Hey Folks,
When I sat on the rear seat of my 95 Legacy I can hear this fella makes some noise from the right side on rough road, and I figured it might be the bearing or rear differential problem. These days it starts to make some funny noise when I step on the gas, or let go. The noise sounds like howling or growling, it comes when the speed changes. Can anyone let me know if this is the bearing problem, or the rear differential problem?
Thanks,
Sam
Hi,
Can't tell you for sure what the noise is, but I'd start at the outside and work in to try to diagnose.
Jack up the offending wheel, and try to shake it both vertically and horizontally. There should be virtually no discernible play. If there is, check the torque on the lug nuts and try again. Play can be indicative of upcoming bearing problems. Turn the wheel slowly and feel for binding, listen for noises, etc. With Subaru's spotted history regarding wheel bearings, you might find your answer right here.
If the wheel's tight, make sure the car's up on jack stands for safety and check the CV joints at each end of the axle. New ones are tight, but they can have a very slight amount of play and still be ok. If they're a bit loose, but not sloppy, regreasing them can sometimes help, though replacing the entire axle's often little more work and not much more expensive than getting new boots, etc.
If everything's tight up to this point, check the diff for fluid and play. Again, new is tight, but a little play probably isn't gonna kill the system.
This doesn't cover all possibilities, but might at least point you in the right direction!
Rick
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