95' Subaru SVX - rear end noise - brake calipers?

[tony_WI]

My girlfriend has a SVX 1995 all wheel drive. There is a noise coming from the rear end which is proportional to the wheel turning speed. I thought it could be a bearing but I am not sure.... She took it to the shop, and they said it needed new pads and rotors (it is disk brake in the rear). Bastards! I said, BS, she did brakes and rotors about 2 years ago. I took out the wheel and the pads and disc look like new. I realized that the brake calipers are attached by a bolt in one end and some kind of flying attachement on the other end. You can easily move the rotors perpendicular to the disc and when you do this it makes a noise. The rotors seem loose but the one bolt is fairly tightened. I think this could be the source of the noise. The rotor on the other side does the same. The front wheel rotor setup is similar but you can't move the rotors with your hands. Any ideas????

[nipper]

there is a svx board, i dont have the link.

 

you cant really tell anything by looking at the rotors (warped).

 

Is the noise a roar (svx's have been known to have the rare rear end go bad)

 

DO all the tires match

 

Does the noise go away when she applies the breaks

 

DOes the break pedal pulse

 

Check the ger lube level in the diff.

 

nipper

[Manarius]

Rear wheel bearings. All the SVX's have this problem.

 

BTW nipper the link would be: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum

[nipper]

Rear wheel bearings. All the SVX's have this problem.

 

BTW nipper the link would be: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum

 

hehe forgot the rear wheel bearings *kicks self*

 

im not at home so i dont have my links :-\

[Manarius]

hehe forgot the rear wheel bearings *kicks self*

 

im not at home so i dont have my links :-\

It's all right good sir. You were right about the rear end in that the tranny usually breaks due to that pitiful 3.545 final gearing - but you knew that anyways.

[Hocrest]

I realized that the brake calipers are attached by a bolt in one end and some kind of flying attachement on the other end. You can easily move the rotors perpendicular to the disc and when you do this it makes a noise. The rotors seem loose but the one bolt is fairly tightened. I think this could be the source of the noise. The rotor on the other side does the same. The front wheel rotor setup is similar but you can't move the rotors with your hands. Any ideas????

 

The rotor can move somewhat when you have the wheel off since the wheel and lug nuts is what holds it solid to the hub. The caliper will move perpendicular to the rotor, as long as there is no other movement you should be OK.

 

If the disk brake pads look good. It could be the drum brakes that are used for the parking/emergency brakes. To check them, you'll have remove the caliper bracket and then the rotor/drum will lift off.

 

If it isn't the brakes, my next guess would be wheel bearings. My SVX made noise for a year or so before I got it repaired, but you probably shouldn't wait that long.

 

Are the tires matched front to back and side to side??

 

And you should probably post over at http://www.subaru-svx.net

Most of the folks here don't have an SVX...

[Hocrest]

to that pitiful 3.545 final gearing

 

Do you mean the same pitiful 3.545 gearing that lets me cruise 80 mph at under 2700 rpm and continues to push me close to 150mph with little effort??

[Manarius]

Do you mean the same pitiful 3.545 gearing that lets me cruise 80 mph at under 2700 rpm and continues to push me close to 150mph with little effort??

And you regularly blow trannies before 100k miles

 

I'm just kidding with you Hocrest, we all love you.

[nipper]

And you regularly blow trannies before 100k miles

 

I'm just kidding with you Hocrest, we all love you.

 

Tranny problem has to do with the lockup torque converter clutch material flaking off and clogging the cooler lines (that plus some underdesigned gears)

 

Besides, they blew way before 100K

 

(im still looking for one)

 

nipper

[benebob]

Tranny problem has to do with the lockup torque converter clutch material flaking off and clogging the cooler lines (that plus some underdesigned gears)

 

Besides, they blew way before 100K

 

(im still looking for one)

 

nipper

 

Oh how back seat SVXer seem to know these cars!:-\ My original tranny died at 98k (after running through maa where cars typically run for about 4 hours in stop and go traffic in a given day which will toast just about any tranny fluid) and those horrible wheel bearings lasted 145k but then again lets leave it up to the experts who don't own one of these cars nor do they know how they need to be cared.

[nipper]

Oh how back seat SVXer seem to know these cars!:-\ My original tranny died at 98k (after running through maa where cars typically run for about 4 hours in stop and go traffic in a given day which will toast just about any tranny fluid) and those horrible wheel bearings lasted 145k but then again lets leave it up to the experts who don't own one of these cars nor do they know how they need to be cared.

hrmmmm

 

sooooo 7 years of researching these cars, including being various members on boards, a degree in automotive engnieering, member of SAE for 30 years, and im not an expert (not to mention 25 years of owning subarus). I've read every single TSB on these cars, read all the engineering failure analysis, and im called a back seat svx'r. i am so biting my tounge.

 

http://www.drwtransmission.com/subaru_svx.htm

http://uniquecars.carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/portal/alias__uniquecarsau/tabID__203009/ArticleID__5313/DesktopDefault.aspx

How many people on here can even say they have taken apart several SVX torque converters to analyze and see the problem first hand, or cut open an SVX tranny cooler, or had the material analyzed to see exaclty what it was (i really miss college labs sometimes).

 

 

i dont even know what to say in polite company so i wont even say it.

 

have a nice day

 

nipper

[benebob]

hrmmmm

 

sooooo 7 years of researching these cars, including being various members on boards, a degree in automotive engnieering, member of SAE for 30 years, and im not an expert (not to mention 25 years of owning subarus). I've read every single TSB on these cars, read all the engineering failure analysis, and im called a back seat svx'r. i am so biting my tounge.

 

http://www.drwtransmission.com/subaru_svx.htm

http://uniquecars.carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/portal/alias__uniquecarsau/tabID__203009/ArticleID__5313/DesktopDefault.aspx

How many people on here can even say they have taken apart several SVX torque converters to analyze and see the problem first hand, or cut open an SVX tranny cooler, or had the material analyzed to see exaclty what it was (i really miss college labs sometimes).

 

 

i dont even know what to say in polite company so i wont even say it.

 

have a nice day

 

nipper

 

Did you ever consider it really isn't the car but rather the people driving 'em? The design if properly maintained functions very well for a performance car from the time period. More reliable than say 3 of the 4 vehicles it was ever compared with. The Mitsu 3000/Dodge twin, Corvette, RX7.

 

Sure the wheel bearings can be an issue but when properly maintained according to the manufacture's instructions it really isn't more of an issue than any other subaru (hence the reason Hocrest asked about tires, etc.)

 

As for the transmission. My 5 speed legacy gt tranny had issues at 1k so they must be crap huh? Changing tranny fluid does wonders for the life of a transmission.

 

Its very similar a car to the Justy ECVT as it wasn't marketed, or sold right plus you need to consider the dealerships after only dealing with small lightweight, low performance cars for 20 years didn't know how to handle a heavy gt that was pushing the limits of the parts bin supply.

 

As I said, until you own one, you really don't know as it is as much of a Subaru as that Justy I mentioned.

[Manarius]

Ben, you know I'm a faithful reader of the SVX forums - I see what breaks and what doesn't. I know I don't own one (dammit), but I've done a good bit of research to know what to look for when buying one or trying to diagnose issues.

 

Of course there's no replacement for ownership, but by the same token, reading what owners have to say about the car and noting what's happening to them isn't a bad idea, right?

[benebob]

Ben, you know I'm a faithful reader of the SVX forums - I see what breaks and what doesn't. I know I don't own one (dammit), but I've done a good bit of research to know what to look for when buying one or trying to diagnose issues.

 

Of course there's no replacement for ownership, but by the same token, reading what owners have to say about the car and noting what's happening to them isn't a bad idea, right?

 

I can send you to a website that will tell you the ski is purple if you'd like. Research doesn't involve typing in a google word search and calling that fact. A properly maintained SVX tranny or rear wheel bearing will last just as long as any other performance automatic or rear wheel bearing from another make. Too say that it is because of a 3.545 is just based on you're beliving that it is the best fix to replace the transmission with one with shorter gears as the people who advicate that though are the ones who are looking for faster 0-60 times or too poor to replace it with a properly rebuilt transmission with a properly installed temperture gauge so you can tell when you've fried your fluid. I'm very certain that my tranny will last another 100k at the very least and that is with very spirited driving habits.

 

Oh and FYI most of the tranny issues have a big part to do with not rotating tires, poor alignments, non-matching tires etc. It takes a tranny that already runs warm and turns it into one that runs 10 degrees higher!