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

Anything and everything to do with mechanical issues with your Mk2

Moderators: IMOC Moderators, IMOC Committee Members

Post Reply
Barney
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

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

Post by 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
Posts: 1126
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:38 pm
Location: North West

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

Post by Pete »

Have you had the wheels balanced?
jont
Posts: 766
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:59 pm
Location: nr Bristol

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

Post by 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
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:02 pm
Location: Herefordshire

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

Post by njdoom »

also check ur tyre pressures
Greddy-Matt
Posts: 4412
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:51 pm
Location: Southampton

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

Post by 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
Posts: 372
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:43 pm

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

Post by 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
Posts: 3575
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 8:38 pm
Location: North West

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

Post by 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
Posts: 372
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:43 pm

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

Post by 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
Posts: 2452
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:03 pm
Location: Southampton

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

Post by 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
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

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

Post by Barney »

JeffD wrote: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 ?? :-k
Barney
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

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

Post by Barney »

JeffD wrote: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 ?? :-k

Also ideas on costs ?
Pac17T

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

Post by 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
Posts: 307
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:59 am
Location: Cheltenham
Contact:

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

Post by 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
Posts: 2645
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:23 pm
Location: thornton cleveleys, blackpool
Contact:

shakes

Post by 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 !!!!!
Post Reply

Return to “Mechanical”