[wackojacko]

Hi Guys,

Had mine in for a Oil Change yesterday at Mississauga Subaru (Ontario). Recomended I do the Brake Service ($180) crazy i know but had a coupon for a free oil change so whatever.

Told them on the phone when booking that I had a clunking in the front the and service advisor said "might be the Bushing". and I'm thinking, I know .

So they replaced the Bushings, $54 installed and refrashed the TCM for $73.50. I put the prices as I imported by Tribeca from the US to Canada and as a result I must pay for the work at the Canadian dealer and then fax my invoice to SOA and they send me a check.

So far it seems like a definate improvement in the front end. The clunking is gone and I think the trany is smoother shifting, although the trany could just be me thinking it is, but I think is hangs on to gears less, meaning when you accellerate quickly and your in 3rd with high RPM's and release the gas and it seems to hold 3rd gear before switch to the 4th for a second or two, that seems to be reduced.

 

[Peace]

Finally replaced my bushings this weekend. Thanks to all for the tips...especially the eye protection, definitely would have gotten some sand in the eyes otherwise The clunk is gone so it was worth it:tup:

Hi Snork.
Might sound as a silly question, but I actually wonder,
To replace the front sway bar bushings, could you do it with weight on the front wheels (i.e. just drive the car up on ramps to get enough space/access) or do you need a large hydralic lifting the whole front of car and jack stands?

 

[snork]

Hey, if you check Peaty's write-up at scoobymods.com (free forum registration required) he has an awesome write-up with pics. But to answer your question, yes you can do it on ramps. That's how I did it and how Peaty shows. No need to jack the car up and ramps are generally safer than jacks if you're gonna be lying under the car!

 

[Subarulinks]

Our 2008 Tribeca with only 28K was making the dreaded knocking noise over bumps and such. We replaced the stock bushing w/ this one ordered from Amazon:

Energy Suspension 9.5161R 1" Grease-able Sway Bar Set

.

The noise was instantly gone and the suspension felt tight and responsive. I highly recommend these bushings as they are made from high quality urethane and are user serviceable with a grease gun.


We are now having creaking and groaning noises from the drivers side strut / spring area. It has gotten worse over 3 months. Now when completely stopped it creaks and groans off the line as the weight of the vehicle shifts. When pressing down on the front quarter panel the car doesn't really bounce, it seems the spring is the culprit?

Subaru seems to be hush hush about these front end problems...but from my brief research many people are complaining of the same issues with their cars 24-50K miles. Just doesn't add up.

If anyone has had a similar problem with this awful groaning noise I would really appreciate some feedback.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MNSteve]

Had the bushings replaced already. So far, so good......

 

[Huskymaniac]

Our 2008 Tribeca with only 28K was making the dreaded knocking noise over bumps and such. We replaced the stock bushing w/ this one ordered from Amazon:

Energy Suspension 9.5161R 1" Grease-able Sway Bar Set

.

The noise was instantly gone and the suspension felt tight and responsive. I highly recommend these bushings as they are made from high quality urethane and are user serviceable with a grease gun.


We are now having creaking and groaning noises from the drivers side strut / spring area. It has gotten worse over 3 months. Now when completely stopped it creaks and groans off the line as the weight of the vehicle shifts. When pressing down on the front quarter panel the car doesn't really bounce, it seems the spring is the culprit?

Subaru seems to be hush hush about these front end problems...but from my brief research many people are complaining of the same issues with their cars 24-50K miles. Just doesn't add up.

If anyone has had a similar problem with this awful groaning noise I would really appreciate some feedback.

Thanks in advance.

I am having the same exact groaning or creaking or popping type noise from the driver's side front end. Did you ever find out what this was?

 

[greenwood143]

Links

Hello,

The sway bar links are making the clinking sound. Since we drive in the harsh Québec road and winter conditions, I have them replaced every 6mo. They are relatively cheap.

We are entirely satisfied with "Chubecca" but this is the only little recurrent hiccup!

Hope this helps.

Regards,
M

 

[Super]

I'm on the 3rd set of bushings, 08 with 100000k. I had to install a nut in the frame when I changed the last set, the dealer had stripped the captured nut and the bar was making a clunking noise.

 

[VTSB9T]

We've had the same "groaning" noise occur in the front end of our '08 Tribeca when the suspension is compressed slowly over bumps. I originally had the dealer take a look at it just before the warranty expired and then later again by an independent repair shop. Both times nothing abnormal was identified. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and after inspecting all of the suspension components I isolated the noise to the spring rubbing the inside of the strut, right where the lowest spring coil starts to wind away from the base. Using a mirror I could also see an accumulation of rust particles in the same area. I threw some wheel bearing grease in the area of the strut base where this was occurring and the noise immediately went silent. It has been more than two years now and the noise has not returned.

This is a quick and easy fix to try if you're having a similar issue.

 

[CCRScott]

Sway bar bushings are about a 20 min/$20 fix if you have access to a lift. Mine looked fine, but the noises went away when I swapped new ones in.

 

[tdelker]

And about 30 minutes without a lift

 

[joenkat1]

Before changing sway bar bushings, like I did, pop the caps on the strut housing and check to be sure the nut is tight on the strut. Mine was loose about an 1/8" causing noise going over bumps and potholes. Changing the bushings was not hard, but it was a lot easier to tighten a nut.

 

[MiddleAgeSubie]

OKAY, so our 2008 has developed a noise from the front, seems driver side. First happened three weeks ago. Usually, it is there all the time, except, of course, if a mechanic is riding with me. The noise could be heard just after backing from the garage and be fairly constant thereafter. But, it has gone on the quiet side a bit on its own and now it is sometimes almost impossible to hear it. When it is there, it is there all the time. Bumps make it worse, but do not cause it. Sounds like something metal is loose and constantly grinds into something else.

Front suspension sway bar end links and "inner DOJ boots," whatever that means, were replaced 15,000 miles ago. Then the sound was a different one and it could only be heard over bumps. The car has 123k.

Any suggestions?

 

[lesanekusa12]

jep!

Before changing sway bar bushings, like I did, pop the caps on the strut housing and check to be sure the nut is tight on the strut. Mine was loose about an 1/8" causing noise going over bumps and potholes. Changing the bushings was not hard, but it was a lot easier to tighten a nut.

had the same problem

 

[MiddleAgeSubie]

anyone?

 

[1-3-2-4]

These sway bar bushings anyone have a link of where to order from? I think my front right is starting to go.

 

[MiddleAgeSubie]

These sway bar bushings anyone have a link of where to order from? I think my front right is starting to go.

Try http://www.heubergersubaruparts.com/Shop-OEM-Subaru-Parts-s/1.htm

or

http://subaruonlineparts.com/

Any idea about my case? Constant but far from prominent noise, like metal being loose and scratching against another piece of metal? Hard to explain...

 

[ckwaters]

I just thought I'd revive this thread and share some personal experience.

I found a company on ebay called "Ricochet" that makes polyurethane bushings for the Tribeca. They claim it's a 23.5mm bushing but I thought the Tribeca has a 25mm bushing. Anyway, I installed them and they clamp down nicely around the swaybar when the brackets and torqued down. Since they're polyurethane they should last a long time. Fits Subaru Tribeca Stabilizer Front Sway Bushing 23.5mm 2006-14 Polyurethane | eBay They work with your factory brackets and they're MADE IN USA!

My Tribeca doesn't have a "clunk" sound anymore. I also replaced the end links (on all my Subaru's) with Moog brand which is an obvious improvement. You can see these are built much stronger than factory. You will need to buy a grease gun as they ship with only a little grease inside and need to be topped off after installation. More Information for MOOG K750084 (rockauto.com) Made in Mexico these days. Hopefully they keep all their production in North America.

Another option that was mentioned in another post here is using "Energy Suspension" brand bushings which are a universal polyurethane bushing that comes with its own style of bracket. So they will not work with your factory brackets. I used these on my 2008 Outback that now has a Tribeca front swaybar on it. Yes, that's an upgrade that people do on several models of Subaru. And with the design of the 08 Outback the flat style of the Energy Suspension bracket works better than the Tribeca curved bracket. Amazon.com: Energy Suspension 9.5161G 1" Greasable Sway Bar Set: Automotive Also MADE IN USA!

I'm usually a stickler for OEM everything but Moog endlinks and polyurethane bushings has been an exception I've been opting for on all of my cars moving forward.