PM.

01-09-2011, 05:01 PM	#3
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINES REPLACEMENT: I actually wrapped the line with electrical tape here to keep it from rubbing. I don't know if it would have worn through or not, and it's not quite as pretty but I have peace of mind. FRONT ROTOR COMPARISON: Yeah, I probably should not have spray painted the rotors so haphazardly, but I gave it a light sanding and the rest burned off so all is well... WRX is on the left, Original is on right: Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 06:14 PM.

01-09-2011, 05:02 PM	#4
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 05:20 PM.

01-09-2011, 05:02 PM	#5
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	FINISHED! UGLY REAR DRUMS: Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 05:39 PM.

01-09-2011, 05:02 PM	#6
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 06:18 PM.

01-09-2011, 05:03 PM	#7
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	05 WRX REAR HUB ASSEMBLY: DRYING CALIPERS: GETTING READY TO DIG OUT REAR STRUTS: ALIGNMENT STUFF: BACK TO THE REAR STRUT REMOVAL: You can see all of the PB Blast residue. I will admit, IN THEORY this swap is super-duper simple. Just a few bolts here and there, but gawd-dammit when a bolt just WONT budge, and when an air tool wont make it budge either, AND when you can't get a cheater bar in -- you start to wonder if you will ever get the swap done. Well, thank you PB Blast. Just have patience. Spray, walk away and work on the other side. If it still won't budge, spray again, walk away... rinse, repeat... Last edited by Type2; 01-10-2011 at 11:53 AM.

01-09-2011, 05:49 PM	#8
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	I am still amazed at how cut and dry the removal was, and probably more so when I installed the WRX rear hub. It really is just like LEGO blocks. The WRX hub just popped right on. I was almost giddy as I was putting the WRX hub on ha! NOTICE I MARKED THE TOP HAT WITH RED PAINT: This helps keep everything aligned. You WANT everything aligned. THIS CAME IN VERY HANDY: This little puppy got a good workout and saved my sanity many times. Still not as strong as a cheater bar for breaking an axle bolt free, but made this project immensely easier for the things it was well suited for. Last edited by Type2; 01-10-2011 at 11:55 AM.

01-09-2011, 05:50 PM	#10
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	Completed Installation: Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 06:23 PM.

01-09-2011, 06:05 PM	#11
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	Thats pretty much the whole swap. I'll fill in more how-to dialog in the future. In retrospect, the swap really wasn't too bad. I messed up on the front shocks and had to take them out again. That was a pain. That is why I marked the top hat. You need to keep the springs properly aligned. One of the biggest pains was swapping the rear parking brake/cable out, mainly because I had to remove the rear seat and also because it was barely long enough. I had to loosen the parking brake setting on the rear brakes to their max. The parking brake doesn't work very well anymore, so maybe I'll go and tighten them up again sometime, but since it's an automatic I'm not too worried. Compared to how it used to be, my car feels like I can stop on a dime. I ended up putting the shocks to their softest setting because the ride was too rough. I highly recommend this swap. The car handles great, and my goal is to do a full WRX swap, or to sell it to someone who wants a quick drop-in swap candidate. Last edited by Type2; 01-09-2011 at 06:29 PM.

01-09-2011, 09:29 PM	#12
beaviscih NASIOC Supporter Member#: 123362 Join Date: Aug 2006 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Dorothy's House Vehicle: '93 Crapcan, '98L Sold, '04 STi - Sold	Very nice. The car is very clean for a '95 excluding the front and rear bumper skins. At some point you may want to upgrade to an SVX brake master cylinder (1994 SVX for non-ABS systems IIRC). The install isn't nearly as difficult as what you did and there is a noticeable difference in the braking.

01-10-2011, 10:14 AM	#13
Jaxx NASIOC Supporter Member#: 177 Join Date: Aug 1999 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Boise,Idaho,USA Vehicle: The 93 Imp W/EJ20K flat black	you did zip tie the floating metal flange to the bracket on the strut? right? those appear to be GD_ brake lines that bolt on vs the spring clip ... a good zip tie will last a long time and keep the line from making rim/tire contact

01-16-2011, 11:21 PM	#15
Konrad02ts Scooby Newbie Member#: 260009 Join Date: Oct 2010 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Spokane, WA Vehicle: 2002 Impreza Red	Damn! Good pics and sweet set up! I hear ya about those rear axle bolts. Did pinks on mine with KYB's, and those bolts are a pain in the a$$ to break free. haha I'm considering replacing the rear drums on my 02 with discs... Was that a pretty hard conversion? I got a quote from a shop that it would run about 2 grand, and said screw that. But is it possible as a DIY? Let me know. (Please PM me the details) Thanks

10-15-2011, 12:14 PM	#17
CarverSnell Scooby Specialist Member#: 256218 Join Date: Aug 2010 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Concord, NC Vehicle: 2004 Impreza WRX PSM 1997 Impreza: Sold. <3	Any pictures of it with all of the wheels on? Last edited by CarverSnell; 10-17-2011 at 12:38 AM.

02-29-2012, 07:51 PM	#19
aprezzal Scooby Newbie Member#: 126480 Join Date: Sep 2006 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: South Jersey Vehicle: 1993 Impreza L FWD Red	Now that is inspiration for doing my 93L wagon!

03-04-2012, 05:33 PM	#21
Type2 NASIOC Supporter Member#: 200436 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Lawrence, KS Vehicle: 2004 Forester XT Black	Oh, and btw - it handled much better than my FXT.

06-13-2012, 10:58 PM	#22
rsg9115 Scooby Newbie Member#: 218569 Join Date: Jul 2009 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: massachusetts Vehicle: 91 leggy sdn turbo black	Do you need the rear hubs to do the swap?

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