Help me! Oh boy do I need help. I have got about 360k miles on my 92 and it still runs. I got this noise in the back left.

 

It sounds like a airplane prop spinning in the air. Just for the record there is no prop back there.

 

I got new tires and the niose is still there.

 

I changed the rear bearing and the noise is still there.

 

It does sound like a prop plane taking off.

 

The noise has been there for three years. It started out at a lower volume and has gotten louder over the years.

 

These are the orginal rear axles. Can this be axial noise? Can it be the rear diff? The rear diff is posi.

 

I just thought I would ask and I am hoping somebody has high mileage like I have on any Subaru.

 

The good part is that it has helped me keep my speed down. I now have something that I can hear that changes with the speed when I drive.

 

John

Is this noise you speak of speed related? i.e. does the airplane propeller turn faster as you speed up? I know you said it changes as you change speed, but how does it change?

 

Is it louder when you accelerate or when you slow down? How about left and right?

 

Potentially, it could be the OTHER side rear wheel bearing... or a rear diff problem, unlikely to be an axle issue.. they usually click and pop instead.

 

Is there a vibration in the car when the sound is there?

 

My best advice is to put it up on a car lift, if this is available, and spin all the wheels, and listen to the components with a stethoscope.. this would very quickly isolate where the noise is coming from, but it requires the vehicle to be safely lifted up on a car lift.

 

 

88RxTuner

One of the best ways to check for rotational noise, is to lift the car up in the air, CAREFULLY run the car in gear and listen to the bearing housing, rear diff etc. Be VERY careful of rotating parts and hot exhaust. This is best done with a helper to run the car for you. You as a rule dont have to go that fast to hear any problems. Make sure the car is completely off the ground and is SAFELY supported.

The noise gets louder the faster the car goes. It is related to the speed of the car. It is on the left side in the back as Identified by a friend that rode in the back to check it. He crawled around form teh left to the right side and checked. He says it is not in the middle it is on the left side near the wheel well.

 

I think it is the bearings in the axle going. I am not sure how to check this with the car up.

If your car has pin in axles, you may be able to remove the axle and drive the car a short distance and see if the noise is eliminated. The other thing to check is the strut mount on that side, if the rubber is bad it could be transmitting noise or vibration to the body. I have never heard a noise like you described from an axle, usually wheel bearing. The bearings in the axle joints are balls and usually will click when they get loose.

It has an axle nut on the wheel bearing asembly and a spline in the diff. It is held in the diff with a cicrle clip. There is not nearly as much misalignment on the rear shafts since these do not turn corners. The only misalignment is the up and down at the rear of the car. I think the bearings may have gone dry.

Bad rear brakes????

well, maybe the rear diff, check the fluids in the pumpkin, if it is a howling sound or a grinding sounds, they may sound like a prop plane. they get louder as you go faster. that is my guess.

 

 

 

I dont know much about Subaru's as much as I know about Z's.

is your splash guard for wheel well rubbing the tire....? or does the splash guard have movement, that wind on the highway would push into tire.

Maybe the hub itself is bad. Is this the SVX?

How 'bout jacking up the suspect wheel seeing if it rocks as rudimentary wheel bearing check?

is your splash guard for wheel well rubbing the tire....? or does the splash guard have movement, that wind on the highway would push into tire.

 

 

That is funny but I will check. The plastic guard is bolted to the body. Maybe I left out a bolt when I put it back.

Maybe the hub itself is bad. Is this the SVX?

 

I changed the hub and the noise stayed. I thought it was the hub too. Yes it is on the SVX.

My money is on one of 2 things. The differential, or the upper strut bearing plate. But I am thinking its not going to be the bearing plate. When those go, it normally creates a knocking, or banging noise, when going over bumps. The howling noise sounds alot like the differential to me that's needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Eventually it will seize inside, and forcefully make the car come to a stop, and possibly break a drive shaft/CV. Seen it happen once. It aint pretty.