Borked an axle, Update 12-28-06

[TomRhere]

atleast I'm hoping that's what it is.

 

'86 BRAT 4WD D/R 4 speed

 

Stopped to get some go juice Thursday after work. When I pulled out onto the road, I spun the tires on wet pavement, nothing new there... The exit of this gas station is up-hill and you're making a righthand turn pulling onto the road. The PS axle has been protesting tight turns in the past few weeks, been putting off repairs until I get garage cleaned out some.

 

Anyways,

 

Get up to speed and head on towards home. About 10 miles later, I had to slow down for a car turning. WHOA!!!! Vibrations up the yingyang, not using brakes, just let off the gas to slow down. What the 'ell?? Get her back up to speed, and now it's vibrating at anything over 50 mph. This is not good, still have about 15 miles to drive yet. No vibration during accelleration, just when coasting or let off the gas.

 

Had to stop for a stop sign. Definate click/clunk with each rotation of the tires at anything under 20 mph. Man, I don't need this right now. Get going again, luckily traffic is light and I can drive it at 50 mph. Now, I'm in the hilly part of my trip, about 8 miles of up and down hills. Vibration is reallly picking up in intensity running these hills. Drove the last 4 miles home in 4WD, roads were wet from it raining so I figured I was good. Not so much vibrating with it in 4WD, but it's still there.

 

I'll be heading out to the garage here in a bit to make some room to get the front atleast in on the cement, and hopefully out of the wind. I hope it's just the axle, and not anything like tranny problems. Don't have spare 4 speed, got a 5 speed D/R, but don't have all the goodies to swap it in yet..

 

Don't have extra axle either, but I do have a set of outers I can put in and just drive it in 4WD. It's that or see if I can fix the wiper on the XT6, again! It fubared on me yesterday. Just ain't having good Sooby luck here this week.....

 

 

Update;

 

This ties in with this thread on tire wear also, http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=66233&highlight=Excessive+tire+wear

 

Since pulling the front axles, and driving in RWD, most if not all of the vibration that's been there "all along" in this BRAT has disappeared. Still does a shimmy over 65, but I don't usually get up to that speed. She just seems to go down the road better, but still has that slight pull to the right.

 

OK, on Monday 12-4-06, I headed for work in the BRAT. We had an overnight snow that coated the roads with real fine powdery stuff, a little slick in spots. Remember, I only have RWD now, and BRATs are not gifted with much rear axle weight.

 

Made it about 10 miles down the road, when I hit a spot of snow covered compacted ice. WHOA CHIT!!!! Had issues with making the turn onto this road, and had a heck of a time picking up speed, just couldn't get any traction.

 

Doing about 40 MPH, and making some head way. Thinking about some of the hills I have to go over, and how I ain't getting any bite here... Hmmmm...

Driving on a flat straight stretch of road when all of a sudden, I'm sideways and on the wrong side of the road. What the 'ell!?!?!? I didn't move the wheel or nothing to cause this, it just happened. Scared the crap out of me for sure. Especially when about 10-15 seconds later a Semi went by me headed the other way.

 

The County line was just ahead of me, and when I got there, the road had atleast been salted/sanded. I got a bit more traction after that. Made it to work with no further problems.

 

Now, today, I have the BRAT in the garage, and have been looking, checking, bouncing, prying, everything I can think of on the steering/suspension items. This is what I've found so far.

 

1st, I drove over to the Factory I used to work at. Nice large flat parking lot, with 4 double-row parking lanes, and 2 single rows. Pull in, set BRAT to head across the lot and do so letting it drift as it wants to. It pulls to the right, no matter which way I headed across the lot. Steering wheel is about the 7 o'clock postion.

 

Ok, head for the house and put it in the garage. Take a string and run it across rear tire heading for the fronts and check as to how/when string lines up with front tire. Not even!!! I can see atleast a 1/4" gap on the trailing side of the PS tire, and a 1/2" gap at the front of the DS tire when the string just touches the opposing sidewall of the tires. I rolled the vehicle forward about 1/2 revolution of tire and rechecked. Same thing....

 

I still can not find any slop or play in any of the steering or suspension parts. So,,, I'm just going to adjust the tie-rods ends to square up the tires, and center the steering wheel. Then see what the heck happens..

[GeneralDisorder]

Either a Double Offset Joint on the front or a bad driveshaft u-joint I would say. The way you say it's less in 4WD makes me think u-joint.

 

But when DOJ's fail, that's about the scenario - they go in just a few miles it seems.

 

GCK axles from Autozone - you'll never replace them again.

 

GD

[TomRhere]

Yeah, I was thinking DOJ just from reading different posts on here. Just seems to fit.. But the low-speed clunk had me thinking possible ring gear too.

 

Just now got BRAT into garage, letting snow and ice melt off it a bit. Been out there since daylight finishing up cutting apart an '86 EA-82 Sedan. I'll be heading back out there in a few and see what is what.

 

Got an AutoZone just down the road, but I know they won't have an axle on the shelf. Store is only about 10 years old, and older Subarus are a rarity in these parts. I'll check out their web site and see what I can find.

[TomRhere]

Hey GD, You happen to have an AZ part number for the front axle. Just did a search on AZ site and they don't list boo for an axle. Tried all EA-81 years, same return, not available, and some wierd un-heard of brand name.

[WoodsWagon]

My second axel started going that way. Boot had torn, grease had spun out, and the joint started to seize. It made it 2,000 miles home before it started to seize. Pulled off the highway, packed it full of wheel bearing grease, and it made it till the begining of fall. It's amazing how much the outer joint can yank the wheel around.

[TomRhere]

Just got it pulled out of the garage. Having a well deserved beer before taking it for a spin around the block.

 

Both inner DOJ's have slop in them.... Holding axle(s) with one hand and inner stub in other, I can get a good (not really) twist in both DOJ's. Can't really distinguish any play in the outer CV's, but I know that atleast one is bad from all the clicking during tight turns. DS inner boot was blown, and I have a good coating of nasty stuff all over that side of the BRAT, atleast it'll help deter any salt accumilation this winter. Didn't look real hard at PS inner boot, but I didn't see any ucky stuff on that side either.

 

Did notice that the DS tranny stub has more free-play in it than the PS one does. Hope that ain't a sign of bad things are going to happen here in the near future.

 

Did have a DO'H moment.

 

When one pulls the front "drive" axles out of one of these vehicles, it does help if you put the "range selector" in 4WD before you try to drive it out of the garage. Just doesn't seeem to want to go anyehere if you don't......

[GeneralDisorder]

Hhhmmm - yeah probably have to go to the store and have them look it up. They are special order only, so none of the stores carry them. Usually

only takes about 3 days to get them at my store.

 

It's GCK part number SB-8002

 

www.gck.com

 

GD

[TomRhere]

Coolness abounds..... Thanks GD!!!!!

[TomRhere]

Added update to 1st post.

[JWX]

the tire wear sounds like toe wear, and the vibration sounds like a DOJ. I'm guessing that after you replaced the tie rod ends you didn't get an alignment, hence the tire wear. the string trick, should help with the wear though.

[TomRhere]

No, I didn't have an alignment done, as I was waiting to get new tires all around and do the alignment at the same time. I just cracked the lock-nut loose and spun the ends off, then the new ones on. Should've been the same as it was, but that don't mean it was right to begin with.

 

 

Went back out to the garage and just sat there thinking on everything. Had Son come out and move the steering wheel while I watched everything move. Think I found my shimmy, and another reason for tire wear.

 

Seems there is a very slight amount of play on the PS inner tie-rod where it attaches to the rack. Found that while holding both tires as Christopher moved steering wheel. Got a spare rack here, I'll check it out and swap it in if it's good.

[TomRhere]

Okay,,, over Christmas weekend I swapped in the other steering rack. Also swapped steering columns so I can now have a key to start it instead of screwdriver. Pulled it out of the garage, then backed it back in so to let tires settle back in from being off the ground.

 

Used the afore mentioned string method to somewhat align the front end. Put another set of tires on the front, again used ones but good ones. Took it out for a spin. Did have to pop the steering wheel off and re-center it as it was off a bit. BUT, the "I want to go left" thing is gone. I can relax my grip of the wheel and she goes straight on down the road.

 

Been driving it to work this week, and she seems to be hella-better. Doesn't want to pull left, doesn't wander in the lane. But, it does feel a bit loose. It may just be that I've been driving the XT6 for the past few weeks, and I'm used to how it feels.

 

Still waiting on a couple reaction rod bushings to arrive. Then I'll change those and the control arm bushings. Once that's done, it's tire and alignment time.

 

Ordering both front drive axles thru Auto Zone, going for the GCK's that GD recommends. I can get them for $67.xx and $15.00 core each, or so the counter dude said. Believe me, they had better be what I'm paying for, and I told him that in a not so Mr. Nice Guy way.... I don't really like dealing with AZ.

 

Do have a question here. How do you get the horn push pad back onto the steering wheel? I just cant seem to get the top spring clip to go on. What's the trick????

[GeneralDisorder]

Ordering both front drive axles thru Auto Zone, going for the GCK's that GD recommends. I can get them for $67.xx and $15.00 core each, or so the counter dude said. Believe me, they had better be what I'm paying for, and I told him that in a not so Mr. Nice Guy way.... I don't really like dealing with AZ.

That sounds WAY wrong. If it doesn't come in a nice pretty white box that says GCK all over it, run far, far away from it. There should be no core as GCK doesn't rebuild axles, and the price should be $100 even - at least it is here in OR, and it was that way for junkie down in CA a couple months ago....

 

Sounds like a bad counter-jockey.

 

Do have a question here. How do you get the horn push pad back onto the steering wheel? I just cant seem to get the top spring clip to go on. What's the trick????

Brute force and ignorance. Put the top spring clip in first, and then pound on it with whatever is handy. Small children work well.... or toss the ufo POS off a bridge and find a proper wheel from an 82 Brat

 

GD

[TomRhere]

That sounds WAY wrong. If it doesn't come in a nice pretty white box that says GCK all over it, run far, far away from it. There should be no core as GCK doesn't rebuild axles, and the price should be $100 even - at least it is here in OR, and it was that way for junkie down in CA a couple months ago....

 

Sounds like a bad counter-jockey.

 

 

Brute force and ignorance. Put the top spring clip in first, and then pound on it with whatever is handy. Small children work well.... or toss the ufo POS off a bridge and find a proper wheel from an 82 Brat

 

GD

 

Yeah, the low price told me something wasn't quite right, then the core charge threw up even more alarms. I had done a search for your post telling of price & no core charge, along with what the axles looked like and how tight the joints are.

 

It won't be a pretty sight to behold if I go to get them and they aren't what they aree supposed to be.

 

I'll give the horn pad another try during lunch today.