ptrbilt

Just remove the rear drive shaft and you've got a fully functional FWD Forester. A junk yard center differential should only cost you $200-$300. Good Luck, Peter

This sure sounds like the rear differetial on the tranny is shot. You drive 10 miles and the clutch pack heat up and then won't release going around a turn. Wheel bearings won't clunk they hum (as posted earlier) when they get load goiung around a bend at speed. A bad CV joint won't take ten miles to "thunk" Try removing the rear drive shaft. Not sure how the forester is set up but if it is like the Outback then just remove the rear half of the shaft. The front half will hang from the carrier bearing and stay out of the way. Once the front and rear wheels are seperated you should notice the binding going around bends. If this isn't the problem then you can reinstall the drive shaft and keep looking. Hope this helps, Peter

OK I've so far determined that the viscous coupler is caising the torque binding, it is a sealed unit that can't be serviced and is a dealer only part. Called the local salvage yards and none have a subaru in the yard. I need some places to get this part. Also does it have a different name? None of the internet search sites have a "viscous coupler" on the drop down list. Any suggestions of where to look are greatly appreciated. For the time being I have the rear drive shaft removed but I'd like to get this fixed before winter. BTW its a 96 Legacy Outback 2.2L Peter

It seems that my 96 Legacy OB is suffering from torque binding whn going around tight turns. It only does this after 15-20 minutes of driving. After everything cools down again it won't do it anymore. Is there a way to check the fluid level in the viscous coupler? If so where are the drain and fill plugs? Finally, what is the recommeded fluid to be used in the viscous coupler? Thanks for the help!! Ptrbilt

I've got a 96 Legacy Outback 2.2L standard and I'm having an issue. The front wheels bind up when I make sharp turns. It only does it after the car has been moving for a while 4+ miles. Most noticable pulling into and out of parking spots. It seems like the differential is not letting the axles rotate at different speeds. You can feel the tires skid and the engine bogs down unless you slip the clutch a bit. Anybody have any clues on how to trouble shoot this? Thanks, Peter

Check tire pressures and wheel balance. I'm will this if a tire is going soft or if I've thrown off a wheel weight.