I m stumped. No play in ball joints, tracking within tolerances and box correctly adjusted. Tyres are correct preasur but the front ends all over the place. Got about 2 inch of play at steering wheel. Any thoughts please
I've got a load of play in my steering too and am waiting to get under the bus to change the idler pin and bearings - I can see the pin shifting when the wheel is turned. Could also be the rubber steering coupling at the bottom of the column?
^^ whs ^^ As a starting point the steering coupling would be the quickest to check and replace if need be.....the idler pin needs a bit more grovelling in the dirt to deal with. My last steering coupling (non VW) distorted and was u/s within 18 months of fitting, now replaced with a genuine VW, cost more than the rubbish pattern part but worth it.
Idler pin, just ordered one for mine after the ccurrent one is worn out after 3000 miles. Everything else is new, steering box adjusted. What a load of rubbish.
I'll be watching with interest... mine still wanders. Seems like there's a delay in the steering when I'm going 40-50mph
I ll have a look for. A genuine VW part. Which supplier? Have got a sh+@*y pattern one going spare any offers
If the tracking and camber are correct, the track-rod ends and tyres good, in the absence of wind it should go in a straight line even if there is wear somewhere else. The problems start for me passing hedges, gateways etc in the fens in a cross wind. A little movement in the pin (I've checked) it magnified at the steering wheel. I have about 1/8 turn that doesn't do a lot in the wind. If there's no wind you barely notice, but there's always wind in the fens!
Very wise, I got a vw and a pattern part to compare. The pattern part is a poor copy and comparitavely flexible + it wrecks the horn circuit.
I've gone from the slow lane to the fast lane in one gust on the M5 going past Exeter one night... was a bad storm that night tho
Tyres are cool. Think the culprits the coupling for deffo. Torsion ball joints are good too. That 50 mph delay sounds intersting. Aint got a scooby the mo
Get you local friendly MOT place to rattle the front wheels on their ramp thing and have a look/ ask what they reckon. Any play will be obvious.
VWH, amongst others I believe, do the genuine couplings. Pattern versions often have the VW part No. prominently displayed but the trademark if you can spot it is for a Malaysian subsidiary of a company in the PRC. Avoid like the plague they readily distort and the inserts work loose.
There was a long thread on here last year started by Baydreams that sounded very similar to these problems and problems that I had after a front suspension overhaul. In my own case it was the link arm that sits on top of the steering pin on the beam. The pinch bolt and thread had rusted away inside and looked OK fromm the outside. It was only when I got the wife to rock the steering wheel from side to side that I noticed the whole assembly on top of the pin jumping up and down. Needless to say the steering symptoms were scary - from inside lane to outside lane on the motorway!! Just recently I havve lowered the rear and whilst doing it replaced the rubber donuts. The original 36 year old ones had just about disintigrated to the point where the rear torsion bars must have been moving about and dynamically altering the rear end tracking as I was driving. I am expecting some straight line steering from 1st May when the van goes on the road. Just some ideas - don't forget the bacck end can cause steering havoc too.
^True - mine has new donuts. New ball joints New track rods New wheel bearings Re-machined steering box peg - did myself. New VW steering coupling New gas shocks Newidler pin and bushes which are nacked already. It drives me nuts because (and I hate to say this) it was fine when it was lowered. The only other thing is tyres, but the fronts are new. I hope the idler pin sorts it on Monday. I shall report back because I could easily cross a lane at the moment above 50mph. Not good having to go slow in cross-winds.
I've gone from the slow lane to the fast lane in one gust on the M5 going past Exeter one night... was a bad storm that night tho Must be a VW thing. I did the opposite in an early Polo
And yes, Idler pin done and once done play in drag link end was more obvious so replaced that too. Back to proper steering with no play, or maybe 5-10mm at the wheel.
