Low speed front end knock after sitting for a short period

[rgvlee]

Got a weird one that's been around for a little while now.

If I let the gti sit for a while, an hour +, then start up and drive off, once I hit 15kmh I get a knock in the front left. Doesn't matter what gear, I can be rolling down a hill, and it'll still do it. Always at the same speed.

I thought it might be a sticky caliper piston. Pump the brakes before taking off and it still happens. I can feel the knock through the brake pedal and if I am on the brakes at the time it's a more pronounced knock.

All the LCA bushes have been recently replaced, this issue was there before they were done though.

Thoughts?

[seangti]

Just to clarify, it happens only when moving?
Does it clunk if sitting still and adding steering input?
If rolling, does it clunk just once or keep clunking? and lastly,
Does it clunk if moving going straight and or with steering?

I had some clunking in the front end of my silver one lately, been there a few months now. Sounded metal to metal contact. I changed the strut top and bearing, still there Over the weekend I changed out the HD Whiteline Swaybar links with standard links and sprayed WD-40 on the swaybar mounts, noises are gone.

[rgvlee]

Only when moving
Only once
Steering input doesn't seem to affect it though most of the time when it happens I'm going straight. Though by that point I've turned out of a parking bay so there has been steering input leading up to it.

[h100vw]

Only when moving
Only once
Steering input doesn't seem to affect it though most of the time when it happens I'm going straight. Though by that point I've turned out of a parking bay so there has been steering input leading up to it.

3 things I'd check, bottom ball joint, track rod end and then see if the sway bar is touching anything.

Sometimes when the car is lowered, the angle of the sway bar to the link brings the curve of the sway bar close to the body. I am pretty sure I saw this on Jasn78s old Polo last year. I think we evened up the sway bar so it sat with the same gap either side?

Gavin

[Stuwey]

Mine does the same. Has done since day 1.

Park it overnight or even just for a few hours. Take off, get about 20 metres up the road and then 'bonk' from the LH front.

I. Have. No. Idea.

[rgvlee]

The knock wasn't there when I bought the car, it's not normal.

All valid suggestions and I'll check them out. I have heard about the sway bar/linkages being noisy. I don't think the sway bar is hitting anything and the last time I had a peek around the front left a couple of weeks ago everything felt nice and solid.

I was hoping someone would say, "mate it's the stock suspension, go out an buy some KWs". That'd be really handy in winning over the missus on that purchase

[h100vw]

The knock wasn't there when I bought the car, it's not normal.

All valid suggestions and I'll check them out. I have heard about the sway bar/linkages being noisy. I don't think the sway bar is hitting anything and the last time I had a peek around the front left a couple of weeks ago everything felt nice and solid.

I was hoping someone would say, "mate it's the stock suspension, go out an buy some KWs". That'd be really handy in winning over the missus on that purchase

I think it's probably the std suspension can't cope with the power of Phase 2. Some KWs will sort that out no problems.

Gavin

[Paazuzu]

I was hoping someone would say, "mate it's the stock suspension, go out an buy some KWs". That'd be really handy in winning over the missus on that purchase

Let her drive it and then say "see what I mean - the suspension is really old...I should upgrade for safety reasons"

[seangti]

Mine does the same. Has done since day 1.

Park it overnight or even just for a few hours. Take off, get about 20 metres up the road and then 'bonk' from the LH front.

I. Have. No. Idea.

Mine does that, has done it for years. Sounds more like a 'bonk' than a knock, lol. Been curious, but never concerned to consider it any further. Was thinking emissions system related, but really NFI.

[rgvlee]

I get mechanical feedback through the brake pedal

[wai]

Sounds like problems with the CV joints or wheel bearings. When stationary for a while, anything that's loose in the joint will settle down and then as it starts turning, it will take a while to centralise and the noise will go away.

[kaanage]

A single bump and then nothing from a CV joint?

[sambb]

Where I park my car I turn off a level bit of road down a sudden 45 degree angle. Doing this cause the strut to go full droop on the inside wheel. When I come back out I get a decent clunk a bit further on. I always figured its the spring sort of reseating itself. It only happens to me after I've gone in and out of that spot. Maybe the strut top bearings is on its way out and its torqueing up the spring as you park and then it unloads itself when you drive off again.

[rgvlee]

I too thought maybe strut top but I would expect it to happen more often. I occasionally get some creaking from both front corners going up kerbs/sharp turns but I get no feedback through the pedals and it sounds different, I don't think it's the same issue.

This is a very definite only happens once per drive, same speed kind of knock. If I ride the brakes while it's happening I get a louder knock and the feedback is more pronounced. My gut tells me sticky piston but I would have thought pumping the brakes would make a difference.

[Blue9N3]

Interestingly enough, mine started doing the thunk in the morning too. No idea why, only thing since was a new set of front pads and discs


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