twilsey Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 (Posted this thread in Pre-Owner section, if you have any input please respond there.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I test drove a beautiful 05 Subaru Legacy Limited today. Very clean car I like it a lot but one thing is bugging me... When you reach 10:00 or 2:00 when steering left or right, the steering feels like it gains resistance or even very very slightly binds. I read about binding but that seems like it is usually a very clunky noticeable trait with very hard steering,,, the bind that I am feeling is very slight and goes away as you go past 10:00 and 2:00. The car has matching tires with good wear, only other thing I can think of is the tires are winter tires that are siped. Does this sound like normal steering for an 05 with a little more aggressive tire? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmike Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I notice that with mine, never really considered that it could be the tires. Dunlop Direzza DZ 101's. 05 LGT Wagon STI powered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Just another question - does it vary with speed? My idea is that it can be related to the AWD technology itself where you have the traction/push from front wheels v.s. rear wheels to take into account too and when you make a turn the traveling distance for front wheels will get a bit longer than the rear wheels and the dynamic change that occurs is can have this effect. I remember that on an older 4WD Subaru it felt like the car was getting "shorter" and more willing to turn when the 4WD was engaged. But of course - tires are important too. And tire pressure too. So it's important to have the right tire pressure for the load if you want the best handling for the load you have. Vehicle dynamics is a complex issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twilsey Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 I only got to drive it for a short time but didn't notice any change with speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTTuner Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 The most likely cause is the column u joint is siezed. Remote possibility of an internal rack problem or binding top hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twilsey Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 I guess my question is, can I rule out tires? Is there anyone that can relate directly to my problem? It's an 05 Limited Sedan for close to $10,000 with 80,000 miles is it a concern enough not to buy it? Again, the steering "bind" is very very slight, most people would not even notice it, but is this a first sign of a problem to come. Thank you for all of the help so far... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 The way to check if it's a real problem would be to raise the wheels off the ground and turn the steering wheel and check if there is a stickiness in the feeling. If everything is OK then it's likely to be an effect of vehicle dynamics. And it's also a good time to check the wheel suspension at that time for worn parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twilsey Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 Follow Up: I ended up buying this car. The noise I've experienced is related to the aggressive snow tires. I rotated the tires Front to Back soon after purchase and the noise moved to the back tires. I've put about 8,000 miles on this car with no problems related to the noise, just never had a snow tire on a sedan before. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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