Well, my car is making a new noise. This one comes without the motor on or anything. If i put weight on the drivers side, i hear a creek. Went under the car and tugged and stuff and the tie-rod seems to be making the noise, and the drivers side link seems bent/worn out. It also has about 10x the play the passenger side has. Sound like time to replace my tie rod end links? I know there should be some play, but obviously if my tie-rod is creeking it's got to much play, right?

 

I did lift this car so it probably put some extra stress on them, and would make sense.

 

So if this is the problem, anyone recomend an OE or aftermarket set of links? Should i just go with the moogs? I see there are Whiteline KLC044's that fit.. and would probably hold up to the stress i put on this thing rallying around the countryside, even though the whitelines are for "race use only"

Edited August 7, 201114 yr by lesstutrey

you say rear in title but talking about tie rods which are up front?

 

have the struts ever been messed with, they can make noises too?

you say rear in title but talking about tie rods which are up front?

 

have the struts ever been messed with, they can make noises too?

 

 

I should have been saying the anti-sway bar end-links. The rear and front struts have less than 10k, and are all KYB, and were done when the lift was done early this year. I have been under the car and pulled on the rear anti-sway bar, and hear the noise i'm getting from my rear end. If i sit down in with the door open on the driver side, rear seat, and rock the car, i hear the noise, it's coming from the anti-sway creeking. The bushings on the endlinks seem non-existent, there is a lot of play just pulling on it with my skinny 110lb body, hence my thought they need to be replaced.

I had some creaking in the rear of my 2001 OBW. I replaced the sway/stabilizer bar links on both sides, including the front for good measure, and all creaking disappeared. After I removed the old rear links, I could see why they were creaking. When I moved them by hand they made a nasty scraping/squeaking sound.

awesome, sounds like you got it narrowed down. if it drives the way you like i'd just go OEM or i probably wouldn't even hesitate to use aftermarket something on these as well. the online subaru prices are about 20% cheaper than local dealers. thepartsbin and rockauto often have stellar pricing if aftermarket is acceptable. KYB rear struts for 02 OBW were $51 each when i got them, they usually have some sale or coupon going on.

now if only i had a pneumatic torque wrench, need something like 75 ft/lbs on the links. Glad it isn't something more costly or more of a pain.

Yeah, less than 65$ bucks for a pair of moog (which seem to be the brand of choice i've noticed, possibly because of the lifetime warranty i dunno) with 3 day shipping at rockauto. I got my KYB's from a few places, so i have an excel-g and a GR-2 in the rear, the front are matching GR2's McPherson struts that were like 75$ or so a piece, the rears were like 50$.