steering drivetrain and heartache

[gldgti]

hi guys,
i just wanted to hear you guys' thooughts about some of the issues with my golf at the moment.. the list isnt too long but feel free to give me your advice...

all of my problems are in the suspension/steering.

firstly, like i posted elswhere recently, i get a griding/high frequency knocking kind of noise under acceleration, only ever off the clutch, and usually whilst turning (pulling onto roads from a stop etc.) im pretty sure this is a cv joint problem. it happens on both sides independently, and sometimes both together. sounds very much like it comes from the outer cv joints. as far as cv boots go, all are ok except one, which is the drivers outer, and should be replaced i know... there isnt a lot of grease everywhere though.. maybe that means its all gone anyway :roll: the job doesnt phase me, i've worked on all parts of the golf, and im confident at doing pretty much everything... but can anyone give me a rough estimate of how much im going to need to fork out for 2 new outer cv joints?

steering - a few weeks back i was unpleasantly surprised to find my steering feel like it has "seized". i could still turn it, accompanied by a grinding noise which sounded like it came from the column bearings, however this problem was intermittent, so that it would stick, then i could turn it and it would be normal again. later on after pulling it to bits i found the steering column bearings to be fine..
with the car sitting on its wheels i found that if i tried to turn the steering wheel (this is with the car stopped) there would be a degree of resistance before the steering would "jolt" and the steering wheel would allow anoth 10deg or so of turn without the wheels on the ground moving, before it took up again.
i put the car on the jacks and inpected the steering rack, and when i pulled back the boot on the rack end, i could see the rack step forwards a little when a friend caused it to "jolt" from inside the car... this scared me a bit.
i found that the steering rack has "adjustment" and so following direction in the haynes, proceeded to adjust the rack so that the pinion is now in a clearly closer position to the rack than before. this has fixed the siezing problem and the steering has good feel now, however there is a small amount of free play at the center of the steering which is not hazardous but does decrease from my "driving pleasure" im wondering, is my steering rack just badly worn, and do you think that the problem before was due to the bad waer and the steering not being adjusted properly?

cheers

aydan

with the car standing on its wheels i was able to

[gtimk5]

Check the steering shaft below the column, between the column & the rack. The universal joint may be seizing up. Replacement required if so.
CV joints will give a clicking noise only, not a whine. Spin each wheel with your fingers on the backing plate. If you feel any thing through you fingers it usually means a crook hub brg.
Outer cv joints are usually $115-$130ea
Hub Brgs approx $50-$60 ea

[gldgti]

sorry, i didnt mean a whining noise... yes a clicking nois is more appropriate..

did the hub bearings recently... it tends to be a rmbling noise at most speeds anyway

cheers

[syncro]

sorry, i didnt mean a whining noise... yes a clicking nois is more appropriate..

did the hub bearings recently... it tends to be a rmbling noise at most speeds anyway

cheers

How tight did you do up the nut on the hub?

[gldgti]

pretty damn tight.... didnt use the torque wrench, but basically i put all/most of my weight on the breaker bar with a pipe extension on it of about....urm...total radius maybe 500mm...

so thats 80kg*9.81 = 784N*0.5m = 392Nm...thats a maximum i guess.... but actually its probably far less...

i know this isnt the actual torque applied to the nut though...

do you think that might have something to do with it synchro?

tell me what your thinking

[gldgti]

ahh, and i think i may have mislead with a comment...

i meant to say - " a failed wheel bearing tends to make a rumbling noise at most speeds"

i didnt intend to give the impression thats what the car does... sorry.

[gldgti]

well, after a bit of inoection and tinkering, i reckon its only one cv, outer on drivers side.

this is also one with a fragged cv boot atm.

looks like i'll be lookoing for a new cv joint soon

btw, i've seen an ebay stroe that sells "CV joints vw golf all models $70"...

anyone know anyhting about this?

[peter_j_g]

Have you checked your inside CV joints as well? I've had one fail with similar symptoms to what you describe - and the boot wasn't broken.

[gldgti]

hanvt really checked the inners...but they do seem pretty solid... i cant get any movement theree nomatter how hard i try to rattle driveshaft
???

[ontarv]

the inner cv joints could be worth a good look
my inners were both very dry and thus stiff
they dont have the degree of movment and dont
lube as well.