Hey guys. I just got my car back from Subaru with a new rear diff. (anyone who read the last thread: SOA gave me a labor discount and also paid for it. I just paid for the part and they are cutting me a check for the labor; almost 1500) Now i have a weird popping noise coming from the passenger front side. I haven't quite narrowed it down yet. When i accelerate moderately or hard something pops. It doesn't do it in every gear. Also if i brake rather hard it pops again. i checked the coilovers, but everything seems to be ok, considering they are only a couple weeks old. I thought it may possibly be the motor mounts or tranny mounts. I already broke the plastic mounts and supposedly got the 05 STI mounts. I haven't had a chance to check them yet because i'm out of town. I was curious if the center diff. would pop if it started failing. Any ideas would be great. Thanks.
i thought that could be a possibility, but the dealership replaced the passenger front cv boot and i'm assuming they would of said something. THe axle did pop out during the install of the coilovers, but the tech said the seal was good and fluid level looked good.
im not sure if this could be it, but it was for me. i had a popping on the front end, turned out to be the end-links, the passenger side was lose. the popping was there at low speeds only, so like i said, im not sure if this will help you out any. -William...
i'll have to check the end links when i get back home. Should i look for anything particular? I know what they look like, but was yours just loose, or was it bent?
is the popping repetative like something involved that rotates like wheel bearings or diff or anxle, or is it a single pop during acceleration like what is said above, endlinks or mounts somewhere.
Yeah, it is a single popping noise when i accelerate. If i accelerate slow, it doesn't always pop. It also happens when i slow down abruptly(single pop). End links would make sense. I'm pretty sure it is not the diff. I hope not at least, i just got the rear replaced.
This is definitely the rear diff. This happens to me just about every time I acclerate out of a corner autox'ing. There are subframe lock kits and polyurethane bushings that you can replace to stop this sound. It will also transfer the power a lot faster and more efficiently with those upgraded parts, and they are inexpensive.
i see what you're saying about it being the rear diff, but the sound is coming from the front passenger side. Could it still be the rear diff? When the rear diff was going bad, i heard the whining noise from the back, but no popping sound.
I didn't see about the slowing down also. Its not the rear diff then. It sounds like something is bound up on that side. Probably the endlink then.
yeah if and one of the diffs is "BAD" then the noise will be reciprocating...not just a single pop. It would be a constant clicking and ticking like little airsoft beads bouncing around in the tranny or if its the wheel bearings, then from which ever side wheel bearing is bad. The diff could be the cause, the commonly called "clunk" that suby diffs make, but that doesn't mean the diff is broken or bad. I'd tighten up the endlinks and mounts for the front sway bar and anything else you can get to in the spring, strut assemblies.
Try tightening the axle nut on that corner. I had a similar issue with my WRX and it turned out to be a loose axle nut.