Front axle cracking - Sharan 7N

I hear a metallic clicking sound when driving at a slow speed and turning the steering wheel. I have already replaced the support rods because the HD Meyle ones had cracks.

Where could this noise be coming from?

"Strut mounts (it wasn't the strut mounts in my case), my next suspicion is the stabilizer bar, which seems to be a bit loose in its rubber bushings..." Drive shafts and their joints would also be a possibility.

I will be removing the underbody protection soon and taking the car to the TÜV (German technical inspection authority) for the shake test. Let's see what happens.

vag-driver wrote:

At walking speed and with the steering wheel turned, I hear a metallic creaking sound.

Can you describe that in more detail?
Does it make a cracking sound when turning? (e.g., strut, spring, etc.)
Or is it a one-time occurrence while driving at a slow speed?
Does it repeatedly make a cracking sound when driving at a slow speed (e.g., due to a driveshaft or similar)?

The description is too vague to narrow it down.

The TÜV shaker plate is definitely a good test, however.

Regards,
Guste.

Such phenomena are always difficult to describe.

At speeds above 20 km/h, nothing noticeable is observed. The Sharan drives smoothly as usual. The only peculiarity is that it slightly pulls to the right - for no apparent reason. This occurs with both winter and summer tires. It's possible that something has settled, which is causing this behavior. I haven't suspected any issues with the alignment or camber yet. The tire wear pattern is normal.


For now, I'm not suspecting any issues with the engine mounts or the drivetrain. My focus is on the lower control arm, spring, and stabilizer bar.

Okay.
It would be helpful to know whether this happens only once or repeatedly, and whether it occurs while driving at a constant speed with the steering wheel turned in a curve.

On our Sharan, manufactured in 2012, we recently had a broken spring at approximately 250,000 kilometers. It broke in a very classic way while turning, just before the steering lock, leaving little room for doubt.

Mine is from 2015 and has 102,000 km on it.

Today, I experienced a cracking sound while driving straight on the parking lot, and it was noticeable when braking at a reduced speed.

My neighbor also had a broken spring on his Passat, which was the same model as mine, but with significantly more mileage. It definitely comes from the VA.

I just remembered something: I once had a "clacking" sound when driving slowly, and the cause was that the brake pads were a little loose in their guides. It wasn't the T6, though.

Depending on the road surface / brake drying function, it would then make a clicking sound.

Another possibility. But how can brake pads that once fit properly shrink?

vag-driver wrote:

Another possibility. But how can brake pads that once fit shrink?

They already had a lot of play in the guides from the moment they were installed, but it wasn't technically a critical issue.

It just made a "click" sound occasionally when driving slowly.

The feathers are not broken. I can't see any cracks or similar defects in the storage container.

What I noticed is that, in the detached state, the drive shafts, on the transmission side (DSG), seemed to have roughly the same amount of play on both sides. Unfortunately, I cannot assess whether that is acceptable.

The observations on the shaker platform were negative. Both on the front and back.

The inspector recommended that I replace the front brake pads because they are worn. Perhaps the noises are actually coming from the braking system.

I'll start by replacing the brake discs and pads, and then I'll see what else needs to be done.

vag-driver wrote:

The observations on the shaker plate were negative. Both on the front and back. The inspector recommended that I replace the front brake pads because they are worn. Perhaps the noises are actually coming from the braking system. I'll start by replacing the discs and pads, then I'll see what else needs to be done.

Perhaps it's worth checking if there's any play between the guide pins and the caliper bracket; there shouldn't be if they're tight and properly lubricated.

I examined the saddles more closely and found that I can move them axially (i.e., along the axis of the drive shaft) with relatively little force.

In my opinion, that shouldn't be the case. I've never observed that much play in the saddles before.

The saddle is designed as a floating saddle. Of course, it should be able to slide axially along the guide pins. But only axially along the wheel hub (i.e., from the driver's side to the passenger side and back).

So, either you've mixed up axial with radial or tangential (radial and tangential should have no clearance).

Or you have discovered the function of the swim saddle https://www.quora.com/What-is-radial-tangential-and-axial.

Or does the saddle not fit properly, but instead causes chafing?

We are talking about the same game . The saddles are movable in the direction of travel.

Next piece of bad news: The mounting bolts are only available from VW as part of a kit that includes the luggage rack. Costs 290€ per page .