Loose feeling front end, engine mounts?

[ausgolfer 0]

Hey guys and gals.

 

Got a strange loose feeling coming from the front end over big bumps at speed and during heavy acceleration.

The suspension feels fine and handles well. Got Bilstein PSS9s in it.

 

What I can describe is that it feels like the motor/gearbox is bobbing around over bumps.

I just replaced the engine mounts with Vibratechnics all round. Wondering if I haven't tightened them correctly or if the subframe is lose or something along these lines.

If anyone can guess or suggest where to look first?

I'll be triple checking the engine mounts this weekend.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Vibratechnics mounts usually shift that bobbing around in my experience. What spec did you go for? Competition or road? In the UK we usually do competition front and road for the rear and gearbox, which works well. Might be worth double checking they're all tightly secured though.

 

It could be suspension bushes or top mounts. Any excessive movement there can make the front end feel loose and uncontrolled. Hard acceleration and bumps are what usually reveal weak bushes.

[ausgolfer 0]

Thanks Kevin, they're all the road spec. So maybe something is a-miss, will check everything and the bushes.

[ausgolfer 0]

I do have the PSS9s on the softest setting on the front. The top mounts are brand new VR6 spec.

[davidwort 0]

check everything with bushes or bearings best you can, ball joints, track rod ends and joints to the rack, like kev says, the rear wishbone bushes take a bashing under braking and acceleration (the rubber is squashed and stretched) and twist as you go over bumps too, MOT testers give them a good levering with a pry-bar to check although they usually show signs of splitting and perishing as well. Check drop links and that nothing that should be bolted down is loose :)

[ausgolfer 0]

Cheers guys will do. :D

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Have you still got the original voided rear wishbone bushes? Most people upgrade to TT/R32 solid (rubber) bushes. It could be that your reduced engine movement is highlighting a weakness elsewhere.

[ausgolfer 0]

Could be the case Kev. I have the R32 bushes sitting in the pile of parts I need to fit. Including 02J shift mechanism with dieselgeek SS, oil cooler etc. Haha fat lot of good they're doing not yet fitted.

[ausgolfer 0]

Re-opening this one.

I have checked the mounts again and they all seem fine.

I had my English mate who's had several of these things drive it and he felt the same problem I was detecting and he things there is play in the diff.

Does this sound like a common problem? It's not dropping gearbox oil.

 

If the diff is the issue I am hoping it won't be too expensive to fix.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Rubber does degrade with age and constant heat cycling. Most people wait until the rubber is visibly split, but I do mine if they're just old. Fresh ones feel a lot better than 10 year old, non split originals.

 

Anyway, I can't see how play in a diff can cause a loose wandering feel to the front end when cruising? Maybe under acceleration a worn diff might cause some strange behaviour. By play does he mean bearing play or worn teeth?

[ausgolfer 0]

think its bearing play he was talking about.

 

the car tracks and handles fine, its just under a hard jolt of acceleration or over a bump an odd feeling like something is going to drop out of the engine bay.

[Jim Bowen 1]

Mine feels the same, very weird over changing cambers etc, sometimes overtaking someone and pulling back in it feels like i'm yanked over in the nearest hedge. Seems to pull one way when accelerating and another way when braking.

 

Have changed so much, the only bits left are the fixed column mod and failing that a new steering rack. Everything feels tight, don't get any clunks and i've changed every bush and mount at least once and tried about 5 different suspension kits.

 

Am going to fit the fixed column soon. I find the steering is very strange doing say 40mph and only turning lightly, but driving fast and turning hard it can seem better. Its almost the small movements slightly off centre that feel vauge, which makes me question the rack, seems ok if your turning the steering wheel 90degrees or more.

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

I think you can adjust the steering column slightly at the joint between the column and the rack. Not sure how exactly but it results in tightening up of the rack. Maybe that can help?

[ausgolfer 0]

Re-opening this one again, as I have finally got the G60 up and running after more than a year off the road and all sorts of drama including having the G-lader nicked and then found/returned...

 

So I just had all the lower control arm bushes replaced as was initially planned (with the R32 ones at the front) even the rear trailing arm PITAs changed. Also had my Neuspeed front and rear ARBs fitted(damn they're nice, 25FR 28RR) at the same time.

 

Yet...this weird knocking/loose feeling in the front end persists. I really think it might be a gearbox/diff issue.

It does feel similar to when my mk2 spat its diff bearings out(felt like the whole transaxle was about to fall out), though the oil was pouring out of it also at the time. No oil is leaking from the rado.

 

I still have my PSS9 coilovers set fairly soft. Has new VR6 Top mounts also.

 

Is there a way of checking the diff/pinion shaft for wear without ripping it apart?