firstsubi Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 I thought I had a bad wheel bearing, so I dropped the car off at my mechanic... He calls me today and said he isn't sure what the noise is or where it's coming from but his money would be on the rear... I thought that sounded highly unlikely. I've never seen someone on here talking about issues with the rear!!! Any suggestions how to check it or has anyone had or heard of it going bad? I know it's a moving part so it is possible to go bad but I think there are too many other things first.... And as far as still thinking wheel bearing, the hub that I believe is the culprit gets hotter then the other side hub after driving. One is hot to the touch the other barely warm? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_dude Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Could be the rear brakes sticking. I had a sticking caliper on a Legacy and it resulted in violent shuddering and noticeable sluggishness. Also was much warmer on one side than the other so you could look at that as a possibility. I'm guessing you have rear drums, not sure how often rear drums stick. Have you done any brake work on the rear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subasaurus Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 (edited) when i adjusted my brake pedal too much, i overheated my rear brakes since they were dragging slighly, im not sure if it depends on the brand of the pads but when they overheated, they would squeak everytime the tire rotated (i guess the drum was slightly oval) and the wheel would be pretty hot, as in you can't keep your hand on there for more than 2-3 seconds. once that happened, i needed new pads or just sanding them down with sandpaper and the drum also since the squeak would never go away after that, even if they were cold. the rear passenger bearing (spline bearings) was bad when i first got my 89 GL (right side of roads are usually worse than left sides) it also makes a crackly sound instead of a squeak but i changed the CV axle first and it wasn't that, so i changed the bearing and that was it, just make sure you take that hub with the long arm to a shop since the race has to be pressed, unless you have a pretty good garage, or just take it to your mechanic as you stated. doubt its the cv axle or bearing if its that hot, check your drum brakes! note: front bearings are $20 and rears are around $60-80, good news is the rears have the 3 pieces while fronts are 2 bearings ($40 total). hope you find your issue. Edited May 29, 2015 by Subasaurus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 rear what? There are a lot of components in the rear, and almost all of them have failed at some point..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skishop69 Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 So here's what you do. Drive it until the noise is prominent. Get onto a vacant side road and drive the speed it is most noticeable at. Then swerve hard from left to right. If you swerve right and the noise goes away, it's the right rear axle bearing. If you swerve left and it goes away, it's the left rear axle bearing. Or if it gets louder swerving left, its the right rear and louder swerving right, it's the left rear. If the change in tone is not noticeable swerving either way, it's not an axle bearing. Again, drive the speed it's most notable at. While driving, put it in and out of 4WD and see if it gets louder. If it does, it's the rear diff. If you can't tell, then do this. At the same speed, in 2WD, hit the gas and then let off listening for a change in the noise. If it changes, it's nothing in the rear end. If it doesn't, put it in 4WD and do the same thing. If it changes, it's in the rear diff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_Loyale Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) Has any work been done recently to the rear? What is the vehicle? (yr model etc). Can you describe the sound or better yet post a video with sound? Need more data. A wheel getting hot can be from the friction of brakes that are dragging. I had surge brakes on my boat trailer and once near vantage wa, they locked but my truck kept going. Finally a car passed and flashed its lights and as I glanced out the side view mirrors flames were shooting from the wheels. The rotors got red hot and flame danced on them. You can jack up the rear, one side at a time and spin the wheel by hand. If you hear grinding noises it may be a bearing. If the wheel doesn't spin freely, look to the brakes. Pull back and forth in the jacked up wheel vertically and horizontally. Is it tight or is there wobble? The fact is with cars this old, the only economical way you can own them is by doing the work yourself. Otherwise you are just a major repair away from paying more than the value of the car for a repair. Oh and yes you can have a problem in the rear. I had a bearing start to make noise last year. I replaced both sides instead of waiting for the other to make noise. Some of the best money I ever spent. Edited May 30, 2015 by MR_Loyale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstsubi Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 I'm starting to think it's probably a brake problem.. I just bought the car last month from this forum! It's a 1990 loyale 5speed 4x4. I haven't done anything to the car other then change the exhaust. It has 15" 6 lug rims on it now.... I'm going to take a look at the brakes first and also check out the rear differential this weekend and see what I come up with. I wanted to put new brakes on it anyway because they were making noise like they wanted to be changed.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstsubi Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 Also the noise started out being when I would turn right and immediately stop if I turned the wheel to the left, now it doesn't matter if I'm turning or straight and I can't do anything to get it to stop now. It is an intermittent noise tho and it's a screeching sometimes also a noise I would want to describe as a "knuckling" and when it's getting good it sounds like someone is under the car banging or knocking on the trunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I had my rear something go bad... I assume it was a bearing... it was so toasted that the wheel was wobbling. I limped it home very slowly and converted the whole rear end to disk brakes (trailing arms and all) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Rear axle(s). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdweninger Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 This may be stating the obvious ... but You mentioned it ... did you check the trunk for a body? I mean, you DID buy the car off this forum. My money is on the drum brakes. Broken springs ... grinding, sometimes squealing, sometimes knocking. It is cheap to replace, and is the first thing you come to when you pull the hub. Well, other than the axle nut - which could be loose. I had that happen. First time Subie needs to procure a 36mm socket. Good luck, keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstsubi Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 If it isn't a bearing my second bet is dragging drum brakes but I've never had that happen so not sure what it sounds like but the noise doesn't change with brakes applied or not.. Dropping it back off at the garage tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstsubi Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 So the mechanic just called me and said the bearing is bad and it messed up the (hub?, he just said its bad and it messed up the piece around it) and also a piece of the brake was broken.. He said from what he heard it's a nightmarish job and I may be better off getting another lower control arm or whatever.. ????. Any suggestions? Or does anyone have a lower control arm for a Loyale wagon 5sp n/a? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robm Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I had this happen. I had it fixed for $400. $200 for the swing arm/hub/bearing, $200 for labour. But the guy forgot the spring washer under the hub nut. Good thing I noticed before I went too far. Make sure you have a good look when you get it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstsubi Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 I don't need the control arm right!!?? It would be the wheel hub, correct? And when do you need a new wheel hub assembly instead of replacing the bearings and the races?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) when the mechanic does not want to do the bearings. Did this myself when I was quoted A$175 just for one side rear wheel bearing kit trade price for my 84 Brumby ! A$50 bought me a used hub to bolt to my blade arm, shove my axle in and bolt up my brakes and shock to. Got more than 100,000km further down the road. Baring started to make a noise, I recoed a spare hub with rockauto bearing $20 + postage via Grayland, hub needs tighting up and I am ready A loose hub nut can be first sign of bearings going bad. My EA82 did that, made intermittent sqik sqik noise, found loose nut, tightened up asked self why , strip down found shot bearing, though quiet ! I think your hub splines may be damaged from play given by shot bearings, whch is why mechanic needs new hub and probably trying to look after your wallet, saving on parts and labour Edited June 5, 2015 by jono Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soopsoop Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 i had a rearend go bad i had to go to the doctor,but it runs in the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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