Febi top mounts, or OEM?

[pudding]

I know the feeling! It bugs me when the whole car is not 100%, but that just isn't possible on a 10 year old car without rolling your sleeves up and opening the wallet!

Did you torque the 21mm top nut down, or just air gun it?  There is a risk of over tightening that nut, which can prematurely wear out the ball bearings. If the wheel has no vertical play in it, it's not the bearings.

Another source of knock can be the steering rack.  The actual mechanical rack/pinion part, not the electric motor side of it.  How many miles on the car?  Mine's on 110K and making all manner of clonks, clunks, clicks, clacks, crunches, knocks, bangs and thumps!  I did the top mounts/springs/dampers last month, so I know it's not them!

[fish]

Suspension was all fitted by the VW specialist I have been using for years.  Apparently they are all ex VAG techs (not sure if that's good or bad!) so anyone's guess if they torqued them right. 

Car has done 85k (had it for 6yrs 45k,  Reg Dec 07)) that's just it,  for the last couple of years it has been silent suspension wise,  no clonks, knocks, squeaks,  nothing,  tight as a drum.  Car has had such an easy life with me too,  hardly gets a thrashing and only recently been driven a bit harder since having bcs tbe and stage 2 Revo.  Also had fitted a few months back S3 wishbones and bushes,  bot ball joints and track ends.  Mmm wonder if that's related??

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[pudding]

85K isn't a lot, but then again the steering racks in these cars aren't known to be long lasting.  It sounds like all the key things have been replaced already.   Any play in the steering, even if very slight? 

First things first is to jack up the front and check for play in those the mounts.  If it's not them, prepare for a long drawn out process of elimination.  Things that clonk on the road don't always reveal any play on the ramp!

[fish]

No,  since the new track ends and bb joints went on the steering is really solid around the straight ahead.  Part of the reason I had these changed was because I felt it was a bit vague when driving straight. This definitely helped this.   This talk of steering racks brings back memories of the mk2 GTIs I owned years back,  two of those had new racks due to play.

Think I will jack up tonight to see if there's anything obvious awry.

Thanks.

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[pudding]

Mine is also vague on and slightly off center, interesting that new tie rod ends sorted that.  I haven't felt any slack in mine, but probably worth changing as they're old.

Ditto, I also had to replace racks in MK2s and Corrados.  Good to see the newer VWs still have the same issue      I remember replacing the rack, column UJ and tie rods on the VR6 and it felt like a brand new car after that.  No perceptible play at all in any of the parts when bench tested.  Weird.

[fish]

Interesting you have had similar experiences in the past! My brother runs a Corrado VR6 (done @130k) and I know he has removed the adjustable part of the steering column for a solid version and reckons it tightened it up no end.  He has just replaced tie rods and wishbone bushes along with bilstein shocks (standard springs). He is over the moon with it now.

Getting my car looked at on Thursday re knocking noise. Pudding,  you have the VWR shocks as well as the VWR springs? How do you find it at M/way speeds? Could you honestly say it is comfortable enough to do a long journey in? I find that mine with the b4's never really settles at speed,  am wondering it its a control symptom of the shocks with the stiffer springs.

Thinking of maybe getting the shocks when/if I get the top mounts done.


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[pudding]

Oh yes, I remember doing that as well.  A fixed angle column from the 8V Corrado.  Yep, that did indeed work a treat!

Yeah I would say it's comfortable for long journeys, definitely.   I had standard suspension on previously and that was fine on long journeys, but the VWR is even better!  The issues I've had with it are ride height related.  Arch rubbing and hitting the bump stops.  I'm on standard wheels with no spacers, so the rubbing was a bit of a surprise, with just one passenger.
It's a great kit though.  Ride quality and cornering both improve.

[MIJ_JAGGER]

I know the feeling! It bugs me when the whole car is not 100%, but that just isn't possible on a 10 year old car without rolling your sleeves up and opening the wallet!

Did you torque the 21mm top nut down, or just air gun it?  There is a risk of over tightening that nut, which can prematurely wear out the ball bearings. If the wheel has no vertical play in it, it's not the bearings.

Another source of knock can be the steering rack.  The actual mechanical rack/pinion part, not the electric motor side of it.  How many miles on the car?  Mine's on 110K and making all manner of clonks, clunks, clicks, clacks, crunches, knocks, bangs and thumps!  I did the top mounts/springs/dampers last month, so I know it's not them!

I was in a similar position Pudding. Chasing a knocking and clunking over bumpy roads, changed top mounts, bushings, droplinks and its only now that my power steering died and got the rack changed, the clunking and knocking has gone! So maybe....

[fish]

Thanks for the replies.  Is the rubbing front or back? Also I assume the VWR shocks are shortened so to allow effective suspension travel with a reduced ride height?
One issue I had when fitting the VWR springs to standard shocks (b4) was that the rear was just sitting on the bumpstops making the ride unbearable.  The only option was to chop the bumpstops  by the same amount of lowering to regain any sort of suspension travel.


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[pudding]

I know the feeling! It bugs me when the whole car is not 100%, but that just isn't possible on a 10 year old car without rolling your sleeves up and opening the wallet!

Did you torque the 21mm top nut down, or just air gun it?  There is a risk of over tightening that nut, which can prematurely wear out the ball bearings. If the wheel has no vertical play in it, it's not the bearings.

Another source of knock can be the steering rack.  The actual mechanical rack/pinion part, not the electric motor side of it.  How many miles on the car?  Mine's on 110K and making all manner of clonks, clunks, clicks, clacks, crunches, knocks, bangs and thumps!  I did the top mounts/springs/dampers last month, so I know it's not them!

I was in a similar position Pudding. Chasing a knocking and clunking over bumpy roads, changed top mounts, bushings, droplinks and its only now that my power steering died and got the rack changed, the clunking and knocking has gone! So maybe....

Thanks mate, that's certainly encouraging.  I don't mind replacing the rack if it will sort the problem.  I just don't like throwing parts at it and the problem remains!  It's at AKS next month for walnut blasting, so I'll get them to check the rack whilst it's in.  I'm pretty sure it's 100% shot though, due to the way the car wanders around so much on uneven surfaces.

[pudding]

Thanks for the replies.  Is the rubbing front or back? Also I assume the VWR shocks are shortened so to allow effective suspension travel with a reduced ride height?
One issue I had when fitting the VWR springs to standard shocks (b4) was that the rear was just sitting on the bumpstops making the ride unbearable.  The only option was to chop the bumpstops  by the same amount of lowering to regain any sort of suspension travel.

I've only noticed it at the front so far, and only once.  I kind of flung it hard into a sharp bend the other night (much to the missus's disgust lol) and I heard some rubbing from the front offside arch.  I checked it when I got home and couldn't see any scuff marks on the liner, liner screw or the arch lip, so it must have been a very slight kiss.

I haven't noticed any harshness from the back yet.  That's a good point about chopping the Bumpstops.  I didn't think I'd need to do that as everyone said the VWRs only lower about 15-20mm, but the drop seems way more than that to me.  Quite tempted to try OEM springs on the VWR dampers, but I prefer how the VWR springs feel round corners as they're progressive.   I didn't compare the damper lengths to the OEM ones when I had it in bits, but VWR say their dampers can be used with OEM springs.

I might contact VWR and see if they do any longer springs!

[fish]

Seriously wondering what to do,  seems like I am spending on the mk5 every few months (not helping financially by the recent mk2 16v purchase currently under restoration!)


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[pudding]

I'm in the same boat mate.  It's been an expensive year with the car so far and a Carbon clean, A/C Condenser & steering rack are all still to be done!

It's an age old conundrum.... 1) do you get rid of the car, knowing it has faults that will devalue it, and move onto something else and potentially start over with sorting issues......or 2) throw the towel in and lease a Golf R, but with the unsatisfying feeling it's not yours, you can't mod it and you only get a 5 door one.....or 3) just keep investing in the current steed and get it up to scratch?

All of the options involve opening the wallet unfortunately.  I'm definitely of the option 3) mind set. 

Anyway, yes the rack will clunk if there's wear in it, and it does seem like you and I both have a chunky bill looming.  But it will feel epic with a new rack though 

[fish]

Are you sure it's your rack and not just worn inner tie rods?  I am getting mine replaced next week. £35 each from TPS. My mechanic guy is pretty sure that it's just wear on the little ball joint on the inner.  Just watched a YouTube of a guy changing one of his on his drive.  The play on the old one was horrendous!

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[pudding]

I reckon it's your rack mate.  Seems to be the way with Golfs.  Hard to trace knocks usually end up at the rack's door in the end!