IdiotSavant Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 (edited) Hi guys, As I drove off in my car this afternoon I noticed a really loud metal on metal screeching sound coming from the front end of my 99 Legacy GT. The sound seems to move rhythmically with the speed of the car and definitely turned some heads as I drove. It was fine this morning and the car was parked indoors all day. I decided to record the sound as I drove and post it here to get some feedback before I bring it to the shop tomorrow. Any ideas on what this could be? Wheel bearing? Transmission? Would it be safe to drive it another 40km to the shop tomorrow or best to have it towed? Your insight, as always, is well appreciated. Cheers! http://www.wikiupload.com/FU13B51JA4V8SBG Voice0004.mp3 Edited February 13, 2013 by IdiotSavant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I would think thais has to do with the wheel bearing. You may notice the noise subsides while eaither depressing the brake, or turning in one direction or the other. MY car started to do this today, reaffirming the thought that it felt like it had a rolling drag of some sort. When the wheel bearing fails, the wheel sits cambered enough that the edge of the rotor rubs against the caliper bracket. Check for a loose axle nut as that can lead to this condition. It is not abnormal for the wheel bearing to fail, so replacing it should be considered routine maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdiotSavant Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 You may be correct about the wheel bearing. The noise is constant regardless of whether the brake is depressed. But, it does seem to quiet down a little when turning. I was under the impression wheel bearing failure produced more of a "whirring" sound rather than a loud metal screeching that makes my car sound a train pulling up to the station. I intend on bringing it to a shop in the morning to get a proper diagnosis. My Subaru shop is about 40km away and I'm afraid to drive it that far so instead I'm taking it to a different shop that's much closer to home, but they tend to employ young mechanics straight out of school. Should I be worried about having inexperienced mechanics work on such a problem? If it is indeed a bearing, am I looking at replacing the hub as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Ru Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 (edited) A bad bearing normally makes a growling sound by itself but if there is rotor rubbing, I doubt you'll hear that low rumble over the screech. Look on the rotor for wear. If its the bearing, driving on it may damage the rotor but towing 40 km is going to cost you more than a new rotor. The hub won't need replacing unless this has been occurring for a long while. Its possible for even a noob to do this repair but its also easy to screw it up by installing the bearing by pressing on the inner race or by pressing in the hub and not supporting the inner race. It takes less work to do the job on-car if you have the right tools. Off-car, using a shop press carefully takes time and practice. Read up on wheel bearing replacement so you at least know what your mechanics are up against. Don't know where you are in the great white north but check another member, IvansImports, who does wheel bearings right. Edited February 14, 2013 by 89Ru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 IT can go either way. in my experience, some wish-wish-wish sound occurs here and there at the beginning of it. I have driven bearings bad enough to hog out the knuckle. IT does take a few hundred miles to kill it entirely. I would be under the impression that a younger class of mechanics would have been trained on primarily FWD type bearings and hubs to which the subaru front hubs are similar, as there are fwd subarus based on the same design. It depends on if they have a lift and a press rather than doing it with a drift punch on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Sounds like a backing plate fell off. Shouldn't be hard to find the source if you jack up each wheel and spin it by hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdiotSavant Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Halfway to the shop this morning and the sound stopped. It was present when I left the house and probably woke up the neigborhood, and for no apparent reason while driving about 70km/h, it suddenly stopped. I'm still waiting for the shop to open so we can take a look with the car on the lift. Can this still suggest a bearing or more likely something lodged in the braking system; which seems quite common as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdiotSavant Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 For the archives, I will post the diagnosis here. Turns out, part of the brake line came loose from the strut and was coming in contact with the backing plate(i believe). They were attached with a tie-wrap that gave way, allowing the brake line to freely move around near the brakes. Luckily, no damage was done to the brake line or any other part. Everything else on the car is in great shape, i.e. wheel bearing, tie rods, cv joint, brakes, etc. $25 and 30 minutes later, I was out of there. Thanks again for your insight, gentlemen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Cheap fix. Must mean you have a good shop. Glad to hear its fixed, and thanks for posting the cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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