How to kno for sure which axle is shot

[hatchsub]

Is there a technique for figuring out which axle is shot on a 2wd EA81? I am almost positive the noise i am hearing is coming from the passenger side axle and that would make sense to me since thats the axle that gets the most stress right? Since its an open diff the power flows to that axle more than the drivers side axle.

[idosubaru]

usually you can tell, there's just enough difference to tell which side it is, but not enough to not make you question. so i would bet your presumption is right, if indeed it's the axle of course. you could swap sides and see if the noise "moves" with it...but that sounds like a waste of time. don't know of a for sure way, have you had any axle work/broken boots in the past, that would point to an particular axle.

[hatchsub]

The car barely has 70,000 miles on it so these are the original axles. Both sides have intact boots so it is hard for me to tell. When the car is cold and i go i hear the passenger side axle clicking/clunking really bad. Once the car is warm it generally doesnt do it but its been getting progressively worse as time goes on. I have a replacement axle sitting in my trunk waiting to go in and i think this weekend is the time to do it. Id rather not deal with this problem all winter.

[MSSLGECKO]

Usually, you can use one of the following to distinguish bad cv's: sound, visual inspection, driving feel. When 1 front axle is going bad, that side may 'click' or 'scrape' noticably, have torn boots, or shake when turning or moving.

 

Good luck, you might be able to get under there and shake them around to tell which is worse.

[TeamCF]

Maybe try jacking up the front. (both sides)

Turning the streering wheel fully to one side (may have to try both directions to get results)

Make sure to have the rear wheels blocked so they can't roll and make sure your parking brake is off and spin the front wheels by hand.

With the suspension fully extended and the wheels turned it may make it's noises for ya (if the CV is bad enough). Then you can tell easier which side is to blame.

[GeneralDisorder]

Under full lock turn, whichever direction makes the noise the MOST indicates it's the opposite side's axle. That make sense?

 

If you hear it turning right, then it's the left axle.

 

If you hear it turning left, then it's the right axle.

 

No - I'm serious. This works about 70% of the time. The outside tire in a turn is traveling faster. The other 30% it's usually BOTH axles anyway so it's a crapshoot as to which is worse.

 

That has been my experience, and is was the conventional wisdom around this board for ages when more of the "old-timers" posted.

 

For the price, and since the shipping is free, you should get the GCK's from Amazon. $100 for two axles and no shipping is the nuts man.

 

GD

[hatchsub]

Greeeeeaaatt. I probably should have just had brian ship me both of his GCK axles. I only got one them.

[idosubaru]

i'm confused?

Re: How to kno for sure which axle is shot

When the car is cold and i go i hear the passenger side axle clicking/clunking really bad.

[hatchsub]

what i meant to say is it sounds like the noise is coming from the passenger side but i would be very pissed if i went through the trouble of changing it out only to find it was the drivers side.