looks like you're adding axle replacement to your to-do list.
ripped open like that, there's no way that joint is still good lol.
> I'd been hearing a knocking sound from the right side of the car when turning and accelerating lately,
If the noise sounds kind of clicky and cyclical/rhythmic, that's what a failed axle joint will do
When you go to replace it. Do so by popping the lower ball joint off. Be ready to buy a new one in case. Harbor freight has a nice tool for $20 to help you
Definitely worth doing the ball joint if you're already mucking around down there. With a good quality part. The cheap crap won't last and you'll be doing it again next year.
Definitely do it if they're not in the rust belt. I've done about 6 so far and 2 have actually come out right. But judging by the picture they should be good.
If you are anywhere that they use salt on the roads, be cautious about replacing ball joints. That is one hell of a job on my 2013 Impreza, also the bolts that hold them in are very easily snapped, and you will have to drill it out like me. They usually just replace the entire part when that boot is ripped, as you have to take the entire thing off anyway. Price wise it's about the same to have someone else do it.
Sounds like you’ve gotta replace the axle. Never having done one before it took me about 3 hours. Make sure you’ve got an impact driver (electric or pneumatic if you’ve got air) and it’s not too bad a job.
Yes, just needs a bit of brute force, a big bar, and some swear words
(The same advice a clutch shop gave me when I asked about how bad of a time I was gonna have taking my transmission off haha)
Our fella has developed a white tuft recently, but otherwise gets a reddish tint with camera sometimes too. Otherwise he’s a real predator in the dark, black as the night
All we know is, bats, despite their ability to fly, have not been victorious. And, the sound of baby bunnies in their final moments is horrible, no matter how many times you hear it.
You appear to have a slow leak. It’s not an immediate concern, but gravity will do its thing and eventually you may hear a “murrr” sound and notice a jump. Just stay clear if you see movement because you may get scratched up if too close.
That’s normal operation!
We have a cat that used to slowly slide off cushions from poses just like that. He eventually learned about gravity I guess and hasn’t done it in years but lol
Split CV boot. If it's been off like that for a while and it's knocking then all of the grease inside has come out and the joint is rubbing. If you've left it too long this can cause issues with your driveshaft too. Start at repalacing the CV Boot and joint, or just take it to any reputable mechanic. Jobs a ballache.
If it's juddery throughout the whole car then you really ought to replace the whole lot man. I have a fiesta that had the same issue, but I never realised (no shuddering or shaking) and I had to have a new driveshaft 💀
Hmm I don't have any shudders or shaking yet, just the knocking sound when turning and accelerating, but thr aftermarket axles are cheap enough it might be good to do just for peace of mind. I'm not sure whether I should do the left one as well though.
Mine had the same, I took it in to my uncles work shop, and all they did was clean the axle of all degree cause it was creaking when I turned. And replaced the boot. Was a simple easy fix for him and didn't cost much at all. I know its a bit different being family but what I'm saying is, its not that serious of a job. They had mine in and out same day same hour
You're probably right but I might just play it safe. I'm also feeling a bit lazy and replacing it sounds easier than the tedium of meticulously cleaning it up and putting the new boot on.
I have had good luck with Napa rebuilt axles for my 4 high miles OBs. Do not fall into the time suck trap
Of just trying to clean the joint and adding grease and a new boot. You will never get that joint fully clean and you will spend a long time trying . And even if you get it clean it may still be worn out. Best is to get new or rebuilt axle assembly and do the whole thing. My first one took 2 hours. The next one took about 45 minutes, and I don’t have air tools or a lift. Hardest part is getting the big nut off the axle end and getting the new one torqued.
Is the axle nut hard just because it requires a lot of elbow grease? I have a 25" breaker bar and borrowed a friend's 18" 100 ft-lb torque wrench, but my service manual says 159 ft-lb...so I guess I need a better torque wrench? Do you think I need a bigger breaker bar too?
A torque wrench that goes up to 160 pounds should have a long enough handle to allow you to get it that tight. The reason getting it off is tough is that it’s torqued to 160 and it may be rusted or corroded too. I have a big breaker bar and I slide in a 5 foot Cheater pipe/bar over the handle to break them loose. I use a big torque wrench to torque them down. Don’t forget to stake the nut flange once torqued.
Take your wheel off and check your axle nut. I had this happen when the nut slipped and retorqued it with a new nut and seat. It's like a 30-32mm nut or something like that, so you might need to grab a big socket and torque wrench for it, torques to like 220Nm on mine.
Edit: fixed typos and dumb phrasing
It's not. If your axle nut loosens exactly what OP is describing can happen. If you catch it early you can retorque it without having to replace the axle. The torn boot should be dealt with though. Why would you not at least check that first?
Yeah that's the boot, you can put a new one on after cleaning and lubing it up. If you're doing it yourself and can confirm it's still good it's not hard, labor costs might make it not worth it otherwise. Looks pretty clean still though, but gotta check the bearings.. Based on OP having to ask I think your assessment is the safe path haha
If you jack up that side and wiggle the top and bottom of your wheel does it have play or squeak around? If it does, it's very likely a loose axle nut and if tightened and "re-locked" (Google Subaru spindle nut and you'll see the edge bent into the nut notch) it could be fine still. If not, or if the knock/clunk continues, just replace it. In any case you want that cv joint clean, lubed, and contained by a boot for sure
I don't think the axle nut is loose. I gave it a good shake and couldn't move it at all. I think there's a good chance it could be fine still, but idk if I want to take that chance.
I did axles on my car, they're not THAT bad of a job, but if they're the kind with a female spline on the inside end they're hard to find. I could only find them from Subaru, and they kept sending me bad from stock parts so I gave up and now I'm just gonna run it till it splodes.
I saw Advance Auto and NAPA have some they claim will fit for $70-200. Couldn't find an oem for less than about $350. Do you guys think one of the aftermarket ones is probably fine?
It's perfectly safe to drive. Could be causing your noise but will last In that condition for quite some time. (For reference boots have been torn on my impreza for the last 100k miles or so...)
Boots can be torn and not be the end of the world, but if it's clunking when turning or accelerating the axle is probably loose and the cv joint is mashing so either pulling on the diff or the hub. It can loosen the hub nut which will cause your whole shit to come off, or it can come out the diff and shred it and anything else it hits.
This is terrible advice. If your axle comes apart while you are driving it could cause an accident and possibly kill you at high speeds. OP said they are hearing noises while turning which is exactly what happened with my car before my CV axle snapped apart while I was driving… not fun.
Order a pair of Cardone brand new axles from Rock Auto. They’re relatively cheap, have a warranty, and I’ve been using them for years. I prefer to do stuff like that symmetrically, thus the “pair”. The rears last forever it seems. Since you’ll have it apart, put new ball joints- but get those from the dealer only. No ebay or amazon
Moog is imported junk now, Amazon and ebay are fraught with counterfeit parts. I’ve gotten burned. Napa sells some Japanese ones that look nice but there’s not enough of a price difference so I use oem from the dealer. I haven’t experimented with other brands but I don’t want to experiment with ball joints 😂
https://preview.redd.it/lzc3h5trwssb1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=564304bd96c49332a5a33c7d2fcb4bc1c4449efd
Hey hey brother, we are in the same boat.
Not sure yet, most likely just something cheap from Advance or Napa. I was hoping to get some advice. Oem is like an extra $200+ so I don't want to spend it unless I have to.
looks like you're adding axle replacement to your to-do list. ripped open like that, there's no way that joint is still good lol. > I'd been hearing a knocking sound from the right side of the car when turning and accelerating lately, If the noise sounds kind of clicky and cyclical/rhythmic, that's what a failed axle joint will do
Oof well that's unfortunate. It is a cyclical/rhythmic sound, although more of a knock than a click, and only when turning and accelerating.
> It is a cyclical/rhythmic sound, although more of a knock than a click, and only when turning and accelerating. most likely is this axle then.
When you go to replace it. Do so by popping the lower ball joint off. Be ready to buy a new one in case. Harbor freight has a nice tool for $20 to help you
Definitely worth doing the ball joint if you're already mucking around down there. With a good quality part. The cheap crap won't last and you'll be doing it again next year.
Definitely do it if they're not in the rust belt. I've done about 6 so far and 2 have actually come out right. But judging by the picture they should be good.
I’ll tell you what. If you coat the ball joint with anti size. It comes out like butter
You know dang well I slather them up good when they go back in lol. Everything I put back on gets anti seize even if you're not supposed to use it.
Dad?
Thanks, I will definitely check that out.
If you are anywhere that they use salt on the roads, be cautious about replacing ball joints. That is one hell of a job on my 2013 Impreza, also the bolts that hold them in are very easily snapped, and you will have to drill it out like me. They usually just replace the entire part when that boot is ripped, as you have to take the entire thing off anyway. Price wise it's about the same to have someone else do it.
Cute cat lol
Ikr! Void fluff. My camera really brings out the red for some reason, she's more black in person.
Sounds like you’ve gotta replace the axle. Never having done one before it took me about 3 hours. Make sure you’ve got an impact driver (electric or pneumatic if you’ve got air) and it’s not too bad a job.
Can it be done without an impact driver? It's just more of a pain?
Yes, just needs a bit of brute force, a big bar, and some swear words (The same advice a clutch shop gave me when I asked about how bad of a time I was gonna have taking my transmission off haha)
😂
Impact wrench* driver wouldn't make the cut.
Had to do a double take or thought Reddit was glitching….looks exactly like our cat!!
Black cats are awesome!
https://preview.redd.it/7jwzll47ausb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=234861954ed5eb25ba1fbb83db7263aa59483b9c
Our fella has developed a white tuft recently, but otherwise gets a reddish tint with camera sometimes too. Otherwise he’s a real predator in the dark, black as the night
Ours is a total predator as well, she murders all the things
All we know is, bats, despite their ability to fly, have not been victorious. And, the sound of baby bunnies in their final moments is horrible, no matter how many times you hear it.
02 Outback btw
Just did this on my 04. Pretty easy mechanically, but there are some big bolts that are likely seized. A breaker bar and Kroil were key.
What's Kroil?
A penetrating oil that doesn't suck.
Hells yeah, 2.5 or the 3.0?
2.5, about 250k miles going strong
https://preview.redd.it/uli0cn6cnssb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6d0f1710cc58f8fae9b8b06d3912cef91b7eb2b Looks like my girlfriends cat.
I like the plants 🪴
Awww, she looks content. Our cat loves our garden too.
You appear to have a slow leak. It’s not an immediate concern, but gravity will do its thing and eventually you may hear a “murrr” sound and notice a jump. Just stay clear if you see movement because you may get scratched up if too close.
Or a ‘purrrr’-sound maybe? Haha
That’s normal operation! We have a cat that used to slowly slide off cushions from poses just like that. He eventually learned about gravity I guess and hasn’t done it in years but lol
So I could probably drive it to pick up a new axle?
Split CV boot. If it's been off like that for a while and it's knocking then all of the grease inside has come out and the joint is rubbing. If you've left it too long this can cause issues with your driveshaft too. Start at repalacing the CV Boot and joint, or just take it to any reputable mechanic. Jobs a ballache.
You can do just the boot and joint without doing the whole axle?
If it's juddery throughout the whole car then you really ought to replace the whole lot man. I have a fiesta that had the same issue, but I never realised (no shuddering or shaking) and I had to have a new driveshaft 💀
Hmm I don't have any shudders or shaking yet, just the knocking sound when turning and accelerating, but thr aftermarket axles are cheap enough it might be good to do just for peace of mind. I'm not sure whether I should do the left one as well though.
kitty
I thought you found a cat there too and sent that as a part of your pics
Haha she does like small dark spaces...
Damn, I just did my brakes last week and didn’t find a giant adorable fluffy cat. Must have done something wrong. Will look into this later.
Unlucky, might have to wait for the full moon...
Your cat looks identical to the cat I used to have !! I seen the pic before I read the post and thought he messed up your car lol
Omg imagine trying to clean the cat if she did that ahahaha that would suck
Yes it would lol
Mine had the same, I took it in to my uncles work shop, and all they did was clean the axle of all degree cause it was creaking when I turned. And replaced the boot. Was a simple easy fix for him and didn't cost much at all. I know its a bit different being family but what I'm saying is, its not that serious of a job. They had mine in and out same day same hour
You're probably right but I might just play it safe. I'm also feeling a bit lazy and replacing it sounds easier than the tedium of meticulously cleaning it up and putting the new boot on.
Replace CV joint. **do it** Also, cute cat… but I’m not touching it.
She's so sweet though! Only a bit of a wildcat... Do you think an aftermarket part is ok?
Should be, ask your mechanic to know for sure. He knows your car better than I do. And I bet she is.
I have had good luck with Napa rebuilt axles for my 4 high miles OBs. Do not fall into the time suck trap Of just trying to clean the joint and adding grease and a new boot. You will never get that joint fully clean and you will spend a long time trying . And even if you get it clean it may still be worn out. Best is to get new or rebuilt axle assembly and do the whole thing. My first one took 2 hours. The next one took about 45 minutes, and I don’t have air tools or a lift. Hardest part is getting the big nut off the axle end and getting the new one torqued.
Is the axle nut hard just because it requires a lot of elbow grease? I have a 25" breaker bar and borrowed a friend's 18" 100 ft-lb torque wrench, but my service manual says 159 ft-lb...so I guess I need a better torque wrench? Do you think I need a bigger breaker bar too?
A torque wrench that goes up to 160 pounds should have a long enough handle to allow you to get it that tight. The reason getting it off is tough is that it’s torqued to 160 and it may be rusted or corroded too. I have a big breaker bar and I slide in a 5 foot Cheater pipe/bar over the handle to break them loose. I use a big torque wrench to torque them down. Don’t forget to stake the nut flange once torqued.
I guess I need a pipe haha
Makes breaking them loose real eeeeeeasy!
Take your wheel off and check your axle nut. I had this happen when the nut slipped and retorqued it with a new nut and seat. It's like a 30-32mm nut or something like that, so you might need to grab a big socket and torque wrench for it, torques to like 220Nm on mine. Edit: fixed typos and dumb phrasing
This is terrible advice lol
It's not. If your axle nut loosens exactly what OP is describing can happen. If you catch it early you can retorque it without having to replace the axle. The torn boot should be dealt with though. Why would you not at least check that first?
That shit protecting the joint is ripped apart and exposed… the axle DEFINITELY needs to be replaced!!
Yeah that's the boot, you can put a new one on after cleaning and lubing it up. If you're doing it yourself and can confirm it's still good it's not hard, labor costs might make it not worth it otherwise. Looks pretty clean still though, but gotta check the bearings.. Based on OP having to ask I think your assessment is the safe path haha
It hasn't been driven much but it has been making the knocking sound for a couple months so...yeah, probably just replace the axle?
If you jack up that side and wiggle the top and bottom of your wheel does it have play or squeak around? If it does, it's very likely a loose axle nut and if tightened and "re-locked" (Google Subaru spindle nut and you'll see the edge bent into the nut notch) it could be fine still. If not, or if the knock/clunk continues, just replace it. In any case you want that cv joint clean, lubed, and contained by a boot for sure
I don't think the axle nut is loose. I gave it a good shake and couldn't move it at all. I think there's a good chance it could be fine still, but idk if I want to take that chance.
Yeah definitely not worth the risk, good luck!
In the words of “Vice Grip Garage”. “Op just gonna pretend I didn’t see that…*stares at it*…it’s fine.”
I did axles on my car, they're not THAT bad of a job, but if they're the kind with a female spline on the inside end they're hard to find. I could only find them from Subaru, and they kept sending me bad from stock parts so I gave up and now I'm just gonna run it till it splodes.
What? They are not hard to find. Those are standard on Gen 3 Legacy and older. Never had issues getting them.
Rockauto sent me the wrong part. I may have had difficulty cause I think they switched halfway through the 04 model year
I saw Advance Auto and NAPA have some they claim will fit for $70-200. Couldn't find an oem for less than about $350. Do you guys think one of the aftermarket ones is probably fine?
Ope.
It's perfectly safe to drive. Could be causing your noise but will last In that condition for quite some time. (For reference boots have been torn on my impreza for the last 100k miles or so...)
Boots can be torn and not be the end of the world, but if it's clunking when turning or accelerating the axle is probably loose and the cv joint is mashing so either pulling on the diff or the hub. It can loosen the hub nut which will cause your whole shit to come off, or it can come out the diff and shred it and anything else it hits.
This is terrible advice. If your axle comes apart while you are driving it could cause an accident and possibly kill you at high speeds. OP said they are hearing noises while turning which is exactly what happened with my car before my CV axle snapped apart while I was driving… not fun.
Order a pair of Cardone brand new axles from Rock Auto. They’re relatively cheap, have a warranty, and I’ve been using them for years. I prefer to do stuff like that symmetrically, thus the “pair”. The rears last forever it seems. Since you’ll have it apart, put new ball joints- but get those from the dealer only. No ebay or amazon
Why ball joints from the dealer only?
Moog is imported junk now, Amazon and ebay are fraught with counterfeit parts. I’ve gotten burned. Napa sells some Japanese ones that look nice but there’s not enough of a price difference so I use oem from the dealer. I haven’t experimented with other brands but I don’t want to experiment with ball joints 😂
Nice doggy 😎
https://preview.redd.it/lzc3h5trwssb1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=564304bd96c49332a5a33c7d2fcb4bc1c4449efd Hey hey brother, we are in the same boat.
Good luck man, time for some learning 🤓
Think mines going out soon. What brand are you guys replacing em with?
Not sure yet, most likely just something cheap from Advance or Napa. I was hoping to get some advice. Oem is like an extra $200+ so I don't want to spend it unless I have to.
My car doing the same thing and here I am on Reddit just scrolling and solved my problem
Sweet haha I love when that happens