A few months ago i started getting that typical decrepit bearing sound from the rear and just got around to dealing with it, because I went out of town. Oddly the sound was coming from the back and when I jacked up the rear the wheels were solid so I tried the front and sure enough passenger side was loose so I replaced it and that heinous sound is gone but it's disappearance uncovered another whirling sound still coming from the rear. I tried swapping out my full size spare and sound was still there. I checked the wheels for the bearings again and they are solid. Brakes are solid and free of debris. Drive shaft solid and I just changed the diff oil and still the sound persists. PLease someone tell me you know what this is. It's driving me crazy.

If it gets louder with speed it may be the diff. Rotate the tires one by one and use a stethascope(find a spot maybe the swing-arm or the rear of the bearing ub) and listen rear bearings can make noise and still feel "tight". Another possability are cupped tires.

so are you saying the diff would be shot? I did the tires already. How would I know if the diff is out? I would hate to work on one thing and have it be another.

so are you saying the diff would be shot? I did the tires already. How would I know if the diff is out? I would hate to work on one thing and have it be another.

 

Lets Review

 

If it gets louder with speed it may be the diff. Rotate the tires one by one and use a stethascope(find a spot maybe the swing-arm or the rear of the bearing ub) and listen rear bearings can make noise and still feel "tight".

Oh, I see what you're saying. Great idea with the stethoscope. I'll give that a try tomorrow. Thanks a lot.

Grabbing the strut spring, or placing a long screwdriver between the strut spring and your ear, can magnify the sound of a bad bearing quite a bit.

 

I had to put mine in neutral to be able to spin the wheel fast enough by hand to hear the noise.

 

On these cars the bearing can make noise for quite awhile but remain tight.

 

Dave

I've seen these bearings plenty tight but howl like its going out of style. Done numerous bearings in the rears of a lot of EJ vehicles.

 

Have both replaced, aligned, then you'll be set.

thanks a lot y'all. it's coming apart tomorrow.

In my case, its the rear diff. I put the fuse in FWD socket and no longer winding sound.

I have a similar sound as well, but mine mainly does it when I decelerate, praying its not the diff:eek: or input shaft bearing

Noise on accel/decel almost always the pumpkin...

 

 

Dave

In my case, its the rear diff. I put the fuse in FWD socket and no longer winding sound.

 

Anyone?

 

 

What size fuse, 5/10/20 AMP??

 

 

And then if the noise in the rear stops, what does that mean???

 

 

Whats happening inside that just running in FWD makes it go away????

 

Easy drive way fix, or $900 parts n labor time?????

What size fuse, 5/10/20 AMP??

any size, a paper clip will work.

 

And then if the noise in the rear stops, what does that mean???

 

that means the noise is in some part of the rear drive train and it is linked to power being applied as opposed to just turning.

 

Whats happening inside that just running in FWD makes it go away????

when the fuse is in all the same parts a turning but there is no power to the rear.

 

 

Easy drive way fix, or $900 parts n labor time?????

it depends on just what is wrong. rear diffs don't fail often so a used replacement is a good choice. a drive way fix.

 

 

 

what is your car doing??

Edited December 18, 201015 yr by johnceggleston

In my case, its the rear diff. I put the fuse in FWD socket and no longer winding sound.

 

check the fluid?

 

remove the fill plug before you remove the drain plug. you don't want to drain what you have until you are sure you can replace it.

Edited December 18, 201015 yr by johnceggleston

Whew! You hung in there John. There's like 3 different people with similar probs/indications and i just get mixed up. The 1st fellow had already drained his rear diff and a tip off is the Smell of the oil and work a magnet in it and see what comes up. Anal yet true clues. One thing which I disagree with is a paperclip. I know you just meant that"it doesn't really matter" yet it isn't as correct as a 10A. whatever but who knows what size paperclip ?

Another thing about the rear diff/punkin is that it's still turning inside. The side pressure of the pinion to crown wheel isn't there. So the noise is the input bearing giving way or it already has and there goes the deal. The whine says that it happened.

any size, a paper clip will work.

 

 

that means the noise is in some part of the rear drive train and it is linked to power being applied as opposed to just turning.

 

when the fuse is in all the same parts a turning but there is no power to the rear.

 

 

 

it depends on just what is wrong. rear diffs don't fail often so a used replacement is a good choice. a drive way fix.

 

 

 

what is your car doing??

 

 

Making tire noise in the rear, had the tires checked and and rotated around and the noise isn't as loud but sitll there, sound like we got super swampers on it, when they are regular all season tires.

 

Had a left rear bearing changed a few years back, but when it went bad, it didn't make noise like that. It was chunky, floppy noise, no tire whirle.

 

But search and looking around it seems a tire change could fubar things, and a few month back we had a belt break on a tire making it grow hugh and it was drive for a bit till found out.

 

But I just did the FWD fuse and the noise didn't change any.

 

 

Though I did find a new apperciating for AWD, in FWD taking off on the ice it just spun, back to AWD and it takes off like it should. I love AWD

mine started after a strut change.

That is a lot to take in and I really appreciate it. As it stands I went out to remove the rear knuckle and taker it to a shop to have the bearing replaced however I was unsuccessful at breaking the lateral bolt loose after letting it sit with pb blaster for 24 hours. It should be said I am doing this work on a dirt road with a couple inches of snow and a high of 30. I've noticed in the past that living on a dirt road causes things to get crusty and wasn't sure if the kinda low temps would effect how a crusty bolt might break loose.

 

Either way, after reading everyone's posts i'm not sure of what I should be doing. Was I just chasing the wrong animal thinking it was the bearing? The sound is attuned to speed and gets louder when the speed increases and subsequently decreases. I had my gf drive while i got in the back and stuck my head out the door on each side to listen and you could really only here the sound inside, i'm sure the road and wind contributed to that. It was difficult at first to be sure which side it was coming from but it is from the passenger side.

 

So what's up with this fuse test? I've never heard of this fwd awd option (excuse my ignorance) and can that be applied on a 98 impreza? if so what would it do?

 

Thanks a lot everyone really do appreciate all the info. And if it is thought to be the bearing, any insight on as to how to break that bolt loose?

So what's up with this fuse test? I've never heard of this fwd awd option (excuse my ignorance) and can that be applied on a 98 impreza? if so what would it do?

 

this may help explain.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=94254&highlight=FWD*+fuse+rear

thank you for the link to that thread. Now how does going between fwd and awd help to determine what the issue is?

thank you for the link to that thread. Now how does going between fwd and awd help to determine what the issue is?

bearing will make noise all the time, diffs may only make noise when under power.

 

in other words if the noise goes away when you put in the fuse it is not a bearing.

got it, it's the bearing, now all i have to do is figure out how to break the lateral bolt loose. Should I disconnect the strut first to help alleviate added pressure? or is that ridiculous?

Ok this is getting ridiculous, so i decided to disconnect the strut from the knuckle first thinking it would help relieve tension from the lateral bolt. The things is swimming in pb blaster and has been. With an 18'' breaker bar and 175 lbs of monkey I couldn't get a single thing to budge. WTF? What is this the twilight zone?

 

I've got it sitting in the lot saturating but what is the next step? I've heard people talking about the blue wrench. Will a simple torch work do for that, the kind you use to sweat pipes? As well I guess I should mop up the pb blaster.

 

If it means anything I do live on a dirt road in Colorado so it's not real warm or dust free.

 

PLease help, I've gotta go on the road soon and can't keep borrowing cars.

I can tell you that when our left rear one went bad, I tried my best to take it apart but there was no way. Had to take it to a shop, with big tools and big torches.