I have a 2000 legacy outback with 117k miles and an AT. Just recently I started to get a knocking sound when accelerating in a right hand turn, only after slowing or stopping and only sharp turns, such as at an intersection. The problem used to only be evident for the first 10 minutes or so, and would be gone the rest of the day. Now it does it more often. It sounds like the cv shaft is knocking around, but since it does not do this on left turns, I don't think there is anything wrong with them. Also, it only does it under load, if I let off the brake and let it idle around the turn, it is fine. It also will not do it with the car on a lift, so I can't really look for it, but it clearly comes from the right side. The outer cv joints have no play whatsoever. The only play that seems a little excessive to me is where the shafts go in the trans, not in the inner joint, but in the trans. Anyone else have this problem or any ideas? Thanks

It's probably the CV joints. Replace the axle with a reman'd one.

Hi stingypaperwaffles and welcome! One easy, quick thing to check might be to see if the front sway bar has fractured, usually at the LH (driver) side bushing. A number of people have had this happen on the '00obw's (myself included). Then in sharp right turns I think it was I would get a clunk. It was the busted part of the sway bar rubbing on the inside of the tire and getting thrown around.

 

The issue could easily be something else too though, just the sway bar is a quick easy thing to look at and some '00obw's had problems with them fracturing.

double check your lug nuts and axle nut to be sure they are torqued properly. make sure the cotter pin for the axle nut isn't compromised somehow.

 

i would replace the cv axle, very common and your symptoms and mileage are about right for cv issues. but...it could be something else...like strut top, ball joint or this sway bar issue i've never heard of. if that's a 2000 or OBW specific thing, i'd definitely look there first, hate to see you replace an axle only to find it wasn't the axle. you could swap axles...they are same left to right. if the knocking changes sides, you know it's the axle but that's alot of work to diagnose!

Well, I think I have found it. I decided to pull the wheel and double check everything (thanks grossgary) and sure enough, the axle nut has come loose. The place on the nut where it is supposed to be punch down to lock in it wasn't done right I guess, and it slipped out. Now I need to find a socket big enough. I am currently visiting inlaws in MD and so I only have the small set I keep in the car... Thanks again for the help guys!

excellent, easy fixes are the best. you'll likely need a 32 mm socket to tighten it. in very rare cases i've seen 36mm nuts. they need alot of torque to tighten. best bet might just be a local shop, tell them what happened. i stopped by two weeks ago and asked them to loosen two axle nuts for me and they did it for no charge...they shouldn't charge much just to tighten a nut! and it needs alot of torque, so make sure it's really tight.

 

where in MD?

Well, never mind, it only looked loose. I looked at the other side, and apparently the moron who replaced the cv's last didn't stake the nuts on either side. I have only had this car since Aug so I don't know when it was done (but the both say 'reman" right on them). Arghh. I'll keep looking though...

where in MD?

 

 

Port Deposit...

port deposit? never even heard of that.

 

remanned axles don't have a good reputation, i won't even install remanned axles on subaru's. i had one less than a week old blow to pieces on me. i've used Subaru only or MWE since then. i'd install a used subaru axle before a remanned, the soob axles are very tough and rarely break. 'ive seen other remanned axles break on the boards as well. all that to say...i wouldn't rule out the remanned axle just yet, but i'd certainly look around.

Well, nine years later I guess its safe to say the problem was the right CV shaft. I replaced it with an A1 Cardone reman from advance. Now with just over 292k on the car, it has started knocking again...

Edited April 13, 20169 yr by stingypaperwaffles