Please help with this annoying creaking!!

[Enviousog]

Hi guys, I’m new to the forum. I’m losing my marbles over this issue, I bet my neighbours think I’m crazy with my car on jack stands every other week.

Car is a 2006 Mkv manual gti with 145,000

The issue I have is a snapping creak like noise is definitely coming from below the drivers floor. It happens when I
Turn the steering wheel when I’m stationary, I have to start getting towards full lock, it won’t do it with slight movements, doesn’t matter which direction.
It’s the worst when braking moderately or louder when heavy braking. It also happens if I’m stationary and pull away, I don’t even have to pull away aggressively.

Now, I’m no mechanic but I do like to do my own work on my car, I’ve done all the work myself and never had an issue, but this one has beaten me. This Started happening a couple weeks after I got a 4 wheel alignment on hunter machine.

Over the last 12 months, everything suspension wise has been changed, including top mounts, bearings, track rod ends, ball joints, sway bar link ends, basically everything.. the only things that haven’t been replaced are the arb bushes. I disconnected the end links, it still makes the noise, I knew it would but was worth a try,

I then thought it was the console bush on the wish bone even though the arms are less than 12 months, I replaced it, it was fixed for a few days and came back.. I then got the Tyrol dead set and was convinced it was subframe movement due to subframe been disturbed during 4 wheel alignment, again, it lasted a few days and it’s come back. Does anyone have any recommendations, the only thing left on my mind is the rack? But if I drive or I’m stationary and I wiggle the wheel left and right really quick repetitively I get no noise and the steering feels tight... it does sound like subframe movement from YouTube clips, but I even lowered the subframe to try get the arb out which I was unsuccessful at.

*UPDATE*
Because I knew it was coming from directly below my feet I tried to see how tight the wishbone subframe bolt was, this bolt was pretty loose and it won’t tighten, the threads are crossed, I got the bolt out and all the threads have dropped out with it, so I think this is the issue... if I use helicoil on this, what size do I need to drill and thread to convert it back to the m12x1.50 when the helicoil is inserted?

[titchy]

could be a dry ball joint i had one on an audi took ages to find drove me nuts it was one on the outside of a wishbone

[pudding]

Helicoil 'kits' should include the right size drill bit, or at least advise what size drill to buy.

I'm guessing the stripped out thread is a captive nut in the floor pan.  Hopefully there is enough meat in it to drill out and retap.  I would use Timeserts if you can afford them though tbh.  Waaaaaay better than Helicoils for something needing a lot of torque like suspension mounting points.

Which bolt is it?  If it's one of the bigger console bolts, that will definitely cause a crack/creak if loose.

[Enviousog]

It is the big 18mm on the outside of the console bush, i tried helicoil but can't really get the torque on it. Only option now is to hope an m14 bolt will go through the console bush holes and ill drill and retap to that size. Looking into the hole it looks like this bolt goes into the beam of the car, does anyone have an idea if you can access this from under the drivers carpet to just nut and bolt it?

[pudding]

You might be able.  I've had to do that in the past on older VWs, but the problem on those was the floor was a double skin, so it meant having to cut a hole in the inner floor to get access to the nut.  I hope the MK5 isn't the same!