Front End Problem

[donweather]

Ok, I’ve noticed a problem with my front end over the last few days. Car seems to be very floatey/spongey on the front suspension. It kinda floats/rocks from side to side when any slight bump in the road sets it off. It’s also making a squeaking sound when going over speed bumps….sounds a bit like the suspension is letting air out as the shock absorber compresses?? Also seems to feel more of the road bumps from within the car through the steering wheel.

Car also seems to be axle tramping more (thought that was just cause the tyres are wearing down, but it appears not).

Any ideas on what may be the problem may be? Shocks gone? Engine mounts gone? Front sway bar gone? Other? Car’s only done 36,000k’s. Mk2 TSI Manual Wagon. Also have the Supaloy LCAs.

[NOO63N]

+1 interested. Same car but liftback, 45,000km. I seem to be imagining the same thing...

[donweather]

Whoah that's freaky!!! MY 2012 vRS. Are you also about to need new tyres?

[Martin]

You would have to check both the sway bar and the shocks

Try to bounce the front of the car down with your hands - do both sides
The body should go down and come back to the original position in one motion
If this action creates a waterbed effect then your shock is stuffed
Also do a visual inspection of the shocks looking for oil leaks

Then also check the sway bar is connected and has not snapped

[donweather]

Thanks Martin. Have already done the hands test on the shocks to try and repeat the noise heard when going over speed bumps but couldn't repeat it. Will look for oil leaks.

Where do I even start looking for the sway bar?

You mentioned a while ago that the stock bolts for the LCAs are of up to scratch. If one of these has failed would that cause he feelings I'm feeling with the front end. Car seems to want to wander a little bit more when on rutted roads also (ruts parallel to the direction of travel).

[Martin]

The hands test is to check the shocks are working - see if the car floats like a water bed

The squeak will just be a suspension bush - could be the sway bar

The rear sway bar is easy to see and check when under the car
You need to remove the front under tray to see the front sway bar
You'll need the car on axle stands or on a hoist

You would have much bigger/serious problems if suspension bolts/nuts had let go

[donweather]

I didn't notice any real waterbed effect when pushing down on the front of the car. But I'll give it another try.

Steering also seems way lighter with almost some slack for the first tiny bit of the turn. Like you can wiggle the steering wheel a bit from side to side and the car doesn't overly respond.

Also noticing more torque steer in WOT.

This is starting to **** me!!!

[brad]

The hand push test is a waste of time IMO as it only tests the low speed valving & the dampers have got to be really stuffed to float at that frequency.

Get a Pedders 48 point safety check with a run on their damper testing machine. It doesn't cost much ($48??).

Fulcrum in marooka are pretty good as well

[GTR27]

Fulcrum is very good, but exxy. Pedders, unless you know the person can be dogey as.... Quoting work that doesn't need doing etc. They are franchises, so some are good and honest, some are terrible. I'd go fulcrum personally. They cost a bit, but do top notch work.

[Martin]

Steering also seems way lighter with almost some slack for the first tiny bit of the turn. Like you can wiggle the steering wheel a bit from side to side and the car doesn't overly respond.

Also noticing more torque steer in WOT.

This is starting to **** me!!!

Yes mate, very concerning, sounds like it needs attention for sure!

[brad]

Fulcrum is very good, but exxy. Pedders, unless you know the person can be dogey as.... Quoting work that doesn't need doing etc. They are franchises, so some are good and honest, some are terrible. I'd go fulcrum personally. They cost a bit, but do top notch work.

Agree. Some Pedders are great, some are crap.

Forgot, Accurate Suspension in BNE come highly recomended

[i286]

At 36 K it is unlikely your shocks are worn. Bouncing the car will tell you nothing. We did it in the eighties and it sort of worked on hydraulic shocks, good for nothing on today's cars with gas filled shocks.
Squeaking sound will be your polyurethane bushes. Are you aware they need to be greased on a regular basis? About once a year will do it, use lithium based grease.
Who installed control arms? Is it convenient for you to go back to them so they can check front end. How long since last wheel alignment?
Nuts and bolts should be checked for tightness as well as excessive movement in bushes.
Also, it is to early for engine mounts to be worn, are you rough with the clutch. You accelerate hard I believe.
Have you checked tyre pressure to eliminate possibility of puncture? What pressure do you pump your tyres anyway? Do you have aftermarket wheels and wider tyres ? What size wheels and tyres?
Don't know if you rotate wheels on a regular basis or at all, if not, your rear tyres will have more profile so swap them with the fronts and se if that changes anything.
Did you have heavy load in the boot when noticed floatiness? Guessing not. Was it wet?
It is quite normal for the car to wander a little when it gets to longitudinal roots.
Without seeing the car it is hard to diagnose the problem. These are some guidelines you can follow to narrow the search.

Heard many complaints about Pedders, but in the end it all comes which one you get to. Not all of them are dodgy.

[dArK5HaD0w]

^^^ what he said ^^^

[donweather]

At 36 K it is unlikely your shocks are worn. Bouncing the car will tell you nothing. We did it in the eighties and it sort of worked on hydraulic shocks, good for nothing on today's cars with gas filled shocks.
Squeaking sound will be your polyurethane bushes. Are you aware they need to be greased on a regular basis? About once a year will do it, use lithium based grease.

No I wasn’t aware they had to be greased.

Who installed control arms? Is it convenient for you to go back to them so they can check front end.

Yeah reasonably convenient so I could take it back to them, although as Martin said if it was a problem with the LCAs I’d have more than floatey suspension problems

How long since last wheel alignment? Nuts and bolts should be checked for tightness as well as excessive movement in bushes.

Not that long. Maybe 7500-10000ks ago. I regularly get wheel alignment and tyre rotations done to try and evenly wear the tyres. Front left appears to be wearing more than front right so perhaps a wheel alignment is due. My tyres are low on tread so I was just waiting for new tyres before I get the new alignment.

Also, it is to early for engine mounts to be worn, are you rough with the clutch. You accelerate hard I believe.

Yes I drive the car hard sometimes, but not WOT all the time. Isn’t that what a car is for? To drive it as it was designed. I don’t ride the clutch.

Have you checked tyre pressure to eliminate possibility of puncture? What pressure do you pump your tyres anyway? Do you have aftermarket wheels and wider tyres ? What size wheels and tyres?

Will check, but regularly check tyre pressures anyway. Normally up around 38PSI. Stock wheels and tyres (for now). Soon to be 18*8 rims with 225 tyres.

Don't know if you rotate wheels on a regular basis or at all, if not, your rear tyres will have more profile so swap them with the fronts and se if that changes anything.

See above

Did you have heavy load in the boot when noticed floatiness? Guessing not. Was it wet?

No and No it wasn’t wet.

It is quite normal for the car to wander a little when it gets to longitudinal roots.

Yep, I realise that with a front wheel high performance car, but it’s wandering is getting severely worse!!!

Without seeing the car it is hard to diagnose the problem. These are some guidelines you can follow to narrow the search.

Thanks for your detailed response. It’s greatly appreciated.

Heard many complaints about Pedders, but in the end it all comes which one you get to. Not all of them are dodgy.

Peddars are taking a look at it tomorrow. I don’t intend to get them to do any work on it if they find something wrong. Just using them as an independent check before I take it back to the dealer for an under warranty check of the front end problems.

[i286]

Well, if everything underneath is tight my number one suspect would be the shocks. As I said, it is way to early for them to be worn out but it is not impossible.
By mentioning to go back to a place where control arms were installed I did not suggest that they did something wrong, just that they could check complete front end for you.
Do you often carry heavy loads or tow something at all? Doing that will shorten life of rear shocks and springs.
Try 36 psi pressure and see how that goes.

Mrs does not like when I accelerate. Apparently it hurts her neck or something and I am running out of excuses why I had to do it every time I do it.

Let us know what happens at Pedders tomorrow.