Wheel bearing or axle?

Not sure where to start but sometimes I get a shaking steering wheel and sometimes not much at all.. sometimes I get a heavy thumping sound that matches my speed which before only happened when I made slight left movements of the wheel.. Now it happens left or right if the wheel is not centered so I’m not sure if it’s the axle or bearing?

That happens to me when right side brake piston was stuck up, I smell it in the first place. Better if you don’t smell anything lift your wheels put on neutral and see if it turns normally if ok then try shaking the wheels from top to bottom and check for plays.

Kinda sounds like a bearing, but there are always several possibilities.

 

While driving, you can try turning left and right within your lane, weighting one side and then the other. If the noise or vibration changes left to right, then pretty good sign of a bearing. If so, don't rely on just the noise to condemn one side or the other, you should still confirm on the ground. In other words, the sounds and vibrations can be deceiving while driving - I've been burned more than once replacing a left front wheel bearing based on noise, only to discover its Actually a right front wheel bearing. Noises can travel in weird ways, always confirm.

 

Raise the front end and spin both wheels by hand as fast as you can, listen for the noise. You can hold the strut and/or spring with one hand, and spin with the other, see if one side feels much rougher/has more vibration than the other. A helper is useful for this. Try wiggling the wheel both up and down, and side to side. If the bearing is bad enough, there will be play, usually in the up and down directions (can also be a ball joint in that situation, side to side can be tie rod ends and/or steering rack - any play is a bad sign, obviously). If you want to get really fancy, get a cheap mechanic's stethoscope from Harbor Freight, and stick the end on the strut or spindle while spinning the wheel, the bad bearing will usually growl.

 

Axles, easiest way is to drive in a tight circle both directions, listen for the usual clicking of cv joints, and if its really bad, binding and popping. If you're under the car, you can grab the axle by the shaft and move it up and down and in and out. Try holding the axle in one position, and spin the wheel forward and back, feeling for any excessive lash. Axles will all have some play in them checking this way, thats normal, but you're looking for one that has significantly more than the other. I've also found that Subarus can be very sensitive about what kind of axles are used, aftermarket axles seem to be very finicky on these cars. I always try to reboot factory axles, or replace with factory axles if you wanna get pricey. If you see something other than green axles, its not factory, and worth checking out as a potential source of problems.

 

Another possibility is a damaged tire. If some of the belts have broken, from an impact of some sort, the tire can vibrate and make noise. Do a visual inspection of the tread and sidewall for any kind of obvious damage first. Try rotating the tire to a different corner of the vehicle and see if the noise or vibration changes. If so, you'll need to replace tire or tires plural, depending on tread depth. You can also have the tire balance checked - if you have two tires out of balance, the imbalances can come in and out of phase with each other, leading to vibrations coming and going. This can be noticeable on a long sweeping corner on the highway, it starts smooth, then slowly gets worse, then better.

 

And like edge said, a caliper can be sticking. As it gets hotter it gets more noticeable. While you're spinning and checking or rotating tires, should be pretty obvious if one corner is much more difficult to turn than the others. Pulling left or right under braking is another sign. Also can check for visual evidence, a blue or dark rotor is getting really hot.

 

Sorry bout the length...got a little carried away, still got work on the brain. Hopefully it'll be something obvious.

Kinda sounds like a bearing, but there are always several possibilities.

 

While driving, you can try turning left and right within your lane, weighting one side and then the other. If the noise or vibration changes left to right, then pretty good sign of a bearing. If so, don't rely on just the noise to condemn one side or the other, you should still confirm on the ground. In other words, the sounds and vibrations can be deceiving while driving - I've been burned more than once replacing a left front wheel bearing based on noise, only to discover its Actually a right front wheel bearing. Noises can travel in weird ways, always confirm.

 

Raise the front end and spin both wheels by hand as fast as you can, listen for the noise. You can hold the strut and/or spring with one hand, and spin with the other, see if one side feels much rougher/has more vibration than the other. A helper is useful for this. Try wiggling the wheel both up and down, and side to side. If the bearing is bad enough, there will be play, usually in the up and down directions (can also be a ball joint in that situation, side to side can be tie rod ends and/or steering rack - any play is a bad sign, obviously). If you want to get really fancy, get a cheap mechanic's stethoscope from Harbor Freight, and stick the end on the strut or spindle while spinning the wheel, the bad bearing will usually growl.

 

Axles, easiest way is to drive in a tight circle both directions, listen for the usual clicking of cv joints, and if its really bad, binding and popping. If you're under the car, you can grab the axle by the shaft and move it up and down and in and out. Try holding the axle in one position, and spin the wheel forward and back, feeling for any excessive lash. Axles will all have some play in them checking this way, thats normal, but you're looking for one that has significantly more than the other. I've also found that Subarus can be very sensitive about what kind of axles are used, aftermarket axles seem to be very finicky on these cars. I always try to reboot factory axles, or replace with factory axles if you wanna get pricey. If you see something other than green axles, its not factory, and worth checking out as a potential source of problems.

 

Another possibility is a damaged tire. If some of the belts have broken, from an impact of some sort, the tire can vibrate and make noise. Do a visual inspection of the tread and sidewall for any kind of obvious damage first. Try rotating the tire to a different corner of the vehicle and see if the noise or vibration changes. If so, you'll need to replace tire or tires plural, depending on tread depth. You can also have the tire balance checked - if you have two tires out of balance, the imbalances can come in and out of phase with each other, leading to vibrations coming and going. This can be noticeable on a long sweeping corner on the highway, it starts smooth, then slowly gets worse, then better.

 

And like edge said, a caliper can be sticking. As it gets hotter it gets more noticeable. While you're spinning and checking or rotating tires, should be pretty obvious if one corner is much more difficult to turn than the others. Pulling left or right under braking is another sign. Also can check for visual evidence, a blue or dark rotor is getting really hot.

 

Sorry bout the length...got a little carried away, still got work on the brain. Hopefully it'll be something obvious.

 

 

 

When driving I can feel the vibration in the wheel when moving left and right in the lane but I can’t pinpoint the side but given how it was from before I’m guessing front left

 

As for tires New Jersey is not good for these rims I’m trying to find some used rims that would fit my car. I’ll probably check this weekend

The shaking in the steering wheel I learned was an indication of a front hub. I remember the shaking would happen on some highway pavement but not all the time.

 

If you have a "flyover exit ramp" like when you change highways, that can help you hear as the cars weight and load transfer from one side.

The shaking in the steering wheel I learned was an indication of a front hub. I remember the shaking would happen on some highway pavement but not all the time.

 

If you have a "flyover exit ramp" like when you change highways, that can help you hear as the cars weight and load transfer from one side.

 

 

 

Driving still it’s louder and more felt when making long right sweeps so the weight is on the drivers side front

FWIW, it was my left front that went bad first.

I ordered a SKF front bearing is the front harder to do than the rear? Hmm my edit did not show up yesterday I was saying it feels and sounds louder when making sweeping left turns but still kinda feels the same making right turns.

 

Ordered the stuff from amazon not going to pay $46 for Saturday delivery with prime so I might try to do it Sunday.. just can’t have anything break since it would be a huge issue.

This video you can hear it

 

Both are a PITA the first time. PB Blaster is your friend.

 

I'm sure you've read the DIY's for both the that forum.

Video does sound like front left, but again - make sure to confirm before you start tearing it apart.

 

If its not obvious spinning by hand in the air, another way to check -- if you can get all 4 corners off the ground and on jack stands, you can run the car in the air and have a helper or yourself walk to each corner, listening, and (carefully!) grabbing the strut and feeling for rumbling and vibration. Put it in second or third at a low rpm and check each corner.

 

I find the fronts are easier than the rears, but I rarely have to deal with corrosion here...a lift and air tools help, too, but its certainly nothing a guy cant do with hand tools. Relatively straightforward. Brake caliper, rotor, axle nut (dont forget to unstake and restake the nut) and axle out of the spindle. You can use an air hammer with a pointy bit to persuade the axle out of the bearing, or get a punch and a big fookin hammer, just dont mar the threads. You can put the axle nut back on loosely and use it as a kind of guard for the threads. I took the lower ball joint out of the spindle to get the axle out, but you could also take the strut bolts out if there's too much corrosion - just be sure to mark the position of the camber bolt if you do, or get an alignment afterwards. Remove the ABS sensor just for safety, not absolutely necessary, but better safe than sorry. Four bolts from the rear hold the bearing on the spindle, remove them and then start beating the hell out of it. Use lots of penetrating oil! Hopefully nothing is completely seized in there. Torches can help, the yellow MAP gas torches at Home Depot are great, much hotter than propane torches.

 

Going back together, coat the hell out of every mating surface with antiseize. I like to use some Scotchbrite pads, or sandpaper/emery cloth to clean up what I can, anything to reduce corrosion for the future. Coat the axle teeth, too. Axle nut torque is something like 154ft lbs? I forget exact numbers, confirm that one. Coat the axle threads and the back of the nut prior to torque, too. Put it all back together, double check what you touched, and go drive in hopeful silence! Also, if your wheel studs are in decent shape, bang them out of the old hub and save them for the future, if and when you snap a stud, you'll have spares on hand.

 

 

Just a general outline and some tips, check all the guides, obviously. If you do run in to something that's not gonna move, or break, or any other circumstance where you cant go forward, don't be afraid to stop and turn around and get it to a shop or someone else, especially if you're in a time crunch or something. I say that not to question your abilities or skills or whatever, sometimes its just easier to hand it off to an expert - even as a full time tech, I'll send a car out to another expert if I'm out of my comfort zone. We just sent out the shop Powerstroke diesel a couple days ago for diagnosis since we're an import shop, not diesel experts - totally worth the cost for a quick, efficient solution to a problem. Anyways, I'm rambling again. Good luck diving in!

That happens to me when right side brake piston was stuck up, I smell it in the first place. Better if you don’t smell anything lift your wheels put on neutral and see if it turns normally if ok then try shaking the wheels from top to bottom and check for plays.

 

 

 

I’ve had a seized caliper when I owned a 2nd gen Legacy so I know how that feels and smells nothing like that on here.. my first clue was when the car no longer rolled freely on slight inclines.

Kinda sounds like a bearing, but there are always several possibilities.

 

While driving, you can try turning left and right within your lane, weighting one side and then the other. If the noise or vibration changes left to right, then pretty good sign of a bearing. If so, don't rely on just the noise to condemn one side or the other, you should still confirm on the ground. In other words, the sounds and vibrations can be deceiving while driving - I've been burned more than once replacing a left front wheel bearing based on noise, only to discover its Actually a right front wheel bearing. Noises can travel in weird ways, always confirm.

 

Raise the front end and spin both wheels by hand as fast as you can, listen for the noise. You can hold the strut and/or spring with one hand, and spin with the other, see if one side feels much rougher/has more vibration than the other. A helper is useful for this. Try wiggling the wheel both up and down, and side to side. If the bearing is bad enough, there will be play, usually in the up and down directions (can also be a ball joint in that situation, side to side can be tie rod ends and/or steering rack - any play is a bad sign, obviously). If you want to get really fancy, get a cheap mechanic's stethoscope from Harbor Freight, and stick the end on the strut or spindle while spinning the wheel, the bad bearing will usually growl.

 

Axles, easiest way is to drive in a tight circle both directions, listen for the usual clicking of cv joints, and if its really bad, binding and popping. If you're under the car, you can grab the axle by the shaft and move it up and down and in and out. Try holding the axle in one position, and spin the wheel forward and back, feeling for any excessive lash. Axles will all have some play in them checking this way, thats normal, but you're looking for one that has significantly more than the other. I've also found that Subarus can be very sensitive about what kind of axles are used, aftermarket axles seem to be very finicky on these cars. I always try to reboot factory axles, or replace with factory axles if you wanna get pricey. If you see something other than green axles, its not factory, and worth checking out as a potential source of problems.

 

Another possibility is a damaged tire. If some of the belts have broken, from an impact of some sort, the tire can vibrate and make noise. Do a visual inspection of the tread and sidewall for any kind of obvious damage first. Try rotating the tire to a different corner of the vehicle and see if the noise or vibration changes. If so, you'll need to replace tire or tires plural, depending on tread depth. You can also have the tire balance checked - if you have two tires out of balance, the imbalances can come in and out of phase with each other, leading to vibrations coming and going. This can be noticeable on a long sweeping corner on the highway, it starts smooth, then slowly gets worse, then better.

 

And like edge said, a caliper can be sticking. As it gets hotter it gets more noticeable. While you're spinning and checking or rotating tires, should be pretty obvious if one corner is much more difficult to turn than the others. Pulling left or right under braking is another sign. Also can check for visual evidence, a blue or dark rotor is getting really hot.

 

Sorry bout the length...got a little carried away, still got work on the brain. Hopefully it'll be something obvious.

 

 

 

I have a nice Milwaukee M18 impact wrench last time I used it on the rear axle but it was no issue at all. I might just unbolt the strut the only thing is if I remember I had to use my jack to jack up the control arm to line the holes back for the strut bolts.

 

Under braking I can get wheel shimmer or sometimes not. Between my front rotors that I need to change who knows..

The shimmy in the brake can be fixed by reversing the brakes

 

If you jack the car up and run it you can put a long screwdriver on the strut and close to your ear and hear the difference

I have a nice Milwaukee M18 impact wrench last time I used it on the rear axle but it was no issue at all. I might just unbolt the strut the only thing is if I remember I had to use my jack to jack up the control arm to line the holes back for the strut bolts.

 

Under braking I can get wheel shimmer or sometimes not. Between my front rotors that I need to change who knows..

 

 

You can try unbolting the sway bar link, it can relieve lots of tension coming from the other side, making it easier to line things back up. Or, make sure the other side of the car is up in the air, too, if its on the ground while the other side is in the air, its gonna try to twist it all up.

I was watching this video here.. uhmm I did not know you could take the whole axle out from the bearing without having to unbolt anything from the lower ball joint to the strut.

 

 

I have a small 3 lb hammer but that's about it I need to get a smaller impact wrench

Holy crap left front..

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur04c9ghU8E]Legacy GT wheel bearing - YouTube[/ame]

You did read this, didn't you ? The fronts can be easy.

 

https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/front-wheel-bearing-diy-walkthrough-86994.html

 

Here's my post from Aug 3 2012,

 

I guess you missed where I did the right front in 35 minutes the final time. I got home from work at about 4:15pm, changed clothes, got the tools out, car jacked up, pulled the Moog hub out, put the bad OEM hub in, went for a test drive. The old hub fixed the blinking cruise light and surgging when it would go into cruise.

 

Called the dealer, they had a front hub, changed clothes, had dinner, drove down, 12 miles to the dealer, had to wait because he gave me the wrong hub, took the Moog hub back to Advance Auto parts and got my money back, drove back home, changed clothes, got the tools out jacked the car, R&R the hub, put tools away, changed clothes, and was done and ready for the test drive by 8:30pm.

 

The last swap out took 35 minutes from changing clothes to changing clothes. So actural hands on labor, was may be 25 minutes because I had trouble getting the caliper bolts back in, it was getting dark and I'm 57y/o.

Nah I never saw where it was posted but I figured it out on my own pretty easy the right front is ok.. but like the rear I did when it was 24F outside I have a spare Timken on hand.

 

While I was doing that I put he new bushings in for the sway bar.

Funny I changed the bearing and I went to work with no CEL on for the whole ride lol the tgv sensor is working again it seems

Funny I changed the bearing and I went to work with no CEL on for the whole ride lol the tgv sensor is working again it seems

 

 

Lol, whatever works!

Glad the bearing is working right now! Thats a nice sneaky shortcut, too, leaving the axle in place. Add that one to the bag of tricks...

Yeah I saw a video on youtube the guy never removed any bolts or ball joints.. I only removed the one lower bolt for the strut but it was pretty easy after that. But really I have to do the control arm soon and the ball joints.