Rear end wobble

[Eddcunningham]

Morning everyone.

I'm just about getting to the end of my rag with my 06 GTI.
The car has cost me just over £2k in the last 6 months and every time I fix something, something new seems to pop up.

My latest problem is I seem to have developed rear end wobble/shimmy, which only manifested itself on Sunday. The back end feels loose and feels like I could lose it at any minute, even at lower speeds.

I would have guessed tyres, but these were only changed last month. However at the time, kwik fit advised me that my track rod ends were seized, so they couldn't do the alignment. If I remember correctly, they were -0.7 out, not sure if that's significant...

The car is coming up to 60k, so wouldn't have thought it was bushes/shocks/springs/wheel bearings this early, however my route to work contains a hell of a lot of speed bumps and unavoidable pot holes and man hole covers, (thanks Leeds city council!) so could this have hastened any deteriation?

Looking for any advice, as I'm nearly at the point of just giving up and selling my dream car :(.

Thanks

[flashp]

Bushes can be affected by age and environment as much as mileage.
At 60k it's possible or even likely that your dampers are past their best.

[r5gtt]

Sorry for jacking the thread but its for everyones benefit 
How would you guys check the shocks?.
Weeping oil? Take them out?. jack the car up and place a bar under the wheel and pry up to check for weak one?.

[Dan_FR]

I'd bounce on each corner of the car and check how many times the corner bounds and rebounds..... Pikey methods yo!

I'd say it'll more likely be some free play in something rather than the shock absosbers.... If they were shot the backend would bounce around all over the place and be a nightmare on uneven surfaces

At the end of the day, it may only be 60k, but the car is 10 years old...... Let's not forget that

[s3dubbin]

Go for bushes first. I was working on a s3 8p 2wks ago trying to solve a bad rear end shimmy/wobble. Was really bad in a straight line which was strange. Lad was ready to buy a propshaft at £1400. Bought a full rear bush pack instead, wobble has completely gone.

Cheers, Stevie.

[r5gtt]

Yes I'm going with bushes too rather than shocks as I recall having the same issue with my last car so bought a set of power flex trailing arm bushes to chassis and the problem went away. did snap both brake lines whilst doing the job but it was 13 years old so I kind of expected that to happen  so was ready with the parts to replace these. mk5 are a different set up so easier to replace these bushes.

[r5gtt]

I'd bounce on each corner of the car and check how many times the corner bounds and rebounds..... Pikey methods yo!

[Eddcunningham]

Looks like the wobble may be down to alignment after all that.
Took the car to Kwik Fit today to sort a leaky valve and balance the wheels and while I was there, I asked them to check the bushes/shocks/springs. They said they all look fine to them. Obviously not an expert review, but it gives me a glimmer of hope!

However, they said the track rod ends were seized solid and my alignment was quite a bit out. They quoted £120/130 per side to change the track rod ends and tie rods, does this seem reasonable to everyone?
My other option is to take it to my specialist (Autotechnik in Nottingham - great guys), but I'm not sure they can do the alignment, or if they can, it'll be a very basic set up, not quite the hunter system i'd prefer.
Would it be a good idea to drive them unaligned less than 5 miles to their recommended alignment guy?

[r5gtt]

WTF rip off or what dude. take it somewhere else and get it aligned for no more than £80 cheaper still if you're lucky. My old work place only charge £55 for a full GEO.

[amanda]

The rear of the car can be aligned but make sure nothing is seized or you that have a broken spring that cannot be seen.

[Eddcunningham]

WTF rip off or what dude. take it somewhere else and get it aligned for no more than £80 cheaper still if you're lucky. My old work place only charge £55 for a full GEO.

Sorry if I didn't make much sense, but I meant £120/130 to replace track rod and tie rods. Not sure however if they're including an alignment as well.

To be honest, I wouldn't trust Kwik Fit either way. I'll take it to my Indy when he's back in next week and get him to price it up as he'll only ever use genuine parts.

Would a full geometry set up, rather than a standard alignment help prevent the rear inners wearing? I know it's a problem on the MQB platform as I've already replaced one set of rears 

[r5gtt]

WTF rip off or what dude. take it somewhere else and get it aligned for no more than £80 cheaper still if you're lucky. My old work place only charge £55 for a full GEO.

Sorry if I didn't make much sense, but I meant £120/130 to replace track rod and tie rods. Not sure however if they're including an alignment as well.

To be honest, I wouldn't trust Kwik Fit either way. I'll take it to my Indy when he's back in next week and get him to price it up as he'll only ever use genuine parts.

Would a full geometry set up, rather than a standard alignment help prevent the rear inners wearing? I know it's a problem on the MQB platform as I've already replaced one set of rears 

Oh right that sounds a bit better as the inners aren't as easy as the outers which will most like need to be heated as I've had to unseize loads of rod ends and on a four poster inlets a pita  crack knuckles and bang elbows 

I'd definitely get a full GEO carried out but get your Indy to check the bushes whilst in the air as tyres don't wear on the inner unless you have excess camber or worn stabiliser rose bushes. Also what amanda said