Sway Bar

nuburu2 · 12-16-2000, 06:06 AM

Simple Question for you Legacy folks. What size is the rear bar on my 98 2.5 GT Wagon? I was under the impression that it was 13mm. Is there an easy way to measure it without a caliper? Man, it is one snaggly lookin' bit of metal!! Thanks for your help. I couldn't find the specs anywhere.

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Force[FED] · 12-16-2000, 06:29 AM

I think the one on the wagon GT is slightly larger than 13mm...reason I know is I have a 99 2.5GT sedan, and I bought the larger wagon rear bar to replace my stocker. The bar I got was larger than the stocker, but not nearly as large as the 20mm one I got from JCSports (btw, the Impreza rear bars DO NOT FIT...the floorpan will be in the way of the 'straight' Impreza bar).

I would get a 20mm if I were you...plenty of places have Legacy specific bars. I would guess (purely non scientific) that your bar is ~18mm (which is what I was told when I bought the wagon bar, also).

Good luck!

Kev

www.lagging.com

richeich · 12-16-2000, 07:19 AM

I've heard the Outback Wagons have the 18mm rear sway bar. That's one way to get a cheap, used sway bar if you've got a sedan. I'd be surprised if the GT wagon had a smaller one. Someone in the past has suggested going out there with your open-ended metric wrenches and seeing which one fits around the bar. That will at least give you a good idea what it is.

Rich

etam · 12-16-2000, 09:10 AM

Stock GT sedan bar is 16mm. Do a search and you can buy 19mm bar from your dealer or Sugar (another I-club member).

etam

gtguy · 12-16-2000, 10:39 AM

I have a '98 GT wagon as well, and got a 19mm bar from an old Legacy turbo. Fantastic. The car is dead neutral, but if I want to get the tail out, I can. It turns in quite well, too. A highly recommended modification, IMHO.

Kevin

motorob · 12-16-2000, 11:42 AM

16mm on my 97 GT wagon. Outbacks had 18mm (which is what I'm hunting for...)

[This message has been edited by motorob (edited December 16, 2000).]

nuburu2 · 12-16-2000, 03:42 PM

Thanks everyone for the info!! I love this board!! I'll try the metric wrench bit just to verify the size, which I assume is 16-18mm. Thanks to Kev and Kevin for the 19-20mm suggestions. I've found an OutBack bar at a recycling yard but if I already have an 18mm that won't get it! I'll do a little more looking. thanks again!
Glenn O

nuburu2 · 12-16-2000, 03:55 PM

Well that was easy!! Looks like it's 16mm. So 18,19 or 20mm, what will it be? Guess price will be a big factor as usual! $75 at the recycle yard is pretty reasonable. Looks like some real improvement is to be had regardless, but with the wagon's weight I'm leaning toward 19-20mm. Thanks again to all who replied.

gavin · 12-16-2000, 09:54 PM

If you get the bar from the wrecking yard, I'd ask to see the car it came off of. If the collision at all involved the rear of the vehicle, or was a side impact, I wouldn't get it. It might be damaged.

Another $100 for piece of mind and a thicker bar doesn't seem like much of a decision.

nuburu2 · 12-16-2000, 10:18 PM

Great point!!! Thanks!! Don't think I'm gonna find the 19-20mm bars at a "wrecking" yard anyway!

motorob · 12-17-2000, 09:33 AM

Extra weight of the wagon? Less than 100lbs, wheelbase is the same. Not much extra weight, unless you have a big load in the back... If anything, it would make it better balanced...

nuburu2 · 12-17-2000, 09:58 AM

motorob Carrying a load is exactly what I was referring to. As my wife's daily driver, my primary time behind the wheel is weekend/vacation travel, and the car is far from empty! That's one reason many aftermarket springs are less than satisfactory for our cars. I wouldn't own anything but a wagon! Two words; "SUV's SUCK!"

motorob · 12-21-2000, 08:54 AM

Put an FHI 18mm (Outback) rear swaybar on my 97 GT wagon this morning and took it out for a spin. IMHO it's perfect. I have stock springs, endlinks etc, and with the stock setup, it works just right for me (handling is a pretty subjective issue, YMMV etc.) Just took it out for a couple of on/off ramps to test steady state cornering, the bar took some of the weight off the nose without being twitchy. This is our daily driver and I wouldn't want my wife to get "surprised" in it. Now a steady four-wheel drift is possible, shading just slightly to oversteer as you push it a little past the initial tire squeal point. Didn't get a chance to try any abrupt transition maneuvers or "Scandinavian flick", but I think it's pretty good. Also, this should keep it from being overly tail happy in the snow, although I haven't tried that yet either. If I add the Whiteline front endlinks, which I plan to do, then I may need a better (stiffer) bar to balance the car out again, but I'll wait and see. It would also be nice to have the option of dialing in some oversteer for auto-xing. The best part? The bar was $35 from the wrecking yard! (Oh, I'm sorry, they like to be called "auto recyclers" these days...)

[This message has been edited by motorob (edited December 21, 2000).]

remarcable · 12-21-2000, 09:58 AM

I can't do a four wheel drift in my Outback, but that's probably not much of a surprise.

I used to be able to when I had the stock XW4's on it and the suspension was still pretty good, but with these new Michelin Rainforce tires they just grip too well and want to roll the car over rather than spin/slide.

Rain and Sand are still fun, although these tires have taken the fun out of very rainy days because with the AWD and the tire's rain-traction it is almost like driving on dry pavement. Very safe, but not very much fun. They also have some sidewall flex, but I'm planning on taking them up to 38PSI front and 36PSI back today, hopefully that should help the rear swing out a bit more.

Mx5racer · 12-21-2000, 10:23 AM

I put the 20mm on my 2000 wagon. Loads of fun in the dry. The car actually pivots around its centerpoint rather than stubborn understeer. I think my OEM bar was ~14mm.

But, I disconnected it shortly after I put the snows on. It was impossible to go through an agressive turn with out lots of power oversteer. Having my rear end swing into other lanes of traffic got old. Now, with no rear, I get these nice smooth tail out 4 wheel drifts when I power out of a turn.

Gotta love this snow. Its like a rally drive every day to work!

CRAZY KEN · 12-21-2000, 01:54 PM

I have a 18mm SPD swaybar that I could sell you...50% of what you would pay from MShields...I had it on MY99 for about a year until I went up to an ajd. 21mm swaybar...so if you are interested let me know (240) 472-2300!!!

CRAZY KEN

Scooby2 · 12-22-2000, 12:07 AM

I to did just like Motorob and put a Outback 18mm bar on my 98 2.5 GT Wagon and the handling is near perfect, and I only paid $35.00 at the local A/W yard for it. Took only 10 min to change on the lift at work and then took it out for a spin in the rain. The car just wants to go where you point it. Love the new ride qaulity, not to harsh or anything, just right.

lucien2 · 12-26-2000, 04:42 PM

FWIW, I up-spec'ed my Outback from 18 to the Whiteline 18-20-22, set on 20mm right now. VAST improvement in stability, with less understeer. Wife WAS surprised on an exit ramp, though, in the rain. Got a little tail happy, but she has the training to handle it and all was fine. I have no plans to bump up to 22mm unless I can find a spring/strut Outback solution. Think I'll Plus One next, from 15" to 16" rims and rubber, and also get the brakes up rated somehow.

sugar · 12-29-2000, 12:53 AM

The 98 GT SW has a 16mm rear sway bar
The Outback has an 18mm

I sell the 18mm for $131.00
The 19mm is $149.26

Both sway bar prices include the bushing and shipping in the US

[This message has been edited by sugar (edited December 28, 2000).]

12-16-2000, 06:06 AM	#1
nuburu2 Scooby Specialist Member#: 2609 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Roseville, Ca, USA Vehicle: 98 BK-GT White '97 SVX Ebony Pearl	Sway Bar Simple Question for you Legacy folks. What size is the rear bar on my 98 2.5 GT Wagon? I was under the impression that it was 13mm. Is there an easy way to measure it without a caliper? Man, it is one snaggly lookin' bit of metal!! Thanks for your help. I couldn't find the specs anywhere. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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12-16-2000, 06:29 AM	#2
Force[FED] Scooby Specialist Member#: 292 Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: Elmer, NJ USA Vehicle: 2008 BMW 335xi Coupe Alpine White	I think the one on the wagon GT is slightly larger than 13mm...reason I know is I have a 99 2.5GT sedan, and I bought the larger wagon rear bar to replace my stocker. The bar I got was larger than the stocker, but not nearly as large as the 20mm one I got from JCSports (btw, the Impreza rear bars DO NOT FIT...the floorpan will be in the way of the 'straight' Impreza bar). I would get a 20mm if I were you...plenty of places have Legacy specific bars. I would guess (purely non scientific) that your bar is ~18mm (which is what I was told when I bought the wagon bar, also). Good luck! Kev www.lagging.com

12-16-2000, 07:19 AM	#3
richeich Scooby Specialist Member#: 1353 Join Date: Apr 2000 Vehicle: 2001 Impreza 2.5RS Silver	I've heard the Outback Wagons have the 18mm rear sway bar. That's one way to get a cheap, used sway bar if you've got a sedan. I'd be surprised if the GT wagon had a smaller one. Someone in the past has suggested going out there with your open-ended metric wrenches and seeing which one fits around the bar. That will at least give you a good idea what it is. Rich

12-16-2000, 09:10 AM	#4
etam Scooby Specialist Member#: 439 Join Date: Oct 1999 Chapter/Region: E. Canada Location: yyz Vehicle: www	Stock GT sedan bar is 16mm. Do a search and you can buy 19mm bar from your dealer or Sugar (another I-club member). etam

12-16-2000, 10:39 AM	#5
gtguy Scooby Guru Member#: 2184 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Highland Park, Ill., USA Vehicle: 2005 Legacy GT wagon Platinum Silver Metallic	I have a '98 GT wagon as well, and got a 19mm bar from an old Legacy turbo. Fantastic. The car is dead neutral, but if I want to get the tail out, I can. It turns in quite well, too. A highly recommended modification, IMHO. Kevin

12-16-2000, 11:42 AM	#6
motorob Scooby Newbie Member#: 2878 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Nuevo Mexico, usa Vehicle: 06 Evo IX MR	16mm on my 97 GT wagon. Outbacks had 18mm (which is what I'm hunting for...) [This message has been edited by motorob (edited December 16, 2000).]

12-16-2000, 03:42 PM	#7
nuburu2 Scooby Specialist Member#: 2609 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Roseville, Ca, USA Vehicle: 98 BK-GT White '97 SVX Ebony Pearl	Thanks everyone for the info!! I love this board!! I'll try the metric wrench bit just to verify the size, which I assume is 16-18mm. Thanks to Kev and Kevin for the 19-20mm suggestions. I've found an OutBack bar at a recycling yard but if I already have an 18mm that won't get it! I'll do a little more looking. thanks again! Glenn O

12-16-2000, 03:55 PM	#8
nuburu2 Scooby Specialist Member#: 2609 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Roseville, Ca, USA Vehicle: 98 BK-GT White '97 SVX Ebony Pearl	Well that was easy!! Looks like it's 16mm. So 18,19 or 20mm, what will it be? Guess price will be a big factor as usual! $75 at the recycle yard is pretty reasonable. Looks like some real improvement is to be had regardless, but with the wagon's weight I'm leaning toward 19-20mm. Thanks again to all who replied.

12-16-2000, 09:54 PM	#9
gavin Scooby Specialist Member#: 3198 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Portland, OR USA Vehicle: 2005 GT LTD Wagon Garnet Red	If you get the bar from the wrecking yard, I'd ask to see the car it came off of. If the collision at all involved the rear of the vehicle, or was a side impact, I wouldn't get it. It might be damaged. Another $100 for piece of mind and a thicker bar doesn't seem like much of a decision.

12-16-2000, 10:18 PM	#10
nuburu2 Scooby Specialist Member#: 2609 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Roseville, Ca, USA Vehicle: 98 BK-GT White '97 SVX Ebony Pearl	Great point!!! Thanks!! Don't think I'm gonna find the 19-20mm bars at a "wrecking" yard anyway!

12-17-2000, 09:33 AM	#11
motorob Scooby Newbie Member#: 2878 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Nuevo Mexico, usa Vehicle: 06 Evo IX MR	Extra weight of the wagon? Less than 100lbs, wheelbase is the same. Not much extra weight, unless you have a big load in the back... If anything, it would make it better balanced...

12-17-2000, 09:58 AM	#12
nuburu2 Scooby Specialist Member#: 2609 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Roseville, Ca, USA Vehicle: 98 BK-GT White '97 SVX Ebony Pearl	motorob Carrying a load is exactly what I was referring to. As my wife's daily driver, my primary time behind the wheel is weekend/vacation travel, and the car is far from empty! That's one reason many aftermarket springs are less than satisfactory for our cars. I wouldn't own anything but a wagon! Two words; "SUV's SUCK!"

12-21-2000, 08:54 AM	#13
motorob Scooby Newbie Member#: 2878 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Nuevo Mexico, usa Vehicle: 06 Evo IX MR	Put an FHI 18mm (Outback) rear swaybar on my 97 GT wagon this morning and took it out for a spin. IMHO it's perfect. I have stock springs, endlinks etc, and with the stock setup, it works just right for me (handling is a pretty subjective issue, YMMV etc.) Just took it out for a couple of on/off ramps to test steady state cornering, the bar took some of the weight off the nose without being twitchy. This is our daily driver and I wouldn't want my wife to get "surprised" in it. Now a steady four-wheel drift is possible, shading just slightly to oversteer as you push it a little past the initial tire squeal point. Didn't get a chance to try any abrupt transition maneuvers or "Scandinavian flick", but I think it's pretty good. Also, this should keep it from being overly tail happy in the snow, although I haven't tried that yet either. If I add the Whiteline front endlinks, which I plan to do, then I may need a better (stiffer) bar to balance the car out again, but I'll wait and see. It would also be nice to have the option of dialing in some oversteer for auto-xing. The best part? The bar was $35 from the wrecking yard! (Oh, I'm sorry, they like to be called "auto recyclers" these days...) [This message has been edited by motorob (edited December 21, 2000).]

12-21-2000, 09:58 AM	#14
remarcable Scooby Specialist Member#: 2362 Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: South Carolina, USA Vehicle: 1999 Legacy Outback Blue w/ Paint Chips & Mud	I can't do a four wheel drift in my Outback, but that's probably not much of a surprise. I used to be able to when I had the stock XW4's on it and the suspension was still pretty good, but with these new Michelin Rainforce tires they just grip too well and want to roll the car over rather than spin/slide. Rain and Sand are still fun, although these tires have taken the fun out of very rainy days because with the AWD and the tire's rain-traction it is almost like driving on dry pavement. Very safe, but not very much fun. They also have some sidewall flex, but I'm planning on taking them up to 38PSI front and 36PSI back today, hopefully that should help the rear swing out a bit more.

12-21-2000, 10:23 AM	#15
Mx5racer Scooby Newbie Member#: 2629 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Michigan	I put the 20mm on my 2000 wagon. Loads of fun in the dry. The car actually pivots around its centerpoint rather than stubborn understeer. I think my OEM bar was ~14mm. But, I disconnected it shortly after I put the snows on. It was impossible to go through an agressive turn with out lots of power oversteer. Having my rear end swing into other lanes of traffic got old. Now, with no rear, I get these nice smooth tail out 4 wheel drifts when I power out of a turn. Gotta love this snow. Its like a rally drive every day to work!

12-21-2000, 01:54 PM	#16
CRAZY KEN Scooby Specialist Member#: 1176 Join Date: Mar 2000 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Potomac, MD Vehicle: 2012 Legacy GT Ltd Pearl Statin White	I have a 18mm SPD swaybar that I could sell you...50% of what you would pay from MShields...I had it on MY99 for about a year until I went up to an ajd. 21mm swaybar...so if you are interested let me know (240) 472-2300!!! CRAZY KEN

12-22-2000, 12:07 AM	#17
Scooby2 Scooby Newbie Member#: 2644 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Vancouver, WA USA	I to did just like Motorob and put a Outback 18mm bar on my 98 2.5 GT Wagon and the handling is near perfect, and I only paid $35.00 at the local A/W yard for it. Took only 10 min to change on the lift at work and then took it out for a spin in the rain. The car just wants to go where you point it. Love the new ride qaulity, not to harsh or anything, just right.

12-26-2000, 04:42 PM	#18
lucien2 Scooby Specialist Member#: 1519 Join Date: May 2000 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Baltimore, hon! Vehicle: 1998 Volvo V70R Silver	FWIW, I up-spec'ed my Outback from 18 to the Whiteline 18-20-22, set on 20mm right now. VAST improvement in stability, with less understeer. Wife WAS surprised on an exit ramp, though, in the rain. Got a little tail happy, but she has the training to handle it and all was fine. I have no plans to bump up to 22mm unless I can find a spring/strut Outback solution. Think I'll Plus One next, from 15" to 16" rims and rubber, and also get the brakes up rated somehow.

12-29-2000, 12:53 AM	#19
sugar Scooby Newbie Member#: 2169 Join Date: Aug 2000	The 98 GT SW has a 16mm rear sway bar The Outback has an 18mm I sell the 18mm for $131.00 The 19mm is $149.26 Both sway bar prices include the bushing and shipping in the US [This message has been edited by sugar (edited December 28, 2000).]