Is my axle bad?
 

Hi all, this is my first post here so I hope this is the right place for it.
My FR-S has been making a clicking sound which is only audible at low speed and seems to be coming from the rear of the car. It's louder with the window down. It happens regardless of what gear I'm in or wheather or not the clutch is engaged. I adjusted the parking brake somewhat recently with the little wheel in the drum, Could that be the cause of the noise? From what I've read online it sounds like the axles on these cars are not the most durable. Here's a link to a video of me spinning the rear driver's side wheel does it sound like a bad axle?

https://youtube.com/shorts/K24pBBLhKt4




PS: Don't hate me for the green brake caliper the previous owner painted it not me:cry:.

Exact same symptoms as mine. From the rear, only at low speeds. It'll get worse, and when it decides to break, it'll leave you stranded (you won't be able to roll your car in neutral afterwards). I highly recommend you replace them. I had Subaru send me their rebuilt axles so I can save a little on the repair.

Did you lower your car a lot? I raised my car a little bit to avoid this issue.

Just got some Autozone axles today. I'll be installing them sometime this week, hopefully they hold up. My car's actually at stock ride height but I bought it from Copart and have no idea how the previous owner treated it. When I got it the clutch was smoked and the rear tires were practically bald.

The axles in these cars are fine even under light boost. I have 100k miles and 6 years of track abuse on my car, no axle failures. Doesn’t mean it can’t happen but may not be the culprit. If you replace the CV’s use new axle nuts and buy a set of diff seals where the axle comes in. You can damage them if you are not careful. The stock grease in the CV’s is junk though. Before you replace anything check the axle nut. You will get a clicking sound from the hub to axle if it is not tight. 143ftlbs. If you search on the forum it will come up.

Already tried re-torquing the axle nuts, didn't help.

Welcome to the group - :clap:

It could be a dragging parking brake shoe, just back it off and see if it stops.

It may be the former owners fault that the brake calipers are painted green, but, it's your fault if you allow them to remain green. (jest ah messen wich ya) - :D

That sucks.

I’ve got a bad hub right rear, I’m just gonna do axles too. What’s the best move? Dealer parts? Any cheaper performance aftermarket?

They're like $820 if you buy both of them from the dealer but if you're going to spend that kind of money Driveshaft shop makes some stronger axles that are rated for 800 hp that cost around $1,100. You could also get used OE axles on ebay for around a quarter of what the dealer charges.

I wouldn't recomend parts store axles I installed some Autozone axles and the shaft was noticeably thinner than that of the OE axles and they felt like poorer quality. From the day I installed them they would squeak when going over bumps and when shifting gears. I also noticed a slight resistance to going into gear in the shifter. Also, I did donuts once in a rainy parking lot and now they creek when going around a turn with any real speed. Maybe other parts stores are better:iono:

I too have had bad experiences with cheap aftermarket axles. I actually managed to shear one in half (like the metal axle shaft, not the joint or anything) in my old Outback by just putting my foot to the floor, lmao. I only use OEM axles now.

FYI, once you pick a local dealership, you usually get a pretty significant discount applied on the online parts site. An OEM axle is $351 as long as I pick it up from the dealership. Probably winds up being more like $750 total for two once lovely Illinois tax is applied, though.

The photo below is the comparison between the aftermarket axle I sheared in half, and the OEM one I replaced it with. Again, this was on my old Outback, and NOT my BRZ, but I see no reason why cheap axles for our cars wouldn't be any different. Look at the difference in the thickness of the axle shafts!

I got a new OEM subaru drive axle for $345 shipped from subarupartsdeal.com