Change the Shocks on a Subaru Outback
Subarus and many other small cars use what are called "struts", or McPherson Struts, instead of regular shock absorbers. Struts are more expensive, because they attach more rigidly to the car and form a critical part of the suspension. In addition to resisting up and down motion like a shock, they act as a steering pivot.
Steps
- Before starting, acquire a shop manual for your year/model Subaru. Haynes sells one; your dealer may have one as well. Generally dealer manuals are more detailed but less oriented towards the home mechanic. You may want both; replacing struts is not an easy job like changing shock absorbers.
- Do either the front or the back, not both at once. Then, choose a side. Don't do both sides at once, as you may need to look at the untouched side in order to figure out how things go back.
- Read the entire procedure from the manual before starting. Make sure that you have all the tools and an idea of how to use them. Make sure the parts store is open on the day you're working. Also be sure that you can afford to be without this car for up to two weeks if you break something or get stuck halfway. You may have to wait for a part or a mechanic.
- Safety first. Jack up and block up the car with strong jack stands. Lower car onto jack stands-- do not count on the jack. Do not use old scrap wood, cinder blocks, or any other junk. Once that's done, try to knock the car off the stands. Better that it fall when no one is beneath it.
- Remove wheels. Disconnect drive shaft. Compress spring (if necessary). Now is a good time to check your CV joints as well, since you will have them nearly off. Remove spindle from bottom of strut. Remove strut at the top. Compress spring (if you haven't already). Move spring to new strut. Reinstall in reverse order. Use lots of grease on spring seats when you reinstall.
Tips
- Buy the shop manual. Struts are going to cost you hundreds already, so don't be cheap. A good manual will save you time and pay for itself in parts and tools on the first big job you do.
- Struts are hard to replace. They are dangerous if installed improperly. If you are not a handy home mechanic with lots of tools, you may wish to pay for this job.
- AWD Subarus are difficult in the back as well as the front. Twice the work.
Warnings
- A car falling on you can kill you. Do not attempt suspension work if you do not know how to safely jack up and block up the car. Don't allow others to touch the car when you're underneath.
- Springs can kill you. Springs store a lot of energy. Be very sure that you do not release a spring's energy in an uncontrolled fashion. Use spring compressors. If you don't know how, do not attempt this job. Springs can kill you.
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