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Golf Wandering issue
SeanStone - 1/10/12 at 06:17 PM

I bought some wishbones with new bushes and went to replace them, cut a long story short, they were cheap and didnt fit so i put everything back together

Today, the car has developed a slight knock and the steering is wandering

I've checked all the bolts and from what I can see, nothing has got loose and all is tight, but something is up

Any ideas what it could be? Is it safe to drive?

To top it off I've got and lost the locking wheel nut key

marcjagman - 1/10/12 at 06:31 PM

Ball joints and bushes worn, get some new ones. I wouldn't drive it.

daviep - 1/10/12 at 06:55 PM

Must be something slack or a worn balljoint or track rod end, need to have a good look and see what is causing it before driving it much further.

Cheers
Davie

JoelP - 1/10/12 at 08:12 PM

Sounds like you've damaged the bushes when it went back together - cant think of any other cause if all bolts are tight. I did the same on my jeep by tightening it all up with the car in the air, rather than letting it settle loose.

rusty nuts - 1/10/12 at 08:32 PM

When you took off the wishbones did you notice the "groove" in the subframe that locates the crush tube? If the wishbone isn't fitted correctly in this groove then it will knock. Guess how I know?

SeanStone - 1/10/12 at 08:50 PM

Sigh!

Didn't notice any grooves no

So my shopping list is new bushes, new ball joints...Track rods/red ends too?

daviep - 1/10/12 at 09:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by SeanStone
Sigh!

Didn't notice any grooves no

So my shopping list is new bushes, new ball joints...Track rods/red ends too?


Certainly changing all the components will cure the problem but it's not exactlythe most cost effective method.

You should be able to pin point the offending part by giving the wheel a shake top/bottom and side/side while the car is jacked up and giving all the anti roll bar components a tweak with a pry bar, also look for bushes where the rubber is no longer bonded to the metal.

If you can't find anything then let it develop

Cheers
Davie

britishtrident - 1/10/12 at 09:28 PM

Are the bolts all back in the same holes they came out of ? np missing washers ?

SeanStone - 2/10/12 at 07:06 AM

There are no other holes for the bolts to go into

I followed this guide

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cliff1978. toucansurf.com%2Fcar%2Fwishbone.doc&ei=VJJqUJTnNqGH0AW4qIGQAQ&usg=AFQjCNEUhdp5LjsYXa63jOGoVjZ69znBmA

daviep - 2/10/12 at 08:38 AM

Working LINK

Yep seems OK but I've never needed to us a jack to refit the wishbone (apart from connecting ARB)

Get it jacked up and give everything a tug, did you remember to refit and tghten anti-roll bar links?

Cheers
Davie

SeanStone - 2/10/12 at 09:01 AM

Yeah anti roll bar links are on and tightened as far as they go

After losing the locking wheel nut key, I am off to halfords to get their locking wheel nut remover.

Car needs an MOT, very tempted to get a quote to get the work done at the same time!

Nickp - 2/10/12 at 10:20 AM

What year Golf is it? I've just done the rear bushes on the front wishbones of our lasses '06 40K Seat Ibiza and was horrified at the state they were in!! It got an advisory that they were perished but had no play at last years MOT, this year they were hanging off!! You could see the wheel move about an inch back and forth in the wheelarch as you tightened it up
Bit of advice, if you do get them replaced see if there's an uprated version for that model. Our FR had the type with voids in which don't last at all well especially in the torquey diesel ones. I've fitted the void-less Cupra versions so should hopefully be good for many years as they're a bit of a bitch to swap

SeanStone - 22/10/12 at 07:32 PM

Just so the info is out there as this was actually very dangerous

When the wishbones went back on, the internal nut had come loose which meant that the bolt had started to come out through the wishbone and if it wasn't for the threads, it would have wobbled out completely

Not good!