Steering wheel vibration

nhraracer90

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Location
WV
TDI
2010 Jetta Sedan
Hello all! I have a 2010 Jetta TDI w/ the DSG. 164k I have a vibration through the steering wheel at highway speeds. I can take my hand off the wheel and you can see the steering wheel vibrating. Odd thing is while I'm going down the highway sometimes the vibration will go away for a little bit and then all of a sudden come back. Me and several mechanics (one that specalizes in German cars) have looked over the front end and there is nothing out of the ordinary, leaking or seems loose when trying to move things around. I don't think it's the CV shafts as there is no clicking and I've done the test for them. I have already replaced/done the following things:


Balanced tires
Replaced the rear LCA bushings
Replaced the brake pads and rotors
 

sptsailing

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Location
Safety Harbor, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta Manual, stock with Panzer Plate & Franko6 modified EGR cooler & CAM
I suspect the tires. Were they dynamically balanced or static balanced? You might try simply switching the front tires with the back tires and see if anything changes. Vibration that alternately goes away and then returns could be explained by small imbalances that alternately cancel each other out or reinforce and magnify each other depending on their relative rotational position.
 

nhraracer90

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Location
WV
TDI
2010 Jetta Sedan
I suspect the tires. Were they dynamically balanced or static balanced? You might try simply switching the front tires with the back tires and see if anything changes. Vibration that alternately goes away and then returns could be explained by small imbalances that alternately cancel each other out or reinforce and magnify each other depending on their relative rotational position.
I am not sure but I have had this problem with this set of tires and also the set of tires before these as well. They were balanced on a tire machine.
 
Last edited:

kdawg89

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2013
Location
Spanish Fork, UT
TDI
15 Golf DSG 06 Jetta (sold)
Since you have already done LCA bushings I would suspect CV axles.. I had a similar vibration and did lower control arms and cv axles and fixed it. I used GKN axles from idparts.
 

sptsailing

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Location
Safety Harbor, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta Manual, stock with Panzer Plate & Franko6 modified EGR cooler & CAM
kdawg89 may well be correct. I had bad CV joints on my TDI's axles and they did not click in sharp turns nor exhibit other typical symptoms, but close examination when they were off the car revealed significant wear requiring replacement.
 

nhraracer90

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Location
WV
TDI
2010 Jetta Sedan
Since you have already done LCA bushings I would suspect CV axles.. I had a similar vibration and did lower control arms and cv axles and fixed it. I used GKN axles from idparts.
I only did the rear LCA bushings. I have not done the front ones. How can I check the CV axles? I don't see any signs or wear or any clicking noises.
 

nhraracer90

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Location
WV
TDI
2010 Jetta Sedan
kdawg89 may well be correct. I had bad CV joints on my TDI's axles and they did not click in sharp turns nor exhibit other typical symptoms, but close examination when they were off the car revealed significant wear requiring replacement.
Did you have a vibration in your steering wheel that was worse some times than others? What type of wear did you see?
 

sptsailing

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Location
Safety Harbor, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta Manual, stock with Panzer Plate & Franko6 modified EGR cooler & CAM
I did not have vibration in the steering wheel, or really any operational symptoms. I removed my starboard axle completely because I needed to remove the EGR Cooler, Turbo and intake manifold. Since it was out of the car, I was able to manually move each CV joint through its range of motion, during which time I observed significantly uneven response. I do not know how to describe it other than that, but I can tell when a bearing or CV is not right because it does not move evenly through its intended range. My tire wear is and was normal.

If I had the symptoms you are describing, I would jack both wheels off the ground and rotate the tires slowly through a couple rotations while looking at the axles, one at a time of course, to see if there is any movement in the axles other than smooth, symmetrical rotation about the axle centers. That still might miss problems though, as the suspension geometry is different without the normal load keeping the axles and CV joints straighter.

I read elsewhere on the web that worn LCA and even roll bar bushings can cause steering wheel vibration. As I have not experienced the exact problems you are describing, my comments are only educated conjecture.
 
Top