85glsw Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 '85 Subaru SW 4wd EA82, 1.8 Just bolted up a new CV axle and inner and outer bearings on the passenger side, gently. I don't think that I pulled very hard when I removed the inner side from the transaxle. Now, only when under load, I get a distinct clicking sound from that side which increases in intensity with the load, and the clicking gets faster as the wheels roll faster. The noise goes away when I turn left, hard. It sounds like it's coming from the outside and not the inner, but I'm really not sure. I don't think I hyperextended anything in the CV axle. (It's a new one. I forget the brand, but I bought it at a NAPA dealer. They go through a ton of them at that store.) Never touched the inner ring on the inner and outer bearings -- used a bearing punch of the right size. Didn't install new seals. Tapped in the CV axle into the steering knuckle with everything straight in line, off the strut, and hammered on a piece of wood. The steering and lower control arm ball joints look like hell, but they move smoothly enough. Did the other CV axle a week before, so I didn't do both at the same time. I've driven about 40 miles on it like that, up and down windy roads. Anyone have any Soob guruish inspiration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 May be nothing more than a bent dust shield or a loose caliper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 May be nothing more than a bent dust shield or a loose caliper. Yeah the dust cover is pretty badly bent. I thought I got it all. The calipers are bolted on well. I'll go check. Like, right now. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 May be nothing more than a bent dust shield or a loose caliper. Dust shield seems okay. Caliper bolts seem okay. Makes a nasty noise when turning hard slowly, as if the sway bar bushings were loose -- or like some big part is loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 i wonder if you dislodged one of the steel balls in the inner joint, if you did hyperextend it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 Yeah, but: looking at an old one with the boot ripped off, it would take a lot of violence to dislodge a ball bearing. If the splines pulled apart, I'm sure I'd know that in a hurry. I dunno. I'm sure not the expert. I'm a bit baffled how it could be a CV axle without a LOT of vibration, and there's rarely any. The stupid thing is I can't even jack it up until I get another jack. Mine just broke (scissor jack elevated on a block to keep if off the dirt, so I guess the physics were wrong for it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 How old are you're brake rotors? Do you're brake pads have the proper tension clips on them? If you're pads don't have the clips, and the rotor has a lip and some corrosion around the edge, it van make the brake pads catch and clack around in their cage. Just a thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NV Zeno Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 My right side axle has been doing that since the day I installed it, probably 3 years/30K miles ago. Very annoying, but serviceable. What BRAND is the axle? I've had terrible quality issues with ARI axles, I've seen them on the backroom shelves at NAPA and others. By far, ARI is the worst quality axle I've seen/had in my life:mad: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Replace your cone washer and tighten the axle nut to 150 ft/lbs. The fact that the sound goes away under a hard turn points to the splines being loose. They may even be worn - especially if the axle is a rebuilt, and the only way to fix that is to get a new axle, and possibly a new hub. Loose splines will always just make the axle nut work loose again. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 How old are you're brake rotors? Do you're brake pads have the proper tension clips on them? If you're pads don't have the clips, and the rotor has a lip and some corrosion around the edge, it van make the brake pads catch and clack around in their cage. Just a thought Ya, but it wasn't making that noise before I replaced the CV axle and the bearings, and I leave the parking brake set, so that I don't have to mess with clips and pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 My right side axle has been doing that since the day I installed it, probably 3 years/30K miles ago. Very annoying, but serviceable. What BRAND is the axle? I've had terrible quality issues with ARI axles, I've seen them on the backroom shelves at NAPA and others. By far, ARI is the worst quality axle I've seen/had in my life:mad: . Interesting. Don't know the brand. Blue box. They go through a LOT of them. Hey, wait. I found the user instructions lying about. Funny. They don't mention any company name. Hmm. But it's under warranty. All I have to do is to do it again, if that's it. Do it again. Do it again. (Misfire.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 Replace your cone washer and tighten the axle nut to 150 ft/lbs. The fact that the sound goes away under a hard turn points to the splines being loose. They may even be worn - especially if the axle is a rebuilt, and the only way to fix that is to get a new axle, and possibly a new hub. Loose splines will always just make the axle nut work loose again. GD Hmm. The cone washer does look nasty. 150 foot pounds. That's a good hard torque on a 30 inch breaker bar, I imagine. But, it's supposed to be a NEW CV axle that I got, and it was making a swish sound on every wheel rotation before I installed it, whether under load or not, and now it clicks under load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Hmm. The cone washer does look nasty. 150 foot pounds. That's a good hard torque on a 30 inch breaker bar, I imagine. Yep - the 36mm nut can take just about anything you can give it. Emperical evidence sugests that for these tighter is better, and I use the book spec as a minimum. I generally use a cheater pipe and I jump on it several times. The old VW bus rear axle nut's are the same size, and are torqed to 250 ft/lbs spec. In fact I often use the VW "hand-impact" tool to tighten the subaru nuts as well as remove them. But, it's supposed to be a NEW CV axle that I got, and it was making a swish sound on every wheel rotation before I installed it, whether under load or not, and now it clicks under load. If the cone washer isn't seating properly (and it won't if there are any grooves on it) then the spines will wobble and cause the clicking - it will wear the hub and axle splines to the point that both will need replacing if you run it for more than a few miles. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 Yep - the 36mm nut can take just about anything you can give it. Emperical evidence sugests that for these tighter is better, and I use the book spec as a minimum. I generally use a cheater pipe and I jump on it several times. The old VW bus rear axle nut's are the same size, and are torqed to 250 ft/lbs spec. In fact I often use the VW "hand-impact" tool to tighten the subaru nuts as well as remove them. If the cone washer isn't seating properly (and it won't if there are any grooves on it) then the spines will wobble and cause the clicking - it will wear the hub and axle splines to the point that both will need replacing if you run it for more than a few miles. GD Thanks, I suspect we're getting at the problem. I was ignorant about how tight to crank the nut, opting for not so tight. Since I've already gone up and down a couple of big hills for a total of about 40 miles, I've got a feeling I'll be heading to the junk yard, and hoping another hub will cure it, before I try another CV axle as well (and the parts store for a new cone washer). 'Course first I'll try really cranking on it. Thanks again. If that's it, I'd have scratched my head raw before figuring that one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 before you start yanking the axle apart again... what does the inside of the wheel look like? any chance that something is rubbing on it that is not quite in the right position? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 Evidently it was the inner bearing race on the steering knuckle. It's chipped in several places. How that happened, I'm not sure. I did pull it off of a vehicle with 207k, and it does look thin. Maybe I tapped too hard with my iron pipe, but I didn't think so. I also drove for a few days about a month ago with the lock nut too loose. A very seasoned mechanic thought it sounded like the outer joint on the CV axle, and it did start to vibrate at 45mph. Also, I handn't tightened either ball joint enough to seat them properly. Fortunately a boot clamp on the CV axle snapped off though no fault of mine while I was pulling it, so I'll install the new CV axle and get a refund. $20 for another used steering knuckle off a later model car. End of story, I hope. Sell car. Need a van. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psylosyfer Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 You probably already know this, But make sure the spring washer is "pointing" the right direction, It is marked "out" but usually you have to clean it to read it! I put a rear one on backwards by accident and after a 500 mile trip I had to replace the hub, and the cone-washer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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