Fifteen minute, $15.00 rear suspension mod.

[svxfiles]

I wanted to reduce the amount of play in the rear crossmember, without the noise or squeeking of hard polyurethane bushings.
In Advance Auto Parts "HELP" section, I came across these steering coupling discs, part # 31000.

They are just over 3" in diameter, and a little over 1/4" thick when compressed. Multiple layers of rubber and fabric and very durable.
They are perfect to use as shims in between the factory bushings, and the 3" in diameter rubber backed washer Subaru calls the "stopper diff mtg.

Jack up the car safely, and remove the two 17mm nuts that hold the stoppers in place.

Remove the washers.

Install the rubber rings, and the stoppers, and the nuts.
Tighten.
Lower the car and you are done.

Tom.

[TomsSVX]

Way to steal my idea!!! Actually I am using something else and it will be firmer and cheaper... Anyone want to play some hockey???

Tom

[Chiketkd]

Nice. I'm going to get this done! Very straight-forward and elegant Tom!

-Chike

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by tomssvx

Way to steal my idea!!! Actually I am using something else and it will be firmer and cheaper... Anyone want to play some hockey???

Tom

Sorry, Lumpy.

[TomsSVX]

Hey!! I didn't get personal about it.....




























































But Maybe I just have to
embarassing picture insert here:



Tom

[svxfiles]

So sorry, Tom.











Hows your forehead?

[SVXRide]

Tom,

Awesome mod! Wonder who's car that is...

-Bill (Sunday can't come soon enough....)

[svxfiles]

It's MINE! MINE MINE MINE I tell you!

[TomsSVX]

It's ok it is all in good fun.. Anyway what I meant by my hockey comment is that I will be using a hockey puck for my bushings. I will cut them to my spec and add them to each side of the subframe bushings. I have explained it in my Projects at Hand thread

Tom

[svxfiles]

Cool. I have not seen that thread yet. I hope it works out.







BTW, Bill posession is 9/10ths of the law.



j/k

[SVXRide]

Originally Posted by svxfiles

Cool. I have not seen that thread yet. I hope it works out.







BTW, Bill posession is 9/10ths of the law.



j/k

-Bill

[mbtoloczko]

Did it have any effect on handling or on driveline bounciness?

[Chiketkd]

Took me just 15 minutes - with most time spent putting the back end of my car up on jack stands. I don't have an air wrench or breaker bar, but I was able to get both nuts off using a thick 1/2" socket wrench, a 17mm socket and a bunch of elbow grease!

The parts ran me just under $15 from Advance, and the steering coupling discs definitely have a solid, firm feel to them:



Sorry for the fuzziness of this pic, but a thunderstorm was about to start and I still had to lower my car from the jackstands:



I'll take my car out for a spin tomorrow and report back. This mod should definitely tighten things up in our awd driveline and keep the rear diff from moving up and down so much with throttle input.

Brilliant mod Tom...simply brilliant!

-Chike

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by mbtoloczko

Did it have any effect on handling or on driveline bounciness?

I'll find out soon enough. I'll say this, before installing the shims, approx 3 threads stuck out beyond the end of each nut. Right now I have the same 3 threads sticking out - which means the shims have effectively tightened up the rear subframe a 1/4" more!

-Chike

[mbtoloczko]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

I'll find out soon enough. I'll say this, before installing the shims, approx 3 threads stuck out beyond the end of each nut. Right now I have the same 3 threads sticking out - which means the shims have effectively tightened up the rear subframe a 1/4" more!

-Chike

One thing I'm a little worried about is that you are raising up the rear diff slightly, this may have an effect on the driveshaft angles enough to cause some vibration at higher speeds. I was thinking it would be better to shim the top and bottom rather than just the bottom.