1 Lucky Texan

check Craigslist for someone 'parting out' a car? also;https://www.lkqonline.com/?ref=g-ppc&gclid=CjwKEAjw1_KwBRDEz_WvncL4jGwSJAAEym0dqYUvy2qMpatc9qMtG4LhdpACML_mP-CkAnAQW6_h-RoC0S_w_wcB#!/

I was just wondering if torquing with the car's weight on the ground 'could' lead to repeat failures?

not sure the HBAs are subject to the same forces but one thing I recall, an FSM section on bearings warned against torquing the axle nut with the wheel on the ground. I have put a large screwdriver to 'buck up' against the caliper when I torqued the axle nut.

do the pads move freely in the caliper? some folks have had to file/grind pad backplate tabs/ears smaller. Or maybe rust in that area could cause binding?

I will say, it seems our soobs suffer more than a fair share of wheel bearing issues. one reason why I feel Timken or other name-brand replacements are fine - I see no indication OEM are anything special.

do a drain/fill and use the conditioner. Other than that, it's risky. KEEP IN MIND - you are due (overdue actually) for a timing belt service if it hasn't been done(105kmiles OR 105months). You could combine that service with cooling system service fairly easily. if you decide to change the thermostat since the coolant system is empty, you MUST only use an OEM-style t'stat. (there is a Stant Xacstat that seems to work, but do a search for the correct part number. - you could just re-use your old t'stat, might be a good idea to test it on the stove in hot water - oh, uh-NEVER let any mammal you care about consume even a small amount of antifreeze!) might be a good idea to get a new radiator cap too. refresh the whole system. many folks pull the overflow bottle and clean it out. Cut the tube in there at a 45* angle on the bottom to help reduce sucking any contaminants back up to the radiator neck. Consider putting a tiny clamp or a coupla zipties on the small tube at the neck too. you can find plenty of threads on cooling system maintenance of course, people have done all of the above and still experienced bad HGs. particularly with used cars - you don't know if an engine was overheated or not.. But, typical subaru 'blown' HGs push all or most of the coolant into the overflow bottle and most will have active bubbling of combustion gases while failing.

eh - not hard, messy. Most folks only need to reboot the inner joints so, outers are trickier I think as they need to come off? maybe search here for a thread about it or watch a 3-4 youtube videos - most half axles follow similar construction. If your outer is making noise, probably time for a new axle anyway. Or, I think you can find Febest brand outer joints on Amazon. dunno if replacing just the outer would lead to vibration at idle or not..... also, our H6es have valve cover leaks too. You might look for that. I GENTLY re-tightened all the VC bolts I could get too - one or 2 seemed only fingertight. Don't twist too hard though! the oil cooler adapter is another 'fairly' common oil leak. ALL oil leaks 'could' be made worse by gummed-up PCV valve.

smell when parked possibly due to grease from split axle boot. many people advise getting a used axle from car-part.com or LKQ, etc. and re/greasing-rebooting yourself. Or find friendly mechanic to do it - you will be MUCH more likely to have a good axle if you stay with Subaru. new are very expensive, but rebooting a good one from a wreck will give great service. MANY people have had aftermarket rebuilds axles cause vibration - plus a short life. (I got vibration from using one) some people report excessive oil consumption from bad/gummy PCV valves. cheap/easy to replace or clean - clean/replace the hose too if it looks bad, do not run that engine low on oil!

good to read Timken is OK on soobs. The one I put on my daughter's Impala (hub bearing assembly) has been fine. (it was even well packaged and impressed me as to surface finish and general appearance too.)

can you be more specific about this 'tightening-up/shrinking' statement?

I don't think 'blown' HGs are inevitable on an 06 but, external seepage seems pretty common. the Subaru conditioner is meant to stop/slow external leaks - everywhere,... but of course HGs were/are the main reason Subaru offers it. it was never meant to help with internally blown gaskets. don't use 2 bottles, don't add a bottle if there's the chance a dealer or prev. owner added one, don't combine other stop-leaks, DO NOT dump it in the overflow, go by the instructions. people have reported it helping.

if it's an older car, might be the last knock sensor it ever gets - I might cut the other conn off, prep all 4 wire ends, crimp butt splices on, pack them in dielectric grease and wrap in tape. EDIT; wait, if it's a stylle of knock sensor that has its connector molded on - no pigtail, might need to visit a junkyard and do as suggested, solder and shrink-tube the connector onto your harness. Keep the new length as short as possible - I think KS signal might be confused if a lot of electrical noise gets on the wiring.

Have you checked the front differential fluid level? Anyway you may need a mechanic to drive/check-out the car.

disconnect the exhaust - might be clogged. Or check for that with a vacuum gauge.

if they are original, I assure you they are 'bad'. (struts do often deteriorate slowly, but if you regularly drive on bad roads, for 185K miles, no way your struts are working well.) doesn't mean something else isn't wrong - bad diff mount bushings and rear bushings for the front lower control arms def. need inspecting. maybe post your city in a new thread and ask for a shop near you. get some experienced eyes on your suspension parts.

any other symptoms? noises? any work done or wrecks before this began? any pending codes stored by the ECU?

plasic tanks can leak where they are clamped to the fins/tubing.('core') maybe a pressure test would find you have a leaky radiator?

those can be swapped (along with the crank seal) during a timing belt service if old and certainly if leaking. what car/engine?

you never hear the noise at idle? would the sound change if you lightly engage the brakes? have the brakes ever been changed on the car? could be the caliper(s) are dragging.

was the filler tube rusted thru? there are probably several places you could get a decent filler cap from - even Amazon. Junkyard caps won't be much better than yours but.....if you have to save every penny.....

if you have read about the issue, i assume the car has all the same tires, and there has been no trans or diff swaps, right?

more details on car please. automatic transmission? seems like torque bind but.......

not sure where you are reporting the wetness, but I put small zipties to act as clamps on the little overflow tube at the nipple on the rad neck because I saw coolant under it on one car, and the other one's tube was stiff and didn't feel like it was sealing well. Under normal circumstances, I don't think there should ever be much over atmospheric pressure in that line - but I have seen dripping - and other cars have it clamped. To me, it seems likely air could be pulled in, in place of coolant in the o'flow tank - leading to a low radiator over time and a somewhat normal level in the o'flow. And who knows what happens if you couple the above with an old radiator cap and dirty o'flow tank?

it won't be fun, but comparing the plugs 'might' reveal some difference that would implicate a certain cylinder burning the coolanr. also, Polaris or Blackstone Labs might be able to find, or dismiss the presence of, combustion products in the coolant.

cutting the bump stop is shown at about 4:25 here; maybe not 'required' but I have read of it being done.