clicking sounds on turning

[bagpussinamerica]

I am new here and just hope to find some answers before I invest in a garage to do the work....especially since I don't know much about cars. Lately I have heard clicking sounds coming from the wheel areas at both front tires whenever I turn. I have been told that this could be a c.v. joint problem. Does anyone know what the symptoms of damage are? Or what the clicking sounds could be. The Subaru is a Legacy AWD 1995. Thanks

[mccorry]

CV Joints. You probably have a split boot and a bad CV (Constant Velocity) joint. Get it into the shop ASAP to get it replaced.

 

Also.. it is good practice to inspect the CV boots every 6K-10K miles for cracks, rips, or tears.

[RaGe]

crappy pic on my part but i took this a while back when i got my car. You can perform a visual inspection of the CV joint boots to see if anything is noticable. look for grease everywhere. here is a pic of what mine looked like

 

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i171/Crucifix79/legacy094.jpg

[mccorry]

Thanks, RaGe.

 

There are two (2) CV joints/boots per axle on our cars, an inner and an outer. The inner CV's are near the transmission or rear differential while the outers are out near the wheels/brakes.

Our LGT's have eight (8) CV joints/boots in total.

[RaGe]

well one thing mine did was this. on turning it would sound like i had rocks in a pop can. and you could tell. But if it sounds like that you either need to stop driving it asap and get it to a mechanic or get it repaired asap.

 

i have all the receipts. total cost of this was around 600+ dollars.

 

a cv joint boot with clamp, and a half shaft replacement.

[bagpussinamerica]

Thank you for that information. It certainly does sound like that. I called my local garage and they said they could work with the car on Tues. next earliest. They said it would cost approx. $150 per side. They also said I could continue to drive until I got the car in. Does this sound about right? I worry about driving it, but I don't have any options at the moment. I don't drive much, maybe about 16 miles a day. Will it blow up or something before Tues?

[RaGe]

it wont blow up but keep this in mind. The more you drive it the more damage you will have. What will start out as a torn CV joint boot can end up like mine and a 6-700 dollar damage. your call.

 

Also, they are Quoting you 150 per side? the half shaft alone ran me about 600 bucks. and you dont know what damage is done yet.

[mccorry]

I bet they are going to actually just replace the CV joint and boot (not half shaft/axle) for that price... which is fine.

 

The dangers to CV joints are water (corrosion), dirt and grime (wear), and lubrication loss (grease gets tossed out of the joint).

 

If you are going to drive it, I don't see a huge issue... just be aware of where you are driving. Try to stay out of the dirt and rain.

[RaGe]

i think my issue came with the CV joint boot being torn, and all of the grease being lost. So all of the lubrication was gone. Honestly i dont know how long it had been like that cuz i only had the car a week. I just know this though. It would be better to either get it fixed right now, or park it. Its a risk either way.

 

"never gamble with anything you cant afford to lose"

[bagpussinamerica]

I bet they are going to actually just replace the CV joint and boot (not half shaft/axle) for that price... which is fine.

 

The dangers to CV joints are water (corrosion), dirt and grime (wear), and lubrication loss (grease gets tossed out of the joint).

 

If you are going to drive it, I don't see a huge issue... just be aware of where you are driving. Try to stay out of the dirt and rain.

 

 

 

Fortunately we haven't had too much rain lately, but lots of snow. There is no grease etc all around on the ground in the garage, nothing leaking at all. When I drive I make sure I stay on an even line and turn slowly. Must look like a really old lady driving! I try to drive so that I don't hear the noise. Will I be able to look at this thing without having the car up on a ramp? Do I crawl under the car or what?

 

Thank God I found this forum....I have so many questions about the care of this car and don't like to ask the neighbours since they always give me the wrong info....and I worry that the garage may just tell me something so that they can do work that isn't necessary. I went to one garage who told me that the calipers and struts on the front needed replacing. When I went to the local garage recommeded to me by a friend...they told me there was nothing wrong with the calipers and struts.

 

I love my car and want to keep it going forever.....well near to anyhow.

[RaGe]

if you turn your wheel and then get out and look you will be able to see it. For example, if the front left is the one making noise then turn the wheel to the left and then you will be able to see it. you should see a rubber boot and a crap load of grease.

[lvethesnow]

i had the clicking sound too ended up being a blown right front wheel bearing(63000miles) cost 267 at the dealer ship. 125 of it was the bearing