How do you test a Forester front suspension? My 2001 model has only
45,000 miles but is nearly 10 years on the road now. Ride is rather stiff. Perhaps somewhat attributable to the cold winter weather.I'm suspecting that unlike old suspensions that got mushy perhaps these seize a bit causing a jostling ride?
Your numbers seem to indicate the car probably gets short trips on secondary roads. Since those are often less smooth than highways, it 'could' certainly be time for new struts. I'd want to make sure that some tire service wasn't done recently. New tires may have stiffer sidewalls than the previous models and/or the new tires may be overinflated.
Tires were new as of last summer. Inflation checked quarterly.
Did you possibly fill them on a really cold day, and now it is significantly warmer? We just saw 59 degrees yesterday, whereas we are normally 20 or 30 below that. I could see 30 degrees raising the pressure enough to notice it being slightly firmer.
Just an idea.
Another, perhaps better idea is that the suspension has rusted in some wear spots. But that should loosen up with use though.
Bill
Extreme cold will certainly stiffen things up until the tires and struts warm up; probably 10 or 15 minutes of driving.
When these struts go, the ride gets pretty springy. Not mushy, exactly, but kinda "boingy" and under damped feeling. We have two, a '99, and an '02. Struts on my '99 were replaced at about 110K, and my wife's '02 are about due at 140K. Mine sees lots of back country washboards, the missus pretty much stays on the pavement.
Easiest way to check the struts is to remove the wheel, and look at the strut body at the top where the shaft enters. If this area is clean and dry, the strut is OK. If oily/dirty looking, it is starting to go, if wet with oil, it's history.
These aren't too awfully hard to change out, but you will need to buy or rent a spring compressor, and while not impossible, I feel that the job would be much more difficult without an air impact wrench. Also, you have to open the brake system at each wheel to free the strut from the brake line. This means a brake bleed, which requires a helper or a pressure bleeder tool.
I'd recommend that you replace all four (if one is bad, the rest are probably marginal, at best), and use the KYB's (probably around $250 for the four; try ebay). You will be amazed at the "new" ride. If you decide to DIY, write back and I'll post a couple tips that will make things a little easier.
FWIW, there are several aftermarket coilover systems available for the Forry. These generally stiffen the ride a fair bit, and do allow for a great deal of adjustability (flip side is 100 different possibilities,
99 of which are incorrect ;-), but they are expensive ($1500 - $2000 or more). Generally, tho, they can be worked on w/o a spring compressor or impact, are rebuildable, and offer huge "cool" points.ByeBye! S. Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101
Great post. I'd probably try to wait it out until I needed brake pads since the brake system will be opened anyway - good time to flush out the old fluid too. And a wheel alignment too.
Thanks for the detailed response. My Subie will be due for the annual inspection and I'll have my mechanic look at it. Hopefully there will be a decent day beforehand where I can pop the wheels for a look myself.
Jim
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