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Wagons Subaru Crew Subaru Legacy & Outback Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair
8273 messages, Last post on Feb 26, 2010 at 12:14 PM
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Replying to: dakotadriver (Oct 05, 2009 9:33 am)
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Replying to: xwesx (Oct 05, 2009 9:58 am) |
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I have a 2001 Subaru outback wagon (4cyl, 5spd). I've had two 4-wheel alignments done in the last 10,000 and both have shown my left-rear camber is at -0.9 or -1.0 degrees. My tires are wearing so uneven that I "may" need a new set after only 50K on a 70K tire (see related post No. 8137). Is there a way to adjust the rear camber and if so, how can I do this. The tire shop told me it was not adjustable and that they couldn't help me. Thanks in advance for the suggestions. I've had a ton!! of work done lately and have some reoccurring problems that may be related - please see separate post No. 8137 ) |
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I've recently put a ton of $ into my I have a 2001 Subaru outback wagon (4cyl, 5spd) and have some re-occurring problems that I’m trying to determine whether are tire related. At present, I have tires that have uneven tread wear but still have 4-5.5 32’nds left on them. My tire tread depths are as follows (measured outer/inner depth in 32’nds of an inch): | 4.0/4.5 | 4.5/5.0 | 4.5/5.0 | 5.0/5.5 | Symptoms: Briefly, it feels like my care wobbles at low speeds; at speeds >50mph I feel a shake in the steering wheel; at speeds >35-40 steering wheel shakes when breaking; my car pulls hard (1-2-seconds could be off the road when not holding wheel) to left or right depending on how the tires are rotated. I’ve had the following work done in the last 2,000 miles: - new center differential $$$ - replaced right-front axle, ball joint - 4-wheel alignment and balancing (rear camber off -0.9 | see Post No. 8136) - new rotors (pads replaced ~4,000 miles ago and rotors were turned at same time. However the rotors still sounded like something was dragging and it turned out (supposedly) that the rotors were warped, so I replaced them. However, I suddenly have the same symptoms that I did 2,000 miles ago before replacing rotors) As stated earlier I'm trying to determine what’s going on here and whether: (a) my tires are causing my symptoms and need to be replaced, (b) my current tires will ruin my new center differential and need to be replaced, (c) I got a set of bad rotors and they should be replaced at no charge (shop says I must have hit a puddle and warped them after 2K miles), or (d) I need to continually keep dumping $$ into my car (which I can’t afford) to fix something further that hasn’t been caught. I greatly appreciate your advice!!! |
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Replying to: krall (Oct 07, 2009 6:26 am) A lot of times the tread will last a long time but that doesn't mean the rubber hasn't aged beyond its useful life. I had some Nitto tires that lasted forever and still had tread left in them, but what was a quiet tire for the first 40k miles because obnixiously loud after that. I swapped them out for a set of Falkens and the ride was so much more quiet it wasn't even funny. The Nittos had tread left but they were done.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 07, 2009 7:59 am) Any thoughts about whether I need new tires; affect on diff; wheel shimmy, etc? Thanks again.
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Replying to: krall (Oct 07, 2009 9:24 am) Vibration at speed may be more due to a poorly balanced tire than anything else; have you addressed that, using a high-quality machine such as a Hunter balancer? Strong vibration when brakes are applied tends to point toward a warped rotor, but it can also be caused by uneven braking (as in left side grabs harder than right) combined with worn ball joints, tie rods, or steering linkages. You can usually feel the difference in the steering wheel - warped rotors usually cause a vibration through the steering column, but do not cause any pulling either left or right. Uneven braking or worn parts will cause a strong pull to one side or a fast, strong, alternating pull left and right (so, it feels like a vibration, but it causes the wheel to move right and left). I don't buy the "deep puddle" theory. I have driven through many a puddle with no ill rotor effects, so unless the rotor is junk or they were super-heated for some reason, a puddle is not going to warp them. I put 220,000 miles on the original rotors of my '96 Outback and they were still as true on that day as they were nearly 12 years and 220,000 miles prior. Have you adjusted the lug nuts to ensure there is an appropriate, and evenly applied, level of torque? Over-tightening, especially when unevenly done, can warp rotors. Based on the information you supplied regarding individual tire tread depth, I do not think the tires on the car are causing differential damage. |
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Replying to: krall (Oct 07, 2009 9:24 am) Tires are relatively cheap. 49k miles is a lot, I think. I've only owned one set of tires that ever lasted that long, and guess what? It was those Nittos that were making all that noise. Check the bearings first, but if they're OK I'd get new tires. |
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Replying to: krall (Oct 07, 2009 6:26 am) My Subaru guy refuses to install them anymore.
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 07, 2009 11:45 am) In response to xwesx (No. 8140) The tire shop says that "there is no factory adjustment for rear camber", so they never attempted to adjust it even though the camber was at -0.9, -1.0. It looks like -0.9 is the threshold b/w acceptable and unacceptable camber according to their graphics. *-* Are they correct that rear camber can not be adjusted? If not, what to do? *-* I did have the tires balanced, but I don’t know what machine they used. All they do is tires, so I figure it’s a good machine… (I can hear you laughing) Thanks for the excellent clarification regarding the types of shake/vibration I could feel in the wheel when braking. After thinking about it more, when braking I feel a fast, strong, alternating pull left and right. That said, the car veers hard to the left of right, depending on how the tires are rotated and when braking, that doesn’t change – it simply pulls to the same side it did prior to applying the brake. *-* Given that the direction of pull changes with tire rotation, do you think that this is a tire issue or part failure or something that was not tightened during alignment? The pull began immediately following the last alignment, however the wheel alternating left/right when braking only began recently *-* ________________________________________ In response to ateixeira (No. 8141). I assume the wheel bearings are fine given all the work I’ve had done recently on axel, ball joint etc. But will check. I appreciate the advice. ________________________________________ In response to Mr Shiftright (No. 8142). Yes it was an after market axle, prob. China made. The first axle they put only lasted 1-week. Not sure if this axle is beginning to go, but there’s not clunking when I back up with the wheel cut all the way, and have had it checked twice recently (by pulling on it with the car up). *-*How would I check this myself, or if I brought it back to the shop, what would I ask them to do? *-* ________________________________________ Again, thanks to everyone here, but unfortunately the work was done by different shops, so I’m not sure where to go first. The work went: axle | then differential/ball joint, etc | then alignment/balancing. Who should I bring the car back to first. Thanks again!!
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