DamirGTI 327 Posted October 11, 2008 Ok. i've had enouh of this , my car developed some strange "knock" when i turn the steering wheel to the right , it doesn't happened every time and i can't make it knock with the car standing still , only when im driving .. it's just single knock (sounds just like knock with a finger in a piece of wood or metal) which appears always in the middle travel between the center and full lock while steering to the right , like something sets in to place .. and it appears especially when i slow down from higher speed press the brake lift off the foot form the brake and turn the steering wheel a bit sharpish to the right a and there it is -> knock .. it also happens when im driving downhill and then steer to the sharp right corner ... Been tearing the car apart all afternoon and still couldn't find that f***ing knock gremlin , I've tried : disconnected droplinks and tried driving without them -> nope it still does that ARB bushes -> replaced last year checked and tight up each and every single bolt on the suspension and subframe -> still no good checked arm bushes and ball joints for free play -> good as new no free play what so ever they're both roughly 1year old checked track rod ends -> good driveshafts -> they seems fine strut top mounts -> good , replaced last year shocks -> they're new all around engine mounts -> all replaced last year .... .... Any ideas ? dunno if it could be the steering gear itself ?! i never dismantled one myself so i dunno what's inside ... Or could be that the bodywork flexes a little bit ?! cos i have rather badly rusted floor under the RH passenger side seat and it's rusted all the way around the subframe mounting bolts as well (need to repair that ASAP when i move my other car out from the garage ..) Thanks ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MerlinGTI 3 Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) mine started this, was an ARB droplink. Bear in mind your lucky to get 12 months out of a pattern one it seems.. EDIT: Woops just seen you have removed that possibility... Edited October 12, 2008 by MerlinGTI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Fenton 1,526 Posted October 12, 2008 My car makes a clonk every now and again, I think it is the steering column UJ that is worn, just need to get round to changing it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 327 Posted October 13, 2008 First thing in which i was suspecting is that the droplinks are worn out , but no , it's something else Tom , can you feel any free play in the steering column UJ joint ? mine is tight/solid was changed 4years ago cos the old one had too much free play in the joint , i've been checking each and every single component and im 100% sure that it isn't suspension (dampers , top mounts , droplinks , arb bushes , arm bushes/ball joints , hubs etc. etc. ..) , seems to me that it might be something in the steering rack ?! looking on the rack diagram theres an bearing and a few washers inside dunno what happens when this parts worn out ?! Anyway it doesn't effects the car stability , been test driving yesterday all day long like a mad hamster and didn't feel anything unusual during the cornering or straight line driving , slow moderately or very fast what so ever .. strange Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSF2004 0 Posted October 13, 2008 First thing in which i was suspecting is that the droplinks are worn out , but no , it's something else Tom , can you feel any free play in the steering column UJ joint ? mine is tight/solid was changed 4years ago cos the old one had too much free play in the joint , i've been checking each and every single component and im 100% sure that it isn't suspension (dampers , top mounts , droplinks , arb bushes , arm bushes/ball joints , hubs etc. etc. ..) , seems to me that it might be something in the steering rack ?! looking on the rack diagram theres an bearing and a few washers inside dunno what happens when this parts worn out ?! Anyway it doesn't effects the car stability , been test driving yesterday all day long like a mad hamster and didn't feel anything unusual during the cornering or straight line driving , slow moderately or very fast what so ever .. strange Damir Really glad to read the repsonses to this....have had the same problem for 2 years....never caused any real grief, just dont like hearing the 'clunk'....especially when you pull off the drive, with 400 miles ahead of you on the way to the ring....mechanics have assured me all is well...may just be able to point them in the right direction now! Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted October 13, 2008 I've replaced column U/Js that felt OK on the car but once held in both hands could be made to click slightly. Four years isn't very long though, was it a new one you fitted? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 327 Posted October 13, 2008 Nope it's second hand one , from 309 GTi ... unfortunately i don't have a good spare one to try it out instead of this one .. (i have 2 knackered ones with a lot of free play in the joints .. dunno why im keeping them anyway ) Another thing , my mate just pointed to this - could be the strut top plates perhaps ?! , as you might know the threads on the studs are a bit weak mines are already frayed so i didn't want to tight the nuts too hard , i even added another nut on top of the each one so that the top ones lock up the bottom ones a bit .. i'll try to "cleanup" the stud threads with a die , or maybe re-cut all studs to M6 size and fit M6 nuts so that i can tight them plates properly on both the left and the right side Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted October 13, 2008 To test the U/J take the column off the car and hold each side of the U/J in each hand and twist in opposite directions, if you can make it click its knackered IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 327 Posted October 13, 2008 I'll try Thanks ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
