heartless Posted April 30, 2016 Share Posted April 30, 2016 ok, so have a rear wheel bearing going on the daily driver - 95 Lego with Forester strut lift and nearly 230K on the odo... had picked up a parts car with way fewer miles (156K) and am trying to pull the hub without messing with the infamous lateral link bolt. this means unbolting the other end from the car. we have everything loose except one bolt...this one: what is with the knob looking thing on there (in the red box) and how do I get it off? there isnt a lot of room and being right next to the gas tank, well... gonna be kind of limited in what I can do in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golucky66 Posted May 1, 2016 Share Posted May 1, 2016 So, someone else may know of a different reason. I've always believed that that nob is there so that if you ever get rear ended and the gas tank gets pushed forward, that bolt that's under there will not puncture the tank. So, it's a safety thing. It comes off by just prying with a pry bar (or screwdriver) it's very easy to get off. On, in my experience, isn't as fun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 1, 2016 Author Share Posted May 1, 2016 ok, didn't want to just start prying on things if it was something that should be turned off... and I kind of figured it was mostly to protect the tank, but haven't ever messed with any of the inner rear suspension stuff before so... and yeah, I have been lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted May 1, 2016 Share Posted May 1, 2016 Yes, turns a little a and then will come off. There are tabs on the washer that hold the rubber cover on. It will just pry off as well. Turn it about a 1/4 turn and the tabs will be lined up for it to come off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 1, 2016 Author Share Posted May 1, 2016 awesome! thanks lmdew! =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Bet you're gonna have to cut that bolt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 Bet you're gonna have to cut that bolt. LOL, believe it or not, we did NOT have to cut that one...or any of them! we have several "tools" in the arsenal for freeing stuck, rusty, and otherwise difficult bolts. we did end up cutting one, simply for ease of removal sake - didn't have to do it, but it made things go a bit more quickly. the good news is the used knuckle is all installed, but, I have something rubbing funny - it is rotational, but not the brakes themselves - still present when applying the brakes... going to check it out today, but I think I know what it is... the tone ring was loosened (don't ask), and we forgot to re-tighten things during install... should be an easy enough fix if that is where the problem is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 all right - so fixed the rubbing noise - it was the tone ring. took it out for a test drive - first 4-5 miles seemed to go well - stopped at a stop sign & checked the hub for heat - it felt cool to the touch, same as all the others. Continued into town to swing by the bank then gas station for gas - and the hub was warm - not super hot, but definitely warmer than it should have been. Drove home - and it is warmer, but still not so hot that I cant hold my hand on it for a moment. This car has all new brakes - rotors & pads - the rear calipers have not been replaced or rebuilt, but the pistons move smoothly in the bores and they move freely on the pins, so I don't think it is hanging up... but I suppose anything is a possibility... comments? suggestions? i really need to figure this out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Heat is your only symptom? Get a temp gun to confirm? Maybe someone else can give their readings? If you suspect to much heat, thats caused commonly by: 1. Wheel bearing 2. Brakes dragging Most common brake issues: Slides can hang but you say they're good. Brake pad clips get bent, rusty, or the black dust build up can hang the pads. Less likely: Rubber brake lines collapse internally and act like a valve, keeping the pad on the rotor. This doesn't really ever happen on subarus like other manufacturers but anything is possible. Parking brake? Is that adjusted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 Heat is your only symptom? yes, at this point... initially (before the hub swap) I was getting some noise as well, the noise is no longer present, just the heat, and it took some miles for it to present... 15 miles from my house to the gas station - no heat was noticed when I checked it around 4-5 miles into the trip. Get a temp gun to confirm? the difference is pretty obvious just by touching the wheels - the one is hot to the touch, while the rest are cool even after driving nearly 30 miles. I think I have a cheap point & shoot thermometer around here somewhere, tho... Maybe someone else can give their readings? Not really sure what good that would do, but.... Parking brake? Is that adjusted? Parking brakes were completely eliminated on this car (had major rust issues), so there is no way that can be the problem. what are the odds of having another bad wheel bearing? from a 156K car? more later, I have to leave for a job interview... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 i know you know what you're doing and I sort of assumed some of those answers but just wanted to make sure since we only have words to work with. i doubt it - but maybe the grease will redistribute and they'll work themselves out shortly? my first hunch would be the same as yours, a bad bearing again, but i'd try to rule out simple things too. what was the condition/prior history of the hubs? legacy are all disc brakes i think right? i'm about to throw away a set of rear drum brake hubs for that year. i've had a couple knuckles that were notably questionable after sitting for awhile in my garage. maybe they would have worked fine or maybe time, dirt, seals don't do well sitting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 (edited) I'd double check all the brake hardware. It doesn't take much for something to hang up and drag. Bolt the caliper together without the pads, and make sure it slides back and forth smoothly on the pins (sometimes they will work fine individually, but once you get the caliper bolted on, and they have to move together, something binds). Also check closely that the pads can move freely in the clips. Rust on the clips, pads, or even on the caliper bracket can cause the pads to stick. Make sure everything is clean, lubricated, and moves freely. I fought this with all 4 wheels (one at a time, of course) on my wife's '03 Outback. Edited May 3, 2016 by Numbchux Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 brakes were my first thought and I went after those right away, but I can definitely triple check the slide pins to be positive both are working in harmony (were previously checked individually) - may be a couple days before I can do that - weather is taking a turn for the worse here (rain for the next couple) the original hub has 228,000 plus on it, so I kind of suspect that one really is the bearing. about the same mileage as my old car had when it lost a bearing (the 90 LS) the used hub has 156K (+/- a few) but the history of the car is kind of an unknown. we just recently picked it up as a donor car (body has been pretty abused, including a destroyed windshield & hood from not latching the hood properly). It has been sitting for a little while, but how long, I am not sure. could've been a month, could have been all winter... I suppose I could always get a new bearing installed in the old hub.... argh... so frustrating, right when I may be starting a new job! and to add to the dilema, I may now have a line on a Forester.... but that is another thread... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 What did you torque the axle nut to? Sometimes an old bearing with new axle/new torque on it will run a little warm for a couple trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 we didn't put an actual torque wrench on it... threaded nut on, snugged it while it was in the air. put a steelie wheel/tire on and put the car on the ground, then tightened as much as we could. it is supposed to be in the 150ft/lb range, right? if the rain holds off, I will be going out to verify 100% that the caliper is not binding later today. may take her for another spin around the country block...roughly 17-18 miles...and see how it does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share Posted May 16, 2016 ok, just as a followup on this one... may have solved the hub getting hot issue backed the axle nut off just a hair (1 or 2 degrees of rotation) and took it for a test run of about 13 miles (had to take the dog to the vet) Hub was much, MUCH cooler. same thing on the drive home. Took it for another spin the other night - about 30 miles round trip, and again, it was fairly cool - a little bit warm right at the nut/axle end, but I could easily hold my hand on it for an extended time. So, it seems to be simply that I had over-torqued the axle nut. I will be keeping an eye on things for a while, just to make sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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