CVs are on the way out only 100,000km on the odometer

pbilz

pbilz

Forum Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
23
Location
Brisbane, AU
Car Year
MY14
Car Model
Forester XT
Transmission
CVT
Anyone on here with an SJ Forester that's experienced what I would call premature CV life? With or without a lift?

I have a 2014 SJ FXT. Bought second hand with 40,000km on the clock. 2" SLO lift was installed in October 2018 at 70,000km. Just over a year and a half later and 30,000km travelled with the lift in, my front CVs are clicking on slow sharp turns - more so the front right. Boots are fine. I installed a transmission mount insert soon after the lift install to stop the wobble when accelerating. It's not end links and it's not sway bar bushes.

95% of its travels is on bitumen. Off it's beach trips and dirt roads (forestry)

Is there anything that could exacerbate the premature failure? I understand a lift can shorten CV life span but I wasn't expecting it so soon and for where it's driven. It did hit an unexpected washout on a dirt road about a year ago at speed which bottomed out the front suspension really hard. Every day it's got a sharp right hand turn (pretty much full lock but I do my best to avoid full lock) to get out of and in to the garage.

Also it's playing on my mind whether to pull out the lift :( when I get the CVs changed, hope for trouble free CVs and live with the belly rubs on beach cut-ins and centre mounds on sand tracks, however I haven't seen many on forums or Facebook groups that have mentioned front CV failures with lifted SJ Foresters.

Thoughts? Ideas? Thanks!
 
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No premature wear in mine and I have more than 2", yes, I know I'm bragging :)
 
Changed both front at about 160 000km. No lift. 95% on tarmac/asphalt other gravel/forest. No heavy duty offroading. Engine is n/a 2.0, 2014 european.
 
Maybe oem SJ CV's are not as good quality as SF/SG/SH ?
 
@pbilz, do you do a lot of full-lock turns coming out of the driveway/parking lot? Over time, the CVs can get stressed with that too.
 
ABFoz said:
@pbilz, do you do a lot of full-lock turns coming out of the driveway/parking lot?
Click to expand...

Yep - at least once per day. To get in and out of the garage requires an almost full lock right hand turn (apartment complex). I was thinking that could have contributed.

Perhaps the CVs are of less quality than older models. Front lower control arm bushes are shagged as well which I’ve read in other forums is common for SJs of similar distance travelled. I’m going to do those the same time as front CVs.

My heart says keep the lift in and hope it doesn’t happen again... for a long time.
 
Repack them with grease, prob make it another 50,000. Check the sway bar bushes, they can click like busted cv's on lifted subarus sometimes, doubt that's your problem since it's at full lock but worth a look.
 
Thanks for the tips idw. The CVs are already ordered. I’ll keep it in mind for next time. I will double check the sway bar bushes again. Definitely sounds like CVs... click frequency when hard turning mimics the speed of wheel rotation.
 
you dont need off road to wear more those VC axles, hard asphalt driving is putting even more preasure on those parts , like launching a lot , braking , hard cornering and such, no need to be lifted , with lifted cars we even drive them more carefully on good roads i think , though not me. i bought it to have fun and pleasure from all experiences with all stuff that will come from it.
 
What is the front to rear torque distribution on a SJ XT ? Just asking because I got a '95 4eat Legacy for free with less than 200'000 km and wanted to keep the front CV's but they were worn out. I think that auto boxes are harder on the front CV's because of the front to rear torque distribution (90/10) versus the manual (50/50).
 
jf1sf5 said:
What is the front to rear torque distribution on a SJ XT ? Just asking because I got a '95 4eat Legacy for free with less than 200'000 km and wanted to keep the front CV's but they were worn out. I think that auto boxes are harder on the front CV's because of the front to rear torque distribution (90/10) versus the manual (50/50).
Click to expand...
Some info and link here. Use second link. No Subaru has a 90:10 torque split in normal use.

 
Ratbag said:
No Subaru has a 90:10 torque split in normal use.
Click to expand...

Well in a way you're correct -( haven't we been here before?)

Subaru Publication P-FTB03 Forester Technical description
SG Auto:
1597905052875.png

SG Manual
1597904997153.png
 
@Kevin Yes, we have. And I understand that the system is variable between 50:50 and 95:5, but the latter is only under extreme conditions, not in normal use, which approximates 60:40.

Given the statement in the OP, I thought it was of value to revisit the subject.
 
Only just found this thread.
On my old MY80, so I cannot say this is still relevant, it was possible to dismantle the CV joint, a very messy job, and examine the cage containing the balls. It was possible to ascertain where the wear was occurring. In the case of my MY80 the balls, plus grit no doubt from split boots, had worn a definite groove and it was possible to reverse the cage so that the balls could rotate on a non worn surface.
The CV design made removing and dismantling very easy, if messy.
 
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