As much as I hated to do it, I paid the dealer (Classic Subaru in Orlando) to take care of the noise. I had 800+ miles to drive, and my sanity was worth that price. They said both my rear bearings were bad, but the left rear was the one that was HORRIBLY bad. Since it was doulbe the price, I decided to just do the one that was totally gone. I'll do the other soon.

Regardless, they charged me the regular price of $78.02 for the bearing, $10.70 and $8.83 for the seals, $4.37 for the axle nut, and $5 for overnight shipping. The labor was $308 and Tax was $26.97 for a total of $441.89... Not too bad I guess... That's about a $150 premium for having the dealer do it instead of a local shop (about $200 labor and a 25% discount on parts from subaruparts.com)...

Overall I'm pleased with their service advisor and assistance, but I am confused about the taxes in Florida. I knew parts needed to be taxed, but I didn't think that labor was taxable. Perhaps it's a Florida thing....

Now I need to prepare for a right rear bearing replacement and plethora of engine seal replacements. How hard is it to replace the rear bearings, and how much time should I allocate to it? Thanks!

Clarke