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center diff binding in cold weather?


Deer Killer

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Since it's been below 35F regularly, when the car is cold moving the car forwards or backwards at any sharp angle seems to cause the front wheels to bind and then release, like I'm running over some large rocks. The only thing I can imagine is that the center diff is locked up, because everything else seems fine.

 

Anyone?

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Since it's been below 35F regularly, when the car is cold moving the car forwards or backwards at any sharp angle seems to cause the front wheels to bind and then release, like I'm running over some large rocks. The only thing I can imagine is that the center diff is locked up, because everything else seems fine.

 

Anyone?

 

The only direct experience I've had with that condition was on an older Legacy, in which case it was an axel going bad. That is what I'd look at first. It is the classic sympton.

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Since it's been below 35F regularly, when the car is cold moving the car forwards or backwards at any sharp angle seems to cause the front wheels to bind and then release, like I'm running over some large rocks. The only thing I can imagine is that the center diff is locked up, because everything else seems fine.

 

Anyone?

 

Did some thinking and I've had direct experience with something else that caused this problem. Since it had always been the axels going bad on my Subies it was assumed this was the case this other time. It was not. It was the TCU! Apparently the center diff was (is?) electronically controlled and the TCU was keeping the diff locked, causing the binding.

 

Axels are cheaper. This was in a 92 Legacy.

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Since it's been below 35F regularly, when the car is cold moving the car forwards or backwards at any sharp angle seems to cause the front wheels to bind and then release, like I'm running over some large rocks. The only thing I can imagine is that the center diff is locked up, because everything else seems fine.

 

Anyone?

 

I'm having the exact same issue with my 06 5eat. I've only been stage 2 for a few weeks and this happens. I didn't notice it until the temps dipped under 35 degrees. I'm not convinced its the center diff though, I think its the rear diff. I'll let you know what Subaru says when I take it in next week.

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  • 3 years later...
Anybody else had any issues with this. I have a 5mt and it only happens in reverse when colder than about 40. But the inside wheel actually slips as if the front diff is locked. I've never had it happen in any of the forward gears, just reverse. And once it's been driven a few miles it doesn't do it anymore until it's sat for a while in cold weather.
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Isn't the center diff also fed by the front diff/trans as far as lubricant is concerned?

 

I'd think that if the center diff was freezing, you'd be experiencing problems in the front too.....what's your trans/diff fluid?

 

Joe

 

The center diff is sealed.

 

It's going to be "stiff" in colder weather, but it shouldn't be "binding" and it definitely wouldn't manifest itself like you are describing.

 

When was the last time you replaced the trans fluid?

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  • 3 years later...

Been raising a lot of threads from the dead lately.

 

It's been frigid cold here in NY lately with temps averaging about 20 F in the daytime.

 

My problem is when I start the car in the morning cold, I reverse out of my driveway which requires me to turn the steering wheel all the way counterclockwise. As I reverse, I sometime feel the car bucking ever so slightly, as if one of the front tires found a patch of ice (though I've confirmed this is not the case). This is accompanied by a slight grinding sound while the wheel is turned. I don't hear this sound when I'm driving on the road, normal turning, etc. I also did some turns (both directions, forward and reverse) in an empty lot and was unable to replicate this sound after the car was warmed up.

 

Has anyone else encountered this? Should I be looking at wheel bearings, axles, center diff.? Nothing to worry about? Thanks.

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