pugboy Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 2001 Passat 1.8T Sport. I have a knocking coming from the front end. You can feel it through the steering wheel as a vibration when driving. If you wiggle the steering wheel you can feel and hear a knocking noise as well. The noise doesn't happen when going round corners or on large bumps. Its just little bumps that unsettle it (eg when you go up a lowered kerb like your drive way). I tried replacing the track rod end first as this is only a £13 part, but it made no odds. Could my steering rack have worked loose or worn out? The car has done 103k now so its quite possible that the suspension bushes are worn however there are bloody loads of them to replace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulkbear Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 Sound very much like one or all of the Front link arms are worn or it maybe the c links (connection at the end of the roll bar) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meriafel Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 Believe the 'c' links to roll bar were changed from having a ball joint at each end of the 'c' to a bonded rubber insert, but when I don't know. The rubber won't suffer the ball joint wear and must have been changed for a reason apart from cost! Let us know how yo get on as my wife still has the ball joints on her 98 Passat at 95k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugboy Posted October 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 Thanks. Have checked and most suspension parts seem to be about £50 each. If I am not careful I could end up spending a fortune replacing part after part. Have found a VAG specialist thats local to me so I have booked it in for Wednesday. I will post on here what the problem was for future reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugboy Posted November 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 The car went in to the garage today and the noise was traced to the steering rack. The bolt that holds the near side on had come loose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20valver Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Knocking on the front, as Mulkbear rightly says, is usualy the sign of one of the front arms and usualy the lower arm. As luck would have it the lower arm is rather expensive at around £125 for a genuine VAG part or around £70-80 from somewhere like eurocar parts. The symptoms you reported, happening mainly over small undulations in the road surface, are exactly what happens when the lower arm starts to wear (I've had 3 go in 50k) Passats and A4s eat them up quite rapidly so I have been told. I wouldn't be suprised if you find the noise comes back soon even though a loose bolt was found, I hope it doesn't for you of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulkbear Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Don't buy eurocars parts lower arms (see pic) A picture can say a 1000 word, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20valver Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhh, that just had ta hurt! I haven't had any of mine go like that, just the ball joints tend to go a bit sloppy (that's technical speak that!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulkbear Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Well when a V.A.G Arm goes it just goes a bit "sloppy" but if a Non genuine one goes it breaks, no one was hurt but the drivers wallet was in shock. The car needed N/S spring, shocker, Top arms, bottom arms, wing, tyre and a Drive shaft after that arm snapped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugboy Posted November 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Yeah in all honesty I am expecting to have to replace the arms in due course. When I bought the car in September it was on 101k and we are now on 104k so I am expecting to have to replace them next year. I have a mate with a lowered A4 Avant on 18's and that eats suspension arms (at least two sets a year)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobby Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Mines on 155k and hasn't had any changed, dont wanna admit it, but mines on steel 15" wheels I hate them, but the tyres are cheaper and i dont mind banging them into curbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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