2015 Outback "wanders"

[Liggett]

My 2015 2.5 Outback takes more attention to steering inputs than it used to, especially on a crowned road, to keep it going where I point it. It's subtle, but it's there.

The car has 139,000 miles on it and I've owned it since new. At about 100K I installed new KYB struts on all 4 corners because I had a similar issue. It didn't cure the problem but when I installed an oversized 19mm rear swaybar and links, it did. Plus, the swaybar improved the resistance to crosswinds!

I had a mechanic I trust go over the car underneath and he didn't find anything obviously loose or worn although he couldn't access what I assume was the front control arm bushings without removing something else? When I drive over rough pavement at 20MPH the noise I hear (klunking?) doesn't sound like it's coming from the extreme front, (like tie rods, ball joints), or the extreme rear, it sounds like something worn/loose under, or just ahead, of the driver position.

It's never had a 4 wheel alignment, basically because it wears tires more evenly than any other car I've owned in my 60 years behind the wheel, and it does not shimmy or shake whatsoever. Smooth up to 80 which is as fast as I go, ever, these days.

Can anybody think of a possibility I can check, or can I provide more data?

(our local dealer is truly a "stealership", I haven't been back there since I ran out of warranty)

Thanks for anything in advance, even if only your patience to read this far!


Liggett

 

[BarryB333]

If camber/castor is off on the alignment that could cause problems with "wandering" as opposed to pulling to one side or the other. The front end may have some loose pieces and parts. Four wheel drive vehicles are prone to this due to wear. My "non-mechanic" opinion is to check aligment and then look for something worn or loose in the front end.

 

[bmart]

Tire condition and pressures too.

 

[BarryB333]

...and read your manual about mismatched tires i.e. buying one new tire to replace a damaged one and creating a balance issue if the tread depth between the new tire and old ones is too great. The Subarua AWD system is very sensitive to this issue. When tires get worn, you really should replace all four.

 

[Liggett]

No mismatched tires. All in good shape and OEM size at OEM pressure and balanced. Newly replaced front ball joint, (DS) and bearing. (no impact before or after with wandering issue)

 

[BarryB333]

OK. Then I would think perhaps the camber/castor may be off. If not properly set, it can impact steering, including wandering. Aside from something worn/loose/broken etc., that's all I can think of. Maybe whoever did the last alignment could double check this for you?

 

[BarryB333]

From Google Search:
"If you don't have enough positive caster (forks too little angle toward the front) the car will wander and feel unstable. If you have too much positive caster, the vehicle will be harder to turn."

 

[Liggett]

It could be in need of alignment, which I assume, would compensate for long-term component wear. I've NEVER had it re-aligned. The tire wear is the best I've ever seen on any of the many vehicles I've owned up to this point, and all I ever have done is rotate front to rear and vice versa during the twice-yearly winter/summer tire changes.
Do you know for sure that caster/camber IS adjustable on a 2015 Outback? If it is, I'll make an appointment for a 4-wheel alignment and check-over at a reputable place I know of.

 

[Grumpy1950]

From what I can research, camber is adjustable on Subarus, caster is not. That said, caster is related to the axis the front wheel pivots on relative to an imaginary line perpendicular to the ground. With both upper and lower ball joint suspension, this pivot axis is measured through the center of the ball joints. With a strut type suspension, there is no upper ball joint to measure from. Since the struts were changed, a mis-orientation of one of the struts could cause a caster change. This might be corrected by moving the upper mounting strut slightly. Another possibility (although rare) is the front crossmember may be shifted slightly off-center. It may need to be loosened and re-centered. At any rate, a proper alignment is overdue. The alignment machine will give you the caster angles and show if they are in spec or not, which will be a starting reference to have your mechanic see if adjusting either a strut angle or crossmember adjustment will be needed. These are not DIY friendly adjustments, they need to be done with the alignment machine. Also, you mention a clunking sound. Are the cv joints and wheel bearings in good shape? Excessive wear in these components can also cause sloppy feel in the steering.

 

[Liggett]

OK. Making an appointment. Will report back.

 

[manicmechanic007]

I did alignments for 35 years at a Ford dealer
Ford master tech
If the rear toe is out, or the thrust angle off, it will wander
If the front caster split is too much, you will be correcting, and that is a wander
From what you said about the klunking, have the guy or you check the subframe bushings
BIG pry bar under there seeing if you can easily move the subframe around
It should be damn tight, only move a small amount in the hard rubber bushings
The alignment man will also be looking at some of that

 

[Liggett]

Thank you. It's going to a reputable indy shop and I'll mention the above when I drop it off. Drove the Wife's identical 2015 Outback yesterday that has 11,000 more miles on it, (149,000). It drives almost as new, I noticed the difference immediately.