Rod702 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Hello, my legacy doods. I purchased a 2016 legacy for son recently. it was a steal purchase, but im having some problems with the clunking sound in steering. When i turn steering wheel in car left to right i can hear clunking, also when car goes over bumps i can also hear the clunking as well. Took wheel off and lifted front end and had someone turn steering wheel inside cabin from left to right while i was underneath car, and i for sure i can hear it coming from the steering rack underneath car. I looked at any recalls online, and saw it was worked on and completed on steering rack. wonder if anybody else has experienced this ? and if so what did you do about it? thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XT-sub Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 5 hours ago, Rod702 said: ... wonder if anybody else has experienced this ? and if so what did you do about it? You may find some helpful info in the subaruoutback.org ‘Gen 5: 2015-2019 > Front End Rattle/Clunk’ forum topic here: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/front-end-rattle-clunk.377209/?nested_view=1&sortby=oldest#replies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougKelly20 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 FWIW I had the steering rack spring replaced with the TSB for the issue, but my sounds were manifesting more as a rattle over washboard surfaces at low speeds. I was not getting any clunking when turning the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 IMG_3705.mov IMG_3707.mov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 Definitely not coming from tie rods or any bushing when I lifted the car. Sounds like it’s coming from the black circle in steering rack itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 1 hour ago, DougKelly20 said: FWIW I had the steering rack spring replaced with the TSB for the issue, but my sounds were manifesting more as a rattle over washboard surfaces at low speeds. I was not getting any clunking when turning the wheel. Sound manifest at lower speeds to over mild bumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougKelly20 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 2 hours ago, Rod702 said: Sound manifest at lower speeds to over mild bumps. In that case that spring could be the culprit. Have them take a look and cite the steering rack TSB 04-17-17R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammcinnis Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 See: Subaru TSB 04-17-17R 08/20/19 It is important to note that Subaru states "the condition is NOT detrimental to the operation of the [Electric Power Steering] system" ... i.e. it is safe to drive. FWIW, my 2016 Outback has developed the steering rattle, while my 2015 Legacy has not. YMMV. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 6 minutes ago, ammcinnis said: See: Subaru TSB 04-17-17R 08/20/19 It is important to note that Subaru states "the condition is NOT detrimental to the operation of the [Electric Power Steering] system" ... i.e. it is safe to drive. FWIW, my 2016 Outback has developed the steering rattle, while my 2015 Legacy has not. YMMV. It’s annoying sound. My wife 2018 forester is also electric rack with eyesite and it doesn’t make that noise. its a Subaru of Las Vegas right now. $150 to diagnose it, can be applied to repairs. We shall see the outcome. Thanks for all your input gentlemen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammcinnis Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 3 hours ago, Rod702 said: My wife 2018 forester is also electric rack ... and it doesn’t make that noise. If you read the TSB, this specific problem is limited to Legacy, Outback, and WRX. I agree that the rattle can be annoying when driving over irregular road surfaces. A reminder: Subaru doesn't design or manufacture the Outback's steering rack. They source it from KYB. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 18 hours ago, ammcinnis said: If you read the TSB, this specific problem is limited to Legacy, Outback, and WRX. I agree that the rattle can be annoying when driving over irregular road surfaces. A reminder: Subaru doesn't design or manufacture the Outback's steering rack. They source it from KYB. im asssuming it’s the same electronic steering rack as the Forster. update: picked up car and service advisor was really cool about not charging me $150 for diagnoses fee. He said as soon as tech jumped in car and wiggled steering wheel around he knew exactly the problem. I sent him the tsb and he said he can adjust the lash for $1300, but the problem always come back within a few years. Or I can totally replace the steering rack for $3500 parts labor. he then told me that this issue is common with a lot of legacy. And assured me that it wasn’t a safety issue, but should be replace in near future. I could replace the rack myself, looked online about $1100 new for rack and then I have to take it back to Subaru to program it $200 and realignment $80-$100. i got this car for $7500, 142000 miles. Blue book value was 11k, so I thought I really got a good deal. But in retrospect seller knew what was going on and dumped the car. what do u guys think? Should show it a little TLC and cash or just dump the car and sell it. this is my son’s first car, and I want him to be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammcinnis Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 4 hours ago, Rod702 said: im asssuming it’s the same electronic steering rack as the Forster. ... what do u guys think? I think that's not a good assumption. Similar? Maybe. "The same"? Probably not. (I'm not about to go out chasing part numbers for you to compare.) You can replace the "tension spring" that's at the heart of the problem yourself for less than $100 ... including the cost of the special tool required. Or you could pay a good independent shop (or even the dealer) for an hour of labor to replace it for you. That's what I would do ... but it's your car, your choice. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougKelly20 Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 My noise hasn't come back since 2/17/20 when it was corrected. I would get the TSB work done if I were in your shoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 1 hour ago, ammcinnis said: I think that's not a good assumption. Similar? Maybe. "The same"? Probably not. (I'm not about to go out chasing part numbers for you to compare.) You can replace the "tension spring" that's at the heart of the problem yourself for less than $100 ... including the cost of the special tool required. Or you could pay a good independent shop (or even the dealer) for an hour of labor to replace it for you. That's what I would do ... but it's your car, your choice. can u share the procedure if u have done it before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XT-sub Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 On 3/4/2024 at 2:46 PM, Rod702 said: I looked at any recalls online, and saw it was worked on and completed on steering rack. Do you know what work was done on the EPS steering rack? My suggestion (which is the reverse of what the TSB flow chart indicates): Check the EPS tension spring to see if it has the newer spring fitted (an easy 5 to 10 minute job once the car is up on front ramps). If it has the newer tension spring, check the dimensions to see if it has lost some of its tension (became shorter). The dimensions are in my post #330 in the topic I previously linked to. You will need Vernier Calipers to check the dimensions. Link to post #330: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/front-end-rattle-clunk.377209/post-6389701 If the spring hasn’t been replaced or it is now shorter (lost some tension), replace the spring (a relatively cheap & easy job). If the spring has been replaced & has the same new spring dimensions, consider if it is worth the cost of getting the backlash adjustment done as per the TSB. ... Doug, Did you have the backlash adjusted & the new spring fitted, or just the new spring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammcinnis Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 1 hour ago, Rod702 said: can u share the procedure ... Refer to page 3 of the TSB I posted a link to. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougKelly20 Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 1 hour ago, XT-sub said: Doug, Did you have the backlash adjusted & the new spring fitted, or just the new spring? I had it adjusted. After it was replaced the effort was way too much, so I took it back the next day and had them put it closer to stock. I don't mind tight/heavy steering, but it was way too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 this was done with recall. Looks like it was steering colum. the dealer did not want to cover the valve lash adjustment he wanted to charge me $1300 and said the noise would return after awhile. He never asked me about the spring though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 is that TSB your referring too a no cost replacement from dealer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougKelly20 Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 Assuming you mean preload/backlash (valve lash has to do with the cylinder heads) it should be part of the job ... They need to do it properly. What makes the sound was the spring, which is the defective part in need of replacing, but part of doing that is making sure that when it's all back together the preload is set correctly so the steering feel is proper. I suggest a new dealer. Are you under warranty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougKelly20 Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 4 minutes ago, Rod702 said: is that TSB your referring too a no cost replacement from dealer? If you're still under warranty, yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XT-sub Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 17 minutes ago, DougKelly20 said: I had it adjusted. Thanks. I think the backlash check/adjustment plus the new spring is the longer term fix. Good to see your Legacy’s steering rack is still noise free since 2020. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 1 hour ago, DougKelly20 said: Assuming you mean preload/backlash (valve lash has to do with the cylinder heads) it should be part of the job ... They need to do it properly. What makes the sound was the spring, which is the defective part in need of replacing, but part of doing that is making sure that when it's all back together the preload is set correctly so the steering feel is proper. I suggest a new dealer. Are you under warranty? Unfortunately not. It’s 2016. I am the 3rd owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod702 Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 So is that price correct to install new spring and adjust the backlash $1300 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XT-sub Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 1 hour ago, Rod702 said: this was done with recall. Looks like it was steering colum. Yes, steering column recall. If you want to check the EPS tension spring yourself, in addition to the link to the TSB posted by ammcinnis, below is a link to post #269 by OHSCrifle in the topic I previously linked to. It has a link to Tim Wong’s YouTube video: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/front-end-rattle-clunk.377209/page-7?post_id=6096141&nested_view=1&sortby=oldest#post-6096141 Note: 40 inch/lbs isn’t much torque, so I wouldn't use a power tool to refit the screw. A brief list of how easy it is to do is posted by CdnScooby in post #245 here: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/front-end-rattle-clunk.377209/page-6?post_id=6030997&nested_view=1&sortby=oldest#post-6030997 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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