VR Steering suddenly gone vague ??

[Andy T 0]

On the way home tonight on the motorway I suddenly felt a dull repetitive 'knocking' through the wheel as I steered left into the inside lane, then the car was pulling to the left quite badly and generally not feeling good.

 

I initially thought it must be a blow-out to affect the steering so much, but when I stopped, all the tyres were at the correct pressure. All the wheelbolts are tight, had a quick look under the car and the trackrods/ends and locknuts look in one piece and tightened up properly. The shocks and springs look fine(quite new).

 

I haven't been able to jack the car up yet, the only thing that looked odd under the car was that the n/s steering rack boot was twisted(?)

 

Prior to tonight, the VR had pretty perfect handling, no clunks/pulling or play, and had the four wheel alignment done six months ago at a very reputable garage.

 

Does anybody have an idea of what part of the drivetrain could deteriorate so suddenly to cause this? Apart from the newish shocks,springs and topmounts, the only other part I know has been changed in recent years before my ownership is the n/s balljoint. The milage is approaching 99k.

 

Cheers for any help.

[dr_mat 0]

Sounds like a failed CV joint to me.

[Bojmobile 0]

or suspension drop-link failure - I had one go and car handled like a bag'o'shite!

[Bojmobile 0]

any joy sorting this?

[Andy T 0]

Had a good look underneath on friday, CV joints seem ok, driveshafts/diff rotate freely, and all the steering/suspension components were intact and free of play.

 

Took it to a good garage, they couldn't find anything wrong with it either! very strange. Took the car for a drive and it seemed to handle normally, the knock through the steering hasn't re-occured since, even with some hard turning at low and high speeds.

 

Guess i'll just have to keep an eye on it for now!

[Andy T 0]

The problem has come back again, and is getting worse, but is intermittent!

 

I can be driving along a straight road/motorway etc, steering feels perfect, then the steering wheel starts shaking lightly, then the knocking through the s/wheel starts when turned to the right slightly. Turning the wheel left seems ok. When driving slowly the knock seems to happen once per rev of the roadwheels.

 

One day it got so bad I had to pull over and stop. But then it seems to go away, then return a few days later :scratch:

 

On one occasion, the knocking had started, but when I took a tight right hander at the lights, I heard a few knocks and bangs from the front of the car (think it was the n/side), as I straightened up the knocking immediately stopped.

 

As dr_mat suggested, does this sound like CV joints now? If I drive with the steering on full lock slowly, I can hear a slight knocking from CV joints, but only on RIGHT lock.

 

The car passed MOT last week, with no advisory's on the drivetrain. Which of the CV's, Inner or outer, n/s or o/s, would be likely to cause the above issues?

 

Cheers.

[dr_mat 0]

Most likely passenger side outer CV..

[Guest]

I would say its a CV joint, i have had this on a few of my Dubs, the bearings in the unit are stronger than the metal casing or visa versa and wear the channels away over time, allowing them to travel further inside the joint, sometimes they sit locked in place and sometimes they move and where the slack is, it causes it to knock like a Ber` stard

 

I have had an inner one go before aswell, not so common but i changed the outer only for the problem to come back 2 days later :censored:

[Andy T 0]

Cheers, that makes alot of sense.

 

I guess that changing a CV joint will involve removing/moving the hub, then redoing the wheel alignment ££££ ?

 

I remember mk2 polo's where you could just about remove the driveshafts without removing any suspension components at all!

[Guest]

Dissasemble is the easiest way as you will struggle to have enough clearance to get the old one out, think the minimum you need to undo will be hub nut, ball joint and track rod to give enough room, dont need to touch the leg camber bolts really, remember to remove the C clips on the shaft!!!

 

 

CV grease is horrible :pukeright: