915250 Lightweight Tubular Sway Bar Kit 2008+ Subaru WRX / STi / 09+ FXT Installation Instructions Congratulations on your purchase of the COBB Lightweight Tubular Sway Bar Kit for your Subaru WRX, STi and FXT. These instructions should only be used as a guide for the install. Please read them first BEFORE you start so you can familiarize yourself with the steps and the tools necessary to complete the installation. If you feel that you cannot properly perform this installation, we HIGHLY recommend you take the vehicle to a qualified and experienced automotive technician to perform the work.
Parts List: Front Sway Bar Rear Sway Bar (2) Front Sway Bar Bushings (2) Rear Sway Bar Bushings (2) Grease Packets Tools Needed: Floor Jack or Lift Jack Stands (If you are not using a lift) Wheel Chalks (If you are using a hydraulic jack) 2 Flat Head Screwdrivers (smaller head works best) Ratchet 6-12 Extension 12mm Socket 14mm Socket 17mm Socket 12mm Open/Box End Wrench (2) 14mm Open/Box End Wrenches 5mm Allen (Hex) Head Wrench Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 1
Removal of Factory Front Sway Bar 1. Chalk the rear wheels and lift the front of the car and support it with jack stands. 2. To remove underbody panel, start by removing the three (3) 12mm bolts. There will also be one (1) pop connector on each side of the wheel well that attaches the cover to the frame rails (Bottom Picture). If you do not have the factory tool to remove the pop clips, you can use a flat head screwdriver to pry the center out. Once the center is far enough out, you can remove the clips. Finally, there are two (2) clips holding it loosely in the rear that will need to be removed to drop the cover. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 2
3. Remove the brace on the subframe that covers the center of the sway bar. There are eight (8) 14mm bolts, while the front has two (2) 14mm nuts and bolts. You may have to use a 14mm socket on the bolt and a 14mm wrench on the nuts. 4. It is now time to unbolt the sway bar from the endlinks on each end that connect them to the lower control arms. Each side uses a 14mm nut and a 5mm Allen head wrench. You have to use the Allen head wrench to keep the endlink stud from spinning while you loosen the 14mm nut with an open/box end wrench. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 3
5. Remove the 12mm bolt on the each sway bar bushing bracket. 6. Remove the 12mm nut on each sway bar bushing bracket, then remove the bar from the car. It might be helpful to have a friend hold the bar up while you do this to avoid any head injuries or smashed toes. Remember the orientation of the bar as the COBB bar will be installed with the same orientation. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 4
Installation of the COBB Front Sway Bar 1. Grease the bushings using the provided grease. Cover the entire inner surface of the bushing. A medium to thick layer will work well. You should not have to use more than about ¼ to ½ of the tube for each bushing. 2. Place the bushings on the COBB bar at the location of the factory bushings. The split in the bushing should be facing forward when the bar is installed on the car. Place the bushing brackets on the COBB bushings with the arrow on the bracket pointed forward. 3. Install the bar on the car in the factory orientation. It is easiest to put the endlink studs in first and loosely install the nuts while you reinstall the bushing brackets. If you choose to do the brackets first that is also fine. Tighten the 12mm nuts and bolts to 18 ft-lbs and the 14mm endlink nuts to 35 ft-lbs. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 5
4. Reinstall the brace on the subframe that covers the center of the sway bar. There are eight (8) 14mm bolts, while the front has two (2) 14mm nuts and bolts. You may have to use a 14mm socket on the bolt and a 14mm open/box end wrench on the nuts. Torque to 44 ft-lbs. 5. Reinstall the main plastic cover, two (2) plastic pop connectors (one on each side), three (3) 12mm bolts, and 2 clips in the rear to hold on the main underbody plastic cover. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 6
Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 7
Removal of Factory Rear Sway Bar 1. Start by unbolting the sway bar endlinks where they attach to the sway bar using a 14mm open end wrench and a 5mm allen wrench to keep the stud from rotating while removing the nuts. 2. Now loosen, but do not remove the 14mm nut and bolt that secures the endlink to the lower control arm using the 14mm open/box end wrench and 14mm socket. This will allow you to swing the endlink out of the hole in the sway bar. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 8
3. With the endlinks removed from the sway bar and rotated out of the way, you will now have to remove the four 12mm bolts that secure the sway bar to the rear subframe. 4. Remove the rear sway bar by way of the passenger side. You will need to feed it up and over the exhaust to do so. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 9
Installation of COBB Rear Sway Bar 1. Install the COBB rear sway bar by feeding the bar from the passenger side up and over the exhaust and into place. Make sure that the bend in the middle of the bar is going up. 2. Using the supplied grease, lubricate the sway bar bushings and install them on the sway bar. 3. Reuse the factory bushing brackets and place them on bushings. 4. Install the bracket with bushing and bar to the car using the factory 12mm bolts. Torque the bolts to 29.5 ft-lbs. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 10
5. Reinstall the endlinks to the bar in the front most hole (unless you plan to run race tires or like a stiffer rear end of the car) using the factory 14mm nuts. Torque to 33.2 ft-lbs. 6. Lastly, with the car on the ground, tighten the 14mm nut and bolt that secures the endlink to the lower control arm to 33.2 ft-lbs. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 11
Adjusting the COBB Front and Rear Sway Bar Both COBB sway bars are 2-position adjustable so that you can vary the handling balance to your tastes or the conditions. On the front bar, the front most hole is the softest settings and is 151% than stock. The rear hole is 185% stiffer than stock. The rear sway bar is 2-position adjustable as well with the front most hole being the softest setting and 16% stiffer than stock. The rear setting is 52% stiffer than stock. We only recommend the hardest setting to those running race tires at an Auto-X or track event as the front settings were developed for street use. Copyright 2012 COBB Tuning Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.cobbtuning.com 12