Outback '01 2.5 4eat VDC project

So couple years ago i bought myself my first subaru ever and after long time thinking took outback against forester. Didint had budget for newer one so went for some 2nd gen that i found

Top original, lower 2"" lift with BFG TA KO2 215/65 R16
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It was 2001 subaru outback 2.5 4eat eith rear LSD and early VDC package. All weather with heated seats, windows, climate control.
It has rear self leveling shocks still ok condition so i left them just put 2" spacer on top. Not sure is it made car harder and less comfy but it can take load very well. But its not soft car to drive fast on bad roads
Then i cut front bumper and put steel skid plate just for engine. Diy it myself from steel sheet from scrapyard
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So i think i recentered steering rack with wheel now it turns same amount to both sides from center. So should be ok . Not sure about airback clockspring but that shouldnt be connected to abs is it or sensors so now i got abs light when i turn car on and turn wheel to one side and then other wasnt driving and now abs light allways on again. Do i need reset abs with scanner again? Because i need to dribve 40 min to do that and then back and if it wont be fixed then its for nothing
Before this steering wheel was in diff possitions when you lock wheels to one side and other and now its in allmost same position to left and right. So i was driving for some time with bad centered rack and now if i did it right why light comes on and doesnt go off? Do i need to recenter airback clockspring too ? Is that matters for abs ?
 
You can probably check the ABS clock spring but that may be a bit too dangerous/risky as it may trigger the airbag itself. I won't do that.

You said you had 32 and 38 come up in the ABS diagnosis and they are related to abnormal solenoid valves and/or hydraulic unit. They can easily be knocked around when working on the car. So 32 means front-right outlet valve and 38 points to rear-left outlet valve. You can check on the module/pump itself if there is anything disconnected or loose. It might help to clean the connections with electrical lube, as well. Keep us updated. Cheers.
 
I got codes just by using that socket with black wires but with scanner no abs codes at all. Then when it reset that it was gone for some time until i started drivinf and now i recentered stereing again because it wasnt centered by wheel and now wheel turns same amount to left and same to right so that must be good with rack center but now i got abs light again. Maybe i just need to reset it again with scanner and it wont come up again. All sensors good and shows speed when drivng with scanner so no prob with sensors it was rack was not centered. So i drove for while with bad ra k center and now i think its good center. Ar least how people do it with masking tape marking wheel.
So i looked info how people center steering rack and i found thid method simpliest
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Mine was allready centered as i did it day before myself and now i tried with tape. It aligns good so i should have now good center on wheel with rack but abs didint liked it still
I learned so much in thise week just wow i took off sterring rack like 3 times allready so first i thought that sterring rack links must go out bith same lenght and they not when i made them same lenght i did wrong so then i redone couple times untill my wheel was turning ok then i heard that airbag spring was on tension when i turn wheel to right so i gave that more space now its silent no sound. Its likr noise you csn hear like when spring turning too tight.. so yh many stuff on car.
Then i think my oil leakage is just top covers mostly and not head gaskets so first i will change top covers with all new rubber on bolts and where plugs are . Lots stuff to do still but oil leakage is now number one after i figure out with abs.
I think i dont need mess up with that airbag spring if its not related to abs or vdc in any way. I think its fine now. Dont wanna it blow up to my face
 
Nice. I think since your BH9 is a VDC, model it can be a bit more sensitive with the electronics for the VDC to function properly. If you are to have the TCU codes reset, it might be a good idea to drive around a bit at high or low speeds to see if they will be gone for good. Cheers.
 
yh im thinking since i did lost wheel itself position and was driving with off center steering rack, maybe now they ok . but it was wierd as i just started car didint drive just turned wheel to one side and other and light came up . so does that mean something still not ok wheel position or steering rack? now wheel turns to one and o ther side same amount almost same maybe on 1-2cm more to one side then other to full lock , is that matter so much ? as i understood with sterring rack and wheel first you center rack then you center wheel and thats pretty much it . airbag spring still ok there so i should just leave it as it is i think .
and as i tighten that bolt on rack now wheel little more heavy then before not so super easy to turn but its almost gone all looseness that i had in it so thats greates thing for me as i was driving for so long with ratling front wheels now they almost silent all just great. well besides ABS/VDC light.
 
so ait made juge diiference in front while driving after i retight that bolt even more and changed steering rack links, was returning those to change because by model they just gave me links with 16 size screw that goes into rack and i need smaller 14 size. sp then i recehcked that sterring rack center and wheel position and again i think i have now centered them ok ... at least that what testing how other people did it shows me
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so with wheels realignent by new links now they just sits on same spots on both side, means there is no one side longer amd other shorter thing that would mean bad rack renter . and wheel inside car sits on center too while wheels are straight. so it must be ok now i guess try to rest abs light again . will do that maybe tomor.
but again boy how im happy with that tight front now , no ratling , its good again and i dont remember when last time i drove with it without ratling ...

so now steering rack links same lenght to both sides , sterring wheel looks straight and wheels straight...is that it now , ABS should see good picture ? or VDC who knows ... one thing im not sure that airbag string is on same position , but i didint broke or anything so must be ok to drive like that ... tried full lock well in the end it goes harder , maybe because that bolt on rack that i tightened but i could live with that if that means now have stable wheels and no ratling .
and i was stubbor and stupid not to change those rack links earlier as i was so sure its not them... well on passenger side it was very bad and not bad on driver side as i changed it some time ago , but anyway i changed them both now ...
 
Good on ya! New steering or suspension components can really make a huge difference when the worn ones are replaced. Hopefully, you get that ABS light sorted out. Cheers.
 
And that abs light gone. One scanner didint do notin and then i recentered again and made wheel more accurate possition still abs light but then went to do scan again. No errors no codes nothing but then i started car and no lights...yay some mystery ...it solved at last. Now enjoying my abs and vdc systems again.
But thats sensitive system that vdc is wow. No wonder because it needs to know what your car doing at all times and that is goimg in line that it should go and nowhere else. But now i know how to toom out more stuff remove stuff and such with that know more of car and how it works best and what it needs for that.
 
Thanks. Enjoying now sea side and lakes. Was 3 days on sea slept 2 nights in car some 50 metres from sea , in morning ooen door and hear sea noise amazing feeling and then run to morning refreshing water. It Was about +16 18 celcious its 2arm enough for us.
Now going to lakes for 2 nights maybe as well. Water on lakes much warmer some even 25 celcious. Will be cool. Again sleeping in car because with great heat comes shprr rains with thunders too. But it all very hot weather now.
Now as front fan working ok no more overheratng too.
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And that is enough for us two travel and sleep inside. Most bags just go to front seats matress goes flat and im 186cm fit there to lay comfy.
 
Back to touring already? Nice. I can imagine the relief after that ABS light is gone.
 
Yh i feel its so good like i acvieved big deal haha thought its just back to normal but i feel much better and that it was free fix too.
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bed version . its very comfy just not enough ventilation if eather too hot. on lakes it was too hot even with top sunroof open. sleep by sea was much better as more colder air at night but then in morning becomes hot again . would be cool if doors at least rear one could be open just little and locked too.
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views i had on sea and lakes
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ride is better now but still humming sound in rear and i think on my side. its changing humm with road so its wierd it would sound like rear bearing but i changed it to used one not new but still what chance that used bearing was not so good not sure...
because of humming sound ride wouldnt be comfy for rear passengers i think so im not happy still and wann still try to find out whats humming in rear. changed wheels places - same , changed wheel bearing - same, changed rear axle - same.

cooking was simple easy and fast, every morning coffe and then some heating meal or cooking sausages etc. thought it wont be enough buts its enough for 2 persons to eat and have coffe. easy to clean too
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Sweet. Ever thought of getting rid of your gas burner and making yourself a rocket stove?
I reckon your the kind of guy that would enjoy the process of making, then using one.

All you need are some tube steel offcuts and they're super efficient.
 
Looks like a nice and comfortable set up. The Lithuanian wilderness looks nice in summer too. What was the temperature like?
 
On lakes was very hot over 30 celcious. But all depends form how dry or not air is. On sea was about 30 too very hot . Lakes have lots flying stuff that bite you all over so thats anoying ,sea almost not have those .
Water on lakes now its pretty warm comare to other years before was about 25 celcious watet temp and about 16-18 sea temp. Thats pretty high too compare we had lower at end of summer in august and we have now all ready warmer baltic sea.
 
bought rear strut mount points but completely forgot that i need self leveling and i bought normal ones and they dont fit , they 2x shorter and they dont fit for self level spring , and i needed to drive car in couple hrs and long trip next day ,,so i cut old one in half and used that part from old on spring and put new one on top . with that i got same height of everything and maybe less stress on mount rubber peace.
for now did longer trip and nothing is wrong there all seams to hold and work ok
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then went one more time to sea and this time 3 persons so one person was using large 4 person tent . and that was still with keeping everything inside car all bags .. all food , hi lift jack yes its inside too , small cooler , all car tools for almost any work to do on car i allways carry all that , 3 foldable chairs as well
i duno i could keep that hi lift jack on roof rack but i duno still why im not keeping it there... i have mounts for it and it seems like holding ok too , so why im still keeping that heavy and long jack inside i duno ... i just think that going high speeds maybe would put much preassure on those OEM car rails ...

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in car bed version 2.0 . as eralier when you fold rear seats its got that step so you cant go more forward , so now i thought i make it longer too with extra boxes , same time those boxes will be filled with stuff that is needed for camping so less bags in car it will be more ornagized too. so i bought 3 boxes , measured about what size they should be and now boxes and coller can be just down there, so its faster to make bed and less bags to move around if all will be in those boxes now ... will test that all tomorrow on another trip that will be overnight
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and thats best way to change anything in your car , you drive it you use it test it and then you know what you need to make there change remove etc in car. so it will be better longer version and i will have more space there too now fully streatching my legs as it got longer .
 
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