You don't happen to need a video on a 2007 Ford Escape water pump, do you? That was a video I shot a while back, but my camera work was so horrible that I can't bear to watch it (motion sickness), also a reason why I haven't posted it. LOL Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Thanks for stopping by!
Just got done pulling the subframe off a 2005 Forester. Planning on putting the motor and subframe in a 2003 Forester using the 03 intake manifold+harness. I think the only thing I'll have to look out for is the camshaft sprockets being different. The motors already out just want to make sure I've got all my ducks in a row before having the 03 down.
Understood. I don't work on Subarus all that frequently, but I do recall that there's possibly a difference in both the cam sprockets and crankshaft sprockets. IIRC - something to do with the trigger points on the back side of the cam sprocket, and the sensor indexing notches on the crank sprocket. May as well do a timing belt/camshaft seal/water pump job while you're at it.
HUGE THANKS! I have the same thing going on with my 05 forester XT. I was worried that it acts as a mounting support for something greater, but it looks like it really doesn't. Looks great!
Very nice video - I want to do this on my 05 Saab 9-2x Aero (really a WRX) that is rusting at the same spots as yours although not as severe. I'm going to start by looking in local scrap yards though before I buy a new one. If I can find a decent one from a scrap yard I can refurbish it (clean/rustproof/coat) and swap them out.
I'll be replacing my passenger side front subframe cradle on my 03 Forester as soon as it gets here seeing this just put my mind at ease. Hopefully all goes well upon loosening the bolts wish me luck!
Ok where would I find this part(s) and is it worth it? Basically have an xs with same rust issue and it apparently can’t be aligned until I replace these... also gotta do sway bar bushings so now I’m seeing more of a reason to do this repair
not sure about finding that part. but the subeframe does absorb a good amount of vibration and does help support weight. wondering if you did it? if you are going to be in there I would inspect the balljoint pinchbolt in the steering knuckle I just spent a week replacing my control arm because that bolt is known for breaking on removal and rusting into that spot.
No, this is not the one that supports the engine or the suspension. It can be unbolted as is. The primary purpose for this subframe is for crash protection.
@@AKJeeper hello. Mine is completely rotted on my 2004 Impreza Outback. Can I just remove it completely or does it support anything important like the engine or suspension? Thank you
I have an '05 Impreza and the subframe is so rusted you can pull it apart with your hands. Saw a mechanic today for a different issue and he pointed out the subframe and told me my radiator was 1 bad bump away from falling out of the car. Though I can clearly see here (the '03 and '05 are almost identical) the radiator mounts are not even touching the subframe. Was he just lying to me? And if it's an expensive repair, would it even be worth doing? We have no safety inspections where I live.
I honestly avoid working on Subarus as much as possible in the shop, so I don’t see them often. I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever do a trailing arm video on one. Most of the time the owners will not approve of the labor/parts costs when I come across a Subie needing trailing arms.
In my experience, Subarus become money pits (more so than other brands) as they age. I don't really like battling rust - we get plenty of it as it is in coastal Alaska. The rest of the car was just barely in good enough shape for me to want to take on the work, and it is owned by a very good client of mine. I would have declined the work otherwise. I'd suggest you thoroughly inspect the rest of your car for rust, if other areas such as the rear subframe are rusty...or if you have any signs of major mechanical work needing done (head gasket, clutch, etc) - I'd recommend to cut your losses.
I am currently replacing my driver's side Lower control arm. on my 07 subaru impreza. in order to do it I have to lower the subframe, I was hesitant to do so, I thought something might fall out from under there. turns out there is no way around it. ALSO! A small word of warning ⚠️ . our cars have a balljoint pinch bolt, in the steering knuckle. removing that thing is damn near impossible. took a week of, lube, flame, eventually it stripped, tried an extracting socket. bolt head broke off, drilled in a small amount, and tried an extracting bit, that broke. Decided to finish drilling it out. lost the previous thread. and at this point don't want to go through trouble with threading. So I am throwing a bolt and with a locknut and lockwasher in that suckered when I'm done. may of done a little damage to my steering knuckle, but not replacing that yet. this project was meant to save money. and I still am, but subaru makes you work for it .mechanic wanted to charge me about a little over 1k.
Subarus are not my favorite cars to work on, and I generally avoid working on them whenever I can get away with that. I was able to replace a LCA on a '03 Impreza not too long ago without having to lower the subframe. The balljoint can be a challenge, especially in places where corrosion is an issue.
My subframe on my 04 TS wagon isn't quite this bad, actually it's more "crispy" on the front half, but after seeing how simple it is to replace, I'll go ahead and get it replaced myself here very soon
Good luck. Use lots of penetrating oil (I suggest aerokroil) and take your time. It's a relatively straightforward job assuming you don't have to deal with broken bolts or excessive rust.
The rest of the car was ok ?? Damn, what an odd design. I have a wrx and the tow truck driver said, because the engine might just fall out...the rails are only 25-50% there, slightly worse than you show here...I bet the parts were $$ from Subaru ? Do I fix this WRX ? It needs both subframes and stinks of gas - bet tank is leaking too
Greg Smith It’s a structural member, mostly for crash worthiness. Also provides some additional support for the front suspension. The vehicle in this video was involved in a significant collision not 2 months after I shot this video. If not for the new subframe, I’m sure my client would have been seriously injured. The impact energy from the accident was distributed through the subframe, warping it. The car would have collapsed if the subframe hadn’t been replaced!
Hi there. I was planning on buying an2002 impreza wrx, but the seller recently told me the front subframe needs to be replaced to pass safety (he said that is all it needs) how difficult would this be to do myself? I don't have much experience with cars but I have my dad who has more experience than me. Please advise!!
UltraEliteStatus As you can see in my video - it’s a pretty simple job assuming the bolts come out. If the bolts break or get seized, it can be quite a bear to deal with. And something else to consider - are the mounting points on the undercarriage intact? I’ve seen may of these that are too far gone to put in a subframe- there’s nothing left to bolt the subframe on to.
I have a 2002 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS and have the same problem. Do you know if that part # is the same for my car and how much did it cost from the dealer?
I'm 90% sure it's the same part number for your car, but you may want to consult a Subaru dealership parts department to be sure. As for the cost, I'm not entirely sure - my customer picked this up himself. If I were to guess, it was somewhere around $600, but shipping costs here in Alaska might contribute to the high cost.
Today I discovered my Forester has one side very rusty, so I'll be swapping this out as soon as I can get one ordered. It's always something with this car 😁 I was thinking it would be awful, but this doesn't look bad at all. I did a timing and water pump service, I'm sure I can handle some bolts.
@@colejensen6397 took a drill to the rust, sprayed it with rust converter and then underbody coating. Left it lol. The piece that was all messed up for me apparently isn't structural, so I opted to live with it than make my life hell replacing it right now.
F J Truthfully, I’m not too sure as I’ve never had the two side by side, nor can I recall if the part number is the same. Might want to check with a Subaru parts department to be sure.
Yes, it's a very similar process on the Legacy. You'll need to consult your dealer for the correct part for your Legacy, the one I showed in this video was for an Impreza.
I use my cordless Milwaukee impact guns on a daily basis. They are not cheap, but I do so much work with them that they help make me money, and save time.
yes, it seems that only USDM received them as a way to improve safety in offset frontal collisions. JDM and AUS did not receive these frames. Removing mine today because its 25lbs I don't need.
@@billmanagerbunson3123 mine is completely rotted on my ‘04 Impreza. Can I remove this and safely drive or does it support the suspension in any way? Thanks
@@markmartinez6184 I haven’t had mine for a couple years, it submarines the engine during offset front end crashes. Yours being rusted out it’s not gonna be doing it’s job anyways so it’s just dead weight IMO. Front end feels more nimble when it’s gone
If it were my car I would have done something similar. But the customer didn’t want any extra time spent on that. I guess it doesn’t matter as the car was in a major collision that totaled it just a few months after the subframe was installed. The new subframe was twisted up pretty good!
You uploaded the two exact videos I needed right now within the past three days. What are the odds lol. Awesome stuff thanks man!!
You don't happen to need a video on a 2007 Ford Escape water pump, do you? That was a video I shot a while back, but my camera work was so horrible that I can't bear to watch it (motion sickness), also a reason why I haven't posted it. LOL
Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Thanks for stopping by!
Just got done pulling the subframe off a 2005 Forester. Planning on putting the motor and subframe in a 2003 Forester using the 03 intake manifold+harness. I think the only thing I'll have to look out for is the camshaft sprockets being different. The motors already out just want to make sure I've got all my ducks in a row before having the 03 down.
Understood. I don't work on Subarus all that frequently, but I do recall that there's possibly a difference in both the cam sprockets and crankshaft sprockets. IIRC - something to do with the trigger points on the back side of the cam sprocket, and the sensor indexing notches on the crank sprocket. May as well do a timing belt/camshaft seal/water pump job while you're at it.
Saaaaaame
HUGE THANKS! I have the same thing going on with my 05 forester XT. I was worried that it acts as a mounting support for something greater, but it looks like it really doesn't. Looks great!
Great video! Thanks a lot! I'm about to change mine on year 2005 and you just saved me a lot of time I could waste!
Subarus are awesome. I have a 2011 impreza with over 300k miles. And i have a 04 forester xt with 176k miles and still going strong.
You didn't show the new bolts? But other wise nicely put together video. thanks
Very nice video - I want to do this on my 05 Saab 9-2x Aero (really a WRX) that is rusting at the same spots as yours although not as severe. I'm going to start by looking in local scrap yards though before I buy a new one. If I can find a decent one from a scrap yard I can refurbish it (clean/rustproof/coat) and swap them out.
Same part number for an 03 xs?
I'll be replacing my passenger side front subframe cradle on my 03 Forester as soon as it gets here seeing this just put my mind at ease. Hopefully all goes well upon loosening the bolts wish me luck!
How did it go? I've got the same year Forester and same side needs replaced. Cracked right under the CV axle. Is it an easy job?
@@brianmorgan2744 well the only real truck is making sure the bolts come out complete without breaking. But over all wasn't a horrible job to do.
Ok where would I find this part(s) and is it worth it? Basically have an xs with same rust issue and it apparently can’t be aligned until I replace these... also gotta do sway bar bushings so now I’m seeing more of a reason to do this repair
not sure about finding that part. but the subeframe does absorb a good amount of vibration and does help support weight. wondering if you did it? if you are going to be in there I would inspect the balljoint pinchbolt in the steering knuckle I just spent a week replacing my control arm because that bolt is known for breaking on removal and rusting into that spot.
I am aware this is 5 months old, let me know how it turned out
@@intuitiveminds7034 haha I ended up cutting em off oops 😬 nah no biggie
still have car or no? If so how many miles on that sucker? is it an oil leaking machine like mine?
thanks for the video, is it just to soften up the impact or does it have any other purpose?
That and stability to motor/wheels
Thanks for the video, I have to get this done on my WRX and was dreading it until seeing how (relatively) simple it is.
This had scared me off of getting an old Impreza until I saw this video.
@@jeremywatson9129 did you get the impreza, how did it go?
What was cost of the new sub frame ???
So nothing is really bolted to it and this is merely an additional support?
I believe it is there as a crash reinforcement, to absorb and/or divert crash energy around the passenger compartment.
What would you normally charge for this? I have a 2005 wrx with a rusty sub frame and want to be fair with my mechanic, thank you
Hi, Did u lift the engine up or something else did with it? I am considering changing it or refreshing in my car. I
No, this is not the one that supports the engine or the suspension. It can be unbolted as is. The primary purpose for this subframe is for crash protection.
@@AKJeeper hello. Mine is completely rotted on my 2004 Impreza Outback. Can I just remove it completely or does it support anything important like the engine or suspension? Thank you
I have an '05 Impreza and the subframe is so rusted you can pull it apart with your hands. Saw a mechanic today for a different issue and he pointed out the subframe and told me my radiator was 1 bad bump away from falling out of the car. Though I can clearly see here (the '03 and '05 are almost identical) the radiator mounts are not even touching the subframe. Was he just lying to me? And if it's an expensive repair, would it even be worth doing? We have no safety inspections where I live.
I need a trailing arm replacement I need ur video on it ASAP plz
I honestly avoid working on Subarus as much as possible in the shop, so I don’t see them often. I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever do a trailing arm video on one. Most of the time the owners will not approve of the labor/parts costs when I come across a Subie needing trailing arms.
How much would it cost u if I gave u parts for it
Honestly I’m proudly thankful for ur videos keep up ur great work and keep striving and hope to see u Successful
Wondering Why you said against your better judgement? I have a 2005 that needs this and wondering if I should just cut my loses
In my experience, Subarus become money pits (more so than other brands) as they age. I don't really like battling rust - we get plenty of it as it is in coastal Alaska. The rest of the car was just barely in good enough shape for me to want to take on the work, and it is owned by a very good client of mine. I would have declined the work otherwise. I'd suggest you thoroughly inspect the rest of your car for rust, if other areas such as the rear subframe are rusty...or if you have any signs of major mechanical work needing done (head gasket, clutch, etc) - I'd recommend to cut your losses.
Do you know that torque specs to tighten the bolts back?
I am currently replacing my driver's side Lower control arm. on my 07 subaru impreza. in order to do it I have to lower the subframe, I was hesitant to do so, I thought something might fall out from under there. turns out there is no way around it. ALSO! A small word of warning ⚠️ . our cars have a balljoint pinch bolt, in the steering knuckle. removing that thing is damn near impossible. took a week of, lube, flame, eventually it stripped, tried an extracting socket. bolt head broke off, drilled in a small amount, and tried an extracting bit, that broke. Decided to finish drilling it out. lost the previous thread. and at this point don't want to go through trouble with threading. So I am throwing a bolt and with a locknut and lockwasher in that suckered when I'm done. may of done a little damage to my steering knuckle, but not replacing that yet. this project was meant to save money. and I still am, but subaru makes you work for it .mechanic wanted to charge me about a little over 1k.
Subarus are not my favorite cars to work on, and I generally avoid working on them whenever I can get away with that. I was able to replace a LCA on a '03 Impreza not too long ago without having to lower the subframe. The balljoint can be a challenge, especially in places where corrosion is an issue.
So i have an 02 wrx, its basically the same part same process right? Not exactly the same part but you know what mean, deff same process?
My subframe on my 04 TS wagon isn't quite this bad, actually it's more "crispy" on the front half, but after seeing how simple it is to replace, I'll go ahead and get it replaced myself here very soon
Good video. I'm going to attempt this on a 2005 RS.
Good luck. Use lots of penetrating oil (I suggest aerokroil) and take your time. It's a relatively straightforward job assuming you don't have to deal with broken bolts or excessive rust.
Where do you live were you have to pay? Vermont? Thats Messed Up Brother
Do you have the link for the part?
No, unfortunately. I ordered the part from my local Subaru dealership.
The rest of the car was ok ?? Damn, what an odd design. I have a wrx and the tow truck driver said, because the engine might just fall out...the rails are only 25-50% there, slightly worse than you show here...I bet the parts were $$ from Subaru ? Do I fix this WRX ? It needs both subframes and stinks of gas - bet tank is leaking too
Do you have any idea what the thread pitch is on the subframe bolts?
It's a fairly fine thread pitch. I'll look into it and let you know what I find out.
10x1.25 and 12x1.25
I’m debating spending the money on my 02 for this, what are disadvantages of not doing it. It doesn’t support anything really does it?
Greg Smith It’s a structural member, mostly for crash worthiness. Also provides some additional support for the front suspension. The vehicle in this video was involved in a significant collision not 2 months after I shot this video. If not for the new subframe, I’m sure my client would have been seriously injured. The impact energy from the accident was distributed through the subframe, warping it. The car would have collapsed if the subframe hadn’t been replaced!
Hi there. I was planning on buying an2002 impreza wrx, but the seller recently told me the front subframe needs to be replaced to pass safety (he said that is all it needs) how difficult would this be to do myself? I don't have much experience with cars but I have my dad who has more experience than me. Please advise!!
UltraEliteStatus As you can see in my video - it’s a pretty simple job assuming the bolts come out. If the bolts break or get seized, it can be quite a bear to deal with. And something else to consider - are the mounting points on the undercarriage intact? I’ve seen may of these that are too far gone to put in a subframe- there’s nothing left to bolt the subframe on to.
I have a 2002 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS and have the same problem. Do you know if that part # is the same for my car and how much did it cost from the dealer?
I'm 90% sure it's the same part number for your car, but you may want to consult a Subaru dealership parts department to be sure. As for the cost, I'm not entirely sure - my customer picked this up himself. If I were to guess, it was somewhere around $600, but shipping costs here in Alaska might contribute to the high cost.
Today I discovered my Forester has one side very rusty, so I'll be swapping this out as soon as I can get one ordered. It's always something with this car 😁 I was thinking it would be awful, but this doesn't look bad at all. I did a timing and water pump service, I'm sure I can handle some bolts.
I'm in the same predicament, how did you get it off without breaking bolts? One of mine already broke and I'm not sure what to do about it
@@colejensen6397 took a drill to the rust, sprayed it with rust converter and then underbody coating. Left it lol. The piece that was all messed up for me apparently isn't structural, so I opted to live with it than make my life hell replacing it right now.
Are these the same subframes as subaru wrx?
F J Truthfully, I’m not too sure as I’ve never had the two side by side, nor can I recall if the part number is the same. Might want to check with a Subaru parts department to be sure.
Thats a good idea, from the video i have the part number for that one. Thanks for the video. I also have the ts model with a similar problem :)
Can I install a sub-frame like this in a 2002 Subaru Legacy?
Yes, it's a very similar process on the Legacy. You'll need to consult your dealer for the correct part for your Legacy, the one I showed in this video was for an Impreza.
You just saved me a ton of money. Thank you good sir 👍
Glad to help!
I'm doing ok with breaker bar...everyone online has an impactor gun. Shall I buy one?
I use my cordless Milwaukee impact guns on a daily basis. They are not cheap, but I do so much work with them that they help make me money, and save time.
Thanks was looking at one that needs new sub frame
Thanks for the video. I been wanting to remove it on mine...
i’m just here to say it’s a uframe and it does absolutely nothing either than add a bit of rigidity if you suck at driving and crash into something
That subframe is a american thing?
yes, it seems that only USDM received them as a way to improve safety in offset frontal collisions. JDM and AUS did not receive these frames. Removing mine today because its 25lbs I don't need.
@@billmanagerbunson3123 mine is completely rotted on my ‘04 Impreza. Can I remove this and safely drive or does it support the suspension in any way? Thanks
@@markmartinez6184 I haven’t had mine for a couple years, it submarines the engine during offset front end crashes. Yours being rusted out it’s not gonna be doing it’s job anyways so it’s just dead weight IMO. Front end feels more nimble when it’s gone
New subframe imo I would have chassis spray wax the insides, just me.
If it were my car I would have done something similar. But the customer didn’t want any extra time spent on that. I guess it doesn’t matter as the car was in a major collision that totaled it just a few months after the subframe was installed. The new subframe was twisted up pretty good!
@@AKJeeper wasn't ment to be. my subaru got all the fixes it needed to keep the oil in the engine, then took up pole dancing. it happens :(
I removed mine, not necessary.
Any issues after removing yours?
@@markmartinez6184 Not so far. I was told that it is only there for shipping, no lie.