robertwheeler Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 For my 87 Subaru GL Wagon. I have been monitoring a load thunking noice from my left front wheel. It seemed to get worse over time and then you here it when you brake. I took a look under a few mins ago.... My marginal chassis has started to flatten and bend and mostly on the driver side... there is a rod that goes from the chassis to the frame by the ball joint.... where this attachs to the chassis is just forward of the break/bend/tear. This is the issue to end all issues. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 not to sound like gloom and doom, but if you're speaking about major rust issues on the rear tubular cross member, whatever that thing is called i suggested quit driving that car as soon as possible. i have an RX that suffered the same fate, large crack/bending due to rust in the rear subframe. the rear wheels caved in and were riding on the body. i have pictures of the car in the for sale forum, look up "RX Turbo" if you want to see scarry pictures of the wheels. the drivers side assembly was not far from becomign completely detached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 Its the front im sure of right now..... but when I push the rear down I get noises from both struts, my first guess was wheel bearings.... but they are tight... What small bit I could see of the rear chassis looks ok. The wheels dont look too good.... the top part of the front wheel's is pushing out from the side of the car.... something is throwing them severely out of alignment. As for not driving it.... there is the rub... only car we have and no money... have to hope for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 try welding some plates to hold the body in original place.A lot cheaper than a new car or having to worry about wether or not the back end will colapse.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 The rod coming back from the controll arm is called the strut or radius rod. It is the only thing holding the wheel forward. If the bushings or the plate it mounts in on the body are damaged, go ahead and replace them, if the body is rusted through and tearing, the car is junk. Your life is not risking driving it, the wheel could fold in at any time and that rod would come through the floor. Buy a moped or something, your not only endangering yourself, but anyone else in the vicinity. There is no "rub" when it comes to structural integrity issues. Looking back at your origional post, I need a better description of the "chassis" you speak of. Is it part of the suspension or the body? If it's part of the suspension, it's easily repairable. If it's the body, ditch it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 ... good bye, so long, farewell ... or bolt on a steel plate approximately the shape of {> or play kill the subie, make it jump over speedbumps, curbs, hit pot holes, and most important - make it fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffast Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 or play kill the subie, make it jump over speedbumps, curbs, hit pot holes, and most important - make it fly that may be going a bit far but i kind of agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 Unibody I guess. There are 2 bars that run fore and aft... or either side... these terminate a bit forward of the front seats. The one on the drivers side is bent... flattened and somewhat cracked... I think if I baby it , it will last a few more weeks. This car has so many other issues... the wheel problems could be agravated by the severly destroyed cv-shafts. The rod that holds the wheel steady dosent look to bad... I think sometimes I can feel the frame shifting. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 dude, I wouldnt drive that. I have driven some SKETCH vehicles(well ok 2) and I wouldnt be driving that. What you do when you gotta slam on the brakes? At the very LEAST get it welded up if you cant afford to ditch the car yet. You dont wanna have to hit the brakes going 55 have the wheel and strut rip off and come through the wheelwell and spin you around? Something similar happened in my uncles GMC dually once except he had no warning. he was VERY lucky there was no other traffic around because if he hit an oncoming car spinning around like that, someone was gonna go home in a body bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeebadoo Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 or play kill the subie, make it jump over speedbumps, curbs, hit pot holes, and most important - make it fly I'm so tempted to play kill the subie with my '86!!! I just hate to destroy a subie with at least a little potential... I would probably offer it up to Robert if I didn't lived thousands of miles away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 I am monitoring this situation very closely.... The words flat out broke really come into this. I'm not sure if the noise is from the frame. The CV shaft on the drivers side is so shot it just might be that the CV is thunking into its resting position when i hit the brakes. If the frame was as bad As I thought the floor board should have shown some cracking too. It isn't that i don't believe you or I'm not grateful for your help here.... Its back to the wall time and I just don't have any money right now... if the car was a bad as I thought it was at first i would have that puppy off the road and id be calling in favors... Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgd73 Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Hey, mine did this with a stuck strut (spring time "bang" noise and back to like new) left a floating caved in feel and thumped to engine under torque on the left side. It just might get cold enough in new jersey to do something like that (it does in Maine) even the steel had to change density up to 2 months of spring time weather. If top of wheel is aiming outward, try to get a straight on look at strut and see if it flops or moves while car is sitting on all fours or if it is bent (grab it and shake it all oround at bottom of spring where you can get your hands around it). The rubber bushings on drag link and other places can do this as well.( You would know if this was bent). And lastly, ball joint, but even bad the play is minimal, and to aim top of tire outward..... yikes. It would seem as tho to be quite obvious taking a close look. Run it like a rally car over a bunch of bad terrain (as a previous post stated) and make this little prob obvious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 might want to check the simple stuff first. make sure all your bolts and nuts are tight. axle nut. does it have any hub caps or wheel caps? i've seen sheared off lug nuts behind a center cap make clunking noises as they fall around inside the cap. seen this happen a few times, a very strange thing. i was always confused how one lug nut would shear off and the rest are fine???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 14, 2006 Author Share Posted April 14, 2006 I'm so tempted to play kill the subie with my '86!!! I just hate to destroy a subie with at least a little potential... I would probably offer it up to Robert if I didn't lived thousands of miles away... Thats a kind thought but as you say about 2500 miles away Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 16, 2006 Author Share Posted April 16, 2006 I remained comvinced that I domt want to put any money into this car because of the frame... but Im convinced it isnt the main issue. Shortlist of problems : Rear springs are collapsed... nearly riding on the struts thenselves. the front stabilizer bar isnt working great cause the ends are worn. Oddly enough while the front springs have some wear... nowhere near as bad as the rear ones. Im gonna try some of those things you put on to raise the car. Happy Easter All Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 This car is driving me up the wall. Sometimes I get a noise I could almost swear is a bad ball joint... but I cant even find the slightest play in either of the ball joints. My other parts will be in on friday hopefully.... maybe this will help to define some of the noises. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 Napa ordered the wrong parts... not totaly thier fault. See if this works... this pic of my frame came out suprisingly well. Its not as bad as I thought it was... but not pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 hmm - have you checked the inner bushing on your front transverse link (sometimes called wishbone, control arm.....) - what goes from the engine pan to the ball joint - those will die over time, and cause issues - the pics of the frame are not great, but not terribly bad either - I wouldnt write it off for the junkers yet - did you mention front CV problems? - from experience, Ive found a bad front CV will clunk on occasion if you go from braking to accelerating, or vice-versa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 The cv's are about shot..... and among other noises I get those. One problem is that this car has so many issues.... more then I have money. I tryed like hell to get any play from the ball joints... but they seem tight... that noise could be from the cv's Thanks Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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