Vibration from front end at highway speeds

[yatzee]

Update: I have found a torn left front control arm bushing. I'll be putting the arms back onto the car tomorrow and will then be roadtesting it on Monday. I'm optimistic that this will solve my issue

 

[yatzee]

Here are the pics. I couldn't see the torn bushing with the arm in the car due to a fairly deep pocket on the subframe (unlike the MK4s). A quick roadtest showed no vibration, but i'll report back after i've done 1000 kms or so. I'm pretty shocked that the bushing is that bad after only 100k (60k miles)

 

[Funguy]

thanks for the pictures. That is strange how messed up that young bushing is.

 

[yatzee]

I've now done about 700 kms in the car and i can confirm that my vibration is gone! I'd suggest that the OP gives this a try.

 

[Teamzarz]

Ok so slight hijack here, I just replaced a few front end components on my 2009 JSW, tie rods (inner and outer), ball joints, and swaybar links.

I was chasing clunky steering, a weird sort of wallowing when changing lanes and I run over a reflector, and an annoying vibration at highway speeds that comes on around 60-70mph.

My fixes have cured the steering clunk and the turn in is much better. The strange wallowing/tracking issue when changing lanes and vibration persist. I am wondering if this could be related to the LCA bushings as well.

 

[roni024]

When you say wallowing, are you referring to the car kinda steering itself, almost to the point of where it feels like you're not controlling the car?

If so, I had that issue. Brought the car to the dealer under warranty, and they ended up replacing the LF strut and mount. It's been a few months now and it seems to have taken care of my issue.

 

[redbarron55]

I have found that a lot of front end problems are related to weak LCA bushings.
One difficult to find that put me there was a vibration or oscillation in the steering wheel with no corresponding vibration is the car itself.
Weal rear LCA bushings were the problem that let the wheels shift left and right (through the steering rack tying them together) turning the steering wheel.
I replaced tires, road force balanced replaced front brake discs and finally finally as a desperation effort changed the rear LCA bushings.

 

[Teamzarz]

When you say wallowing, are you referring to the car kinda steering itself, almost to the point of where it feels like you're not controlling the car?

If so, I had that issue. Brought the car to the dealer under warranty, and they ended up replacing the LF strut and mount. It's been a few months now and it seems to have taken care of my issue.

Yes! very much like this, where i get was feels like bump steer but the wheel doesn't move and the car tracks like Im driving in grooves!

Also in response to the strut issue I noticed today there is a tear in my passenger side shock boot but it doesn't appear that there is a visible issue and that side rebounds normally.

 

[Sojourner]

I'm having the same problem. Would this be something a dealer would even be willing to fix/look at for free in a used car?

 

[Teamzarz]

I'm having the same problem. Would this be something a dealer would even be willing to fix/look at for free in a used car?

Possibly but not very likely. Most dealers want to charge 100 bucks for a diagnostic even if it's only to hook up their software and read some numbers and regurgitate what the TSB tells them to say.

 

[roni024]

I strongly recommend checking your suspension. The "stuck-in-a-rut" feeling exactly describes what I experienced before have the strut replaced.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Mine developed a significant pulsation in the front brakes over the past couple months, so I decided to replace the front rotors and pads. The old rotors had some slight grooving that could be felt but not really seen, runout measured .002 and the pads were still +50%. I purchased the Zimmerman rotors and Akebono ceramic pads from FCP Euro for $164. Everything installed easily and after bedding seemed to drive smoothly on the highway. My wife took the car to Phoenix today and reported it drove very smooth with no vibrations. I hadn’t noticed a difference in the vibration when rebalancing/rotating the tires the last couple go arounds, so I was thinking rotors, wheel bearings, half shafts, etc. It looks like the rotors were the culprits. I’ll be driving it to Phoenix and back myself this week, so hopefully it’s all smooth for me as well.

On the last rotation I marked the tires again, 1500 miles since the rotation and they haven’t moved on the rims this time. When I had the tires off doing the brakes I checked the weights, my right front has 3.5 oz currently which seems high for a passenger car tire. The rest of the wheels on my car are under 1 oz.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/vw-brake-kit-zimmerman-kit-1k0615301aakt1

 

[Funguy]

That sounds great Bronco. Glad you got relief from that shimmy. I find that it takes a lot of joy out of long drives...

 

[740GLE]

zimmerman rotors are such a killer deal from FCP.

I have zero intention of using their lifetime warranty (you pay shipping back to them, they send out new ones) but its nice to know it's there.

 

[tdi54]

zimmerman rotors are such a killer deal from FCP.
I bought the same rotors/pads from FCP, and so far they have performed great.

 

[Upnorth88]

Ok honestly I had a problem like this too. Was real busy getting to work so couldn't give the car a look over. Turned out the tires were all 6 psi low and the rear rims had over an inch of ice and snow frozen on the inside. Drives smooth as freshly frozen lake in the fall.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Mine is still rolling smooth on the new brakes, about 13K miles on them now. I have noticed that when I get the tires rotated and balanced every 5K miles, the tires end up out of balance and I have to take the back in a couple days, then they are fine for the next 5K. Last time two tires were off by 1/2 oz after being balance two days prior, but they are not moving on the wheels.

I’m likely due for new tires in the next 5-10K, when they reach 4/32” on the inner edge they can be warrantied. I’m not sure if I’ll stick with the same Pirellis or try something different. Overall the Pirellis have been pretty good, I like the way the car handles corners and winter weather, but they are a little noisy and stiff on rough roads.

 

[740GLE]

balanced every 5K? shops must love you!

So far we have about 20K on the front zimmerman rotors and about 8-10K on the rear rotors (with stock pads) and no pulsing as of yet, fingers crossed.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Discount Tire does a free rotate and balance every 5K with any tire purchase, I’m not paying for it each time.

 

[johnsTDI]

steering related vibration problems could be anything from snow & ice build up on the inside of wheel rims in the winter to brake rotors that are warped upon applying brakes. to a bent alluminuim wheel rim as shown here heres a perfect example of a bent aluminuim wheel rim that many need to see.!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHqAoxiXu3Q

 

[benieto]

Aluminum wheels are trash on vw's!

 

[johnsTDI]

Aluminum wheels are trash on vw's!

Oh really.? I have owned my 2012 VW TDI for about a year now with the 'original factory aluminum wheels the car came with back then' & have had no issues to date.. wheel alignment is Perfect & strait as a an arrow with 0 signs of any what so ever shakes just because your experiencing issues dont mean you can say all VW aluminum wheels are trash.

 

[benieto]

John, i had a tdi right up until the turbo gave out ended up scraping the heap and bought a 2016 toyota tundra 60 thou.K's

 

[johnsTDI]

John, i had a tdi right up until the turbo gave out ended up scraping the heap and bought a 2016 toyota tundra 60 thou.K's

Glad to hear You got a 'Toyota Tundra ' but Toyota,Honda,Nissan Just because there Japanese doesn'nt mean they are or have been Perfect neither they are reliable vehicles but like any make or model they too have there recalls & bulitens & issues no different than anyone else but too point fingers at someone like VW & say all there VW aluminum rims are trash.! is not right to say the least especially when God Knows VW as been through alot on dealing with there own emission scandal. & hey i gotta handed to VW i will give them credit because they actually put in the effort to make things right afterword for there customers vehicles & there still Open & selling cars today. it shows they actually cared for there customers & made the effort & changes they needed to make things right, so theres no need to put VW down like that. Just Saying. Good Luck on your Tundra.