Strange Drivers Side Tire Vibration

About 2 weeks ago my Golf developed a strange vibration when doing about 80 to 100 kph. It seems to be slowly be getting worse. I am stumped as to what it could be.

I took off the tire and looked at the brake assembly and axle. The brakes look good (I did them last fall) and the only thing I can see on the axle is the boot next to the tranny is missing the clip and has slipped don the axle.

I have now put on the spare and I will drive it tomorrow and see if there is a difference but the short drive I just did tells me there will be no change.

Any ideas? I think I may have to change the LCA this spring as the rubber looks bad. Could that cause the problem?

Any ideas???

How do you know this is drivers side specifically? If you are just going by feel, I think you may have a tired CV joint? Mine wobbled at highway speeds, but really started to shake when I accelerated on the highway.

Changed the shafts and the car is smooth as butter.

Not sure its the drivers side but thats the feel. I thought about changing both shafts out but money is an issue. I may have to look for a good used set.

Here's some general front-end diagnosing tips. Vibration at constant speed is often due to your tires/wheels so you may want to check your pressure, inspect and check for any missing weights. If unsure, you could have them re-balanced. With that being said, if you have a missing, torn or slipped CV boot, then you probably have a CV joint issue. Road grime (especially salt/sand in the winter) will wear a CV joint quickly. Typical symptoms are vibration/knocking/noise while accelerating. A worn outer joint will sometimes knock during a tight turn as well. Good luck.

Well, if switching to the spare fixes it, it could be a loose belt in the tire. They're hard to see.

If not, what rhskcdn says.

In regards to the missing clip on the CV boot. I have seen dozens of axles without a clip on the smaller side of the boot. I think maybe they were not even installed on axles from the factory (no stamp marks on the rubber indicating anything was ever there). If you have one missing from the larger end of the boot, it would be a problem. Centrifical force will spread the boot and allow greas out/contaminants in. But I don't thing the smaller end is anything to worry about. Its a pretty tight seal even without a clamp.

Note: These are just my observations. I may be totaly wrong on this.

I thought the clip was really nothing but there is a grease spray pattern on the engine so I am not taking any chances.

Yeah, my axles didn't have the clip on the smaller end I think.

When my axles were shot, I decided to spend a little more money and upgrade to the VR6 ones. Money well spent.