Please help! popping noise

Hello everyone. I have an 09 Legacy NA with 35000 miles on the odo. My problem with it is it makes a popping noise when I turn and the the noise ranges anywhere from a small pop to a series of grinding pops that sound like my driveline is destroying itself. The pop is more likely to occur (and more severe) when the car is loaded or if I'm entering a turn fast (loaded suspension) It is also very frequent when I'm backing out of a parking space and usually only happens when I turn sharply. I know there are already a few posts on this but I've read all of them and they either don't have a solution or the symptoms don't match. I've check the undercarriage and nothing seems out of the ordinary, I even had a helper spin the front wheels while I checked if the CV joints had any play in them (they were fine). The noise almost sounds like something is catching then jerking loose. Any idea would be greatly appreciated. Here is a video of the noise it makes. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwOfREVnImGLQXp1cjZZLTFxWE5hVWRtQmtUaDVFUlJiaE1R

 

Heres a youtube link https://youtu.be/4y3octfxztw

you can post your video somewhere that doesn't require authentication with Google and I will have a listen.

 

Wheel bearing (would be very bad!) or despite your assertion - CV joints are still likely - the force you can apply on them vs. the weight of the car are two different loadings.

The video link does work? I tested in on a different browser (nothing signed in) and it worked fine but ill get a different link up in a minute.

What makes you think bearings? the car usually runs normal and quiet, none of the usual bad bearing drone. Same goes for cv joints, how can they fail in a way that would cause intermittent binding?

See if this link works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y3octfxztw&feature=youtu.be

You'll definitely want to see if you can view it on YouTube because the following video is apparently the OP throwing himself off his sport bike in a low speed turn.

 

That does sound like it could be a wheel bearing in the later stages of failure. Usually they get replaced before they sound like that though. If it's not making noises when you're just cruising along though (only turning) then I think you can bet it's something else. CV joint sounds right. Does it happen over bumps too? I think swaybar end links can make some popping noises like that if they're bad/loose.

 

I don't know enough but maybe someone could comment - is the center diff a possible culprit?

See if this link works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y3octfxztw&feature=youtu.be

You'll definitely want to see if you can view it on YouTube because the following video is apparently the OP throwing himself off his sport bike in a low speed turn.

 

That does sound like it could be a wheel bearing in the later stages of failure. Usually they get replaced before they sound like that though. If it's not making noises when you're just cruising along though (only turning) then I think you can bet it's something else. CV joint sounds right. Does it happen over bumps too? I think swaybar end links can make some popping noises like that if they're bad/loose.

 

I don't know enough but maybe someone could comment - is the center diff a possible culprit?

 

... yes I did lay down my bike :/

Im gonna put the car on jack stands tomorrow and use a jack to compress the shocks (front wheels off) and turn the steering lock to lock to see if I can recreate the problem while I'm under there, if it comes to it ill have someone run the car in gear to really zero in on the problem. CV joints arent too expensive but its the center diff that really worries me.

that sounds like a bad CV or the lug nuts aren't tight!

It's worth getting a nice long metal bar and trying to put it between the other suspension components and moving them around because if you think it's NOT the CV then it will be a sway or some other loose component/bad ball joints spring to mind - get down there and have a really good look and get a long bar in and see what you can move, bare hands won't really do it.

 

Thats a good idea, ill try it out when I'm under the car tomorrow

OP has thrill issues.

OP has thrill issues.

Well I dont know if I would characterize them as issues...

Hello everyone. I have an 09 Legacy NA with 35000 miles on the odo. My problem with it is it makes a popping noise when I turn and the the noise ranges anywhere from a small pop to a series of grinding pops that sound like my driveline is destroying itself.....

 

Does this happen after cold start or after driving awhile? Mine is currently having transmission and drive shaft replaced...

 

It was the viscous coupling...and it made the exact same sounds. Although, mine only happened after having been drove for awhile. Sharp turns, low speed, both sides, and also in reverse.

 

I hope this isn't your issue...

 

 

 

Continual. Sustainable. Improvement.

Does this happen after cold start or after driving awhile? Mine is currently having transmission and drive shaft replaced...

 

It was the viscous coupling...and it made the exact same sounds. Although, mine only happened after having been drove for awhile. Sharp turns, low speed, both sides, and also in reverse.

 

I hope this isn't your issue...

 

 

 

Continual. Sustainable. Improvement.

 

I havent noticed if popping occurs only after a few miles, I'll test it tomorrow morning so see if it pops when cold. Another thing is this car was driven for about 5 miles with one rear tire being completely flat and I know thats really hard on the viscous couplings but that was on the rear and my noises seem to coming from the front

I don't think it's your center differential... Mine sounded completely different than that when it was bad. I don't know what that is, but I would not drive the car..

 

** I should also mention my center diff wasn't totally destroyed.. I mean, if yours blew up or something, maybe it could sound like that..

 

Also, is this a MT or AT? If AT, I'd be curious to see what happens if you switch the car to FWD only.. I think you remove one of the fuses to do that.

I don't think it's your center differential... Mine sounded completely different than that when it was bad. I don't know what that is, but I would not drive the car..

 

** I should also mention my center diff wasn't totally destroyed.. I mean, if yours blew up or something, maybe it could sound like that..

 

Also, is this a MT or AT? If AT, I'd be curious to see what happens if you switch the car to FWD only.. I think you remove one of the fuses to do that.

 

This car has a manual trans, sorry I forgot to mention that

Another thing is this car was driven for about 5 miles with one rear tire being completely flat and I know thats really hard on the viscous couplings but that was on the rear and my noises seem to coming from the front

That could turn out to be a pretty important piece of information but yeah, rule out the CV joints and whatnot first.

 

Sorry for ripping on you about the bike - stuff happens.

I havent noticed if popping occurs only after a few miles, I'll test it tomorrow morning so see if it pops when cold. Another thing is this car was driven for about 5 miles with one rear tire being completely flat and I know thats really hard on the viscous couplings but that was on the rear and my noises seem to coming from the front

If it is the VC, it won't matter where it happened. It effects and is affected by all four wheels. You'll still hear it up front, or at least I did. Can you feel it under your feet, too?

 

Continual. Sustainable. Improvement.

If it is the VC, it won't matter where it happened. It effects and is affected by all four wheels. You'll still hear it up front, or at least I did. Can you feel it under your feet, too?

 

Continual. Sustainable. Improvement.

 

I don't feel it through the floor but if it's a decent pop I'll feel it through the steering wheel. It's almost like the steering rack is catching on something then popping past it but there's nothing for it to catch on

So I got the car jacked up on 4 points and I tried to recreate the popping noise while alternating between the front right/left while suspension being compressed but I wasn't able to recreate the problem. I also inspected everything very careful but once again I couldn't find any worn bushings and anything out of the ordinary. Next I went on a drive with my brother who pinpointed the popping noise to be coming from the transmission tunnel and we narrowed it down to only popping on right turns. Now this is really starting to concern me, could it be the differential? If I'm going into a corner is will usually pop at the apex and it feels like lots of tension is being released somewhere. Where are the viscous couplings located? Are they in the hub or the transmission? Do these symptoms align with those of a failed VC? I sure hope not.

Subaru gearbox illustration, center diff in green and viscous coupling shown as (9) (drawing was posted here awhile back) :

You can see the viscous coupling is outlined in green so it inside the same case with the center diff. No need to nitpick. The man wanted to know where it was, hopefully that question was answered.

I took the car to a mechanic friend who immediately diagnosed it as a bad CV axle. I went and changed it but the noise is still there and now I'm really bummed out because I'm just a broke college kid that should have spent the evening studying for two exams that I have tomorrow morning instead of throwing away $$$ on perfectly good parts... Anyways I checked the trans dipstick and it has a bit of fine metallic specks in it, okay now someone deliver the death blow...

Couple more questions, how many VCs are there? Two in the transacted and two in the rear diff? And I'd think the fact the the popping only happens during right turns is a pretty big clue but I don't know drivetrains very well

1 CV axle per wheel, 2 CV joints per CV axle. Noise only on right turn = right front CV axle. Probably inner joint, that's the most common boot to fail due to the downpipe's heat.

 

Did you replace the right axle? Yourself or shop?