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03 Wagon w/ saggy butt problem

9K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  Big Sky 
#1 ·
I have noticed that my new 03 wagon has a saggy butt and the rear wheels are cambered in at the top. Other than the posibility that the previous owner may have put sedan springs rather than putting wagon-specific springs, is there anything else that could lead to these issues(like struts that need to be replaced)?

Also, the previous owner put on 225 50-17 tires on. I know this is one size too big, but does it make a whole lot of difference? Thanks guys and gals.
 
#2 ·
sometimes it appears the "butt is saggin" when in fact it's not- the only way to tell is to measure ride height front/rear- to do so find a very level spot, then carefully measure (in mm's or to the nearest 1/16") from the exact center of the wheel hub straight up to the center of the wheel arch- in the rear die=sregard the rubber strip- go to the metal

oe height for the wagon is 387mm front/376mm rear- the tire size won't make a difference in ride height as your measuring from the center of the rim- ofcourse a taller tire makes your car higher, same a short one would make it lower

the rear wheels shoul be cambered in at the top (neg camber) as the rear spec is -1.5

post your ride height numbers up and we'll have a look see :)
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the response. The car has 225 50/17 tires which according to the forums are a size too big. And yet even with these big tires the rear end is definitely sagging because the I can only put two fingers in between the top of the tire and fender well. - will do the measurements and also take some pics. I will let u know what I get. Thanks again
 
#9 ·
OK I just got through measuring the front and rear ride height and unfortunately it's worst than I thought it would be.

387mm front= good
362mm rear= not so good:notgood:

What would cause this sagging? Bad struts, need to replace springs? The car only has 44,000 miles so IM suprised it is sagging already. One thing is the previous owner (whoever it was) had some sort of speaker in the back becuase he left the speaker and amp wiring in place. Would a heavy speaker box cause this sagging?? Please help guys, IM worried now that I actually got the measurements. I have included some pics of the rear but I don't know if this helps any.Thanks
 

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#10 ·
yeah that's definitely saggng some ~ 15mm- it's even over the "generous" fsm tolerance of +/- 12mm

struts won't cause sagging- so you can rule that out

it's possible that he did carry heavy loads which can lead to spring saggings, there's a slim chance that maybe he put sedan springs in (if they are black- not likely, most aftermarket springs are colored)

You have two choices to rectify it (it's not going to hurt anything to run them as they are however!)- replace them w/ oe ones in the rear ~ $120 for the pair- that's new- you could find used ones, but they could also be sagging some too

or replace them w/ aftermarket springs ~ $200-300
 
#11 ·
I think its safe to say that you have sedan springs on there. So the previous owner may of had lowering springs on there before he sold it, then bought some factory springs used and didnt know that they were different. i would try to find some wagon springs used and buy some KYB gr-2 struts. or you can get coil overs if you have the cash.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for your help. If I go with aftermarket lowered springs what do you guys recommend (what kind and buy from where)? Or if I just decide to buy some oe rear springs same question as hwere should I look? Lastly, how much should I expect to pay for the installation of the springs or is it easy enough to install myself. I am semi-mechanically inclined.
 
#13 ·
easy install :)

oe parts can usually be sourced cheaper online then your delaer (but it doesn't hurt to try the dealer- sometimes they'll match the online price)- try subarugenuineparts.com or subaruparts.com

aftermarket springs for the wagon- try Prodrive springs (they work pretty well on the wagon)- if you want something more "sporty" you can go w/ the STi wagon pink springs, but that would facilitate using 04+ rear strut tops and small spacers in the rear (as these are "new" style springs)

^ the GR2 sttruts mentioned above are a nice mild upgrade- they are wagon specific and offered in the 02/03 style- slightly firmer damped than the oe ones- which is nice if going to uprated springs

by far the cheapest route is sourcing oe rear springs, ofcourse that's the least "sporty" too :)
 
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