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| Rear End Links - Stock (left) vs Whiteline (right) |
I got the below packages from eBay for a decent price slightly below the standard RRP. Front KLC139 for AU$130 (RRP$179) and Rear KLC182 for AU$150 (RRP$179).
The Vehicle
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| Front packaging - not much to see here |
The setup before installation is a 24 mm front sway bar (BSF39XZ) and a 22 mm rear sway bar (BSR49XZ), they are both from Whiteline. Both ends run the weaker stock end links. The main issue I have using the stock rear end links is that the nut keeping the sway bar and end link connected kept falling off despite the use of thread locker - I'd imagine this is caused by the thicker rear sway bar stressing the stock end link, eventually working off the nut - the bolt was partially stripped after looking at it more carefully. The thicker bolt and larger nut on the new end links solved this problem.
The stock end links don't sit correctly with the stronger sway bars, and the rubber boot ended up breaking on the rear, potentially exposing the joint to the elements:
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| Twisted broken stock end link rubber boot at the front sway bar |
Installation
I find the installation guides that Whiteline provide on their website sufficient for sway bar and end link installs, I've provided links to the end link product pages above, as well as here (KLC139, KLC182).
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| Rear packaging - too low-res to read, but here are the goodies! |
Installation is relatively easy on the front, it's just a case of getting the car on ramps or a lift (not jack stands as the wheels need to be at rest), and replacing the end links. I spent a bit of time adjusting the end links via the rotating center to make sure that there was no pretension. Once you've have it set, just lock it down with the two collar nuts beside the rotating body.
The rear had an annoying issue. You can see from the image below that the length of the bolt that inserts into the sway bar is a lot longer than the stock one. This stopped me from easily installing these without removing my sway bar, as the gap between the rear sway bar's adjustable holes and the suspension struts was way too narrow. You'll need to saw off about 10-15 mm off the end of the new rear end link bolts (just a standard metal saw can do it).
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| There's a slight thickness difference between the stock (left) and Whiteline (right) rear end link. Note the adjustable body on the Whiteline to eliminate preload. |
The sway bar configuration I set on the new end links was 23.5 mm front, and 23 mm rear. The possible range for the sway bars I have is 23.5 - 24.5 front, and 21 - 23 mm rear. I've been contemplating whether or not I should've just gone for the 24 mm rear sway bar for more reduced rear roll - but I'm unable to comment on rear passenger comfort on off-road drives which is something that I still want to have, everything's a compromise right?
The feeling when going around corners is a lot more stable after the end links were installed, and the body roll is noticeably reduced.
Fixing that Knock
After the first install, I noticed knocking after about 100 km of driving. Every time the road surface was slightly uneven (the usual undulations on tarmac), the front left wheel would induce a knock into the cabin area.
When I had the chance to get under the car again and have a look, it seemed to be coming from the front passenger's side. The knocking/clunking noise was caused by the nut that held the end link to the wheel control arm working itself loose. After a more liberal application of Loctite on all nuts, and more torquing, the noise went away and hasn't come back after 5,000 km+ of driving.
Overall
Pretty happy with the investment. It's not as noticeable as adding the sway bars themselves originally, but they're essential if you want eliminate just that little bit more body roll when going around corners at speed. I have not noticed any compromise in NVH whilst driving on tarmac after fixing that knocking. It also provides me peace of mind knowing that my end links won't snap while I'm driving the car hard around a corner. Definitely worth the low cost if you're running stock ones on a Subaru.
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| KLC139 (Front) (courtesy of Whiteline) |
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| KLC182 (Rear) (courtesy of Whiteline) |
Long-Term Update: 18 Months Later...
After driving a good 30,000 Km or so with these installed (as well as later installing stiffer springs on the Subaru), they are still going strong, no noise, no knock, no issues. I'm mostly a road driver, but I take the vehicle down dirt tracks with rough roads/pits on some weekends - given that I've uprated the sway bars, this vehicle is definitely not for any rough off-roading though. I kerbed a front tyre or two going too fast in tight roads, and the end links are still perfectly fine. These buggers are strong and I couldn't recommend them more - I would definitely do the same again if I was to modify another car.
Extra-Long-Term Update: 5 years later...
The two rears end links have snapped, the fronts have held up fine, I didn't really notice until I tried to drive a bit harder and the vehicle under-steered severely. It's likely occurred due to me doing something abnormal on the road, whether it's kerb climbing or going over a speed bump too fast on one side of the vehicle, but nothing stands out in memory. The snapping points on both is at the adjustable thread. I've replaced the two rear end links with the one-piece Kartboy end links, which are a more consistent diameter due to the simple design. In retrospect the adjustability may have been more of a luxury for my street setup vehicle, rather than a necessity. These new ones are holding up well and the overall grip increase from a stable rear has returned.
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