kecksnext Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I just searched for some clues regarding this noise but my symptoms wern't covered that I saw. 85 EA81 Brat Just replaced LH strut and now 1 week later I've got this horrible noise like there is a metal card stuck in the spokes of a 10 speed. It only happens when I'm on the gas....if I let off the gas or hit the clutch it disappears. Is there such a thing as tightening an axel nut too much? Are my bearings shot?CV shot? I don't think I'm gonna make it home from work tonight and that really sux!!:madder: Any insight would be greatly appreciated although I'll still probably break down tonight. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NV Zeno Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Hmm..that's just the opposite of when mine makes that noise. I figure it's the tranny, it makes that sound when I coast in gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Actually - it sounds like maybe a bad front wheel bearing. These can make awful noises - something like someone trying to drown a cat...... Could be an axle too - the on gas / off gas nature of it sounds suspicously like an axle. Really there is no one answer - it could be none of these. You'll just have to rip it apart and find out. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kecksnext Posted December 10, 2003 Author Share Posted December 10, 2003 Thanks for the reply's. Thing is, everything was replaced but the wheel bearings (strut,axel,rotor,caliper). I would think I would know immediately if these were to blame but this has just come up after 1 week. Yesterday a little hum...today, louder than the radio. Kinda freaked me out a bit. Is there a trick to getting the bearings out or is it just smack em? Again, I searched the archives and nothin' bout it that I could find. Anyway, if you feel the need to speak get on it and as always thanks in advance. BTW it made it home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Smack em..... just do it carefully. They are a press fit, and should be installed with a press.... but people have done it without. Not me - I usually get a good one from the JY, and toss it on. If'n I was to do it tho, I think that probably I would take it to a machine shop. It's hard enough getting the axle out and back in to have to bother with the bearings too. Make sure you pack em with grease very well, as they are difficult to repack later.... GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kecksnext Posted December 10, 2003 Author Share Posted December 10, 2003 Thanks for keepin' on GD you're allright. I'll give em' a smack and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnieBlue Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Its hard to tell form what you described, but i started hearing a new sound, like coins or rocks in a soda can which i can hear when i accelerate. if its sounding, and i let off the accelerator, it stops. I dont know if this is related, but i also notice an Occasional 'lag' in acceleration. for example, i'll shift into third, and ill hear the engine rev (clutch is completely out at this point) but it wont feel like there is any pulling from the front wheel drive. this will eventually go away and the car will jerk. Any suggestions? -- 86 XT GL Coupe (no turbo) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ma-fia Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 I am pretty much in the dark when it comes to identifying the trouble, but I've replaced wheel bearings on both front wheels. It's not that hard. The worst part is cleaning. Just smack them out, like the folks say. To get them in, I've got a plastic straight adapter in plumbing section, it costs very little (the kind they use it to join 2 pieces of pipe of the same diameter to extend the piping), with diameter as close to the outer ring of the bearing as possible, but a bit smaller. It helps to get the bearing in without damaging it. That has been about 1.5 years ago. One side is still up and holding. I had to swap the other steering knuckle though after about a month (must have gotten dirt into the bearings after all...) -- I didn't want to go through the whole bearing deal again and got a parts car just around that time... Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Have you re-checked the torque of the axle nut? Reason for asking is, I've had the axles out/in on both BRATs, for various reasons. After driving for awhile, the hubs were loose and I was getting strange noises, found the axle nut to be loose. Don't know why that happens, but it does. On doing the bearings... I've used a press to do them, and I've used the hammer/punch method also. Hammer method is a bit easier, atleast in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAP Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 try driving it around in a tight circle in a parking lot, will help locate noise. tap the bearings out with a drift. I have a brass drift that I use to take them out and install them. Don't forget the spacer that fits in between, or you'll get to practice again. When you install them make sure to tap around the bearing lightly to get the bearing to go in straight. If it doesn't, not the end of the world. just use the drift to tap out the portion that got too far ahead. Once you've gotten the bearing to seat you will hear a difference in the sound (metal to metal). Use your feminine side (smaller hammer, lighter touch), and you will be one with the universe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 On the subject of getting the axle out. I found that a good gear puller, large enough to fie around the steering knuckle, works just great. On getting it back in, I use a three pound hammer and a friend with the same so that the alignment stays right and the shaft doesn't bind on the bearings. It's a hassle, but worht the cost savings. I can change an axle in about an hour on my 88 GL from start to finnish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeky Moose Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 my hatch sounded like you describe when i bought it.. was the passenger side front wheel bearing.. it was toasted from scubadiving and never getting any attention.. instead of just changin the bearing, i went to the scrap yard and got a hoel hub.. one that had a nice bearing in it.. (carefully inspected before taking it) was much easier to change out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormTrooper Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 It will probably be cheaper to get a junkyard knuckle than go through the madness of a bearing swap. I've done both, and with the subes, I usualyy roll the dice at the junkyard and come out happy with the results. if the castle nut has been loose long enough, It is not uncommon for the bearing race to disintegrate and cause enough play for the bearing housing to get damaged in which case you'll need a new knuckle anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostWater Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 Definitely do bearing... Mike, if you go junkyard route, you likely wont know the condition of what you are getting any better than what you have. The bearing is not hard to do, just takes time. 1st you gotta unhook the knuckle from the tie rod end and the swingarm, thats the hard part. Then you can undo the fixing bolt and the tightening bolt and get the whole knuckle off. You can use anything you want to get the old bearings out as they are toast; me, I use a chisel and a big hammer.\ You can reuse the old bearings as a drift with a hammer to get the new bearings in, inner and outer, as well as the seals too. Then reinstall, likely you will have to do the tie rod becuase that one is easy to bung up, $16 at ****vance. If you need any additional details, just ask. BTW, I have done this job on the side of a road when my bearings went out., a hint, replace them at first sound of noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kecksnext Posted December 12, 2003 Author Share Posted December 12, 2003 Thanks for all the replies people. I'm gonna give it a whack Saturday as we may be getting a little errr uhhh powduh Sunday. I was thinking about just swapping the whole thing out with 1 from an 82 Brat. Is there a difference between auto and manual? I should think not but I better ask anyway before I find out otherwise and end up tossing a 10 pounder into traffic. BTW Lostwater how's trix? Hope life is finding you and your family well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one eye Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I had the same thing going on. I took it to les schawb they said it was my front and left rear wheelberings and front cv axles. i thought that they were right, but they were wrong. as i drove down the road it felt like the front end was about to fall right off. A shaking from side to side kinda. so it ended up being the right rear wheel bering and a front cv on the right side. do check your rear ones my buddy and i both have had the rears go out but mine has 243200 miles on it. I just thought i'd put my 2 cents in. good luck. Jeff Northern Alliance Offroad Mt. Vernon WA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brat86 Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Same noise on an '82 GL I had 10 years ago. Stripped front hub. I changed the hub too late because the old cv stub wore out the new hub. Ended up changing the hub and cv at the same time and had to do the same on the other side 6mo later. Just had to change the right one on my '89 3dr. Just the hub though. The axle splines looked ok and this car is going a way as soon as my Brat is resurrected. My thoughts are that mechanics are not torquing the castle nuts enough when doing cv axles. I've seen Mazda and Isuzu both call for 15 ft lbs on their front wheel drives. Subaru is like 125 ft lbs or so. Thus the hub wobbles and strips out. Could still be the wheel bearings though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kecksnext Posted December 13, 2003 Author Share Posted December 13, 2003 Well, I just replaced the axel and bearings. Noise is still there. I jacked the front end up and tried to isolate the noise. Sound is coming from the driver side of the tranny:madder: Is this as bad as I think it is? I cecked the tranny fluid and it was about an inch above the full mark(never checked til now) and looked tan and a little foamy. I have zero knowledge about transmissions. It shifts fine but when on the gas it makes a hell of a racket. I would really appreciate any thoughts and or insight into this nightmare I just woke up to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted December 14, 2003 Share Posted December 14, 2003 those trannys are usually bulletproof, though it is possible to strip the differential gear.... perhaps you might want to look into an inner CV joint for the driverside first? Thats another possibility. -Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostWater Posted December 14, 2003 Share Posted December 14, 2003 Did u buy these replacement parts from a junkyard or new? I have tried to buy CV's and a knuckle (with bearing) from a junkyard on two occasions and on both they have been bad when I test drove. This stinkin job takes too dang long to have to do twice..... This is why for parts like bearings and CV's you should do new, or rebuilt of good quality. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted December 14, 2003 Share Posted December 14, 2003 Actually, for halfshafts all together, I wanted to make sure they NEVER broke, so I got brand new GCK offroading axles, that were about $220 for the pair, about 3 years ago. However, they are stronger by far, and have a lifetime warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kecksnext Posted December 14, 2003 Author Share Posted December 14, 2003 The parts were from my parts car. I just don't think after replacing everything that the noise would be exactly the same. A little too coincidental for me. I mean no change what so ever. Has to be something I'm missing. Thanks for all the good ideas. You all make me proud to own a Sube and I can always count on some genuine responses. Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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