prediction on how long before my wheel falls off.

[lilbrudder]

well my front drivers wheel still sounds like it is going to fall off when i go over uneven pavement. i replaced the ball joint, sway bushings, brake pads + rotors, tie rod end, bearings, and end link. now i'm thinking strut however i don't see it leaking. could it be bad and not be leaking? how do i test it? i tried to push on the corner be i can't duplicate the noise. what are your thoughts?

[subru92svx]

I think its your strut mounts. I'm having a similar issue as you with the front of my car and thats what I have come to think it is.

[Turbone]

Could also be the tophat on the strut.

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by subru92svx

I think its your strut mounts.

Originally Posted by Turbone

Could also be the tophat on the strut.

Or maybe it's that thing that connects the strut to the body?

Pop off the plastic cap that covers the strut mount. With the wheel off the ground, grab the strut column and yank it around. Look for movement up at the top of the mount.

Maybe even walk alongside the car and watch the mount, while someone is driving over some bumps.

[Turbone]

When he said strut mount, I was thinking the bottom of the strut. I've always called the top mount the tophat.\

[NiftySVX]

There was a subaru TSB released on the strut mounts long after the car had been out of production. I want to say it was like 1999 ish. I always reccomend replacing strut mounts with struts. This noise sounds just like something I used to see on strut mounts @toyota all the time.

[lilbrudder]

This is some good stuff guys, with the strut mount where should i see play? i only see the rubber around the hole move alittle. BTW other things i noticed, the car pulls to the right while crusing or accelerating, pulls to the left when braking. it won't make the rattle if breaking or high speed 75+. the rattleing sounds like metal on metal, pretty much sounds like my wheel is going to fall off over the next rough patch. just started a couple weeks ago(right side doesn't do it). i might try the walking next to it idea, that sounds good but riding on the hood/roof might work better. anyone know how much/best place to get those strut mounts? man i hate replacing probable parts, it's cost me too much already, like a endless $$$ pit, how depressing, makes me want to just get rid of it. ok, i'm done sulking. what do you guys think?

[NiftySVX]

If the car has more than about 60,000 miles I can promise the strut mounts are out of spec and even if they aren't, there is a new part. Get it from Subaru as the original defective mount will automatically supersede to the new one. I would replace them anyway, even if they weren't the problem. It is hard to duplicate for diagnosis problems. If they move noticeably when you have the wheel off the ground then they are really bad off. New shocks and new strut mounts would help, definitely wouldn't hurt. check out endwrench.com and search for SVX and you can see the TSB I am talking about. Don't forget an alignment!

[lilbrudder]

oh, never seen that site, good info. if i get a whole new strut assembly does it come with strut mount? and how much are we lookin' at $$$, ballpark?

[It's Just Eric]

Yeah...um, as for the car, Im gonna guess strut mount/ top hat. For the metallic gringing noise during braking, I dont know, but you may want to check pad and disk wear. I have a feeling it pulls because of something dumb, like...you have the pad shims on one side but not the other

[Traitor_Moron]

would this be similar to a popping sound from the front strut area when turning the wheel at low speed... i replaced my front struts a few months ago with a used pair and since then i have been getting the pop. im not sure if my tophats were replaced... does this mean i need tails too? (thats a tuxedo joke for you young'ns)

[RojoRocket]

I just replaced the front Koni inserts and strut mounts, and upper and lower spring cushions, as they were covered/soaked with shock oil. The noise that had been plaguing me is gone!! I'd describe it more of a "boppity-boppity-bop sound when traveling over any sort of irregularity in the surface. I had believed it to be brake caliper related and replaced the slide-pins, shims, etc in vain. This after replacing the ball-joints and oil-soaked swaybar bushings. I believe it may have been the spring on the drivers side bouncing on the perch (worn through), or the mount, again, soaked with shock oil, and reason for warranty replacement of the strut inserts. Whatever, my car now sounds and rides as it should!!

Glenn

Mounts were approx $65 ea, and cushions were approx $50 a side. Top ones are very thick and heavy, while bottoms are more common material. From subaruparts.com.

[lilbrudder]

Eric, nice! well i think consensus is the strut mounts. i think i'm gonna do a temp repair with used parts from a 94. i'll do the mounts first, then bushings, and if all else fails i'll swap struts. that way i can isolate the troubled part and just get new ones next time it fails. only thing is can't do this for a couple months, does anyone think that will be a problem? i.e. the wheel falls off.

[lilbrudder]

ok, i've been driving this car the past week and i noticed something that might point the noise to my brakes. when ever i am going over a speed bump and apply the brakes, even just a little, it doesn't rattle. no noise. can anyone else explain this? i'm gonna get the rubber mallet out this week end, see if i can find something loose on the brakes.

[lilbrudder]

FIXED!!!!!!! for now. turned out be the rubber boot on the end of the lower guide pin for the brake caliper. it is suppose to seat inside the hole the guide pin goes through but it had expanded for some reason and popped out letting the guide pin move around like a millimeter clanging around over bumps making that very loud metal to metal chatter. i put an o-ring in the grove where the boot is suppose to seat, this has stopped it for now but i would like to get new boots. does any one know what the part # for the boot on the end of the lower guide pin?

BTW thanx for all the help every one!