slcsubaru.com

Okay, so i have no idea how to name this topic. Here's what's goin' on.

I have 1995 subaru legacy L wagon, 2.2, 5 speed tranny. the other day i was driving, and the steering wheel started to move back and forth, but only when i was giving it gas. The next day, it was worse. Mind you, it does not do this when i'm coasting. That night, My girl was driving it to work and she told me it was making a bad sound. sooo.. i took it for a drive myself, and yes. it was a bad sound.

my first thought was it was the CV axles, since it KIND OF sounded like that, but it wasn't the normal popping sound you get, it was more of a crunching grinding sound? it's hard to explain the sound. So I crawled under and looked at her. The CV axle's look fine, but the power steering boots (i guess that's what they are) are both torn, on the drivers side and passenger side.

The sound sounded as if it was coming from the driver's side, but i couldn't be too sure. Also, the sound only occurred when i was on the gas, and turning, driving straight, the steering wheel would move back and forth.


Does anybody know what this could be? I'm guessing it's the parts with the torn boots, but i have no idea.

i've had the car just over 3500 miles. i changed the oil 2500 miles ago and was just getting ready to do it again.

Please offer suggestions. if you need more info/pics, let me know. Thanks!

I would think it is a CV that is sliding out of the tranny or the wheel.

I have had both happen. Is it just the wheel that is moving back and forth or the car too? If the whole car it might be the CV coming out of the wheel. That is what mine did after I went offroading.

it could also be a wheel bearing. Is the steering rack leaking?

I checked the power steering fluid about a month ago and it was almost empty, (it was below the dipstick), so i topped it off. when said shimmy started happening, i checked it again and it hadn't gone down at all.

When i'm on the gas, it's just the steering wheel that moves back and forth. moves about 1-1.5 inches, .5-.75 inches left of center and .5-.75 inches right of center.

does the car vibrate at all? can you feel it in the floorboards?

nope. no vibrations that i know of. it's been about 3 days since i've driven it, but i dont' recall anything like that. just the steering wheel and the sound. But i never brought it up above 40 mph....

check the wheel bearing... and do not drive the car till you can find and fix the problem.

sounds like you got a serious issue to take care of. But i would hate to see or hear something broke on the road.

Yeah. I've basically shut the car down. we have backup, it's a 1984 GMC k1500 so on a good day it gets about 12 mpg. it sucks.

I'll look into checking the bearing, but i have no idea how to do that. Also, i didn't mention because i did not think it was important, but it could be, the clutch has been going out for some time. it slips. Not everytime, basically only when i want it to slip, i can get it to slip. and if we pull away from a stop wrong, it'll slip. it's kind of annoying, but i just haven't watned to tear into the transmission yet due to the fact that it's wintertime.

That wouldn't have anything to do with the symptoms would it? Also, ever since we got the car, when the clutch pedal is out (in gear or not) there is a grinding sound. I've read the sticky on that about that little part i gotta buy, and i was planning on doing that when i replace my clutch. But that couldn't be the cause of my symptoms either could it?

I appreciate all your help ya'll. I'm kind of at a loss here. I'm used to driving a DSM that I knew how to work on when something went wrong, this subaru stuff is all new to me.

it wouldn't cause the steering wheel to shake.

To check the bearing, lift the car up and grab the front wheels and check them for play. I believe one of them is going to have quite a bit of play. Probably the drivers side. While you're under there, i want you to hop in and turn the wheel from side to side and make sure you don't have either wheel rubbing anything.

sounds like a wheel bearing to me

Okay, so i checked out my wheel bearings via the shake your wheel technique. no play what-so-ever. So I took my car off the stands and went for a cruise around the block. With my camera recording. link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRXI6Zsbi4k

you can hear it good at the second left turn at :34 and at the 3rd at :55 and at 1:22

This time around, it sounded like CV axles. Can someone watch the video and confirm this? I will say that this time, the sound was totally different than the first time, but this time I got on the gas around the corners and previously I didn't, so that could have been why the sound was odd to me.

thanks ya'll in advance. also, i read somewhere about checking the mounts before taking the axle's off? is this true?

sounds like a CV or something rubbing. What mounts are you referring to anyways?

there was a post somewhere about checking the motor mounts. supposedly it could cause the drive line to move around a little causing the sound. but i'm guessin' it's the CV axles. the car has 215,000 on it and i have NO idea when they were last replaced. i'll rip into it tonight/tomorrow and find out. Thanks again for all your help! I sure wish it was something simple... but at least it's not something lame, like rod knock.

hey im not meaning to thread jack.. but recently my car has been doing something similar and i know i need to get a new steering rack. does yours stop when you push on the brakes? because mine will rattle and click but once i push on the brakes it stops.

sorry again for jacking the thread. ill just stayed tuned to see what is going on

no worries. i don't care about thread jackers. doesn't bother me at all.

mine only makes the noise when turning. and the wheel shimmy only happens when i'm on the gas. if i'm on the brakes, it stays straight.