Front End Noises

VernK

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Location
Kelowna
TDI
2012 Passat 2.5L Gas
The car has developed some front suspension symptoms; a rubber groan over speed bumps & abrupt road depressions, occasional knocks when hard braking & I think a slight pull to the right. None of them are really loud or frequent yet.

I'm thinking the lower arm bushing that is often mentioned, are there other possibilties?

Yours
Vern
 

jw4free

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Location
NW Boston Metro
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE
I know the sound. It is more apparent when it is could outside, or it's just getting worse (and it coincides with being colder out).

Not sway bar end links. I replaced them, and it helped for a month. old links weren't sloppy, but the new links were stiff. Once the loosened up the front end noise came back. I speculate that the stiff links helped mask (hold firm) the sloppy suspension part(s).

Having not seen a front suspension diagram in some time, I am wondering if there is some rubber at the top of the struts that goes bad.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
The sway bar bushings like to creak on these in the cold, and they are part of the sway bar itself.

I've had some success with silicone spray all over and around them, as best you can. The compliance bushings usually manifest as a dull thunk when you tap the brakes, most noticeable at slow speeds, as well as a pull under load or a change in steering wheel orientation.
 

drew_t

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2022
Location
SF Bay Area
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE
The sway bar bushings like to creak on these in the cold, and they are part of the sway bar itself.
Mine started doing this right after I got new tires. I think it’s the first time in 50,000+ miles that the car has been on a lift with both sides of the front suspension at full droop, so the bar would have turned more in the bushings than it has for a very long time; possibly the aging rubber didn’t like this? Or maybe it was just a coincidence.
 
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