Subaru B9 Tribeca SUV Forum banner

rear shock absorbers/struts replacement

21K views 50 replies 10 participants last post by  avk 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi there Folks i just ordered the 2 rear struts KYB Excel G OE replacement that are supposed to be the same brand and specs as OEM but not as expensive. there is any other thing i should look for besides the stabilizer bar bushings and links /strut mounts ? i want to make the rear Suspension as Solid as possible .it is not bouncing right now but is giving me a kind of choppy ride ,the front feels just fine if you now what i mean "not a BMW but like a new Becca" i know the B9 is kind of choppy in the rear. but if my memory is serving me well i remember being better than it is know ...Any ideas are welcome ...Gerry:)
 
#29 ·
note ..The H Freight impact wrench and spring compressor worked flawlessly
 
#30 ·
Nice job!

I used a jack on the end of a long cheater bar (4') to break those loose. They are tough.

Fronts are generally more work, but usually because people do them first :) Now that you have done the rears, you know what you're doing. The fronts probably will go smoother. Make sure to mark the camber bolt.

Then let it settle for for a week or 2 and get it aligned.

Tom
 
#31 ·
i noticed that on most subaru's rear shock bolts are harder to remove for some reason. the front ones should be easier than the back, just make sure to undo brake and ABS sensor prior to taking the strut off. I generally use anti-seize on every suspension bolt i remove/reinstall this way in two year it will spin and not break on me.
 
#32 ·
i saw no adjustment bolts among the ones i removed .so i am assuming no alignment parameter has change on the rear suspension ?:confused: ,the front was aligned not so long ago. thus i am expecting the big bolts to come out easier .since i know those have to be loosen to perform the alignment ,according tho the SM the fronts are less involved that the rears ,but the alignment seems necessary to me with the fronts "will wait a week or two as TD suggested" ,i known i will be dealing with a much more powerful spring but that does not worry me ,i found that to be the easiest part :cool:
 
#35 ·
Sorry to confuse you. There was no alignment you messed with in the rear, only one bolt (the top one if I remember right) in front on each side.

Yes, front bolt torque is MUCH easier, the springs were more difficult on the front on the outback, hopefully there are more coils on the tribeca, which will make that easier. Obviously I haven't done it on my tribeca yet :)

You actually want to get the alignment because just moving the springs around and the new struts could shift it by a small amount. You want it to settle down, then get it redone. Especially important with new springs, but generally true for all suspension work.

If I recall correctly, the rear bolts were in the 90 ft lb range? Maybe I have that wrong. But after sitting, they are much higher than that to break loose.
 
#34 · (Edited)
i cannot find the specs. but i can tell you that the lug nuts came out with this wrench without braking a sweat. and i had them torqued at 95 foot lbs. those bolts were frozen. i have a huge crow bar that i use for this kind off stuff. and did not worked either .even with penetrating oil and some hammering around to help it loose did not break loose. i was afraid of the car getting off the jack stands ,so i had to use the ultimate weapon "the torch":naughty:
 
#36 ·
Yes it is 89 foot pound or 120 nm. i set them to aprox 92 ft /pound. man you dont realize what are you missing until you get those struts replaced i took it for an spin around town and it feels rolling like a rubber ball no noise just tigh and controlled . you can really tell that the Front. Is more loose..can't wait to replace those as well..Gerry:cool:
 
#37 ·
Just did the fronts .the Harbor Freight Spring compressor did not worked on the front had to rent one from Advance A/P. the springs were tougher for sure .replaced front mounts and rubber seats .all OEM .so far riding like new
 
#39 ·
Update

The Beca is is riding like or better than new .no clunks just solid/ silent over the bumps ,very controlled ride ,i am going to replace the front sway bar bushings which are almost 2 years old ,and that should be the icing on the cake ,sure i had expended some money on OEM rubber seats and strut mounts etc but i think i was worth every penny :D:D:D:D:D:D getting my alignment done on Monday ,i am undecided between doing the alignment at the stealership or in a super reputable alignment place. price will be about 20 bucks more at the alignment shop vs dealership :confused:
 
#41 ·
just got the Beca to the alignment shop. they put it on the ramp ,measured the angles and handed the keys back to me ,no adjustments needed /no charge .i paddled myself on the back and went home with my money on my pockets :D
 
#42 ·
good on them and for you, places like that tend to do better work, I know a few places that would charge you just for putting it on the lift and then most likely appear to do an alignment just for the sake of charging you.
 
#43 ·
I used the Harbor Freight spring compressors for the fronts and rear and it worked perfectly. I just bought the spring compressors so maybe they've changed them.

All 4 struts replaced this weekend. Broke the rear right end link (well, stripped it) so I need to replace it. Going with Moog. Will drive for a week without it.

Tom
 
#44 ·
I'm halfway done replacing the rear struts at 75k mi. One was leaking fluid. Subaru dealership was going to replace the bad one but at their price I could do both struts plus end links and sway bushings myself.


Using KYB struts and Moog end links and bushings.


Here's a tip: Use an M10 x 1.25 thread restorer (or a die) on the end link threads all the way up to the nuts before trying to take them off. And use plenty of your favorite brand of rust penetrating fluid. The end links are the worst part of the job when they are rusted. I used an allen socket inside the bolts and a ratcheting wrench on the nuts. It may be tempting to turn the allen and hold the nut, but I think there's much greater risk of stripping the allen. So I held the allen and turned the nut (back-and-forth as necessary).


Also, keep track of how the old strut came apart so that when you re-install the spring the top and bottom mounts stay aligned with the mounting holes in the chassis and lower arm.
 
#46 ·
I wouldn't recommend Moog endlinks. I've gone through quite a few on my Subarus, it doesn't seem like they have the quality they used to and a lot of people have experienced the ball joints on their endlinks giving out after running them less than a year. Just an FYI.
 
#47 ·
Hi everyone. I just bought a 2010 Tribeca in January 2020 with only 56,000 miles. That’s only 5,600 miles per year. But I think age had an effect on the struts. Drives like a boat which was expected to a degree but I’d like to firm it up.
so is everyone just using the KYB struts that are made for this model year? Any tips and tricks such as it’s considered an upgrade for 2005-2009 Outbacks to use 2001-2004 rear struts because they’re firmer. Baja springs are an upgrade to 2001-2004 Outbacks...etc.
Anything better than stock that doesn’t cost a lot would be appreciated.
 
#49 ·
The nuts on My front endlinks were so rusted when I changed them on the weekend, I didn't even try to undo them, just loosened them enough that I could use my side grinder and cut them right off. I'm sure it saved me a lot of time and frustration. Did the front sway bar bushings at the same time, snapped a bolt on each of them. Should I expect anything more difficult on the back endlinks and sway bar bushings? While I was under there I noticed that the Y where the single exhaust pipe splits into 2 to go to each muffler is rusted out and most of my exhaust is coming out underneath my car, so this will need to be fixed, but I don't think its anything I can do...
 
#50 ·
Back is very similar to the fronts. If you already dealt with the rusted endlinks and have a plan, you will be fine. I wouldn't bother with the rear sway bar bushings, as it seems only the fronts have problems with the 'clunk' at low speed over bumps, but it's also not hard to do.

You can either buy the OEM exhaust parts and replace them yourself, or bring it to a shop and they can either replace or weld in as they see fit. I would probably buy the parts and replace as it will be the less expensive option, but exhaust work isn't the most fun. You could just replace everything from the cat back.
 
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