Please if this is stupid, spare me the ridicule I am chasing noises in this 03 (bearing, maybe) -When I raise the rear wheel, it doesn't spin free -like the car is in gear,- but it is in neutral and the p brake is free.Same either side. It seems to drive and coast okay except for the noises. How could this be?

 

Drum brakes or disc? My bad wheel bearing spun free-er than the good one, but you could hear the grinding noise.

Raising wheels off the ground, they will not spin freely. This is because of the rear differential and the viscous couplings in the AWD transmission. This is normal.

 

Is your noise from the rear like a deep-throated rumble? More noticeable at high speeds that at slow speeds? If so, it is probably a rear-wheel bearing failing. Sometimes these can last for years without getting worse.

You may be able to detect a slight looseness if you jack-up a wheel, and shake it from side to side and up and down. But that is not a conclusive test.

Try this on all four wheels in turn (make sure that the parking brake is off).

Do a search on this forum for 'wheel bearing'. There are lots of posts on this subject.

Thank you, I am thinking wheel bearing, there is also a bumping sound at slow speeds and slight bumps. Do I need a bearing press or can the bearings be done with tools similar to older subaru wheels?

mine was pressed out and back in and reassembled for installation for about $40. I was elated! What took two days to remove was reinstalled in an hour. Peace and quiet!

They're pressed in on this year. You can remove the knuckle yourself and take it to a shop and have them press the bearings out and back in for cheaper than doing the whole job, but removing the knuckle is sometimes easier said than done.

 

You won't be able to spin the wheel and tell if the bearing is any good unless the bearing is totally shot. Too much drag from the axles, rear diff and driveshaft.

 

The only good way to test it without special equipment is to pull it apart and pop the axle out of the hub so you can spin the hub freely by hand. Even then, you may not always be able to tell.

 

The best way I've found requires a chassis ear kit, which is a device used to listen to various parts of the suspension while the car is being driven. Bearing noise is easily picked up by a transmitter attached to the knuckle. Chassis ear kits are generally expensive though. It's one of the tools on my "wish list".

Thanks for that info. I think I'm gonna pass this one to a shop with the needed press. If I get into it and have problems I don't think it will help anyone, and just end up a pain and a day killer. The press is too spendy for a one time job on someone else's car. 

Thanks again for saving me the trouble