Hi,

When I turn full lock to the right the las half turn of the wheel I get a creaking noise comeing from the front left wheel. I haven't been able to jack it up yet to have a look but everything seems to be sitting tightly as it should be. Any ideas what this could be?

MY01 Bugeye Wagon

 

Wheel bearing starting to go….Not unusual at +/- 30K miles on the Sti’s and the bearings are the same on both Sti and WRX. Hence the new Sti has bigger bearings now, and as a result a different size hub.
Old new age Sti alloys won’t fit the new 05 model Sti….

 

hmm. seems like a fair shout - currently on 35K miles. - Thanks for the info.

 

Just gave my spare wheel bearing to a fellow Sti owner with 32K on the clock this morning and it is the front left that is gone on his car. This job will be done under warranty for him, but they can’t get a bearing up right away and with me having a spare OEM one he’s off with it to the Subaru garage. I had mine done at just over 30K myself under warranty. My car if off to RCM soon to have some work done and I intent getting all 4 bearings changed out, ready to use the additional horses.

Jools MY02Sti Type UK

 

Is it more likely to be a CV joint on full lock????

 

Interesting….I only base my experience on a few cars I have know and as you say it could well be the CV joints also. I have had my front left drive shaft and CV joints replaced as well on my car and I my Mate RobD had the very same on his Sti7. These did not manifest themselves as creaking, but more of a very dull and almost quite knock/clunking sound when you went from a forward direction to reverse and vice versa very slowly with the wheel at full lock. I am no Mechanic, but have had the front wheel bearing go on my Sti7 go, and I saw/heard the very same on a P1 I used for a long time, as I did on my old MY99 wagon. All these cars gave very distinctive creaking sounds as you turned the car to full lock from about half lock and got progressively worse with little miles. The sound can be also be described at a metallic clicking sound, which most people call creaking. Often most heard in the first instance as you reverse and as you adjust the steering towards full lock. What ever it is I wouldn’t do any high mileage until it is resolved.

Last but not least, if the car has seen “some” track action it is most often the front left side bearing that sees all the loading, not forgetting the heat from the front brakes as well…not that I have been to a track

 

had this on a previous car - that turned out to be a cracked suspension spring

 

Mine (03 STi, 40k miles) is giving a clunking noise in reverse on full lock - could this be the same? Any little diagnostic test I can do to check? Like jacking it up and wiggling the wheel or something similar?

Thanks for any help offered!

 

Mine doesn't seem to mind if you are going forwards or backwards - it is just that final 3/4 of a turn to full lock and coming back out of it that is makes the noise. Once you have the steering wheel where you want it and you are moving the noise won't appear until you straighten up.

 

Definately not the same thing, then. Mine only does it when moving - as if something is catching (and I've checked the wheels aren't).

Oh well

 

Does the CV joint or bearing affect the amount of turn you get in a full lock by any chance? Because at full lock i get a bit of a click at the front and the full lock doesnt turn much. thanks