DIYJoe012 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I was just given a 2000 Outback with 97,000 miles on it. When I accelerate, there is a clunking noise from under the car- somewhere near the middle- I'm assuming in the drive train. The noise goes away as soon as I let off of the gas and sounds faster as I accelerate. It's only there going forward and not in reverse. It also isn't there when I rev the car in neutral. Any suggestions on causes given the limited information? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Sounds like it could be a bad U-joint in the driveshaft. If that is the issue, you can't replace just the U-joints, you have to replace the driveshaft as a unit. You could post a video, sometimes that helps people identify problems from the noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setnev Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Donut bearing on the driveshaft could be the culprit too and, just like Miles stated, the entire driveshaft needs to be replaced as a unit, and they're not cheap. Is it a 4EAT or 5MT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIYJoe012 Posted October 19, 2017 Author Share Posted October 19, 2017 Guys- thank you so much for the reply! I'll try to post a video with the sound with the hope that it helps identify potential causes- it's clearly something in the drive train- which is a 4EAT As part of my "research", I checked video's on YouTube and in this one ( ), the noise sounds very similar and it ended up being the Center Differential. Is one more common that the other- bad u-joint vs center differential? Both seem to be about $500 in parts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setnev Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Center diff is usually more prone to fail vs any part further down the driveline. My 02 Forester made similar noises before I replaced the transfer gears and center diff. If it is the center diff, just go out and find a used JDM transmission to swap. It's cheaper in the end than a center diff and transfer gears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIYJoe012 Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 Gents- I uploaded a video with the noise, please tell me what you think. Thanks!!! https://youtu.be/RgZ9vTeHIvM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Interesting camera angle on that video, Setnev. Took me a minute to get oriented. That does seem to match the OPs issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setnev Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 It sounds like the the propeller shaft bearing, but you say it stops when you let off the gas, so I would venture to say that it is either that or the center or rear diff. Heres a similar video. Sorry I deleted my original post by accident instead of editing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIYJoe012 Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 Thank you again for all of your input. In case this helps- I made 1 more video https://youtu.be/hZvApjcjuRk. Other than an "educated guess" on my end, do you have any suggestions on what I can do to pinpoint the problem? One thought I have is to lift the car completely off the ground and get under there while it's in gear. Your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeuEmMaiMai Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 my heat shields rattle like no tomorrow so I got that. Subaru refuses to strap them but wants me to spend $1200 on new CATS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setnev Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Your youtube link is broken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIYJoe012 Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 Setnev- sorry about that. Try again, I fixed it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setnev Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I still think it's that mid-shaft bearing clunking. To check, go under the car and remove the 4 12mm bolts on the heat shield that covers the drive shaft. See if there is any play in the driveshaft, particularly where the bearing bolts to the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RumbleRumble Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 There is like a 100 threads on this already. It's either engine or trans mounts or your rear diff bushings are totally shot causing the shaft and diff to move. I'm not ruling out the shaft bearing but it's just not very common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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