Popping/Clicking sound when turning the wheels

[unibrook]

Front differential bind?

 

I can see a diff binding if it's pretty much wrecked, but don't see what a fluid change will do to fix it.

 

 

It fixed mine. Luckily, before my axles/CV joints got wrecked. The old fluid loses its viscosity as it ages, so when it heats up it goes into locked mode...which in turn gives you that diff bind wheel grabbing pavement effect. New fluid stays viscous when warm, so the differential can do its job. The fact that the OP said this only happens when the car is warm, not cold, implies it is a diff problem....not an axle problem. Now the question is, which differential?

 

To the OP, when did you change out your front diff fluid? Was it before putting in a new set of axles....or only since the last set?

Is the binding ONLY happening to the front wheels....or also possibly to the rear wheels? (if also, or only to the rear wheels, and you have already changed your front diff fluid, then I am getting the nasty feeling that it might be your center diff that has gone bad. That is a more expensive fix. That is why it is always good to start with the cheap easy fix attempts first...eg, front diff fluid change)

Edited January 25, 2012 by unibrook

[bawalker]

I replaced the fluid within a few days of having the Subaru OEM re-manufactured axles installed so I didn't let them go a long time being driven without the fluid change.

 

My question would be, how would one determine if the rear differential was having the problem? I'm almost certain, 99.999% certain infact, that it's the front differential because the popping/grabbing affect only takes place when turning hard turns. Either going forward, or backwards. Most noticeably when pulling into or backing out of a parking lot space. It is not heard or noticed when driving straight.

 

*IF* it is the front differential that is wrecked, what is involved in replacing it and on average, what is the cost for that? Being that my Subaru has 230,600 miles on it now, the engine is in excellent shape, interior and exterior have no damage, has new struts, axles and short of this popping problem, is it worth fixing? My girlfriend is trying to convince me to get rid of it and get a new one, but the idea of car payments is something I abhor.

[unibrook]

I would get the car warm enough to exhibit the symptoms, go to a parking lot, let gf drive slowly in tight circles to exhibit the bind, you stand outside the car to observe VERY closely to see if it is ONLY the front wheels that are binding, or ONLY the rear wheels, or BOTH.

 

If only the front: your front diff is the problem.

If only the rear: your center diff is probably the problem (since the rear diff hardly ever fails. But you might want to go ahead and change the rear diff fluid anyway, since the mileage is so high....can't hurt)

If both: then I would guess it is your center diff going bad.

[evworld]

Did you ever get your car fixed. I am having similar problems. My car only does it under load while turning right. Most while going up a hill and making a sharp right hand turn. I had the axle replace at the subaru dealer. It fixed it for 3 months and it returned again.

[bawalker]

Currently my car is in another shop being looked at. I haven't gotten the final diagnosis yet, though when I dropped it off, the garage sounded confident that it was the transfer clutch having gone bad. Thus leaving the car stuck in a permanent 4WD with the popping and grabbing coming from no AWD, but 4WD in action.

[pdxroo]

Our 2005 OB started clicking on harder right and now left turns. It's not bad but it's getting a little worse. There is no correlation between time to warm up, etc. How do I know if it's the CV joints vs axles? What are the odds for one vs the other (CV much more common)?

[evworld]

Our 2005 OB started clicking on harder right and now left turns. It's not bad but it's getting a little worse. There is no correlation between time to warm up, etc. How do I know if it's the CV joints vs axles? What are the odds for one vs the other (CV much more common)?

 

 

Good Luck with your popping and clicking. I owned Honda's for many years and should have just stayed with them. My outback with the popping and clicking is driving me crazy. I cannot figure it out and it starting to be a PITA....

[CNY_Dave]

Our 2005 OB started clicking on harder right and now left turns. It's not bad but it's getting a little worse. There is no correlation between time to warm up, etc. How do I know if it's the CV joints vs axles? What are the odds for one vs the other (CV much more common)?

 

Not sure what you mean by CV vs Axles...

 

But what you are describing is the classic bad outer CV joint.

 

Dave

[heartless]

Our 2005 OB started clicking on harder right and now left turns. It's not bad but it's getting a little worse. There is no correlation between time to warm up, etc. How do I know if it's the CV joints vs axles? What are the odds for one vs the other (CV much more common)?

 

the CV joint is part of the axle - not something seperate. the CV (constant velocity) joint is what allows the wheels to turn while the axle is still supplying power to the wheels. (ie: the part of the axle that bends)

 

if the clicking noise (similar to the old "playing card in the bicycle spokes" noise) is heard all the time - cold or warm - then chances are it is the CV joint of the axle gone bad

[bawalker]

I just wanted to follow up this post/thread with the solution for what happened with my car.  I know the last post was Dec 2011 and I did get the popping/grabbing situation fixed a few months afterwards last year in 2012. 

I did contact Marshal about the axles and had genuine rebuilt ones ordered and installed and that did not solve the problem.  After talking with another mechanic shop (who happens to be a customer of mine) they referred me to a transmission specialist as they said it sounded like something with the front differential, and if it was, it was beyond their scope of service.

Well I took it to this transmission specialist who also works solely on transmission and drive trains and is an expert in the area on them.  At first I dropped it off and they took several days to get to it but simply could not replicate the problem.  But they would check it again a day or two later.  Again, they could not replicate the problem.  Mainly because they weren't driving it more than 15 min at a time.

Anyway I needed the car for work so I got it, but rescheduled another appointment with them.  But this time before dropping it off, I asked if I could drive it for an hour and have their main mechanic jump in then.  So we did that and after
5 minutes of driving he said that popping was the absolute worst he's ever heard.  He confirmed with me that I had replacement axle's installed and if so, it had to be the front differential.

Well a week later I get the call that the car is fixed.  When I went in to pick it up they wanted to show me something.  The mechanic said normally when taking off/apart one of these front differential's, there is a massive spring with about 400+lbs of pressure on it when removing some backplate.  Thus they have to use a special tool to take the units apart for servicing.  However when they took my apart they were amazed that the spring had essentially welded itself to the inside of the differential.  He said he's never seen that before in his 20+ years of transmission/drive train work.

Long story short, that repair was done in June of 2012 and since then the car has been perfect when turning.  Not so much as a pop, a click, or the feeling of a 'grab' by the tires.  The repair did cost me $1000 but since then I'm about ready
to break 260,000 miles and the only other work I've had done was the clutch was replaced this month.  The previous clutch got me 158,000 miles (which I assume is pretty darn good!).  But for now, the Subaru is still moving along great!

I just thought I'd let everyone know and send a big thanks to everyone for helping point me in the right direction for help!

Bradley