bad motor mounts?

I've been struggling to diagnose what I thought was a suspension issue. As I'm driving the cars wheels feels like there wobble off center causing a pull either left or right. It feels like the lug nut are loose as the wobble is more rapid than a unbalance wheel at lower speeds. Also, it's not a wheel balance issue or a bent rim because it happens with 3 different sets of wheel(one that's new and balanced in the last week).

 

I'm beginning to suspect a bad motor mount or the transmission center mount(41022AJ07A). With the hood open, car in gear, when I rev the engine to 2000 rpm or above I can see the engine lift about inch or 2. Normal? I'm thinking that the engine, trans, or driveshaft maybe causing it.

 

Q How do you determine when a mount is bad? Anyone experience bad mounts on these cars?

 

I've replaced control arms, tie rods, axles, bearings, and struts. I'm running out of ideas.

Have you checked ball joints?

Yes, I've replaced them within the last 6 months.

 

I forgot to mention that there's also a vibration coming through the gas pedal, center area above trans, engine.

How many miles on your car? Another thing to check with the motor mounts is the pitch stop on top of the engine, under the intake runners.

 

Driveshaft bearings can cause a vibration, but generally won't affect steering or tracking.

I appreciate the input but, how can you tell short of seeing a crack in the rubber portion. Is there a test other than removing it and inspecting it?

There's no pitch stop on the 5th gen- there's one mount at the bottom front of the engine, and two on the transmission bellhousing. A little engine movement, but an inch or two seems like a little more than I would have expected.

 

If you're randomly getting pulling in either direction, I'd think it'd be suspension related, or or maybe you have multiple issues and alignment is one of them. Could be worth looking at the transmission supports as well- my Baja is a 5MT, but after 187k+ miles, the rubber in the transmission crossmember is all but gone, and the engine/transmission assembly likes to buck and wobble at low speed/low load or when I get on or off the throttle.

Thanks, I check that out. I ready to give up and take it to a professional.

The motor mounts have not been known to be an issue, but this gen is relatively new still and most are barely reaching the top end of their first 100k miles. Did you buy new or used? How many miles?

 

Our cars have 4 mounts one in the front just ahead of the water pump, two at the bellhousing one on either side and the trans mount. If there is that much movement I would look at the mounts on the bellhousing first and make sure they are still in place and the nuts are still on the studs coming up from the subframe and still tight.

 

For the cost of having a diagnostic done, you could replace all the mounts with some better aftermarket ones, but most dealers I have been to waive the diagnostic fee if you have them do the repair, and it would then be covered for a minimum 12 months/12k mile warranty.

Thanks, I think i'm going to replace the trans mount and the front engine mount and see if that does it. I swear there's been times I've felt a knock or two coming from the area the trans area. I guess that could be the bell housing hitting the underside of the car if it's loose.

If the bellhousing is hitting the firewall you would know, lol. In case you haven't come across it yet there is another known issue with the front control arm pancake bushing that causes a clunking/popping sound that seems to come from under the car in the vicinity of the clutch pedal/dead pedal.

There is also another reported clunk/pop from the rear just behind the tire that sounds suspiciously like it is from the front of the car. That is supposed to be caused by a bad or failed spot weld in the unibody.

 

So yeah we got a bit of a noise maker, lol.

Yeah, I don't know. There's vibrations, on throttle, coming from the trans area too so I'm hoping its not the trans starting to fail. This is more than annoying little rattles though.

There wouldn't happen to be an aftermarket cv axle on this car is there? Those are known to cause vibrations in the driveline. I don't see how the transmission itself would cause vibrations, that would be more of an external issue: driveshaft or center support bearing.

^This. Always use OEM Subaru new or Subaru remanufactured axles, never aftermarket new or remanufactured axles.

I replaced with Subaru drive axles. Got to have deep pockets though. If I do replace the rear axles in the future I may try the A1 Cardone rebuilt ones.

I replaced with Subaru drive axles. Got to have deep pockets though. If I do replace the rear axles in the future I may try the A1 Cardone rebuilt ones.

Sounds like you're just throwing a whole lot of new parts at it to no avail. My buddy did that with his Jaguar and we didn't realize that one of the air shocks....which he had already replaced and were relatively new so we ruled that out early....had been the problem all along. He pretty much replaced everything in the front suspension other than the shocks looking for the clunk.

 

And then I had an idea....

 

We found a manhole cover that produced the clunk...and then filmed it in slow motion to make sure the shocks were properly attenuating the bump. Guess which front shock was bad.

 

 

Motor mount replacement - any aftermarket or just OEM?

 

Edit - searched* found this convo -

 

Hardrace Gen 5 Engine/Transmission Mounts

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=5383&share_tid=236375&url=https%3A%2F%2Flegacygt%2Ecom%2Fforums%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D236375&share_type=t

 

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Motor mount replacement - any aftermarket or just OEM?

 

Edit - searched* found this convo -

 

Hardrace Gen 5 Engine/Transmission Mounts

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=5383&share_tid=236375&url=https%3A%2F%2Flegacygt%2Ecom%2Fforums%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D236375&share_type=t

 

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I can vouch for the front motor mount. Shifting is so much smoother with the engine not pitching forward then back between gears

 

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^this

Yes this is what I can’t wait for - I think my mounts deteriorated right around same time I upgraded the clutch, and for a while now I’ve just been thinking I’m really bad at getting out of first - but I think what’s happening is my engine is shifting signicantly, shaking the car, and then I get all overwhelmed at the pedal - dumb dumb dumb.

 

Also hearing from shop this could have been leading to some false knock readings due to proximity to sensor ??

 

That being said - I don’t see the two bell housing mounts on the Florida velocity site anymore - I emailed them about it - I’m scheduled to get back in Monday to replace all these

 

 

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