Steering Wheel Vibration: Causes & Fixes

Hello everyone,

'I've recently been experiencing a problem with my Bora Variant AJM, manufactured in 7/99, with 115,000 km on the odometer. Around 120 km/h, the steering wheel vibrates quite strongly. However, this only occurs under load, such as when accelerating or driving uphill. If I release the accelerator, the problem disappears, leaving only a slight tingling sensation. By the way, the front wheel bearings were recently replaced.'
Can someone give me a tip on troubleshooting?
Best regards, Stefan.

Lost drive shaft joints or tire balancing weights?

Get the tires balanced.

The tires are brand new all around and have been freshly balanced.

Shock absorbers, weight on the right drive shaft, engine mount, ...

Take a look...

arne

Hi,
I wouldn't necessarily put complete trust in the claim of "new and freshly calibrated" weights. Sometimes weights can fall off, and occasionally there might be incorrectly assembled ones.
Just swap the front and rear wheels, and you'll likely be able to rule out the tires. The constant velocity joints of the drive shafts usually become noticeable when the steering is turned, unless the inner joints are damaged. However, you would definitely hear that.
Besides that, I also remember having broken strut mounts before, which caused similar symptoms – I once experienced that with an Audi 80. Adding weight to the driveshaft is also a good idea, as is checking all other components of the wheel suspension.
Do you happen to have retreaded tires on?

Best regards from Berlin.
Olli.

'No, these are not retreaded tires (they are 4 brand new Dun*** tires). The Pire*** tires that were on before showed the same problem. I've already tried swapping the front and rear tires, but it didn't help. If the problem is coming from the drive shafts/joints, shouldn't it also occur at low speeds under load?'

Best regards, Stefan.

By the way, the wheel bearings were replaced recently.
Can someone give me a tip on troubleshooting?
Best regards, Stefan

'Insufficient preload (axle nut not tightened sufficiently).'
dirt on the installation area, joint / wheel hub.
joints dislocated


CU Gremlin.

Hi.
Yesterday, I had my car on a lift. As far as I could tell, the tie rod ends and ball joints showed no play. However, I noticed a very slight, clicking play in the inner joint of the right drive shaft when I moved the shaft up and down. I didn't observe the same issue with the left drive shaft.
Is it permissible for the joint to have some play, possibly due to the longer shaft?
After that, I checked the engine mounts. When I shook the engine forcefully, I heard a rubbery thumping sound (difficult to describe) coming from the left engine mount. All other components appeared to be normal.
When does the bearing actually wear out? Is there a specific measurement that indicates when it's worn?
Are the engine mounts for the Golf 4/Bora rubber-metal mounts, or are they hydraulic mounts like in the Golf 3?

Best regards, Stefan.

Hi,
Ideally, the wave should have absolutely no play. The length of the wave is irrelevant in this case.
In principle, it is conceivable that the wave, above a certain speed, essentially "flies" due to centrifugal force, thereby creating an imbalance that you feel.
Sometimes it helps to disassemble the mechanism and re-grease the relevant joint, especially if it's making noise, but that's not your problem.
Ah yes, the play that is occurring must be radial play, while axial play is desirable!
I'm not entirely sure what "minimal play" means in this context, but perhaps I could find a suitable driveshaft at a junkyard and replace the inner joint. Maybe that will solve the problem.

The problem with drive shafts is that some shafts, even with a lot of play, might only produce a clicking sound during load changes or when starting, but run smoothly at higher speeds; while others might only need a fraction of a millimeter of play to generate a noticeable imbalance. I know someone who had a Passat 32, one of the early models, with a problem of defective inner constant velocity joints. He kept driving it (because the car was already in bad shape) until it completely failed (the joint inside crumbled and no more power could be transmitted). Just before that, it had about a centimeter of play...

The "slapping" sound from the motor bearing could indicate a faulty hydraulic element if hydraulic bearings are installed, but it might also just be the fluid you're hearing as it flows through the valve.

Regards,
Olli.

Hi.
'Something else I've noticed is that when I suddenly release the accelerator under load, I hear a slight metallic clack. It could be coming from the drive shaft (by the way, the clicking play is radial). I might be imagining it, but I think I hear a faint grinding noise while driving, or a slight thumping on rough roads. Maybe it's the shock absorbers? They have 117,000 kilometers on them and are the originals.'
How can I tell if the engine mount in my Bora/Golf 4 is a hydraulic mount? I'm familiar with the mounts from the Golf 3, which looked like small pots that the engine sat on. In my car, the engine is attached to the frame on both sides, and it only has these pendulum supports at the bottom.

Best regards, Stefan.

Hi,
The metallic sound seems to be coming from the wheel suspension or the driveshaft.
Regarding the shock absorbers, I have no idea how long those on a Golf/Bora will last. With Opel, they usually fail after around 75,000 km.
As I mentioned before, I once had a problem with vibrations in the steering of my Audi 80, which disappeared after I replaced the shock absorbers and (!) the strut mounts.

Best regards from Berlin.
Olli.