Subaru improvement – effective options for technical and external tuning of the station wagon

Among most experts, there is an opinion that the refinement of the Subaru Outback, released in 2007, is a rather costly undertaking. Especially when it comes to modernizing the chassis of a car. Is this really so, and how much will it cost to tune a Japanese station wagon – we will understand in more detail.

1 Steering damper for Subaru – advantages and installation

Since its introduction to the market in 1995, the Subaru Outback has positioned itself as an all-terrain wagon. Surely this played a key role in choosing an all-wheel drive car by domestic buyers. By purchasing such a car, you get almost a crossover, but you don’t overpay for it the way you had to do in cases with the Outback competitor, the Honda CR-V. Every year, the station wagon from Subaru improved, the manufacturer added more power, dynamics and speed to the model. Already in 2007, a completely updated car appeared on the market, which in many ways was ahead of its competitors, both in Europe and in America.

steering damper for subaru

Models of that year were equipped with 2- and 3-liter engines with 4 and 6 cylinders, respectively. With a torque of 1800 and 4200 Nm, the power of the power units was 150 and 245 hp. with. Quite good, agree. But along with improvements to the engine, transmission and exhaust system, the manufacturer ignored the main "trick" of his car – the suspension. As a result, already in 2009 the owners of the Subaru Outback began to complain that the chassis of their cars "does not keep up" with the engine. After that, of course, Subaru did not sit idly by and paid due attention to the station wagon’s suspension. It would seem that the problem was solved, but what were the owners of Outback, released before 2009, to do? There was only one thing left – to independently perform tuning of the running station wagon.

The most effective method of finalizing a Japanese car then and today is quite deservedly considered to be the installation of a steering damper. After installing this element, Subaru owners noticed that the car began to move more smoothly off-road. With sharp turns, the impact of the wheels on the steering rod is no longer felt. Even better results on flat roads. The car has become more frisky, and even if there are small pits on the way, the driver and passengers almost do not feel them. In addition to all this, the knock and other noise coming from the suspension completely disappeared. What’s more, drivers of Outbacks purchased in 2007 and later no longer noticed vibration being transmitted to the steering wheel.

Subaru steering damper installation

Essentially, a tie rod damper is an additional shock absorber that absorbs shock and vibration while driving off-road. You can buy this spare part for tuning the suspension in most stores in our country. Buying an element with fasteners will cost about 2 thousand rubles. Installing the damper is very simple with your own hands. To do this, you need to lift the front of the Subaru and remove the wheels. Next, you need to clean the steering rack and both rods that are attached to it. After that, it is necessary to unscrew the two bolts of rack and pinion rods. This will require a powerful key.

Further, according to the instructions, the damper is applied to the rail and fixed with the previously unscrewed bolts. The second end of the damper must be attached to the body near the expansion tank. There is no need to drill holes for this – they are already provided by Subaru. You just need to remove the protective pad to the left of the tank, and under it you will see holes. At the end of the installation, install and secure all remaining brackets and screw on the front wheels. Tuning the chassis by installing a damper will take a maximum of an hour. In addition to time, you will also save a considerable amount of money, because you would have to spend at least 10-15 thousand rubles to upgrade the suspension in other ways.

2 Increasing ground clearance by replacing stock springs

Continuing the theme of tuning the Subaru suspension, it is impossible to ignore the increase in the station wagon’s ground clearance. The clearance of cars manufactured before 2007 was only 20 cm. After 2007, Subaru slightly increased this figure, after which it amounted to 21.5 cm. The difference is small, so many owners of a Japanese station wagon have to independently increase the ground clearance of their car. For such tuning, there are many ways, ranging from all kinds of polyurethane spacers and ending with the replacement of standard rubber bands.

Subaru after ground clearance increase

Each of these methods is not suitable for Outback to one degree or another. So, the rubber bands quickly become unusable due to the tight contact of the parts of the racks with the axles. Spacers are another problem – they negatively affect the balance between the front and rear axles. The only right decision remains – the installation of new increased springs. This method is not only reliable, but also the most effective. After tuning, the Outback’s ground clearance will increase by 10-15 cm, which will make it possible to easily overcome almost any obstacles in the city.

Before proceeding with the replacement of springs, you need to select the parts suitable for this. As practice shows, the best for installation on Subaru, released in 2007, will be parts from Sachs and Febi Bilstein. Among the range of these manufacturers, springs designed to hold a weight of 150 kg more than the standard weight of Subaru should be preferred. The mass of the stock Outback, released in 2007, is 1570 kg. Therefore, you need to choose parts that can withstand a weight of 1650-1700 kg.

Of great importance is the length of new parts. A store consultant should help you with this. Each manufacturer, along with a new line of springs, releases a special catalog, according to which you can choose the right parts for a particular machine. The only thing that can be said for sure is that parts with a length of at least 39 cm will be the best choice. Such elements, even with a fully loaded car, will lower the car body lower than 27–30 cm. If the car is not loaded with things or passengers, then its clearance with such springs will be 32 cm.

For self-installation of new parts, you need to prepare certain tools. We will need:

• jack;
• Screwdriver Set;
• powerful removable key;
• drill;
• soap solution;
• sandpaper.

First, we hang the car on a jack and remove one of the wheels. Then, with a screwdriver, unscrew the mounts of the mudguards and remove the latter from the wheel arch. We clean the arch from dirt and clean it with sandpaper. Next, we move on to disassembling the strut and shock absorber. We unscrew the large bolts holding the rack on the axis, and bend the metal plates. Next, we drill holes in the plate itself with a drill, they will be needed to fasten the enlarged springs. We remove the rack and disassemble it. We take out the shock absorber and pull the spring out of it. Instead, we install a new enlarged part and insert the shock absorber into the rack.

Subsequent assembly of the axle is carried out in reverse order. When installing the rack, do not forget to securely fasten the new spring with bolts that fit into the holes made earlier in the plate. Performed tuning gives an increase in ground clearance and makes the suspension of the car more rigid. After replacing the Outback springs, it will be easier to drive through potholes and low obstacles. At the same time, the stiffness of the suspension will not affect the comfort of the Subaru cabin in any way.

3 Steering wheel tuning – give the interior brightness

Subaru, released in 2007, can be improved in many ways today. Someone uses all kinds of electronic devices for this, which not only make the operation of the car more comfortable and safer, but also significantly reduce the battery charge of the car. Other drivers are pursuing a smarter path and are looking for accessories that are not just useful but also economical. The latter includes the LED strip on the car. Lighting with diode tape or individual light bulbs makes the car cabin brighter so that the driver can easily see even the smallest indicators.

Subaru steering wheel tuning

Almost every part of a car is suitable for mounting diodes. Some drivers install emitters in the window down buttons, others in the instrument panel. But many of these methods of modernizing the interior are already rather outdated. Whether it’s the installation of LEDs in the Outback steering wheel is a refinement that will definitely surprise not only your passengers, but also experts in the field of tuning. To improve the steering wheel, you can choose ready-made casings with diodes worth about 4–5 thousand rubles. And you can save money and make the backlight with your own hands. For the second method we need:

• a copper rim, the diameter of which must match the diameter of the steering wheel at its midpoint;
• soldering iron;
• about 30 diodes, it is better to take with a margin;
• resistors to diodes;
• stabilizer adapter;
• Super glue;
• screwdrivers.

To begin with, we dismantle the Outback steering wheel and disassemble it. Next, we change the regular plastic rim to a copper circle. Solder the LED bulbs to the rim. The distance between them should be about 1 cm. After that, we push the wiring into the hole near the horn wires. We bring out the wires on the other side and connect a resistor to each of them. We combine all the cords into one bundle, tying them with two plastic clamps. Then we connect the wiring to the adapter. Before assembling the Subaru steering wheel, you need to check the operation of the backlight. To do this, connect the adapter with wires to the mass of the battery. If some light bulbs do not work, then their wires must be pulled out of the adapter and cleaned. At the final stage of refinement, it is necessary to take the top cover of the steering wheel and cut off a strip about 0.5 cm thick in its lower part. This is necessary in order to

Cut off part of the lid and set it aside. Next, we finally glue the LEDs to the plate, and we attach the plate itself to the steering wheel platform. Glue the previously trimmed top cover and install the steering wheel in place. Optionally, you can direct the illumination of the backlight towards the panel. To do this, you need to cut off the plastic strip in the middle of the bottom cover and install a plate with diodes under the steering wheel platform. In this case, the top cover should remain intact. We strongly advise against directing lighting at yourself. So the LEDs will blind you while driving.

4 Painting rims – methods and self-fulfillment

Full or partial painting of the car is an indispensable way to improve it. Someone prefers to completely paint the car with liquid rubber, which not only makes the car brighter, but also protects its body from scratches and small dents. Others are limited to changing the color of bumpers, sills or spoilers only. But there is another element that can be painted – rims. Tuning this part of the car greatly distinguishes it from others, gives the car a more sporty appearance.

Wheels after painting

Applying paint to discs can be done in several ways. The first method is classic, most often used to work with cast and stamped discs. For tuning, it is necessary to remove the parts and clean them with sandpaper. After that, wash the discs and wait for them to dry completely. Then we cover the surface of the parts with a transparent primer. It is needed in order for the paint to adhere to the surface of the Subaru wheels.

Once the primer is completely dry, apply a very thin coat of paint to the discs. It is needed not so much to change the color of the part, but to fill in scratches on its surface. Next, we clean the discs again with sandpaper. After that, put the disk upright and see if there are still bumps. If not, you can apply paint. Depending on what is written in the instructions, you will need to apply 2 to 3 coats of paint. After the composition dries, a layer of transparent varnish is applied to the surface of the disc. The latter will protect the part from scratches.

The second, less common method is powder coating. It is not as popular as the classic application method due to the need for a sandblaster. But if you have such a device, then painting Outback wheels with it will take much less time. To work, you will need to remove all 4 disks and take them to a dry, dust-free room. There, the parts are attached to any stable object that can withstand the pressure of paint. Next, the elements are cleaned of rust and dirt. After that, the composition for painting is poured into the tank of the sandblasting device, and the “bombardment" of the discs is carried out. The advantage of this method is not only time saving, but also better surface painting of Subaru parts.

In addition, with the help of a sandblasting unit, phosphating of wheel rims can be carried out.

Applying phosphorus to parts is the third way of painting. It consists in treating the discs with a special fluorescent composition. Today it is sold in many auto parts stores. After purchase, the paint is poured into the container of the sandblasting device and applied to the cleaned surface of the disc. In order for the parts not to lose their new color for longer, a layer of glossy varnish must be applied over the paint. After tuning, the wheels of your Subaru will become more spectacular not only during the day, but also at night. Phosphorus in the composition of the paint will accumulate ultraviolet during the day and glow at night. Moreover, the discs can emit a glow for 10-12 hours – it all depends on the duration of exposure to ultraviolet radiation.