85glsw

Finally something I can answer. Good tools are nice, but an 8.8 strength bolt of the right size and preferably long enough will work just fine. Remember, whatever you used, it has to be about the same diameter as that roll pin, otherwise, it's probably going inside that roll pin. Forget tapered punches. Some CV axles will have one hole distinctly larger than the other. Look carefully. Use light. Even the roll pin might be flat on one side and beveled on the other, not that that should make much difference. But if you break off a nail or a thin screw driver inside of that hard roll pin, you have expanded the roll pin, and it might not be coming out, unless you can grind your way to it (ughh). I got out of that problem once another way. I calculated that what was broken off inside was just short enough to fit between the outer ring of the CV axle. I tapped and measured until the distance into the holes was as even as possible, and then I could pry gently against the transaxle, and the CV axle came out.

Evidently it was the inner bearing race on the steering knuckle. It's chipped in several places. How that happened, I'm not sure. I did pull it off of a vehicle with 207k, and it does look thin. Maybe I tapped too hard with my iron pipe, but I didn't think so. I also drove for a few days about a month ago with the lock nut too loose. A very seasoned mechanic thought it sounded like the outer joint on the CV axle, and it did start to vibrate at 45mph. Also, I handn't tightened either ball joint enough to seat them properly. Fortunately a boot clamp on the CV axle snapped off though no fault of mine while I was pulling it, so I'll install the new CV axle and get a refund. $20 for another used steering knuckle off a later model car. End of story, I hope. Sell car. Need a van.

Thanks, I suspect we're getting at the problem. I was ignorant about how tight to crank the nut, opting for not so tight. Since I've already gone up and down a couple of big hills for a total of about 40 miles, I've got a feeling I'll be heading to the junk yard, and hoping another hub will cure it, before I try another CV axle as well (and the parts store for a new cone washer). 'Course first I'll try really cranking on it. Thanks again. If that's it, I'd have scratched my head raw before figuring that one out.

Hmm. The cone washer does look nasty. 150 foot pounds. That's a good hard torque on a 30 inch breaker bar, I imagine. But, it's supposed to be a NEW CV axle that I got, and it was making a swish sound on every wheel rotation before I installed it, whether under load or not, and now it clicks under load.

Interesting. Don't know the brand. Blue box. They go through a LOT of them. Hey, wait. I found the user instructions lying about. Funny. They don't mention any company name. Hmm. But it's under warranty. All I have to do is to do it again, if that's it. Do it again. Do it again. (Misfire.)

Ya, but it wasn't making that noise before I replaced the CV axle and the bearings, and I leave the parking brake set, so that I don't have to mess with clips and pads.

Yeah, but: looking at an old one with the boot ripped off, it would take a lot of violence to dislodge a ball bearing. If the splines pulled apart, I'm sure I'd know that in a hurry. I dunno. I'm sure not the expert. I'm a bit baffled how it could be a CV axle without a LOT of vibration, and there's rarely any. The stupid thing is I can't even jack it up until I get another jack. Mine just broke (scissor jack elevated on a block to keep if off the dirt, so I guess the physics were wrong for it).

Dust shield seems okay. Caliper bolts seem okay. Makes a nasty noise when turning hard slowly, as if the sway bar bushings were loose -- or like some big part is loose.

Yeah the dust cover is pretty badly bent. I thought I got it all. The calipers are bolted on well. I'll go check. Like, right now. Thanks.

'85 Subaru SW 4wd EA82, 1.8 Just bolted up a new CV axle and inner and outer bearings on the passenger side, gently. I don't think that I pulled very hard when I removed the inner side from the transaxle. Now, only when under load, I get a distinct clicking sound from that side which increases in intensity with the load, and the clicking gets faster as the wheels roll faster. The noise goes away when I turn left, hard. It sounds like it's coming from the outside and not the inner, but I'm really not sure. I don't think I hyperextended anything in the CV axle. (It's a new one. I forget the brand, but I bought it at a NAPA dealer. They go through a ton of them at that store.) Never touched the inner ring on the inner and outer bearings -- used a bearing punch of the right size. Didn't install new seals. Tapped in the CV axle into the steering knuckle with everything straight in line, off the strut, and hammered on a piece of wood. The steering and lower control arm ball joints look like hell, but they move smoothly enough. Did the other CV axle a week before, so I didn't do both at the same time. I've driven about 40 miles on it like that, up and down windy roads. Anyone have any Soob guruish inspiration?

The trans-axle was cooking after driving on the highway for about an hour. Seems like it's better not to go over 55. The CV axle was really hot. That's my guess for why the new inner CV axle boot split. The dragging is on the other side. For that, I picked up another strut at the junk yard for $15, and a new CV axle (before I realized the transaxle gets so hot), since there the outer boot is split and looks like it has been for a while.

Daeron, you got it. I added some walmart carb cleaner when I filled the tank with low octaine in another town, and no more noise. Cool! Thanks!

Daeron, the sound is nothing like a ping. It's like a stone in the left front tread, under load. So, I just pulled the disty. Beautiful. No play. Spins smoothly. Electrical connections look tight. Listened to it, this time with a long metal bar. I guess this is stupid on a disty, unless the bearings are really bad, because you just hear a more distant version of what you would hear listening to the valve cover. On the disty cap, it's fouled to one side of the contacts, and not in the middle. Could this be indicative? (I didn't advance the timing quite as much this time. But don't ask me for numbers.) I'll put in some fuel additive, maybe even invest in a few gallons of hi-test when the tank is low to test your pre-ignition idea. Next, on THIS problem, I guess would be to replace the timing belts, which only costs about $22 before tax, not including the hot sun tax. Or maybe I'm missing something?

Yeah, when I did the other side I had to replace the steering arm: the bearings just fell out when I pulled out the cv axle. Ughh. With everything I need to do on this car plus hitching to the junk yard and back if the steering arm is bad, this could take me a couple of days.

Exactly. Like a stone in the left front tire tread, when the motor is under load. I have so many things piled up at this point, it might be a few days until I can get to it.

Replaced with a new CV axle. But that is passenger side. The wheel doesn't drag. The other wheel does drag, and now that too is ripped on the outer side. Could it be the transaxle? It's 4wd.

TOD? Sorry, I can't figure out what that is. (Top___ dead?)

Thanks. Just for the record, I'm not the one who is boozing. Also, listening with a stick or a bar allows you to isolate the noise, no? I haven't had time to pull the disty, because I have other problems with the car (i.e. CV joint boots mysteriously ripping), and I have a lot of other things on my plate at the moment, some of which are even more pressing than this car exploding.

I replaced a CV joint about a month ago, because it had a ripped boot (inner joint, passenger). Now it's ripped again and so is the outer boot on the driver's side. The driver's wheel doesn't move very freely. I thought it was the CV axle. Sometimes I notice a slight vibration in the steering under load. Steering has little or no play. Also, when turning sharply at slow speeds, there is a noise I can't describe well, from both sides. Help! Just when I thought I could get out of all of the other problems for under 200 bucks....

Thanks. That's what I was afraid of.

Anyone hazard a guess if '88 DL 4wd front strut would fit on an '85 GL 4wd? I just want to switch one strut, because the crown bearings are going bad. Maybe better I rent two spring compressors and swap the crown bearings?

The drunken son of a great mechanic who had one of these said "timing belt" when he listened to the disty with a stick. The belts have less than 10k, I was told, but the bolts on the passenger side cover were broken, and there's a piece exposed, and I drive a lot of dirt roads. Yipes.

Would an '88 DL 4wd SW front strut fit an '85 4wd GL? Mine has the strut lifters. The '88 doesn't. To complicate matters, I only want to replace one. Perhaps I should have started by saying that the reason I am considering replacing it, is because the bearing on the strut tower crown is going bad and makes all kinds of noise (probably because the rubber boot cracked and water gets in there. The boot on the CV joint is completely off, so I have to get under there anyway.

It's a 4wd carburated. I just bought the rotor for the Hitachi. Two wires come out of the disty. I haven't pulled the distributor yet. Thanks for the heads up on how to investigate. That was needed education. But check this out: The rotor which I got a few weeks ago was too loose. I got it at Checkered. I replaced it with one from NAPA, which is tighter. Both marked made in USA (ha, ha). the Napa one is tan. The other one is a off white. That helps. But I still have that clicking under load, from the driver's side. I checked the junk yard today. The only one that seems a match seems to have the same problem: lots of play and a fouled cap. Question: Do you know if the slightly later model ones with 4 wires would work? Someone told me that the Beck-Arnley distributors are beefier. But I got some price shock at the NAPA counter for a rebuilt one. Guess I'd best figure out if it's broken before I pull out my wallet. Got the wife's nail paint. I'm ready to go.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.