Centre Diff Binding

Posts specific to the 3.0 litre NA H6 engine

Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby HoFF » Thu Jun 19, 2014 4:06 pm

That's exactly it Dane. It makes driving around a tight car park really unpleasant. I'd put money on it being the centre diff
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby danew » Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:06 am

Bugger, does anyone have a 'how to' they can send me?

Or did everyone get theirs done for them?
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby HoFF » Fri Jun 20, 2014 1:59 pm

I had mine done for me. About $1100 supplied and installed at G88.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby tom_kauf » Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:41 pm

EDIT: Oh, just realised this is in the 3.0R & 3.6R area. Oh well, dunno if the diff itself is the same, but the general info still basically applies.

Thanks guys, the search function has helped for once :D.

I got quoted $2000 incl labour by the dealer today :shock:. My car has 160,000km and has had the centre diff binding since I got the car at 150,000km just over a year ago. I thought it'd be around $700, but sounds like that's just for the part - IF you source it yourself. Thanks to this thread I'll get one myself (from either Adam at Tuspeed my go-to supplier for parts, otherwise G88). And I might get away with $1000-$1200 installed. Dunno where yet, maybe still at the dealer.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby Shaheenis » Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:44 pm

Wow this is a really informative thread.

I have experienced diff binding in my old wagon (4EAT) where the centre diff would bind due to a faulty valve solenoid. It would bind and you would feel the wheels locking up and when doing tight low speed turns you could hear and feel the wheels spinning, especially in gravel.

It makes me wonder whether a symptom I am having on my Gen4 could be the early signs of this. I don't feel any wheel binding as such but do get a rotational clunking feeling at low speed cornering but it feels to be coming from the front left more and I think it is only ever the outside wheel. I had been thinking this related to a bilstein knock. I only feel it at low speeds and it isn't a clicking like a CV, more rotational clunk/flapping sound if that makes sense. I will have to pay more attention and see if it does it when the oil is cool but the first time I noticed it was after a drive up to Montville in the mountains so would have been quite warm.

My car also has a full service history and to my knowledge only ever had tyres replaced as a set from factory.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby tom_kauf » Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:16 am

Hi Tim, your symptoms sounds exactly like mine. More a jerking (or binding and releasing) feeling. I think I read it doesn't tend to do it in reverse, but I haven't tried that - and at least one post on this thread contradicts that.
But I definitely have almost zero symptoms when the car is cold, and quite a lot when driven for over 1/2h (worst it ever was, was after a 1h drive on a windy road up the range). And by cold I don't mean surrounding temperature - we have had 30deg+ for months now (not much cooler at night). It may be less of an issue in colder states down south, but once the car is driven for 1/2h, I think everything is up to temperature, no matter how cool it is outside.

The first person in this thread who mention km, had this problem occur while still under warranty and with even tyres. And mentions that they go every 100,000km. So if you have around that or more, you may be affected like my 160,000km wagon. Even if your tyres were always even etc (that obviously accelerates the wear though).
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby Shaheenis » Wed Feb 18, 2015 5:31 pm

Tom, mine doesn't feel like anything is binding or sticking, everything moves freely, just you can feel the rotational dull flap when it decides to happen. I can't re-produce it easily.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby tom_kauf » Wed Feb 18, 2015 6:04 pm

Ah ok. It did sound like what you were describing. But I guess it's very hard to explain online. So I'm not sure if yours is the Centre Diff issue. May be worth asking a mechanic if they can check it somehow to get definite confirmation.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby RX25SE » Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:17 pm

I would think that there may considerable difference between manual and autos when it comes to a 'diff shudder'.

The workshop manual shows the the auto trans (4 and 5sp) uses a multiplate clutch to control torque delivery to the rear wheels. The clutch assembly is loaded using hydraulic pressure from the transmissions hydraulic circuit to apply more or less force to the plates. This force is controlled via a solenoid that (I assume) is controlled via modulating the current using an ECU. The very nature of the clutch is to slip and this action allows a variance in rotational speed between the drive to the front an rear. There are no planetary or side gears nor any viscous clutch assembly.

The manual has a centre diff that comprises the usual planetary and side gears to allow a variance in rotational speed between the drive to the front an rear, plus a sealed viscous clutch assembly that uses silicon oil to 'limit' the speed variance between front and rear.

As both systems operate differently, I would expect a difference in symptoms between the two.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby Shaheenis » Thu Feb 19, 2015 5:14 pm

RX25E you are right on you assumption as to how the auto works and the symptom although similar is felt more in the rear when the clutches stick due to faulty solenoid not pulsing as it should at lower speeds. This is quite different between VTD and non-VTD autos. The earlier 4EAT had a totally different centre diff with 90:10 front rear bias versus later 4EAT which from memory was 40:60. I believe VTD is now standard tech and does have a planetary gearset in the centre diff as opposed to the very early versions.

I did some testing in my 6MT after I drove home from work last night. Found a car park and continually drove in circles in full lock both directions. When turning right, the outer front makes the noise. I thought it was coming from the wheel but it could be more central. It didn't feel like it was binding or slowing but every now and then I felt a slipping sensation like I drove over a marble. Doing left circles was definitely far less obvious to the point of not knowing whether it is 100% normal or not.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby mr_sinistah » Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:53 pm

RX25SE wrote:I could be wrong here, but if you replace the center diff with the same thing then you are just prolonging the same issue occurring again?

Mine had this issue just before I bough it. Speaking with the Subaru specialist that maintained the car, his fix was to replace the genuine oil with something lighter. Apparently the Subaru oil is more like a light grease so he uses Toyota silicon oil which is a lower viscosity so it doesn't dry out causing the diff to bind.


This is spot on!! My local independent Subaru mechanic said the exact same thing, Toyota oil. He has done a bunch of them and they all seem to go after 100k. He says this solution hasn't caused any repeat issues now. It's a common issue obviously.

My question is, when is it urgent to get it done? I only notice it at fulll lock, my mechanic said I should get it changed when it starts to realllyy bug me, it'll be obvious when.
What do you guys know? I don't feel comfortable putting added stress on other parts, though I don't flog my 3.0R-B like you guys might :lol:
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby tom_kauf » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:52 pm

Interesting :). So is this a fix for a Centre Diff that's already started having problems? Or for new ones?
Excuse the newbie questions, but does a new Diff come with oil? Because I imagine if this is a fix for only new diffs, that would mean draining the oil and refilling with Toyota oil?
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby mr_sinistah » Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:31 am

Good question Tom, I think they way I heard was it had to be built a certain way, stock units would have grease in them already. Maybe new units have nothing and mechanics add grease or oil of their choice? Preventative mechanics is better than major issues :)

Can someone give me a ballpark figure for this fix? To buy parts and such. I defs want the Toyota oil route, heard good things but would prefer to source my own part if it's cheaper.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby tom_kauf » Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:32 am

mr_sinistah wrote:Good question Tom, I think they way I heard was it had to be built a certain way, stock units would have grease in them already. Maybe new units have nothing and mechanics add grease or oil of their choice? Preventative mechanics is better than major issues :)

Can someone give me a ballpark figure for this fix? To buy parts and such. I defs want the Toyota oil route, heard good things but would prefer to source my own part if it's cheaper.


Ok cool. I very much doubt it's a fix for Diffs that already have the issue. But if someone could check with a Subaru specialist, that'd be great. Because I've read a lot on this issue, and it's common - but nowhere has anyone mentioned the Toyota Oil trick.

I ordered my Diff about 2 weeks ago. Subaru dealer quoted $2000 incl labour. But others on here got the part themselves from eg Garage88 for $800-$900 and another ~$300 for Labour.
I bought mine from Tuspeed, since they've been great to me, for $970 plus $20 postage. So a bit more than G88 but those G88 prices were old, so they might be more as well now. It is a few weeks wait since they didn't have any in the country. They said they could get one locally but for ~$1200.
I then asked the dealer what the labour alone is, and they said $550 if I supply the part.

*Note I have a GTSpecB, so I don't know if the 3.0R part is the same.
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Re: Centre Diff Binding

Postby RX25SE » Tue Feb 24, 2015 4:03 pm

mr_sinistah wrote:
This is spot on!! My local independent Subaru mechanic said the exact same thing, Toyota oil.


A workshop in Canberra?
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