Help, major clunking noise from wheel @ < 5mph

[deadlydave]

Well, I'm getting a major clunking noise/thudding vibration when turning the steering wheel sharply (at less than 5mph), accompanied with a matching severe vibration. I checked the lug nuts--all torqued to spec. This only started happening recently, about 3 weeks after I put the new brakes and spacers on.

Here's what I've checked.
-Lug nuts, all properly and evenly torqued.
-All front CV boots (none torn or leaking)
-replaced all 10 front wheel studs, and all 10 lug nuts
-ditched the wheel spacers and put new wheels on, to accomodate the size of the brakes. still get the problem.
-visually inspected the hub extension that the wheels rest on--no visible blemishes
-I've driven cars with dying bearings and CV's...this sounds like neither.
-There is sufficient air in all tires

What I've noticed:
-The face of the brake rotor--the part that the wheel studs slide through, has some scuffing on it, indicating the wheel is rubbing it. Should I try to replace this?--I have an extra set of rotors

I'm going out of my mind right now. I do not want to have my wheels fall off--but there is NO sign of this vibration on the highway or even regular roads, if i'm at any speed. And I do not want to trash the new wheels I just got either. Please help.

Thanks in advance.

[AJM]

Ball joints are a common problem on newer Legs.

[HotBoxer]

im having a similar problem in my BD and I was thinking a CV joint or something on the halfshaft. anybody know whats going on?

[deadlydave]

Ball joints are a common problem on newer Legs.

Does that produce a violent, jarring vibration at only slow speeds?

[Huffer]

Take the rotor off and make sure the planes are flat and level - do the same with the wheel mounting face?

[AussieDan]

New wheels didn't fix it huh? If it's only at full lock the most likely culprit is the CV. A broken CV isn't likely to sound the same as one that is just worn out, so it wouldn't be a familiar noise....

[deadlydave]

New wheels didn't fix it huh? If it's only at full lock the most likely culprit is the CV. A broken CV isn't likely to sound the same as one that is just worn out, so it wouldn't be a familiar noise....

DO'H, i've only had this car for 4000 miles. Gah...

[bakergtt]

If it only comes up when turing I would say its the CV too

[deadlydave]

ok. To further explain the feeling.

It feels like someone is lifting the corner of my car up off the ground an inch, then dropping it. Repeat.

I hope to god it's not the cv. I've replaced half-shafts on both of my previous subarus, multiple times. I'ma gonna jack up the car and try to wobble the wheel.

Is this something that would fall under warranty? (Drivetrain warranty, the bumper-to-bumper ended 3000 miles ago.)

[bakergtt]

wow so it acts like a lop sided wheel

I would jack it up and check everything! maybe a wheel bearing or suspension.

[deadlydave]

wow so it acts like a lop sided wheel

I would jack it up and check everything! maybe a wheel bearing or suspension.

I'm pretty sure it's hub or bearing related. Maybe i hit a serious pothole+wheel spacers=extra strain. Capitaland subaru will probably be getting a call from me soon, they're a bunch of good guys, and suby owners too.

[deadlydave]

on the plus side, my new wheels look awesome on the car.

JDM V7 STi's.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

[AussieDan]

I demand on-car photos!

[LunchBox04V]

I think it was a problem on some of the older Legacy's, or atleast a friend of mines, but the front differential was messed up some how, and was essentailly locked all the time, like possi-traction. Made that same low speed clunck, clunck, and heavy wheel shutter feel. Subaru knew about the problem, but would not fix it because it was just outside of warranty. Just a though of something to look at.

[deadlydave]

I demand on-car photos!

I'll go dig my car out and post a few. It does look goofy--i'm using the smaller, legacy-sized tires that came with them until i can get snows in a couple weeks.

[LegacyRob]

on the plus side, my new wheels look awesome on the car.

JDM V7 STi's.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

OMG who balanced the wheels for you? they have the wrong style weights on them, they should've balanced them on the inside only or something instead of marking up your rims.

[deadlydave]

Easy killer, those are not my wheels, just the same type of wheels I have.

My wheels have the weights on the inside of the rim, behind the spokes, properly done.

[Perdue]

I was gonna say...I do believe I'd shoot someone for balancing my wheels like that if I managed to get a set of those.

[dplacencia]

I think it's your wheel bearing.

[deadlydave]

I think it's your wheel bearing.

I'm having a friend go for a drive with me, hopefully tonight, to diagnose the problem.

Would a Bearing be covered under the 'drivetrain' warranty?

[deadlydave]

Just got off the phone with a Subaru Master Tech at the only dealership I actually trust to work on my car.

He thinks that inside the front differential the viscous coupler is cracked. This *should* be covered by the factory 60k mile drivetrain warranty. It's going into the shop on the 14th, he said be prepared to not have it for a few days. :-? I can't wait to have the car back to full health.

[2.5GT]

crack! holy...what did you do? :eek:

[Sarra]

Just got off the phone with a Subaru Master Tech at the only dealership I actually trust to work on my car.

He thinks that inside the front differential the viscous coupler is cracked. This *should* be covered by the factory 60k mile drivetrain warranty. It's going into the shop on the 14th, he said be prepared to not have it for a few days. :-? I can't wait to have the car back to full health.

When I got my Syncros replaced on my '00 BE Sedan, they had the trans sitting, apart, on the shop floor for 2 weeks. Be prepared to wait the barbarians out.

[deadlydave]

:-? Damn.

However, the clunking has magically stopped. It started getting less and less severe as the weather got colder and colder. Today's weather is almost 50 degrees F right now...it's been between 30 and 40 since Sunday...and the car has shown no sign of it's ailment.

I really hope this problem was a temporary one. I really want to buy outbackgt's CF hood.

[jjs316]

im having a similar problem in my BD and I was thinking a CV joint or something on the halfshaft. anybody know whats going on?

I was experiencing this and it was a bad ball joint on the driverside. i replaced the passengerside as well at the same time cause they are only about 20-30 dollars.

[96legacyLS]

:-? Damn.

However, the clunking has magically stopped. It started getting less and less severe as the weather got colder and colder. Today's weather is almost 50 degrees F right now...it's been between 30 and 40 since Sunday...and the car has shown no sign of it's ailment.

I really hope this problem was a temporary one. I really want to buy outbackgt's CF hood.

jack the car up and check the wheelbearings, i belive that is whats wrong with mine i am having the same symptoms, a ball joint or a tie rod would vibrate a lot worse

[jjs316]

jack the car up and check the wheelbearings, i belive that is whats wrong with mine i am having the same symptoms, a ball joint or a tie rod would vibrate a lot worse

When both my ball joints were bad it didnt vibrate very much. just had a loud clunking noise.

When my inner tierod ends were bad, thats when i had bad vibration.

[deadlydave]

The noise and vibration have stayed completely gone for over a week, so I cancelled my appointment. If the techs couldn't get the syptom to replicate, then they couldn't take the tranny apart anyway.