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I hope someone can help me here, I have been given great advice before on the ticking noise fixed by renewing oil pump seals.

My car shows a front end vibration at medium to high speeds. I thought it was my old cv joints which I have just changed and has made no difference. I have tested the wheel bearings by checking the wheels for play but am thinking they could still be stuffed and show no play.

I am thinking it must either be my wheel bearings or something in the gearbox between the drive shafts. When I turn right the vibration/noise stops so this could help me narrow down the problem. When I took the drive axle out to replace cv joints, the wheel bearings on the front left wheel hub were almost fused to the axle and the new axle was very hard to put in.

Does this tell me my bearings heated up so much they contracted in size?
Is it possible for worn bearings to cause so much vibration that stops when I turn right?
Is there a bearing in between gearbox drive shafts?

Thanks I hope someone can help me here. My car is a Subaru DL1800 1991 model sportswagon EA82 engine - been on Fraser Island .

Is it possible for worn bearings to cause so much vibration that stops when I turn right?[yes]
Is there a bearing in between gearbox drive shafts?[no]
appart from that you could look at tierod ends too

i was going to say check wheel balance but since it happens at low speeds and on a particular side, and since its not cv's , bearings do sound likely.

yes, wheel bearings.

I was going to say uni-joints or the centre bearing on your tailshaft until you noted it went away when you turned.

does it go away or get worse or stay the same if you put it in 4wd?

alex

I'd first of all check the condition of your tyres - any abnormal lumps or "bubbles" in the tyre?

I had the same thing, thought my rear diff was on the way out, or a rear bearing was cactus - turned out I had a buldge in my rear tyre, swapped that and there was no noise or vibration anymore.

I could be wrong, but that's where i'd start.

Cheers

Bennie

Thanks very much guys, I need all the advice I can get! I like all your car photos I see them as one of the best cars out there - so easy to look after and built very well for the Australian adventure lifestyle.

I have put my spare tyre on each side to cancel out defects in the tyre causing the noise (unless my spare tyre is stuffed as well). I didn't think that vibration level could come from a bearing but my auto parts supplier says it can.

And the fact that the noise goes when I turn tight tells me that I should be able to figure it somehow using that. I am going to try and change the left wheel bearing and hope for the best. When I put the spare tyre on the left side the noise got worse too. Its confusing the shit out of me but I suppose the bearings need changing anyway so I might as well cancel out the possible problems. Good the know the gearbox bearing couldn't be involved!

to Check tyres normally swap them front to rear and see if the vibration moves.

does the noise come on at specific speeds ie. 60-70kmh when there is vibrations or what?
Does it have these noises while you're steering because if the wheel bearings were on its way out would make noises and quieten down while you're steering (am i right fellas? happened to me once but i've forgotten)
Cheers
AP

Take the pin out of the castle nut in the centre of the hub, then try tightening the nut, if its loose jack the car up just to get the tyre off the ground, put it in 5th with 4wd engaged then tighten as much as you can.

My rear left castle nut came loose and made some nasty noises, I didn't have a vibartion but it certainly made a nasty noise. The nut was very loose and once tight again the problem went away.

If this doesn't do the trick I'd be checking/changing bearings.

Cheers

Bennie

Thanks again boys, I am going to change the left - front bearings after thinking it couldn't be much else, if this doesn't work I will get the tyres ckecked.
The noise/vibrations start at about 40km/h very quietly then get more severe with speed and I noticed yesterday that it feels like the car doesn't want to cruise at a 100km/h without putting my foot right down so that must mean that the bearings are slowing things down, I hope so anyway.
I have a torque wrench but not a 36mm socket, any tips as to how tight I tighten the hub/drive shaft nut without a torque wrench?

tighten it up a hard as you can...even use a breaker bar and a piece of pipe..dont do it till you cant turn the wheel by hand but tight...take her for a 5 or 10k drive around some corners and then tighten the bearing up again...that should be done

New bearings it needed, even though the wheel didn't show any play at all! I'm used to motorcycles and testing for play to check the bearing but in cars the noise and heat coming from the wheel hub seems to be the best way of testing.
Thanks!