Odd thumping noise/feeling over 45mph...

NYSpeed Automotive
1

I normally hate internet diagnosis threads, but I am lost for ideas of what to check.

The car is a '96 Subaru Legacy Outback with 105k on the clock. It runs and drives great, except this one issue. When going above 45mph, and making a very gentle left turn, I get a thumping noise, and feeling from what sounds like the passengers side front wheel. If I turn harder, or go straight, or turn to the right, it doesn’t happen at all. And the problem is completely non-existant when going under 45mph.

There is no humming or any other audible noise. I have checked the wheel bearing for play, and there is none. I also checked the suspension pieces as best as I could, and found no loose-ness.

Any ideas?

2

Sounds a lot like a partially seized CV joint or a bad wheel bearing. Lot of times sealed bearings can be bad but not exhibit play.

3

Shifted belt in a tire possibly, try rotating them and see if theres a difference or if the noise changes etc…

4

Hmm. I’ll try rotating the tires. They are some crappy no-name tires, so who knows it might be that.

I have trouble believing it’s a bearing, because it is behaving NOTHING like any other wheel bearing that I’ve ever experienced failure of.