Subaru ball joint and suspension bushing life expectancy?

2016 OB with 115k miles

Car has a developed a front end shimmy. Slight yaw action that can be felt at low speed (approx 25mph or lower, not under braking). Not through the steering wheel but you feel it from the front seats. First I suspected wheels out of balance so I got them balanced. Didn’t fix it.

…so now I suspect ball joints and/or lower control arm bushings. Did a visual inspection and those all “look” fine but clearly something is worn and causing the shimmy.

Searching a Subaru Outback forum didn’t find me anything obvious.

Do Subaru front suspension have know weaknesses that y’all have observed around this mileage?

thanks

I've owned an Impreza (sold at 225,000) and a Forester (sold at 168,000). I never replaced a suspension part other than struts in either of them.

Wheel bearings, OTOH...

In reply to ddavidv :

Hmmmm. I did replace a LF wheel bearing last year. Wonder if that could be related. 

OHSCrifle said:

In reply to ddavidv :

Hmmmm. I did replace a LF wheel bearing last year. Wonder if that could be related. 

Could be time for the Right Front bearing.

Indy "Nub" Guy said:

OHSCrifle said:

In reply to ddavidv :

Hmmmm. I did replace a LF wheel bearing last year. Wonder if that could be related. 

Could be time for the Right Front bearing.

I've never experienced a wheel bearing go bad without noise - so this one has me puzzled.
 

I ordered replacement LCAs (with ball joints) and sway bars end links + frame bushings... but while I wait for parts to arrive I am second guessing the parts order... 

Shimmy at low speeds is a tire out of round problem, not balance problem.  Might not even be out of "round", but just a side to side wobble.

If it is mainly under acceleration, I would suspect the inner CV joints.

The front lower control arm forward bushings seem to last about 100-150k but this makes itself known with extremely vague feeling steering, that changes depending on road crown.  This is because the side loading causes a wild change in toe.  You are good to replace the arms as preventive maintenance but I don't think that is your problem, it takes a force to cause a shimmy and you don't get a force from loose parts.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

Shimmy at low speeds is a tire out of round problem, not balance problem.  Might not even be out of "round", but just a side to side wobble.

 

If it is mainly under acceleration, I would suspect the inner CV joints.

 

The front lower control arm forward bushings seem to last about 100-150k but this makes itself known with extremely vague feeling steering, that changes depending on road crown.  This is because the side loading causes a wild change in toe.  You are good to replace the arms as preventive maintenance but I don't think that is your problem, it takes a force to cause a shimmy and you don't get a force from loose parts.

Thanks Pete. That's good info and logical. I'm going to rotate the tires and see if the shimmy stops or changes.  
 

If I have a bad tire I think I'm stuck replacing all four due to Subaru all wheel drive system sensitivity to wheel diameter. 

Rotated all four and took care to make sure the wheels were all centered on the lugs (since there is a little bit of play when snugging the lug nuts down). No shimmy on subsequent test drive but going to ask wife if she still feels it on her drive to work this week since that's how it came to our attention. 
 

Edit: gonna send the parts back to RA. Pete thanks again you most likely saved me [deferred] several hundred dollars of "parts cannon".