1 Lucky Texan

look in the PS fluid tank while idling - are there ANY bubbles or foam? If so, there is air being sucked into the system. Not sure about 05s, but there are threads about known problems with previous year models and bad seals/hoses. Easy fix on those.

Are you losing fluid? Do you have noise or other symptoms when idling or turning the wheel? Any drips under the car? Anyway, you can take your car to another shop for a second opinion/quote if you are unsure about the diagnosis/price.

I'd pass on those unless you want to risk rubbing the tires and reducing the lifespan of the wheel bearings. I dunno if they are hub-centric or you'd need an adapter or not.

definitely triple-check all hose routing after any major work and try a new PCV valve.

contact MWE ; Phone: (303) 522-8070 Fax: (303) 695-4984 If they can't help, reboot and swap sides with yours, or get junkyard axles, reboot/regrease and swap sides. Cardone might work for you, but it's the most risky option from what I've read.

cool! I would never have been that lucky!

EMPI from RockAuto or Amazon(they are new and properly case hardened.) MWE is a well respected rebuilder of Subaru axles. maybe Raxles Supposedly, rebuilts from the dealer are good. Everyone seems to agree the worst are from parts retailers like A'Zone, O'reilly, etc. you can start some arguments with this question, like engine oil discussions. You can reboot them yourself - but it sounds like you need more than just a boot on one of yours. Somefolks will swap sides so the force is on 'almost' new surfaces. Personally, I have an EMPI on the wife's Outback. Zero problems so far. (do not torque with the wheel on the ground)

As a teen, my dad once had me change the oil in his truck. I was pouring in the second quart of new oil when I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye. It was the contents of the first quart making it's way toward the the street. I jumped under the truck and scrambled around to put the drain plug in. Then I had to go tell my dad we were gonna need more oil. And give my oil soaked shirt to my Mom to see if she could clean it!

would it help to pull the axle stubs out? I know, huge amount of work - but......

any updates?

so, how did it go?

if there is any chance part of the 4" is still in the fill tube - maybe rig an air hose to the drain hole and try to blow the tube up/out? Or drain the fluid and use air in the fill tube/ drain hole (back and forth w'ever) to try an flip-flop the tube around inside there and hope some part of it winds up near enough to the drain hole to grab it. heck, even flushing water trhu the fill might push the hose out or near the drain hole. Dunno how you get the inside dry again, but even if you did another drain/fill after a coupla days, it might be worth a little moisture in there. probably dry itself out getting warm in normal operation anyway. Also, dunno how much water or air pressure the seals can handle. tough deal right there.

Based on an experience with my WRX, I'd say wheelbearings are only gonna last a few days at best after they get loud and 'crunchy' sounding. I dunno how long they could 'whir', I had the A/C on high last summer, and the radio! In addition to damaging other parts, they could also be extremely dangerous in a total failure scenario.

There have been many reports of extreme cold causing some fuel leaks - mostly newer models - but maybe double-check fuel filter and other connections?

I would definitely check for fluid loss/leaks. Power steering, or brake or ??? may be getting on the exhaust for some reason(maybe Hill Holder/hydraulic clutch or ABS related?). Doesn't take much to create a lot of vapor. maybe diff seal is leaking onto exhaust - or CV joint grease got slung onto it. Inner joints commonly split and sling nasty smelling grease onto the exhausr - but probably wouldn't be intermittently 'grabby/draggy' as explained. Glycol based coolants would have a sweet/toasted marshmallow smell so, not cooling system related. Sometimes, road debris like tar or a plastic bag can get onto the exhaust system and stink. Again, wouldn't explain the grabbiness. And definitely have the calipers examined to make certain the are sliding well on the pins. again, has anyone been under the vehicle to look around or check fluid levels?

any wrecks or work done the vehicle before this happened? has anyone examined the vehicle or at least checked fluids? was there a smell associated with the smoke? any CEL lit?

I'm glad to hear someone say that. I have no idea if it's accurate or not - it works OK. I also have quite a few tools (combination wrenches, a nice crescent wrench with a lock on the adjustment) I picked up at pawnshops decades ago.

you could also use a drill bit - 7/32 or so, to drive out the pin. maybe wear some safety glasses. (all kinds of stuff can fall in your eyes anyway under a car - goggles or glasses help with that.) If you plan to continue working on your cars, nothing wrong with picking up some tools. Jackstands are a must. While i do own a beam-type torque wrench, I wouldn't recommend one. They work, but sometimes you're in a position where you can feel the click type, but might not be able to read the beam-type. Hey, maybe Autozone loans them out? dunno. I have one from harbor freight. http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-stop-torque-wrench-239.html

good post. many folks would encourage you to get an MWE axle. I've had good luck with an EMPI axle on my wife's OBW. Cardone is probably close to the bottom from reading about folk's complaints. Most likely you can safely drive for a few days if you have to order an axle. If you are gonna borrow tools, try to get am impact wrench to remove the axle nut. Also, consider offering someone pizza or BBQ, brownies and beers w'ever to come over and 'supervise' your work. Someone that's done it before can do this in around an hour +/- 15 minutes or so. Might depend on when the beers arrive. (sorry for my snarky reply in the the other post)

well there's your problem!

well there's your problem!

I HAVE had mechanics suggest I call someone else - to eventually find out they were uncomfortable with the car brand or the problem I had approached them with. Around here, there's almost as much specialization in car repair as in medicine - these guys only work on GM products, this guy does electrical and A/C only, etc. Or, a guy with a shop will send your car to his specialist buddy for an alignment w'ever. Like you suggest, there have been times I was too trusting, and other times I dropped an issue because, let's face it, small claims court just doesn't seem convenient or useful for many of us. I have also reported someone to the BBB in the past and I once ratted someone to Consumer's Reports for using their review in advertising. I'm thankful that people do share ther experiences and expertise - I learn stuff everyday.

I have used yelp, google maps, tripadviser and other sites when looking for reviews of many kinds of services. I have also left reviews at yelp and tripadvisor, etc. That said, that stuff is only as good as the info. If there is one or 2 glowing reports - that could just be some guy's relatives or friends. But, if there are a dozen or more reports that seem reasonable/intelligent - I think that is a better 'datapoint' than a guess as to who to call. Sometimespeople just have a bad car or bad luck with a car and might take it out on the last mech that worked on it. So, like anything else, reviews must be used with some intelligence. Did you have specific question as to how or where you were reporting the experience?

maybe it's time to wax the muff....ler.

I bought a wedge type for my daughter's old Nissan that worked well for her. also, case logic makes a nice 'organizer' that goes at floor level in front of the seat rails under your knees. Probably hold a medium drink OK. http://www.amazon.com/Go-Gear-WDGE-BLA-2-Black-Organizer/dp/B003VKWQ4Y/ref=sr_1_32?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1331216849&sr=1-32 http://www.amazon.com/Seat-Wedge-Cup-Holder-Grey/dp/B0055AW0N0/ref=sr_1_38?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1331216849&sr=1-38 http://www.amazon.com/Case-Logic-AFS10-Front-Organizer/dp/B00004TZDV/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1331217535&sr=1-1