danbennett2u Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I started getting this strange seemingly random spaced metallic tinking/clanking noise from the front of my car when 900 miles home. Car made it home fine with no other symptoms of problems. It sat for a few days, and when we went to drive it again, we noticed a fairly severe vibration mainly upon acceleration but noticeable under deceleration as well. It feels like it is in the driveline, as in I can feel it in the rear of the car. Almost like torque bind but it is occurs when going straight and turning makes no difference. I know I have a noisy wheel bearing in the rear but this feels more severe than a wheel bearing.... like I said its almost like heavy friction as in torque bind. It does not occur at speeds over 20mph at all regardless of how the accelerator is being pressed. Any ideas on what this might be, and if the clanking might be related? 95 impreza 2.2 auto awd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I'd have to guess a failed U joint or bad carrier bearing. Pretty easy to tell which if you take the driveshaft off. Put a catch pan under the trans end to catch any fluid that comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 sounds like a carrier bearing. if this has been going on for long you will need u-joints also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbennett2u Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 how do you replace u joints or a carrier bearing, does it involve dropping a driveshaft? any special tools needed to do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 U joints and carier bearing for us mortals involves replacing it with a used unit form a scrap yard. Doing it at such a low speed is telling you that it is about to fall apart so do not drive the car untill it is checked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbennett2u Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 Can I just remove the driveshaft or part of it somehow to keep the car on the road until I can get the whole thing replaced? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Is this an automatic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbennett2u Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Can I just remove the driveshaft or part of it somehow to keep the car on the road until I can get the whole thing replaced? probably not unless it is four wheel drive or awd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 If it wasnt one of those it would not have a drive shaft carrier bearing or universals.. No you can't Does it thunk when you move in one direction then go into the other direction ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 (edited) ? that doesn't make sense it has to have u joints whether or not it was two or four wheel drive. i have an awd it has u joints. Edited June 7, 2012 by mikaleda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 CV joints are in the two front half shafts. There are four in total that make the front driveline (2 cv per). There are four universal joints in the driveshaft that goes from the transmission to the rear differential. At the rear there are two more half shafts with 4 universal joints. These are basically trouble free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 (edited) i know the driveshaft is what we are talking about. the front and rear axels that drive the tires are cvs and they don't grind when they start to go out they click when you are turning. the front comes out of the tranny no u joints Edited June 7, 2012 by mikaleda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 OK now i am completly confused. If it was 2wd it wouldnt have a driveshaft to clunk or vibrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 (edited) when i say two wheel drive i mean rear wheel drive not front wheel drive. sorry for the confusion my bad Edited June 7, 2012 by mikaleda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbennett2u Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 No it doesnt thunk at all, just random tinking when moving, almost sounds like a rock in a metal hubcap. Tinking and vibration is all I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 now i'm confused is it front wheel drive of rear wheel drive? if it is fwd it would be cvs if it is rear wheel drive it is probably carrier or u joint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbennett2u Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 As I stated in my first post it is a 95 AWD impreza automatic. There is no such thing as a Rear wheel drive subaru unless we are talking about the BRZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 okay then it is probably a u joint i am sorry about the confusion. my awd had a place where you can put it in to fwd mode with a fuse if you have this then you could remove drive shaft and drive it safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbennett2u Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Nipper said you cant remove the driveshaft and drive around on an automatic. I think Fairtax up at the top said fluid drains out now that I think about it. Nipper, is there any significance to not having any thunk when changing directions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airlia101 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Listen to others about the vibration, but my own clank noise was simply a wheel weight bouncing inside the tire. Easy to check - demount each tire, shake it around and feel for something bouncing. Unlikely, but a lucky break if that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 (edited) Nipper said you cant remove the driveshaft and drive around on an automatic. I think Fairtax up at the top said fluid drains out now that I think about it. Nipper, is there any significance to not having any thunk when changing directions? the reason for the fuse i was telling you about is only on autos it shuts off the rear pump so that in case of rear seal problems you can put this fuse in and make it home. i have two awd drives at my house same year make and model one stick and one auto the stick does not have a fwd drive fuse because there is no pump to shut off. and actually you could probably put this fuse in and leave the rear drive line in and drive it if you have it. Edited June 8, 2012 by mikaleda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbennett2u Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 The FWD fuse only affects the duty C solenoid. The driveshaft will still turn with the fuse in since it is connected to the rear diff and thus the wheels, all it does is disconnect it from power at the transmission. I think I am pretty much screwed and need to find a driveshaft to replace this with as everyone on this thread seems to think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikaleda Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 well do what you think you have to i am just trying to help. i have had this prob before and i put the fuse in and was able to drive it around for quite awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 now i'm confused is it front wheel drive of rear wheel drive? if it is fwd it would be cvs if it is rear wheel drive it is probably carrier or u joint. When dealing with cars of this time period there is NO SUCH THING as a Rwd Subaru so just get that thought out of your head. It's either FWD or AWD. AWD will have a rear driveshaft, FWD does not. Automagic transmission AWD cars you can remove the rear half of the driveshaft and drive around no problem for eternity. This is quite often used to diagnose bad u joints as well as torque bind problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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