Re: What's wrong with my front end?!?

["I.Mannix" <mannix@privatei.com>]

At 9:50 AM -0600 04/14/1997, Greg Baxter wrote:
>Last week, I posted a question about my CVs on the '82.
>
>To refresh all of your memories, at highway speeds, anytime that any
>pressure is put on the right front tire (IE: left turns, dips in the road
>etc...) I get a shimmy from that area. Over the weekend, I pulled the
>drive axle, and sure enough, the outer boot had a cut in it, so I replaced
>the joint. (BTW, not NEARLY as bad a job as I was anticipating... one
>thing that I forgot was to wear surgical gloves... still have grease under
>the nails...)

:

Wheel bearing/inner CV joint.  Wheel bearings typically "rumble" as  they
go bad, but maybe yours is beyond that point.  Take your outer CV out again
(big nut, slide out the stub) and spin the wheel bearing with your fingers
- it should spin easily, but with uniform resistance - like a volume knob
on a stereo, maybe?  It won't spin like a top, but it should'nt be chunky,
either.

Inner CVs can make shimmytype feelings.  Did you look at yours?  All of
them, both bearings, too - noises do strange things, they propogate - you
think for sure it is coming from the right wheel, it turns out to be the
left.  One of my bicycle seats was creaking once, greased the seatpost,
seat rails, clamp, driving me nuts....why is this seat creaking!!!?!?!??
Turned out that the frame had cracked at the headtube.  I've been a bike
mechanic for a while, I'm not bad at diagnosing problems (actually, got
really good at finding creaks on aluminium frames, as they are creak
prone/I'm a big guy/my alloy frames creaked/lots of personal experience).
Anyway, what I am saying is that you should'nt trust your ear - look at
everything.  Not saying your ear sucks, just that the noise might be coming
from somewhere else.



>1. Could the brakes be rubbing on that side? I suppose if that were the
>case, I'd be more likely to feel it at lower speeds, though, wouldn't' I?

Maybe.

>
>2. Something in the steering assembly? Like I said, every time I turn
>left, I seem to get a shimmy from the leading (right) tire...

Possible, moreso than brake, IMHO.  Don't really know how to check that,
Bentley has a section on lubricating the rack, seems fairly easy.

>
>3. Alignment? I had the car pulled straight after I bought it (it took a
>nose-dive into a ditch). The body shop (whom I trust) said that they
>pulled it straight, and had a front-end alignment done on it. This was a
>year ago, but the car sat for the majority of 1996. I have only put
>3000kms on it since then. At these speeds, it has a tendency to pull to
>the right, resulting n me putting left pressure on the wheel to go
>straight. This also gives me the shimmy.

Hmmm......do you have the alignment specs?  If it is straight, even pretty
straight, ahh, I don't know.  Something to think about.

>
>I was so proud of myself for making what I thought to be the correct
>diagnosis, and now the problem is at lease as bad as it was on Friday...

I'd check the rest of the CVs and wheel bearings, see if a VW mechanic in
your area can drive it - a well developed ear can hear better what might be
wrong.  The first time a wheel bearing went on my GTI, I thought it was the
left.  A mechanic drove it 1/2 a mile, said "nope, it is the right."  Sure
it is, pal.  I was convinced, had him replace both, sure enough, it was the
right, as he said.  Mechanics hear everyone's problems, so to speak, they
know.....best of luck, hope this helps!


Mannix

>
>Help!
>
>
>Greg
>82 Rocco
>91 Jetta
>
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