I'm pickin' up bad vibrations

bennyball

bennyball

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Is anyone able to help please?

I'm getting steering wheel vibration that gets worse with speed, by 80 it's trying to throw the car off the road!

It has only started doing this since I had a new clutch and flywheel fitted, which being a quattro involved the garage disassembling half the car!

I've tried rotating the wheels which made no difference. I've just had 4 new tyres put on and balanced, no difference.

The only play I can find in the front end is slightly in the steering rack, the same on both sides. Is this normal?

I'd really appreciate any help, I'm tearing my hair out!
 
Where do you feel it?
Steering wheel
Thru seat
Centre console
Driveshaft??
etc
 
could be the brake discs, how is it under braking hard ?
 
Bazzle said:
Where do you feel it?
Steering wheel
Thru seat
Centre console
Driveshaft??
etc
Click to expand...
Mainly through the steering wheel, I've also worked out it still does it if I dip the clutch or if it's out of gear completely

Spiezels said:
Wrong kind of spacers?
Click to expand...
Good shout but unfortunately it does it without spacers

Journeyman said:
could be the brake discs, how is it under braking hard ?
Click to expand...
I can't really tell tbh, I think it's just the same. The discs are quite worn however. I thought warped discs would only vibrate under braking?

Thanks for your help guys
 
i think brake discs might be the reason.
my car had different wheels setups that were all well balanced, geometry done, checked everything and i still had vibrations under braking and driving at 70-80 mph. had my car in for service, got new brake pads, and had the discs skimmed. since i've got my car back, everything seems fine.
 
If it is discs then vibrating should be worse when braking. Could easily be a fault in installing clutch/flywhell, or driveshafts
 
Ok so I've replaced the front discs and pads today and it's still the same. Any other ideas?

When you say a fault installing the clutch and flywheel, how do you mean? Is there any way to check the driveshafts? Am I right in thinking all that will fail on them is the cv joints?
 
Last edited:
Try coasting with the car in neutral, this way the engine / gearbox should be disengaged.

I have a niggly vibration on my S3 for years and it has never been corrected. It happens between 75 - 85

did they take your wheels off when the flywheel was changed? If so perhaps they put the wheels back on differently ?

I doubt it it discs / pads because you'd feel the feedback on braking but I don't believe this is the case in this situation. I could be wrong.

Mine has reduced after having a hunter wheel balance done after following a thread on then r3oc site.
 
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Thanks again guys,

S. said:
Try the inner ones?
Click to expand...
Do you mean the inner cv joints? Can a joint fail yet still not feel like there is play in it?

kkp0897 said:
Try coasting with the car in neutral, this way the engine / gearbox should be disengaged.

I have a niggly vibration on my S3 for years and it has never been corrected. It happens between 75 - 85

did they take your wheels off when the flywheel was changed? If so perhaps they put the wheels back on differently ?

I doubt it it discs / pads because you'd feel the feedback on braking but I don't believe this is the case in this situation. I could be wrong.

Mine has reduced after having a hunter wheel balance done after following a thread on then r3oc site.
Click to expand...
I thought that myself about the brakes but s. And Journeyman both said about discs plus a garage who inspected the car so I swapped them out

It's still there with the car out of gear coasting unfortunately and the wheels have been on and off so many times where I've been trying to get the bottom of it.
 
I've often wondered about the CV as my vibration suddenly started out of nowhere. S. know his stuff so worth checking out although that said when stansted Audi looked at mine they couldn't find a fault with the CV
 
As a rule --- Inner CV joints vibrate or cause noise at speed when steering straight ahead. Outer CV joints vibrate or cause noise when turning the steering wheel at slow speeds.
 
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Soot1 said:
As a rule --- Inner CV joints vibrate or cause noise at speed when steering straight ahead. Outer CV joints vibrate or cause noise when turning the steering wheel at slow speeds.
Click to expand...
interesting, based on what fact mate if i may ask? besides your observation how can i test?
 
If the noise and shaking is more evident when accelerating or braking, that does indicate the inner CV's are on their way out. Because you've had a lot of the drivetrain removed and clutch changed, there is a chance that something hasn't been refitted correctly. Going back to the same garage is what you need to do.
 
I don't know how to link to another thread as I'm using Tapatalk.

Anyway, I could be way off the mark here but someone very recently posted a thread about using the correct wheel studs. Maybe worth a look if you have aftermarket wheels.
 
Thanks guys, its interesting you say that about the difference between inner and outer cv joints soot. I had previously thought it was unlikely because they don't 'crunch' or 'pop' at slow speeds turning. From what you guys are saying it sounds like I need to look The inner cv joint.

Do you guys think I'm better off with a 2nd hand genuine drives haft or a new non genuine? I can't stomach buying new genuine after everything I've spent recently
 
ECP sell GKN CV joints, they are as good or even better than the OE ones. I wouldn't buy used complete drive shafts, they are likely to have the same problem or won't last very long.
 
This is still causing me trouble guys, any other ideas please?

Just to summarise all info -
Symptoms are:
  • 'Rumble' at all speeds
  • Steering wheel vibration at all speeds but very bad 65mph+, stays at higher speeds.
  • Occasional 'knock' as if something is catching at slow speed, also near full lock.
  • Slightly 'vague' steering, particularly at speed
  • Does it when on/off throttle, in/out of gear, engine on/off, brakes on/off.
  • Seems to be worse when I turn right
Things I've replaced/done so far:
  • Checked all wheel bearings, bushes, driveshafts, ball joints etc for play - only play is slightly in what seems to be steering rack - is this normal?
  • Changed all tyres and balanced
  • Swapped wheels front to back
  • Changed brake discs and pads
  • Changed driveshaft
  • Clutch and flywheel changed - wasn't doing it before this.
  • Disconnected droplinks
  • The car is lowered on coilovers and tt wishbones fitted.
Please guys, can someone help me get to the bottom of this?
 
With the rims , are they standard Audi ones"? If aftermarket do they have a proper centering spacer?
Can you do a short swap with another Audi or Golf owner to rule out wheels and tires?
 
Bazzle said:
With the rims , are they standard Audi ones"? If aftermarket do they have a proper centering spacer?
Can you do a short swap with another Audi or Golf owner to rule out wheels and tires?
Click to expand...
Yeah the wheels are the optional bbs speedlines, they haven't changed since I've had the car.
I don't know anyone I can swap with unfortunately, the only people I know with a VAG car are 5x100
 
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