1 Lucky Texan

sounds to me you're all set. don't let a caliper hang by its hose if you remove it completely (I have used twine and coat hanger to suspend it from the coil spring), don't twist a hose putting a caliper back on. if some bolt or nut seems stuck, try not to force it - soak it in some PB Blaster or 50:50 acetone ATF fluid . even 10=15 seconds from a propane torch if necessary. plenty of people have done great work on their cars without a torque wrench - I use mine when I can, but you will do OK without one. I have had good luck carefully using my old brake pad as a lever to push the piston in with. the C clamp youmention should work too. main thing, try not to scar a rotor or puncture a rubber boot. if it looks like there is any 'burs' or thinck paint on the edge or tabs of the pad backing plate, you can file/frind them a little. I always use the lube on any contact/sliding parts - even the surface rim of the piston. pads are held loosely and all the sliding parts should get a little lube. if you got new rotors, clean the swept area with a light solvent or maybe warm soapy water, might have some protective grease on them. whent he fluid reservoir rises from pistons being pushed back, you may be able to use a turkey baster to remove old fluid, put fresh fluid in before bleeding the brakes. DO NOT let that reservoir go dry.

^^ good point Fair, these bearings can be a challenge to confirm. what brand(s) have you been using?

it's a pretty good idea to inspect or have the brakes inspected - maybe once every 2-3 years? as the brakes get 'older' (in miles OR time) inspection becomes more important and should be more frequent. does the growling get worse or change a lot if you gently depress the brakes? there are 3-4 types of 'tests' for bad wheel bearings, but none of them seem to be 100% accurate for our bearings; some folks have found bad bearings by using an infrared thermometer to find one hub hotter than the other side. Or, I have personally found a bad bearing lifting/rocking the wheel in the 12 to 6 o'clock direction. Some people can sense a change in sound thru sweeping turns left or right. The idea is, the bad bearing would be louder on the left in a right turn, or right on a left turn because of dynamic loading. Others claim you can detect a bad bearing by feeling of the spring while turning the wheel. Or listening with a mechanic's stethoscope. If you have a mechanic, take him for a ride and demonstrate the problem.

Timken went on and is still working fine on my daughter's Impala, haven't done a soob so....? pretty sure NTN is Japanese brand and may be an OEM supplier? maybe a decent approach would be, IF you can be confident of which side is bad - spring for the NTN or OEM, but, if you feel you have to slap 2 bearings on, go with the Timken ?

maybe take some infrared thermometer readings after 2-3 highway runs. If the left is consistently warmer than its mate on the right - might confirm that side.

wheel bearing/hub or axle problem? measure temps at the hubs after a highway run. If one is consistently warmer by - maybe 30-50* or ??? , inspect everything at that corner - even the parking brake shoes inside the rear rotors.

08 probably has HBAs right? - easy to swap so, maybe do both sides as mentioned above? did you try rocking/lifting the wheel in the 12 - 6 O'clock direction? I found a bad, noiseless, rear bearing like that once. The good side didn't move, the bad one moved maybe 2mm. bad bearings can be hard to find.

have you considered a full window tint job? ceramic films are really nice. also, take a look at some of the options they have for baby/toddler sun protection in cars.

swapping front tires with the rear pair should eliminate/confirm a tire or bent rim problem. u-joints and carrier bearing might be worth inspecting.

is the transmission pan dented? Any evidence of rodents chewing on cables? anyway, you could start a new thread asking for a shop recommendation near haverhill, someone may be able to direct you to a good Subaru mechanic.

smaller diameter tire creates greater difference in axle rotation so, center diff is slipping even less than before. no question now - center diff failure.

just looked at a map y'all could meet-up in Bridgeport in what - 30 minutes? have lunch, diagnose a Subaru - BAM!, problem solved! lol!

^^^ very generous offer right there!

some folks have had odd breaks in springs - basically looks OK when static, but separates on extension/bump. if you can't find anything, ask for a shop suggestion in a new thread - maybe someone will suggest a good mechanic near Elkins. Take them for a ride to demonstrate the noise.

I think there is a clip on the end of a wire inside the back - could be something different has happened to your seat but, people have found ways to fix the lumbar wire. probably other help on-line if you search but, check these out; http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-2014/60425-lumbar-support-explosion.html

yeah, bearing assemblies didn't come in umtil 2005 or so, depending on model. there are 'hub tamers' and various kits you can buy or rent from some parts stores. an intermediate approach would be to take your new bearings, hub if needed, and your old knuckle to a shop and have them press-out old, then press-in new, bearings.

maybe a valve is tight? right on the edge? vacuum gauge might show it.

that's a tie rod boot on the steering rack, good idea to replace that. if a caliper isn't sliding, the inner pad could be down to the metal so, get those wheels off soon. should be able to get a L wrench or a 4-way at the car parts store.

swap front pair of tires with the rear tires, monitor for change in symptoms. have the front-end inspected - sway bar, mounts and endlinks, steering rack bushings, tie rod ends, etc. was any work done or wrecks occurred before you noticed this problem? you could ask in a new thread for a shop recommendation near you in Sandy - someone may know a good independent mech. If possible, take the mechanic for a ride prepared to demonstrate the problem.

all tires the same brand/model/size and close in wear? they must be. does the car jerk or feel like it is resisting tight maneuvers in parking lots? can it idle (or very little gas) thru tight circles on dry pavement smoothly? have the brakes been well maintained?

man, you are thorough - way ahead of me and my w.a.g.s I had to reflash my ecu to kill 14 codes for stuck (closed thank god) aircut valves. (but, 06 WRX)

nothing wrong with inspecting brakes - but the advice about it 'possibly' being surface rust is good. I have seen light rust spots develop on my WRX's rotors in 8 hours parked at work!

I probably either; A. wouldn't worry about it at all. or, B. would wrap a few layers of tape around the cable at that point and zip-tie the cable (snug enough to limit movement, but not excessively tight) to the stud/bracket or something in that area to limit movement.

any sign AT ALL that parts have been pulled-off and re-installed? does a 13 still have aircut valves? kinda sounds like that air pump and those valves which are active at start-up. does a 13 have TGVs? is it possible the vane for cyl 4 could have a problem/be loose? also, is there any possibility the previous owner tried to flash a tune onto the ECU and the process was corrupted? You may need to find a 'stock' flash image to put into it. those are my guesses.

could be IACV-related, a little leak in the hose (i THINK 98 has a hose) or gummy valve - maybe even a dirty throttlebody? MAF cleaning could be a good idea too.