i have a 99 OBW, manual transmission, with approximatel 145,000 miles. 

 

Steering is fine and responsive, but when i turn the wheel far left or right, it feels like the tires are going over bumps or rocks.    An example would be when i pull into a parking space and turn the wheel all the way in one direction.  feels like I am running over bumps, so much so that my daughter on the back seat asked why the car was so rough.

 

Took it to the mechanic and he said an inner tie rod is bad, but that wouldn't fix the issue.  He said it was internal to the rack and the rack needed replacement to fix the issue.

 

Is that accurate.  After some searching on here, seems that racks aren't that common a fail point on these cars.

 

Thanks for your time.

 

Matt

 

Nope, that's what's called "Torque Bind". It's the drivetrain binding because the front and rear wheels have to turn at different speeds, but are unable to because the AWD clutches are locked when they shouldn't be.

 

Common problem. First check all of your tires, are all 4 the same exact size, brand and model? If not they need to be replaced with a full set of matching tires.

Are all 4 tires inflated properly? Low air pressure will cause the tires to "drag" which effectively means the low tires don't spin at the same speed as the inflated ones. This causes wear of the AWD clutches.

Do all 4 have similar tread depth? Subaru allows no more than 1/4" difference in circumference between tires or damage to the AWD clutches will occur.

 

Any of these will cause accelerated wear of the AWD clutches and result in failure of the clutches to unlock properly.

 

First step is to correct any tire issues, then change the transmission fluid 3 times. If neither of these corrects the problem then you have to replace the transfer clutches.

Also do a full flush and see if that helps.

Does a flush or drain and refill help a manual transmission as well? 

 

I just checked the tires and there was about a 4-5 psi difference between the them, but haven't had a chance to drive and see if that helped.

 

Also, the problem seems to be intermittent, as sometimes I can do circles in the parking lot and it is fine.  Also, not sure if matters or not, but it is smooth as silk in reverse doing circles.

forgot to add thanks for taking the time to reply!

My bad did not realize it was a manual. Nope flush wont help.  TB in a manual when it happens there is no way around replacing the center diff.

nipper,

 

One more question if you have time.  Thanks for your patience with a newbie.

 

Does torque bind still happen in nuetral?  When I pull into a parking space I usually put it in nuetral as I slow to a stop and it still does it.  Not sure if the clutches involved in TB are still engaged and would cause it or would the fact that it happens in nuetral point to something else? 

 

Just want to make sure I have given all info I have and am looking at making the needed repair.

 

Thanks again for your advice.

Yes it happens as long as the car is moving.

 

Thw front and rear axles move at different speeds, especially on curves. the center differential (hence the word) allows for this and to still deliver power. Subars have a limited slip clutch pack inside them. This LSD is cooked, which is why there is jerking. There is no differential action between axles.

Manual trans is a whole different beast. My fault for assuming you had an automagic. No amount of flushing or fluid changing will cure torque bind in a manual.

also, get a new mechanic. Start a thread asking for suggestions for a shop near Grand Rapids.
 
Has the car recently had mixed tires on it or a new rear diff or transmission installed?
 
And it 'may' seem intermittent depending on how warmed-up/hot the car is . Sometimes people only feel TB in the manuals after a highway run.