wagn

On Forester SG MY06

The install is not complex and takes less than two hours.

You can purchase the sway bar from Strano , it’s manufactured by ADDCO. The item # is K2-298-0U and the description is “Strano STI 32mm Hollow” even though my invoice called it a 35mm. Price shipped was $220US.


Necessary Items:
Jack: To remove one wheel
Ramps: To elevate the car with load on the suspension
Jack Stands: Duh
Eye Protection: If you want your eyes protected
12mm Socket: Remove plastic engine cover and swaybar clamps
13mm or ½” wrench: To keep the end link still while you use a socket on the bottom nut
13mm or ½” socket: To tighten end link bolt/nut
14mm wrench: To remove the existing end links
3” socket extension: To remove front two engine cover bolts
Locktight Blue: For all bolts
Grease: For sway bar clamps and bushings





Drive the car up the ramp: (note) I used ramps then jacked up the car. I see no reason why you couldn’t just jack up the car for the first few steps. You must do the last steps with the suspension loaded (on ramps).

Remove lower engine cover by removing the four 12mm bolts and four plastic plugs. The rear of the cover has two clips that are best removed once the plugs and bolts are remove; just slide the cover rearward and the clips stay on the cover. Remove them and set aside for the install.

Remove frame cross member, four 12mm bolts, the front two have nuts that you need to keep track of.

Remove sway bar end links from control arms with 14mm wrench. Once the nut is loose it may just spin on the end link and you my need pliers to hold the bolt to get the nut off. Then with the 14mm wrench remove the end links from the sway bar.

Remove sway bar clamps using the 12mm wrench and socket. Space is tight; you’ll use the same bolt/nut for the new clamps. One of my clamps was hard to get over the fixed bolt. I just used a pliers to grab the clamp and get it over the bolt. Slide the sway bar left or right to allow you to remove the clamps and bushings. Leave the sway bar centered on the car.

Take the car off the ramps, jack up the car, setup your jack stands. Remove one wheel and slide the sway bar out. Then slide the new sway bar in with the mounting ends tilted up and centered.

Remount wheel and tq to 67lbs, put the car back on the ramps.

Grease both inside and outside of new sway bar bushings, inside of new clamps and frame surface the bushing will sit on. Place bushings on bar (put bar off center) then clamps. Slide bar to center and put clamps on frame bolt. Clamps are symmetric so get them correct. I had a hard time getting the bolt to line up; I ended up removing the clamp and giving it a squeeze, fit fine. Re-install nut/bolt with locktight for both clamps and get them snug but not torque yet. The bar will move easily to get it center. TQ to 18LBS

Now install end link brackets on the control arms using the supplied bolt/nut and 17mm socket and wrench with locktight. Angle the bracket tilted towards the front of the car as much as possible. TQ to 41LBS


Double check that the sway bar is centered by lining up the bar and the end link bracket. Using the strano endlink bolt place a cup washer and bushing on the bolt and insert down thru the end link bracket. Then place a bushing, cup washer, four washers, cup washer and bushing on the bolt and insert the bolt in the swaybar. Finish with a bushing, cup washer and supplied nut. Don’t tighten until you do the same on the other side. You may have to squeeze the endlink w/o the last bushing to get everything squished enough to get the last bushing and nut on. I had three threads seen on the bolt when things were snug. Don’t compress the bushings.

Re-install crossmember using locktight. TQ to 52LBS

Re-install lower engine cover.

Attached Images

	strano1.jpg (94.0 KB, 302 views)
	strano2.jpg (107.6 KB, 337 views)
	strano3.jpg (88.6 KB, 339 views)
	strano4.jpg (100.0 KB, 302 views)
	strano5.jpg (83.5 KB, 428 views)

 

psyber_0ptix

its a shame this wont fit the GC swaybar brackets. hows the bar feel?

wagn

Great for a fat bar on a otherwise stock suspension . Luckly I've upgraded to better wheels and tires. It will be much better with a 25mm Cobb rear bar and some cheap coilovers.

Jeff