The Forester, much like just about every other Subaru, had some fairly pronounced rear suspension sag.  I addressed this issue on the old 2007 Outback Sport by swapping the front springs for a shorter pair off of a WRX.  This time I wanted to keep the front end where it was and instead raise the rear.

This Forester has a nifty mechanical self-leveling rear suspension.  If I understand it correctly, the rear struts have a ratcheting mechanism that will automatically maintain the strut length at a pre-determined setting no matter what the suspension load.  This being the case, a taller pair of springs would not alter the rear ride height.  However, raising the body on the strut tops will raise the ride height.

As luck would have it, I found some ‘saggy butt’ suspension spacers from Subtle Solutions which are specifically designed to address my sagging suspension.  The spacers are made from 0.25″ HDPE plastic and fit between the strut tops and the body.  Here’s what I did and what happened:

Tools:

• 12mm socket and wrench
• 14mm box-end wrenches (2)
• floor jack

Time:

• 15-20 minutes per side

Before and After Measurements:

Note: I drove about 50km to settle the suspension prior to measurement.

Forester Subtle Spacer Install: Before and After

Procedure:

1. Remove rear cargo cover, trim covering strut top
2. Remove three 12mm nuts and strut top cover
3. Disconnect rear sway bar (14mm nut and bolt)
4. Raise rear corner of the Forester enough to let the strut top drop and clear the body
5. Install spacer(s)
6. Align strut mounting studs to body, lower the Forester
7. Reinstall strut top cover, reinstall bolts and torque to spec
8. Reinstall interior trim, cargo cover
9. Reattach rear sway bar
10. Repeat steps 1-9 for the other side

Install Photos:

I raced my first cyclocross race, and it turns out, the first cyclocross race held in Adelaide . The race was hosted by the Port Adelaide Cycling Club (PACC), and held in the Adelaide park lands just south of the CBD.

The early morning weather was cool and rainy, though my ride into the city was mostly dry. The weather was sunny and cool by race time, and the track was dry to slightly damp. I entered the ‘A grade’ with the elite roadies and such (I fall into the ‘and such’ category). The ‘A grade’ race was short at around 40-45 minutes. The lower ‘B grade’ only went for 25 minutes, and that seemed quite short.

There were 25 racing in the ‘A grade’, and I started near the back. The race was fun, and felt much like the ‘dirt crits‘ that the AMTBC used to run in the summer. The Gunnar performed well, and the only change I’d consider making is either lowing the tyre pressures (currently 65/75psi F/R), or perhaps switching to something wider and taller than the 32/30mm Speedmax combo I’m using.

Anyway, I held out and was lapped by the top four finishers a couple hundred meters from the finish. I finished 14th out of 25, total time 43:32, and missed being on the lead lap by 14 seconds. Overall, I’m very happy with my result. The full results are posted on the PACC CX blog.

More photos and video:

• Eternity Cycling
• Smudge Monkees
• Sentimental Photos
• Videos – Open, Kids, Grade B, Grade A

Another Video… I believe there may have been more cameras than bicycles at the race.

adelaide cyclocross. from Sam Roberts on Vimeo.

And I thought the iPad didn’t get out much…

• Apple Logging Locations of all iPhone Users
• iPhone Tracker
• Encrypt your Backups