SG Forester STI Control Arm Install

In this video I install STI control arms onto my project XT forester. Why would I want to do that? Lighter, stronger and more clearance for bigger tires is why!
Check out the guide by Blingstorm:
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[@pinzone4358]

Thanks for the continuing flow of ideas for mods. Great way to become more familiar with your own car by getting under the hood and under the body.

[@mdc503]

My first thought when the video started was, “Where do I get that hat?” I have always enjoyed your posts and understand your time constraints. Be safe doing your job and continued success with your videos.

[@dogsbyfire]

Very resourceful! Quite impressive that you did it all out of doors without a lift. Thanks for a helpful video.

[@Chill_Mode_JD]

MOR CASTOORRRR! Lol great work! She’s really starting to come together!

[@softroadingthewest]

Great work, very well explained as always. Nice to hear Blingstrom's name, he is a real treasure to the Forester community.

[@19-1-91]

Another great vid mate 👍🏽

[@therootedprogress]

Love how many parts are interchangeable with the Forester from the sti. Wish these could fit on the outback 😅. Great video! More than just installing and appreciated all the explanation in the beginning and how the mod actually improves weight savings and wheel clearance for larger tires. Those are two vital things to always consider while building an off-road vehicle so awesome that beyond the upgrade it was also beneficial for the build.

[@HoxRC23]

You can buy the control arms from the JDM legacy GTB. They are the same and will fit the outback.

[@chicosnap]

The ball joints are the same You just need to use the cones to make it fit 20216FA000 I'm also planning doing it soon

[@tengu8187]

Good shit on the intro explaining the differences / makes models ect usually I skip that but really good info saw the whole thing. Sometimes that information is needed. Imma subscribe to the channel

[@so7472]

good stuff, keen to get my own Forster

[@micahcoto4543]

Legend, cheers for the vid. im needing to swap my control arms as i keep breaking swaybar links and need a more durable arm, and this looks like it will do nicely.

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

It’s a great mod! One of my favourites I’ve done to the foz! Now I just want the rear sti arms for the complete package!

[@timsheets9604]

Just wanna say thank you for the video !!! Getting ready to tackle this lol

[@nathanturner2482]

looks good mate.

[@brennanatteberry5862]

Thanks for the video!

[@mitchfan01]

Hey mate, good thing to mention is the control arm with the ‘kink’ in the long edge gives more caster and so does flipping the metal bar that holds the bracket. Nice one

[@daleoldfield7961]

Nice one 👌

[@granturismo4000]

I’ve got some of these to fit along with my 2” lift very soon :-)

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Nice! The control arms are one of my favourite mods on my XT

[@LucaG1]

I saw this on a DIY guide from Blingstrom and wondered if anyone else has done it. Here i am

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

It’s a very worthwhile mod!

[@sabancolak5631]

merhaba yaptıgınız işler cok güzel başarılar diliyorum

[@michaelhagan7398]

Nice video thanks! A lot of cars you tighten the bushings to full spec after the car is on the ground. If you tighten them before it squeezes the bushings into place and when you set the car on the ground it twists the bushings and wears them out pretty quickly as you drive if they don't manage to settle into the right spot. Not sure if this holds true for Subarus.

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Yes that’s totally correct. Did I not mention that in this video? I normally always tighten the bolts for the bushings properly after I have lowered the vehicle.

[@dogburrito]

what size are the fasteners?

[@alexlawsontas]

Hey man, love the videos. Keep up the good work. That rear bushing that you used the shifter on has a torque spec of 190 Nm. Did you sort this out later somehow? Looks like it'd be a real struggle to get a torque wrench in there unless there exists super low profile torque wrenches I don't know about :D What was the component that was blocking a regular wrench from getting in there? (It didn't look easily removable.)

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

So that is the body of the car that’s in the way so it’s a really tight spot to get to. I used a wrench to both undo and tighten that bolt. I didn’t torque it, but yes your right that it should be done. You would probably have to get a special extension tool to do this job properly.

[@TheRipePunani]

I haven't tried this job on my own, but I think a crowsfoot wrench might help in this situation. I've used them in he past and they're great in situations where the fastener is in a spot too tight for a open end wrench or too small to fit a socket and ratchet. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXmcZoSYYtxkpsU

[@fo22zz]

Do you know if the GD control arms fit the SF foz??

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

I just googled this and apparently the SF and SG forester share the same control arm, so you should be able to fit this part.

[@Wiggy93]

Good video! Face-lift is 06-08 though 03-05 is pre. No hate saved this video

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Can’t remember what I said in this video but that depends where in the world you are. Some country’s got the facelift model in 05 with the first of the SG models built back in 02. Anyway, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the video.

[@dildodickings2668]

My 05 is one of the first facelifts we got. Iirc somewhere in september there was the switch between the bodystyles and there were "04"s and "06"s registered in the same month.

[@itame101]

Are you going to put a quick-release on the sway bars?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

I plan to for the rear. For the front I will run adjustable heavy duty end links

[@__-ko3dc]

What will you be doing for the quick release? And which adjustable endlinks are you plannimg to use for the front?

[@karkiler]

Hi! Will control arm from GD 2.5t sti hawkeye 2006 be fit to Forester SG?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

I believe they are suited to the facelift SG (05-07) as they have the self levelling headlight sensor

[@bruceyyyyy]

I'm kind of offended by how easy that ball joint came out. I've needed a pickle fork and a 10 lb sledge to get some off in the rust belt.

[@rosco420i8]

Aren't you supposed to tighten the bolts up while the vehicle is at ride height?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Yes that’s correct. I just looked through the video and did indeed miss that point. Thanks for the feedback.

[@christophercaballes3477]

Would this mod help with my lifted 07 foz constantly tearing from CV axle boots?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

No, not really. If your having CV issues, you should look into installing a transmission mount insert, maybe installing some sort of guard if your having rocks flick into the boot and always make sure to use OEM boots as they last the longest.

[@AllanKuo]

Just to clarify, even though the two ball joints are different, you have to use the sti ball joint to fit it into the forester? Did you end up tweaking the caster or had the alignment shop do it?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Yes, so the lower portion of the sti ball joint is larger so you need that for the control arm, but the upper half that fits onto the hub is the same between the different models. You’ll definitely need an alignment after installing these arms, and I always take mine to a shop to have it done.

[@AllanKuo]

@@ignitionoffroad5028 Really appreciate the quick reply. This totally makes sense now. I greatly enjoy your visual videos versus writing and pictures, helps me understand a lot more. Are you weary of the STI aluminum snapping off roading versus the Forester steel bending? I hear people don't do this modification because of that reason. Thoughts?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

@@AllanKuo I’ve never seen one snapped, and the keyboard warriors that claim they snap have never shown me any evidence. Either way, if you bend or snap an arm you’ve probably sent it too hard and your going to need a replacement..

[@AllanKuo]

@@ignitionoffroad5028 You got a good point, I agree. Last question, The bushing, not the transverse bushing, the one on the opposite side, the one in the STI LCA fits into the forester so I don't need to swap that over from the Forester?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

@@AllanKuo yep, that’s correct, no need to swap that bushing

[@austinsergent8130]

Do you need a new sway bar or sway bar links from a sti to fit it?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

No, you should be able to use the existing swaybar and endlinks for the SG series forester. I believe for the SF you may need different endlinks.

[@austinsergent8130]

Ignition Offroad i got a 08 forester, I found a set of 07 sti control arms and trying to see if they’d fit

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Austin Sergent unfortunately I don’t think they will. The suspension design was altered in that generation subaru. I would look at the 08 onwards sti control arms in your application

[@nickymabalay5423]

Good video, For safety reason at least put some backup stuff other the stand.

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Thanks. I’ve never heard of that being an issue with rated axle stands but definitely something to do if your only supporting the car with a jack itself. Thanks for the feedback 🙂

[@dogsbyfire]

The idea is to never have your life depending upon a single object holding up the car. So have a jackstand supporting the car but also have a second jackstand elsewhere so that if the first one fails your head is not crushed. The second jackstand will not be bearing any weight. It will simply be in a position that will hold the car up should the first one fail. You can also use a jack for this purpose but that’s not as desirable.

[@NicCageForPresident2024]

Will these fit a sf forester

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

I think so

[@wg4476]

Can you use the same sti control arm for a 2003 subaru baja to fit larger tires?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

I don’t think so. You might have to look at the outback or legacy platforms for compatible arms

[@wg4476]

good to know. Thanks. Too bad Subaru doesn't make a performance version of the outback or legacy with aluminum control arms. :-( @@ignitionoffroad5028

[@jonohadley1629]

Please make sure you do an alignment!

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Definitely! An alignment needs to be done any time you play around with suspension components

[@locoserge007]

Hi those light arm will fit on 06 impreza??

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Yes. These control arms come from an impreza originally. Best to get ones from a matching year however as the newer model have a self levelling headlight sensor attached to the arm.

[@locoserge007]

@@ignitionoffroad5028 I don't have light arm so those are steel arm so which car and year from

[@trance4you2]

Do you have the part numbers for these?

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Sorry, but I have no idea what the part numbers are for the control arms.

[@Bmiguelpaiva]

Ignition Offroad, did you know if that control arm can be fited to an SF Forester !?

[@agentp6621]

I’m looking to replace the forward control arms on my 02 forester. A Google search showed me this. I’ve got a few questions. 1. Is this mod compatible with a first gen forester? 2. Though you’re saving 1.6 Kg, what do you gain from that? Are there enough potential parts that can be swapped like this to provide a significant weight savings? 3. If enough weight is saved, will it help with fuel economy? Thanks.

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Control arms should be compatible between SF and SG models, so it should fit. Your saving weight from unsprung mass, but for me the benefits are additional caster - provides more clearance from firewall and allows the vehicle to track better, increases track width for better stability and the alloy component is stronger than the standard steel arms. If your after further weight savings with un sprung mass, look for lighter wheel and tyre combos. Fuel economy wise I don’t think you will see a difference however when paired with a lighter wheel setup your economy and performance may improve.

[@agentp6621]

Cheers, I figured there wouldn’t be enough weight savings to make a difference but thought I’d ask. So if I’m following you correctly. The STI arms provide better clearance for larger tyres? Because along with the work I’m looking to do. I’m wanting to give it a bit of a lift and larger tyres.

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

@@agentp6621 correct, with the added caster they push the front wheel forwards, allowing for a little extra space between the wheel and firewall. It only a small improvement however

[@agentp6621]

I did a little more research about fuel economy and reducing weight. The American EPA found that cutting 50 lbs from a vehicle can save about 1% in fuel. It seems to be pointless if I’m putting larger tyres and a lift on it to try and save fuel. Thanks again.

[@dronedownunder652]

Nube question....you save 1.6kg in total (0.8kg in front two corners) and gain about 5mm of clearance on the door side of the wheel arch....all good, but does this mod do anything else????........or is there any noticeable change in the steering dynamics ???

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Better handling characteristics and more clearance when fitting larger tyres

[@dronedownunder652]

@@ignitionoffroad5028 bigger tyres, yep, got that from the video but "...better handling characteristics.." is a pretty vague comment. Better how?....more feedback through the steering wheel, better turn-in ..... better how and by how much. If I drove two identical cars back to back one with STI control arms and one with stock Foz arms would I actually notice any difference ??

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Essentially the additional caster stabilises the car more at high speed and it corners better. Really we are talking a small change in geometry so the changes may not be very noticeable. For myself, I swapped to the STI arms for the extra tyre clearance and added strength of the arm. Yes some people worry about the aluminium arms snapping, but it takes a lot more to snap a sti arm than bend the OEM steel ones.

[@dronedownunder652]

@@ignitionoffroad5028 Thank you for that info. I think a lot of people do these type of mods without truly understanding what they are doing. I tend to agree though, when you sit the STI arms next to the Foz OEM they look flimsy but I guess looks can be deceiving. I will give it a go !

[@bruceyyyyy]

I'm offended how easily you removed that ball joint. I've had several that require pickle forks and 10 lb sledges.

[@ignitionoffroad5028]

Haha, this car has been a dream in terms of bolts! It was never this easy with my other subies either...

[@Hederich17]

The STI arm can break at Offroad driving (what happened to me) the steel ones don’t break it bend, but I can still drive home.

[@kineticinstallationspecial5775]

I was gonna post this exact comment