[Mk2] [NA] High speed instability and the shakes !

[Barney]

Hi

My '2 has issues at about 80 mph lots of steering wheel shake. I have recent tyres with the standard alloys. The car will veer with the bumps and the tarmac changes in the road. Also at speed the car will feel like there is a gusting force 10 side wind, which is quite scary !!

I have had that laser alignment done before and didnt help...

Could it be suspension problem ? something bent ? bearings ?

Is there anything obvious worth changing\replacing ?

thanks

[Pete]

Have you had the wheels balanced?

[jont]

Standard things to check for vibration problems:
4 wheel alignment - which you say you've had done. Could need doing as often as every 6 months.
Wheel balance - did the problems change when you had new tyres put on?
Brake caliper binding (after a decent drive, is one wheel significantly hotter than the others?)

I had problems recently I would have sworn were wheel balancing, but after having a caliper seize and changing it, the problems went away.

There are lots of things you could change "just in case", but that can get expensive very quickly. Is there a local specialist who you could get to investigate?

Jon

[njdoom]

also check ur tyre pressures

[Greddy-Matt]

I would also check your ball joints for play, had mine changed on tuesday-hey presto no more wheel shake/pulling from side to side....

[zebidi]

hmmm.....
must book mine in for a service. i have the juddering, but balance is right, only shakes when i hit over 70 then stops after ***

[JeffD]

Worn topmounts cause something described as "bunny-hopping" where even minor bumps cause the car to become very skittish and feel almost like it will change direction without your help! ;-)

[zebidi]

cant be a prob for me then, at least i hope not, i just had my type flex kit installed a few months ago :O

[luthor1]

lower swivels, top mounts, bushes, inner-outer track rod ends, the rack itself, alignment, binding brakes, worn wheel bearings, old/worn tyres, kurbed (and subsequently OVAL) wheels that "just won't balance out"

I think that's it

[Barney]

Worn topmounts cause something described as "bunny-hopping" where even minor bumps cause the car to become very skittish and feel almost like it will change direction without your help!

That sounds like it ! The car is also pulling to the side...Who do I get to check these and ball joints ? Local garage, ATS ??

[Barney]

Worn topmounts cause something described as "bunny-hopping" where even minor bumps cause the car to become very skittish and feel almost like it will change direction without your help!

That sounds like it ! The car is also pulling to the side...Who do I get to check these and ball joints ? Local garage, ATS ??

Also ideas on costs ?

[Pac17T]

Hey,

Was just wondering if it was indeed the topmounts as JeffD suggested and if you got the problem rectified? If so where and how much?
Recently got my first 2 and experience exactly the same problem, but again only over 80.
Any help greatly appricated, want to get her running right!

[Dame]

Although you have the standard alloys fitted, there aren't any spacers in there too?

If you remove one of the front wheels, is there a metal disc around 5mm thick between the allow and the hub? I only ask because when I first got my car, I had exactly the same problem. Turns out some spoon had installed spacers on all four wheels which stopped the whells from aligning themselves to the hub properly and caused exactly the problems you described.

[marc GT Turbo]

just to let you know of my experiance ! i had a shudder at around 80 mph through the steering wheel ! i checkd the obvious and i put new rack ends on . still it was no better ! i noticed that i had a new steering rack (or replacement) and discovered where the steering joins into the rack was loose !!!! tightened it up and its fixed, no more shudder , i spent money on rack ends and all it needed was this 1 nut tightened !!!!!