Tie rod issue?

BRENNANOX

MEMBER
2009 SUBARU IMPREZA
2.0L
4 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
60,000 MILES

I have a mechanic whose English is not good, but he tells me "Your problem is with the hops". "You have bad wheel hops". Since I can't find any part called a wheel hop, I assume he's saying my wheels hop. And I also assume this is due to the tie rods as the brakes are okay. I have the other symptoms described above, clunking that gets louder when I brake. Just a layman's hunch. Thanks for any insights!

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,867 POSTS

Hi,

If you have wheel hop, you are correct. The wheel is bouncing. The most common causes for this are either a wheel balance issue, a shifted belt in a tire that causes a lump resulting in it bouncing, or a bent wheel.

The idea that you hear a clunking when the brakes are applied is interesting. Does the steering wheel shake or does the brake pedal pulse when brakes are applied? Also, is the sound loud enough for you to record and upload for me to hear?

As far as the tie rod, lift one front wheel off the ground at a time. Place your hands at 3 and 9 o'clock and wiggle the wheel. Does it seem loose, or do you notice it moves before the other wheel does?

If you look at the pic below, I circled where to check for movement.

Let me know.

Take care,

Joe

See pic below.

Image (Click to make bigger)