Very annoying wobble (actually extremely annoying) help :(

A2 vibration /wobble/insecure !

Have you checked that all your wheels are PERFECTLY round and square/parallel in all attitudes ?

Good luck:
 
I think - as mine - the wobble has survived multiple wheelset changes, which would imply that the wheels are not at fault.

Bret
 
Indeed, it's been there through a couple of sets of wheels and tyres.


Have you 'boned yours yet, Bret?
 
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no, not yet. I have to clear the garage first and repair the effects of the >12" deep puddle on Sunday (removed front wheelarch spoiler and I don't know what else).
It's on the list of things to do - with a bit of luck, I can get the spoiler done tomorrow evening and then start organising for the dogbone.

Bret
 
Vibration from braking through steering wheel

Hi Nuttinew,

I've been reading your post re your vibration and I'm getting exactly the same symptoms now, I've had vibration from the steering in the past due to badly balanced wheels but now the vibration is back with a vengeance!

It's under braking and is at it's worst anywhere from 60 - 30 mph and 40 is really bad, I've been using winter wheels until about 3 weeks ago and just before I changed the wheels I noticed this happening, now I have the summer wheels on it's the same so I'm convinced it's not wheels, I've also had the front summer ones balanced and didn't have the problem before I removed them last december. I've not been down the route of replacing all sorts of things to do with steering/suspension and I hope I won't have to, I took it to Halfords who did the balancing on the fronts(for free I might add, well done Halfords) and they suggested the discs and pads but it's a £198 job and I'm not keen on doing this just for the sake of it, it seems they have a big of meat left on the pads and discs besides.

I've just had the rear discs/pads done as they were low and thats made not an ounce of difference to the issue but I'm wondering if the fronts might be warped if the rears were low because they have had to cope with more of the braking cos the rears were low??? On speaking on the phone to my local garage who have had the car in for servicing before he again said discs and pads but I'd like someone to diagnose the problem properly before giving the solution as I don't have a bottomless pit of money to throw at it.

On searching posts for "braking vibration" there's another case where the other person seems to have had the same issues and it would appear they never resolved it, and they spent a lot of money in the process.

I'm driving around 35k a year and it's driving me nuts because I'm in the car 5 days a week from 8:30 to 7pm sometimes.

If I was closer to Skipton I'd take the car to him but it's a tad too far, is there anyone else in the south that could be recommended for this please?

Did you come to a solution with your case nuttinew?

Cheers

John
 
Hi John,

I haven't resolved it but it seems to vary from barely noticeable to distracting. I have new discs and pads on mine and that didn't make any difference, changing from winter 15s to summer 16s has perhaps accentuated it. A mechanic friend is confident it's an inner c.v. joint having had similar problems with cars in the past and stripping them doen to find a dry spot without any external signs of a split boot or lost grease but I haven't had mine changed yet.
It's worth getting the wishbone bushes checked also, the rears are probably ok (they're a solid mount and much better than the Polo ones), the fronts on mine were worn though and replacing them tightened it up nicely. I didn't replace them to cure any problem I'd noticed, if anything since haveing them and the dampers/topmounts etc changed the wobble has surfaced, perhaps masked in the past by other components.....

Regards,

Bruce
 
mine is also now back with a vengance; it's more obvious now I've been driving faster again as the summer limits are in place - especially over 120km/h, things get wobbly.
I also know, though, that my droplinks are on their way out, as they're now clanking nicely. They don't help the stability, but I'm sure they can't contribute the vibration. I know my front discs are mildly warped (but they're still the first ones (!!)) and the speeds say that the rear is at fault.

I will fit the dogbone as soon as possible and then the front wishbone mounts and we'll take a look at the inner CVs. Will need to get some parts, which is unfortunate :(

Bret
 
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Do you know if the dog mount can tap if loose. I still have that dreaded tapping/knocking more to the passenger side front.

I'v changed the ARB bushes, drop links, checked everything for tighness etc and I cant find it. I dont however get any vibration through the wheel
 
Any of the engine mounts will essentially be really obvious after a quick getaway: the rushed shift from 1-2 will provoke movement if you deliberately let the clutch up really quickly. Another way to do it: drop the clutch at 2k and then accelerate hard into second, keep going through to third but let the pressure on the loud pedal go completely before you rush the change through and then stand on the pedal again. If it clonks, you definitely have a mount issue.

Bret
 
nuttinnew said:
Hi John,

I haven't resolved it but it seems to vary from barely noticeable to distracting. I have new discs and pads on mine and that didn't make any difference, changing from winter 15s to summer 16s has perhaps accentuated it. A mechanic friend is confident it's an inner c.v. joint having had similar problems with cars in the past and stripping them doen to find a dry spot without any external signs of a split boot or lost grease but I haven't had mine changed yet.
It's worth getting the wishbone bushes checked also, the rears are probably ok (they're a solid mount and much better than the Polo ones), the fronts on mine were worn though and replacing them tightened it up nicely. I didn't replace them to cure any problem I'd noticed, if anything since haveing them and the dampers/topmounts etc changed the wobble has surfaced, perhaps masked in the past by other components.....

Regards,

Bruce
Click to expand...


Hi Bruce,

Thanks for your reply, I've been a bit concerned this week as I can't take my car's vibration anymore, I booked it into the garage for them to get it sorted in whatever way they thought it needed it. I was quick to point out to them that I'm aware of other folks in the A2 forum have similar issues and that there should be a host of items to look out for and I wanted them to raise the car up and check out everything underneath. the diagnosis was that I had warped brake discs(thats what everyone had been saying) and that I also had a n/s/f wheel bearing needing replacing as this whined a lot on rolling, they first did the discs and pads and I road tested it and the car was fine! As the car was there I asked them to go ahead with the wheel bearing too(damn expensive those bits!) so it is currently running pretty nicely although I can feel a slight wobble on the steering wheel(hoping this is just going to be another wheel balance to sort) but I also noticed the mpg seems to be running slightly higher, I guess due to reduced drag from the new wheel bearing. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that the discs don't warp within a 1,000 mile period like it seems has happened to other people who have tried to fix similar situations.

Fingers crossed!

I do love my a2 but to be honest it's been plagued with
problems when compared with my other car which has been good as gold since I bought it in 2004 and just seems to sail through it's mot! Hopefully with enough love it will be good as gold in the long run!

Good luck getting your wobble sorted mate!

John
 
Good news John :cool:

I don't know if the A2 has more problems or if we just end up being more particular with them. I've just had mine re-geo'd and the steering is much better than it was, mostly because the subframe was tweaked rather than just the tracking (which is all most places will normally do). For me next is having the ns driveshaft and gearbox mount removed and checked, it can only be one of those two things now! I'll also get my throttle valve cleaned and then...and then...:eek::D It deserves care and attention, it's got me to Rinner and Icetrack and back ok and it's going to the Stelvio Pass in a couple of months's time, things are bound to wear and need replacing. I just wish I knew which bits:p
 
I've proved that my problem is gearbox related today. How? Simple: on the motorway, accelerate out of the roadworks, change at 5500rpm, then again at 4200 (already at 120km/h) and feel the difference in vibration just by the change of engine revs.... oops. Ah well, I'll get the dogbone sorted first and then look at the other mounts.

Bret
 
Update....now I'm thinking about this correctly, this isn't necessarily true and it's not *just* the mounts.

I'll start from the beginning:
- if it was the wheels, it would be gone after a change. I have to change mine twice a year and I can't believe that all the garages are *that* bad at balancing.
- If it was the suspension, then it should be consistent. So at 120km/h, x should happen, and that reproducibly so.
- if it was the gearbox, then the vibrations transmitted at different speeds (2200rpm or 80km/h should do one thing, 4400rpm should repeat the same effect)
- if it's the driveshafts / CV joints, then something else is the case.

CV joints: - they may be imbalanced on both sides and as you drive, the imbalances will move, leading to smaller vibrations on one straight and larger ones on the next.
They won't go away when you drop the clutch / roll
they're sort of speed-dependent - 80km/h and 120km/h should reproduce similar issues but not quite the same on each straight and each time you drive the car (see above)

so I think that's part of my problem. I drive lots of very crap roads - more gravel again today, at very nice speeds thanks - and so it would not surprise me that many things are slowly giving up the ghost. I have the dogbone so that will be done first, then the track rod ends and the CV joints.

Bret
 
Sounds like a failed drive shaft to me. ., had this on a citroen before. . You would hang a left hand corner and the gear stick and qould wobble and you could feel vibration throught the pedals. . . . Turning right or going straight no problems at all

Turned out the driveshaft (left hand i think) had some issue where it was moving in the box. . . So when you turned it would slide out slightly and cause the vibration. . . . The shaft was replaced under warranty (car was 6 months old) and problem was solved

Good luck hope you get it sorted
 
i get a wobble in my steering, but its only when i brake. you would think that it would be warped discs, but its not.. been through 3 sets of discs and there all fine up until about 800 odd miles in then the wobble comes back. checked every bush, balljoint, track rod end, wishbone etc and there all fine, or new! also replaced both hubs.. had this problem with winter wheels and summer wheels. onlt thing left is the calipers.. a mechanic friend mentioned that i could have a sticky piston.. its the only thing left to try..
 
News; it looks like it's the gearbox mount. With a few more miles on it there is now obvious movement. I'm not sure the cambelt side one is quite right either but I'm getting the gearbox one done next week and I'll go from there.
Gearbox mount £90
Engine mount £116
Labour = £probably lots for the 'box one, it looks a pig of a job.

I'd had my suspicions with the gearbox mount but it was a tad pricey to try on the offchance.

How often does finding some wrong make you happy? :p:D
 
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