Subaru Wheel Bearing?

[HowAboutThis]

Drove the wife's 17 Forester with almost 103k miles yesterday on a short roadtrip. Hadn't driven it on the freeway in a couple months. Nothing abnormal until I got just over 60. Then a very subtle droning noise. Typically we barely have the radio going but the little one was napping all we had it off. You could barely hear it over the tire and road noise but it's a definite "swarm of bees sound" that doesn't change when hitting different concrete/asphalt/new/old sections of the highway. So my hunch is either a bearing starting to go or something in the drivetrain. Had it out just now to fill with gas and buy some new wipers driving 45 in town and didn't notice the sound. 65 seemed to be the sweetspot. Which I found weird, because other cars with bad bearings I've driven are OBVIOUS at a wide range of speeds. But it's a very soft swarm of bees/helicoptery sound. Tires are fine. Any have experience with these and have any advice? I'm guessing the dealer will charge 2-4 hours of labor if I have both done and that's the problem they find. Until then, I told my wife to slow down and take the nearest exit to a gas station if it becomes super obvious. And told her to check the hubs with some quick touching in case they're hot when she gets to work and gets home. She commutes admit 35 miles highway speeds each way. My gut is until it's louder or creating heat (nothing was warm after our drive yesterday) we can probably not worry too much until after Thanksgiving...maybe a winter break drop off when we'll both have some time off and not need two cars.

Thoughts or ideas on what it might be or any other thoughts or advice, too.

Thanks!

 

[paulo57509]

Did you look at the tires?

 

[HowAboutThis]

Did you look at the tires?

As stated, tires are fine. And from asphalt to concrete to rough concrete to smooth concrete the pitch and tone of the noise do not change. The road noises change, but the droning sounds the same. So I'm pretty confident it's not something contacting the road, as the noise would most like change pitch.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

The last time I had both rear wheel bearings done, it was 2 hours of labor plus parts. Think it ran about $350 all in, but that was probably 2017.

My advice, let it go for awhile, find a reputable shop that will use your parts (you’d have to deal with any warranty issues), and use some of the upcoming sales to pick up all the parts you need. Depending on the roads you drive and how hard your wife pushes it, that bearing may last another 20k before it’s concerning.

Jack up the offending corner, grab the wheel firmly, and give it a hard jerk in the 4 main directions. If you can’t see/feel the movement, it’s fine for now.

 

[ChiTDI]

My Outback had roasted bearings at 55k, and I’ve read of other complaints with similar mileage to mine as well as yours. So, not a surprise if it is wheel bearings you hear. Mine were roaring.

 

[HowAboutThis]

My Outback had roasted bearings at 55k, and I’ve read of other complaints with similar mileage to mine as well as yours. So, not a surprise if it is wheel bearings you hear. Mine were roaring.

Yeah, the noise was super faint. Audible, but barely. And driving with the windows down today around town up to 45mph on streets couldn't hear anything. That just seems odd to me it seems to only be audible from 60-70mph. And yeah, did some Googling and it seems like it's one of the accepted Subaru annoyances.

 

[The Critic]

Rear? On some of these you are supposed to also replacing the backing plate, but the plate is pricey.

 

[brages]

I had a bad bearing on the back of my Volvo and the noise was kind of subtle... it took a long time for me to convince myself that it was bad. But it was.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Rear? On some of these you are supposed to also replacing the backing plate, but the plate is pricey.

I think it's like 2014-2016 or something. I don't think it included 2017 from what I remember finding in a TSB.

 

[The Critic]

I think it's like 2014-2016 or something. I don't think it included 2017 from what I remember finding in a TSB.

You are correct.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Called around, the dealer was cheaper or about the same estimate for a bearing (if that's what it is). So dropped it today they're supposedly going to look at it today or by Friday for sure, depending on how today goes for them in terms of how busy their techs are. Stupid "diagnostic fee" and hoping they do more than drive it and listen, because it's fairly subtle. Hopefully they stethoscope it when turning a wheel/hub, too. That was my request anyway.

Edit: rough estimate if it's a bearing was $600 for diagnostic and replacement.

 

[The Critic]

Stupid "diagnostic fee" and hoping they do more than drive it and listen, because it's fairly subtle. Hopefully they stethoscope it when turning a wheel/hub, too. That was my request anyway.

Edit: rough estimate if it's a bearing was $600 for diagnostic and replacement.

Someone's gotta pay the technician for looking into the issue. They're generally paid by the job, not by the hour. Diagnosis is separate from the repair operation.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Called around, the dealer was cheaper or about the same estimate for a bearing (if that's what it is). So dropped it today they're supposedly going to look at it today or by Friday for sure, depending on how today goes for them in terms of how busy their techs are. Stupid "diagnostic fee" and hoping they do more than drive it and listen, because it's fairly subtle. Hopefully they stethoscope it when turning a wheel/hub, too. That was my request anyway.

Edit: rough estimate if it's a bearing was $600 for diagnostic and replacement.

I gave you how to check if it was the bearing (by jacking up the corner and wiggling the tire/rim all 4 directions to check for play), and that would have been free for you to check.

Best of luck with your dealer; $600 plus diagnosis seems pretty steep when you can get OEM/Six Star bearings on eBay from a reputable seller for about $130. Welcome to Subaru road crown issues!

 

[The Critic]

I gave you how to check if it was the bearing (by jacking up the corner and wiggling the tire/rim all 4 directions to check for play), and that would have been free for you to check.

Best of luck with your dealer; $600 plus diagnosis seems pretty steep when you can get OEM/Six Star bearings on eBay from a reputable seller for about $130. Welcome to Subaru road crown issues!

OP didn't say where he was located. $600 to do that job might be the steal of the century depending on how seized it is.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Someone's gotta pay the technician for looking into the issue. They're generally paid by the job, not by the hour. Diagnosis is separate from the repair operation.

I'm fine as long as they find the issue for the noise or at least tell everything they checked and that it was fine.

 

[HowAboutThis]

I gave you how to check if it was the bearing (by jacking up the corner and wiggling the tire/rim all 4 directions to check for play), and that would have been free for you to check.

Best of luck with your dealer; $600 plus diagnosis seems pretty steep when you can get OEM/Six Star bearings on eBay from a reputable seller for about $130. Welcome to Subaru road crown issues!

I'm aware of how to check for bearing play and did pull, torque, and twist. Nothing loose or wiggly. But I've also read online they don't always have much play in them when you first start hearing it. The wife drives about 500 miles per week commuting so zero to lots of damage to car and her could be a rather quick progression.

I was contemplating my own fix, as it looks pretty simple (if not rusted or stuck about as simple as changing oil) but would prefer making sure it's the bearing and also needed a tire rotation (I don't touch the lug studs any more so Subaru can verify how crappy they are if the lug nuts keep seizing).

And I wrote $600 for diagnosis and replacement (if it's the bearing). So about $450 for the bearing replacement. Subaru parts online showed the bearing for $235ish. So about 1.5 hours of labor isn't bad. I'm also having them check some other things for the diagnosis fee.

And I don't live where road salt is used often at all so hardly any rust under our cars. Unlike when I lived in the Midwest and you couldn't loosen anything without an impact gun, penetrating sprays, a sledgehammer, or a torch. And a lot of cussing.

I called some independents and they were about the same price. One said if I brought them the bearings they'd charge me an hour of labor for it plus $140 to diagnosis in case it wasn't the bearings. But I wouldn't have gotten a cup of coffee from the lobby, a granola bar, a car wash, and a vacuuming of the interior

 

[HowAboutThis]

Welcome to Subaru road crown issues!

I'm not catching this inside joke. I'll Google and see what I get. I'm sure once I figure it out I'll get it

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I'm not catching this inside joke. I'll Google and see what I get. I'm sure once I figure it out I'll get it

The Subaru wheel bearings do quite well in places that have fairly flat roads. In areas with lots of 2-lanes and steep crowns, the passenger side wheel bearings get replaced at about a 3:1 rate compared to the drivers side. The bearings are flat rollers and seem to be particularly vulnerable to always having unevenly loaded axle weights from side to side.

 

[HowAboutThis]

I gave you how to check if it was the bearing (by jacking up the corner and wiggling the tire/rim all 4 directions to check for play), and that would have been free for you to check.

Best of luck with your dealer; $600 plus diagnosis seems pretty steep when you can get OEM/Six Star bearings on eBay from a reputable seller for about $130. Welcome to Subaru road crown issues!

I figured out what you meant by road crown issues. I call it tramlining. The car isn't wandering. Just making more road noise than usual. At the guttural "grrrrarrrrrrrrarrrrrrrraaaarrrrrrrr" heavy metal vocalist tone. To be honest, if they give a full check of the power train system, I wouldn't be shocked if it were a shaft to the wheels in the back of something in the rear diff. Since it's started getting colder, I've noticed the transmission kind of slip-clunks after backing out of the driveway, putting into drive, and giving it gas. I haven't looked to see the setup but wouldn't be shocked if there's play or vibration in some shaft feeding the back wheels, or however that works. That's my guess. Or because it's so subtle at this point I'll get a $180 tire rotation and "couldn't recreate the problem or find anything." And then I'll be ticked about the diagnostic fee. If it gets worse in a few months I'll request no fee for that one since I told them the issue and they wasted my first fee.

 

[HowAboutThis]

The Subaru wheel bearings do quite well in places that have fairly flat roads. In areas with lots of 2-lanes and steep crowns, the passenger side wheel bearings get replaced at about a 3:1 rate compared to the drivers side. The bearings are flat rollers and seem to be particularly vulnerable to always having unevenly loaded axle weights from side to side.

That's our interstates and highways! Definite ruts where the cars drive. My Corolla is pretty narrow so I'm always weaving back and forth not wide enough to fit in the grooves.