Front Wheel Drive: The Ultimate Guide

Hi everyone.

My steering feels quite vague, even with the 225-series tires.
Now I've tried spinning the wheel, and I noticed that it has a "loose" feel.
So, if I sit directly in front of the wheel and push it towards the wheel arch (both top and bottom), I can feel it move about 1-2mm.
You can hear it too.

I experience the same issue when I touch and move the wheel on the sides.

What could that be?
Wheel bearings?
Tie rod?
Ball joint?

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Addendum:"
Shock absorbers, springs, strut mounts, sway bar links, stabilizer bar bushings, rubber bushings for control arms, ball joints, and tie rod ends have already been replaced throughout the year.

Therefore, I suspect it's more likely to be a tie rod or a wheel bearing.
I don't want to exchange both, but I don't want to end up looking foolish .

Hi,
Do you hear any running noise besides the normal sounds of the game, for example, when turning? That could indicate a faulty wheel bearing.
What kind of vehicle are we talking about?
hg
Herbert.

I don't hear any running noise, at least not any that I can detect.
No whistling, creaking, or cracking.

Even when I turn the steering wheel fully in one direction and then back in the other, I don't hear any noises.
Therefore, I'm not even sure if this is caused by the tie rod.

It's a Volkswagen Golf Variant (estate/wagon) with four doors.

A faulty wheel bearing in the front will manifest as rumbling or grinding noises when turning.
If you feel the play in the wheel as described, then check carefully where it's coming from. Feel around the axle joint, the top of the shock absorber, the tie rod joint, etc.
hg
Herbert.

Do you mean directly at the axial joint?

If by "axial joint" you mean a joint in the driveshaft, then no.
If the wheel has excessive play as described, it's either due to a completely damaged wheel bearing (which is why I asked about the typical noises associated with bearing failure), or a loose or worn connection in the wheel suspension. However, you'll need to inspect these potential areas yourself. It's obviously easier to do this in a workshop on a lift, ideally with a testing device ("shaker plate").
Herbert.

The tie rod is commonly referred to as an axial joint. I think that's what he's talking about.

Wheel bearings on a Golf 4 can be quite tricky. I've already had two instances where the bearings had excessive play, but were still running completely silently.

Is the shock absorber rod tilting too much?

Wheel bolt?

Central screw for driveshaft?

Take another look at the wobbly part, get under the car, and listen/feel to see where the play is.