Subaru Legacy III (2000-2003 year). Manual - part 651

FS-16

FRONT SUSPENSION

FRONT BALL JOINT

4. Front Ball Joint

A: REMOVAL

1) Set vehicle on a lift.
2) Disconnect ground cable from battery.
3) Lift-up the vehicle and remove the wheel.
4) Pull out the cotter pin from the ball stud, remove
the castle nut, and extract the ball stud from the
transverse link.
5) Remove the bolt securing the ball joint to the
housing.

6) Extract the ball joint from the housing.

B: INSTALLATION

1) Install ball joint onto housing.

Tightening torque (Bolt):

50 N·m (5.1 kgf-m, 37 ft-lb)

CAUTION:
Do not apply grease to tapered portion of ball
stud.
2) Connect ball joint to transverse link.

Tightening torque (Castle nut):

39 N·m (4.0 kgf-m, 29 ft-lb)

3) Retighten castle nut further within 60

until a slot

in castle nut is aligned with the hole in ball stud
end, then insert new cotter pin and bend it around
castle nut.
4) Install front wheel.

C: INSPECTION

1) Measure free play of ball joint by the following
procedures. Replace with a new one when the free
play exceeds the specified value.

(1) With 686 N (70 kgf, 154 lb) loaded in the di-
rection shown in the figure, measure dimension

(2) With 686 N (70 kgf, 154 lb) loaded in the op-
posite direction shown in the figure, measure di-
mension

(3) Calculate free play from the following formu-
la. S =

−

(4) When free play is larger than the following
value, replace with a new one.

FRONT BALL JOINT

Specified play for replacement: S

Less than 0.3 mm (0.012 in)

2) When free play is smaller than the specified val-
ue, visually inspect the dust cover.
3) The ball joint and cover that have been removed
must be checked for wear, damage or cracks, and
any defective part must be replaced.
4) If the dust cover is damaged, replace with the
new ball joint.

FS-00034

FS-00035

FS-00036

FS-17

FRONT SUSPENSION

FRONT STRUT

5. Front Strut

A: REMOVAL

1) Set vehicle on a lift.
2) Disconnect ground cable from battery.
3) Lift-up the vehicle and remove the wheel.
4) Remove bolt securing brake hose to strut.

5) Scribe an alignment mark on the camber adjust-
ing bolt which secures strut to housing.
6) Remove bolt securing the ABS sensor harness.

7) Remove two bolts securing housing to strut.

CAUTION:
While holding head of adjusting bolt, loosen
self-locking nut.

8) Remove the three nuts securing strut mount to
body.

B: INSTALLATION

1) Install strut mount at upper side of strut to body
and tighten with nuts.

Tightening torque:

20 N·m (2.0 kgf-m, 14.5 ft-lb)

2) Position aligning mark on camber adjustment
bolt with aligning mark on lower side of strut.

CAUTION:
• While holding head of adjusting bolt, tighten
self-locking nut.
• Be sure to use new self-locking nut.

Tightening torque:

175 N·m (17.8 kgf-m, 129 ft-lb)

3) Install ABS sensor harness to strut.

Tightening torque:

32 N·m (3.3 kgf-m, 23.9 ft-lb)

4) Install bolts which secure brake hose to strut.

Tightening torque:

32 N·m (3.3 kgf-m, 23.9 ft-lb)

5) Install wheels.

NOTE:
Check wheel alignment and adjust if necessary.

FS-00037

FS-00038

FS-00039

FS-18

FRONT SUSPENSION

FRONT STRUT

C: DISASSEMBLY

1) Using a coil spring compressor, compress coil
spring.

2) Using ST, remove self-locking nut.
ST

927760000

STRUT MOUNT SOCKET

3) Remove strut mount, upper spring seat and rub-
ber seat from strut.
4) Gradually decreasing compression force, and
remove coil spring.
5) Remove dust cover and helper spring.

D: ASSEMBLY

1) Before installing coil spring, strut mount, etc., on
the strut, check for the presence of air in the damp-
ening force generating mechanism of the strut
since air prevents proper dampening force from
being produced.
2) Checking for the presence of air

(1) Place the strut vertically with the piston rod
facing up.
(2) Move the piston rod to the center of its entire
stroke.
(3) While holding the piston rod end with finger-
tips, move the rod up and down.
(4) If the piston rod moves at least 10 mm (0.39
in) in the former step, purge air from the strut.

3) Air purging procedure

(1) Place the strut vertically with the piston rod
facing up.
(2) Fully extend the piston rod.
(3) With the piston rod fully extended, place the
piston rod side down. The strut must stand ver-
tically.
(4) Fully contract the piston rod.
(5) Repeat 3 or 4 times from the first step.

NOTE:
After completely purging air from the strut, be sure
to place the strut with the piston rod facing up. If it
is laid down, check for entry of air in the strut as
outlined under “Checking for the presence of air”.
4) Using a coil spring compressor, compress the
coil spring.

NOTE:
Make sure that the vertical installing direction of coil
spring is as shown in figure.

FS-00040

FS-00041

(1) Flat (top side)

(2) Identification paint

(3) Inclined (bottom side)

FS-00042

( 1 )

( 2 )

( 3 )

FS-19

FRONT SUSPENSION

FRONT STRUT

5) Set the coil spring correctly so that its end face
(1) fits well into the spring seat as shown in the fig-
ure.

6) Install helper and dust cover to the piston rod.
7) Pull the piston rod fully upward, and install rub-
ber seat and upper spring seat.

NOTE:
Ensure that upper spring seat is positioned as
shown in figure.

8) Install strut mount to the piston rod, and tighten
the self-locking nut temporarily.

CAUTION:
Be sure to use a new self-locking nut.
9) Using hexagon wrench to prevent strut rod from
turning, tighten self-locking nut with ST.
ST

927760000

STRUT MOUNT SOCKET

Tightening torque:

55 N·m (5.6 kgf-m, 41 ft-lb)

10) Loosen the coil spring carefully.

E: INSPECTION

Check the disassembled parts for cracks, damage
and wear, and replace with new parts if defective.

1. DAMPER STRUT

1) Check for oil leakage.
2) Move the piston rod up and down to check it op-
erates smoothly without any binding.
3) Play of piston rod
• Measure the play as follows:
Fix outer shell and fully extend the rod. Set a dial
gauge at the end of the rod: L [10 mm (0.39 in)],
then apply a force of W [20 N (2 kgf, 4 lb)] to
threaded portion. With the force of 20 N (2 kgf, 4 lb)
applied, read dial gauge indication: P

. Apply a

force of 20 N (2 kgf, 4 lb) in the opposite direction
of “W”, then read dial gauge indication: P

The free play is determined by the following equa-
tion:

Play = P

, P

Limit of play:

Less than 0.8 mm (0.031 in)

If the play is greater, replace the strut.

2. STRUT MOUNT

Check rubber part for creep, cracks and deteriora-
tion, and replace it with new one if defective.

3. DUST COVER

If any cracks or damage are found, replace it with a
new one.

4. COIL SPRING

One having permanent strain should be replaced
with a new one. When vehicle posture is uneven,
although there are no considerable reasons like
tire puncture, uneven loading, etc., check coil
spring for its free length referring to specifications,
cracks, etc., and replace it with a new one if defec-
tive.

5. HELPER

Replace it with new one if cracked or damaged.

(1) Outside of body

FS-00043

( 1 )

FS-00044

( 1 )

FS-00041

FS-00046

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