So, I brought my good ol' Subie in for a "safety check" today, in preparation for the 8-hour drive to NJ and back this weekend (8 each way.) Anyway, the car has 201,000 miles on it, and I know it has some problems. I heard back about how the transfer plates need replacing, and the clutch pack is bad and the suspension bushings are gone and how it's leaking gallons of oil from every seal and I'm gonna blow one soon and how all the CV joints are busted and that The tie-rod was rusted... all of which is fine since I don't plan on having the car much longer, and aside from one or two more rides up to NJ, it's just for tooling around town.

HOWEVER, there was one thing I did replace, which they said was a big safety issue. I told them that when I make a sharp left turn, there seemed to be a grinding noise coming from the right front wheel. I figured it was the CV joint (bearings getting dusty) or something like that. What they told me over the phone, was that something was rusted and grinding into the brake rotor...? I didn't ask them to elaborate because they were busy and my dad on the other end was already being an ass about what didn't REALLY need to be done, etc... But I'm curious as to what the heck would be worn to the point of grinding into the brake rotor. I KNOW it's not that the pad needs to be replaced - it might have been the thing having to do with the rusted tie rod. All I know is they said that it could lead to loss of steering (obviously the tie rod - I dunno if that had to do with the rotor.) Anyone have any idea what that could be? I'm curious.

Quote from Stang70Fastback :

So, I brought my good ol' Subie in for a "safety check" today, in preparation for the 8-hour drive to NJ and back this weekend (8 each way.) Anyway, the car has 201,000 miles on it, and I know it has some problems. I heard back about how the transfer plates need replacing, and the clutch pack is bad and the suspension bushings are gone and how it's leaking gallons of oil from every seal and I'm gonna blow one soon and how all the CV joints are busted and that The tie-rod was rusted... all of which is fine since I don't plan on having the car much longer, and aside from one or two more rides up to NJ, it's just for tooling around town.

HOWEVER, there was one thing I did replace, which they said was a big safety issue. I told them that when I make a sharp left turn, there seemed to be a grinding noise coming from the right front wheel. I figured it was the CV joint (bearings getting dusty) or something like that. What they told me over the phone, was that something was rusted and grinding into the brake rotor...? I didn't ask them to elaborate because they were busy and my dad on the other end was already being an ass about what didn't REALLY need to be done, etc... But I'm curious as to what the heck would be worn to the point of grinding into the brake rotor. I KNOW it's not that the pad needs to be replaced - it might have been the thing having to do with the rusted tie rod. All I know is they said that it could lead to loss of steering (obviously the tie rod - I dunno if that had to do with the rotor.) Anyone have any idea what that could be? I'm curious.

Does it only happen on or near full lock? If so it might be something really stupid, I had the same happen to me as well.

On my Legacy there is a protective cover around the disk and a small stone had got between it and the disk. I got the exact noise you describe. Almost a metal on metal noise.

Get the wheel at full lock and get under the car to allow a better view of the back of the disk. You will probably find its the same, a small stone that only appears to get forced against the disk at full lock.

If it is you shuld be able to work the stone loose.

Hope that helps and stops the garage charging for new disks etc.

I don't believe there is a protective cover on mine (it's a 98.) I only heard the sound once and never had the opportunity to reproduce it. There's a circle on our campus which is small (like typical cruise-server circle made of 5 or 6 barriers) which I have recently been taking at faster speeds every time. Yesterday I actually got about 20 degrees sideways, lol - probably LFS influence. Anyway, it happened when I was making the turn fast and sharp. I am inclined to think it has more to do with the car leaning than turning, because I'd have noticed it before if it only happened when the wheel was turned, but who knows. It's being repaired right now, so I'll be sure and ask then when I get it back. I just didn't know it was possible for anything other than the pad to scrape the rotor...

Actually, they did say that the CV joints were busted, which produced that exact same noise last time under the same conditions. I'm almost thinking that that IS what is causing the noise and that the other thing is just another problem that I didn't know about. I guess I'll just find out on Friday... it was kind of a pointless post - I was bored. Thanks tho.

This may sound silly, but does your scoob have mud flaps all round? I have heard a very similar noise when in an sti whilst turning fast, but it was whilst braking into a corner and as the car was diving slightly the mud flap scraped across the floor.
Just something for you to rule out

Yea, no its not that kind of sound - and this car rides pretty high - there's no way it was leaning that much... but yea - interesting.

Well Woz, I dunno if this is what you were talking about, but if it was then congratulations lol. She said there is a metal plate behind the rotor, and that was what was grinding because it was bent (I have no idea how it would have gotten bent.) Anyway, she said most ppl think they can fix it by bending it back with a screwdriver or something, but on Subarus they're really thick and replacing it means replacing the whole assembly and its really expensive, so I didn't do it.

Quote from Stang70Fastback :

Well Woz, I dunno if this is what you were talking about, but if it was then congratulations lol. She said there is a metal plate behind the rotor, and that was what was grinding because it was bent (I have no idea how it would have gotten bent.) Anyway, she said most ppl think they can fix it by bending it back with a screwdriver or something, but on Subarus they're really thick and replacing it means replacing the whole assembly and its really expensive, so I didn't do it.

My issue was a bit different in that a small stone had got between metal plate and the rotor. If it only makes the noise under load its prob not that bad.

Don't believe them though. A good set of grips should let you sort it unless really bent. I had to open mine a little to get the stone out.