'96 Outback clunk up front

[hooziewhatsit]

This is my brothers car.  ~170k miles on it.  He says it just started clunking from the front when he goes over bumps, especially when turning.  I was thinking this would be the strut bushings, but then he started poking around, and made this video of the freeplay in the axles.  It seems to me like there's too much play in the axle stub?

 

 

None of the axle boots are torn, and it got new tie rod ends in 2011.  It did just go through it's first Alaskan winter though.

 

So I guess I now have two questions: Is that amount of play bad, and is the most likely cause of the clunk the strut bushings?

[hooziewhatsit]

Turns out the clunking was bad sway bar bushings. 

[chaz345]

Turns out the clunking was bad sway bar bushings. 

The sway bar end links also make a clunk as they age.

[efseiler]

Yup...you may get that symptom going around curves.  Many of those axles are lousy products from Asia.  I think the problem is soft steel or possibly a poorly designed fit to the axle stub. 

 

I have that problem, too but it drives fine...I worry about the axle stub getting worn but not much I can do. 

 

Some axles are better than others...I can't remember offhand which were the good brands but if you do some research you could probably narrow it down.

 

On my Dad's car there are nearly 200,000 miles and absolutely zero freeplay on the stub so that's something to think about.

 

 

--Damien

[952.2LX]

Green cup axles are the good ones. I have 325xxx miles on mine and have the clunk sound also. I usually attribute it to the ball joints going bad. i Never have changed the sway bar end links or bushings.... guess i should.