Subframe Clunk/Pop/Creak

[pudding]

Just to out rule a few variables.....

Tyre pressures the same across each axle?
A brake caliper binding?
Has the recent hot spell gouged lorry ruts into your local roads?

Mine always shows dead on on alignment rigs but the only time it ever pulls dead straight, hand off the steering wheel, is on a dead flat road......which are few and far between! There is always a varying amount of left or right tug, depending on surface wear and built-in drainage camber etc etc, but obviously keeping the car straight shouldn't be a battle with the steering wheel......just a slight correction here and there.  If you're forcibly having to centre the wheel, then yeah, that's not right 

I think I'll call upon me ol' mate Occam and his Razor on this one....... and the razor being the alignment STILL isn't right!  I.e. the simplest answer is usually the right one 

[ljc19630]

Just to out rule a few variables.....

Tyre pressures the same across each axle?
A brake caliper binding?
Has the recent hot spell gouged lorry ruts into your local roads?

Mine always shows dead on on alignment rigs but the only time it ever pulls dead straight, hand off the steering wheel, is on a dead flat road......which are few and far between! There is always a varying amount of left or right tug, depending on surface wear and built-in drainage camber etc etc, but obviously keeping the car straight shouldn't be a battle with the steering wheel......just a slight correction here and there.  If you're forcibly having to centre the wheel, then yeah, that's not right 

I think I'll call upon me ol' mate Occam and his Razor on this one....... and the razor being the alignment STILL isn't right!  I.e. the simplest answer is usually the right one 

You've got me thinking. I occasionally (no set pattern) get a weird drone coming from the n/s front wheel. Replaced the wheel baring a while back, new discs and pads. It still does makes the drone noise, but as i said not at any given time or pattern. Thing is the steering wheel still isnt straright which confuses me. I'll get the caliper checked out as had a very slight inclining something isn't right. Tarox 6 Pots that were on the car when I bought it, hence I may just get a set of Mk7 R calipers as I can then add larger discs as these only take OEM 312mm discs

[pudding]

Just to out rule a few variables.....

Tyre pressures the same across each axle?
A brake caliper binding?
Has the recent hot spell gouged lorry ruts into your local roads?

Mine always shows dead on on alignment rigs but the only time it ever pulls dead straight, hand off the steering wheel, is on a dead flat road......which are few and far between! There is always a varying amount of left or right tug, depending on surface wear and built-in drainage camber etc etc, but obviously keeping the car straight shouldn't be a battle with the steering wheel......just a slight correction here and there.  If you're forcibly having to centre the wheel, then yeah, that's not right 

I think I'll call upon me ol' mate Occam and his Razor on this one....... and the razor being the alignment STILL isn't right!  I.e. the simplest answer is usually the right one 

You've got me thinking. I occasionally (no set pattern) get a weird drone coming from the n/s front wheel. Replaced the wheel baring a while back, new discs and pads. It still does makes the drone noise, but as i said not at any given time or pattern. Thing is the steering wheel still isnt straright which confuses me. I'll get the caliper checked out as had a very slight inclining something isn't right. Tarox 6 Pots that were on the car when I bought it, hence I may just get a set of Mk7 R calipers as I can then add larger discs as these only take OEM 312mm discs

And you've got me thinking about your thinking 

I get the same grumbling/drone noise too on particular sections of road....which I just put down to the F1 SuperSports being 'sporty'    I also get a bit of brake squeak, only when turning slowly onto my drive after work, which is usually a sign of the brake disc moving out of whack in relation to the caliper carrier, which a worn bearing can cause. And I also get a bit of steering wheel kick over rough roads, almost like the road wheels are twitching left/right independently of the steering rack.

Hmmm.....maybe we've both found the cause of some long standing issues!   The only problem is, you can't physically check a front bearing for wear on a FWD car until it's unloaded from the driveshaft.

[ljc19630]

Just to out rule a few variables.....

Tyre pressures the same across each axle?
A brake caliper binding?
Has the recent hot spell gouged lorry ruts into your local roads?

Mine always shows dead on on alignment rigs but the only time it ever pulls dead straight, hand off the steering wheel, is on a dead flat road......which are few and far between! There is always a varying amount of left or right tug, depending on surface wear and built-in drainage camber etc etc, but obviously keeping the car straight shouldn't be a battle with the steering wheel......just a slight correction here and there.  If you're forcibly having to centre the wheel, then yeah, that's not right 

I think I'll call upon me ol' mate Occam and his Razor on this one....... and the razor being the alignment STILL isn't right!  I.e. the simplest answer is usually the right one 

You've got me thinking. I occasionally (no set pattern) get a weird drone coming from the n/s front wheel. Replaced the wheel baring a while back, new discs and pads. It still does makes the drone noise, but as i said not at any given time or pattern. Thing is the steering wheel still isnt straright which confuses me. I'll get the caliper checked out as had a very slight inclining something isn't right. Tarox 6 Pots that were on the car when I bought it, hence I may just get a set of Mk7 R calipers as I can then add larger discs as these only take OEM 312mm discs

And you've got me thinking about your thinking 

I get the same grumbling/drone noise too on particular sections of road....which I just put down to the F1 SuperSports being 'sporty'    I also get a bit of brake squeak, only when turning slowly onto my drive after work, which is usually a sign of the brake disc moving out of whack in relation to the caliper carrier, which a worn bearing can cause. And I also get a bit of steering wheel kick over rough roads, almost like the road wheels are twitching left/right independently of the steering rack.

Hmmm.....maybe we've both found the cause of some long standing issues!   The only problem is, you can't physically check a front bearing for wear on a FWD car until it's unloaded from the driveshaft.

Oh lord here we go!!!! Well When I got the car with 150k miles it was fine. I then fitted Passat Ali arms, and the kit came with new standard drop links and Ball joints. Post fitting that lot is when the drone started, to the point that when Niki @ R-Tech was doing the Mapping for the STG3 conversion, he thought it was his dyno as the squeal was so loud. I put it down to a wheel baring, which was changed, and the drone went............for a while, but like a dodgy girlfriend that you just want rid of, the drone has re appeared, but as i said there is no pattern to when it happens. Albeit its nowhere near as bad or loud as it was prior to changing the wheel baring, its happening PLUS i get the brake squeal, but only when almost coming to a stop!!!! WTF is happening here???

[pudding]

Just to out rule a few variables.....

Tyre pressures the same across each axle?
A brake caliper binding?
Has the recent hot spell gouged lorry ruts into your local roads?

Mine always shows dead on on alignment rigs but the only time it ever pulls dead straight, hand off the steering wheel, is on a dead flat road......which are few and far between! There is always a varying amount of left or right tug, depending on surface wear and built-in drainage camber etc etc, but obviously keeping the car straight shouldn't be a battle with the steering wheel......just a slight correction here and there.  If you're forcibly having to centre the wheel, then yeah, that's not right 

I think I'll call upon me ol' mate Occam and his Razor on this one....... and the razor being the alignment STILL isn't right!  I.e. the simplest answer is usually the right one 

You've got me thinking. I occasionally (no set pattern) get a weird drone coming from the n/s front wheel. Replaced the wheel baring a while back, new discs and pads. It still does makes the drone noise, but as i said not at any given time or pattern. Thing is the steering wheel still isnt straright which confuses me. I'll get the caliper checked out as had a very slight inclining something isn't right. Tarox 6 Pots that were on the car when I bought it, hence I may just get a set of Mk7 R calipers as I can then add larger discs as these only take OEM 312mm discs

And you've got me thinking about your thinking 

I get the same grumbling/drone noise too on particular sections of road....which I just put down to the F1 SuperSports being 'sporty'    I also get a bit of brake squeak, only when turning slowly onto my drive after work, which is usually a sign of the brake disc moving out of whack in relation to the caliper carrier, which a worn bearing can cause. And I also get a bit of steering wheel kick over rough roads, almost like the road wheels are twitching left/right independently of the steering rack.

Hmmm.....maybe we've both found the cause of some long standing issues!   The only problem is, you can't physically check a front bearing for wear on a FWD car until it's unloaded from the driveshaft.

Oh lord here we go!!!! Well When I got the car with 150k miles it was fine. I then fitted Passat Ali arms, and the kit came with new standard drop links and Ball joints. Post fitting that lot is when the drone started, to the point that when Niki @ R-Tech was doing the Mapping for the STG3 conversion, he thought it was his dyno as the squeal was so loud. I put it down to a wheel baring, which was changed, and the drone went............for a while, but like a dodgy girlfriend that you just want rid of, the drone has re appeared, but as i said there is no pattern to when it happens. Albeit its nowhere near as bad or loud as it was prior to changing the wheel baring, its happening PLUS i get the brake squeal, but only when almost coming to a stop!!!! WTF is happening here???

Lol, Passat arms (and knuckles) on mine as well  Maybe there are some minor Golf vs Passat bits that are slightly different in some way, but bolt on anyway.  Either that or bearing quality took a massive nose dive in the last 5-6 years or so, which is when I last fitted front wheel bearings (genuine).
Yep, same, it's just the last few feet as the car is about to stop the brakes start shrieking, but only with some steering lock    It's got to be wheel bearings.  We probably killed them off driving hard with sticky tyres!

[breeze]

Learn something new every day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q2grQILEVo

So your car should pull slightly to the left. Online people say half a degree (what you have) is the point that it starts to show.

Hey bud,
It was fine before the dead set bolts went in. Had new discs and pads fitted around 3k miles ago too.

Yes, I suspect the dead set bolts pulled the subframe into a different position to where it was before. The position that the subframe was in before may have given you better geometry.

Originally I thought that locating the subframe better would automatically mean better geo. But the thing is many of these cars benefit from the adjustability (camber is part of that adjustability) that the loose fitting subframe bolts gives you.

[pudding]

But the loose subframe causes clunking and geo shift, so it's better to lock it in place and deal with the geo corrections afterwards.

[ljc19630]

Hey Guys,
Had a long chat with Jordan at Gatwick Tyres. He asked if my pal at surrey tuning had loosen the steering rack when he did the dead set bolt fit. I called and asked him and he said he had. We didn't know this, hence Jordan said that its very likely that the steering needs to be reset using VCDS (bit like when you take off the steering wheel) He said that there was a fag paper of adjustment he could do on the hunter, but for me to reset the steering first and see how that goes. Now the question is................How do i do that using my VCDS?

[pudding]

You could try an adaptation in the steering module, or pull the battery and let it recalibrate itself. 

[ljc19630]

You could try an adaptation in the steering module, or pull the battery and let it recalibrate itself.

Ah thanks Kev! I'll pull the battery as easier. Should I ensure that the steering wheel is centred before I disconnect the battery?

[pudding]

Nah, it calibrates itself as you drive    The orange steering light should go very quickly after your first left and right turn, or you can just give it lock to lock once or twice after starting it up.  I just drive it personally 

[breeze]

But the loose subframe causes clunking and geo shift, so it's better to lock it in place and deal with the geo corrections afterwards.

My clunk stopped when I replaced my top mounts! At the moment I will wait until noise returns, steering is affected or I get a test that shows geo is out. Which may not take long… 😆

[ljc19630]

Nah, it calibrates itself as you drive    The orange steering light should go very quickly after your first left and right turn, or you can just give it lock to lock once or twice after starting it up.  I just drive it personally 

Cheers Kev - I'll have a play tomorrow as exhausted due to mad mad work schedule, and now getting royally pisched

[pudding]

Getting mangled on a school night?!!     

[ljc19630]

Getting mangled on a school night?!!     

Had to be done, and now paying the price