Help! My Pug Feels Very Unstable!

[erica 0]

Hey guys

 

I am now at breaking point. And im sure Rich (16v205) and Anthony are too. My pug feels like its constantly understeering. It also feels twitchy and generally unstable.

 

So far we have swapped shocks and springs, wishbones, hubs, track rod ends, drive shafts, wheels. The tracking is fine, the tyres are fine and are blown up to the correct pressure.

 

Both Anthony and Rich both agree that its on the front and the beam was looked at only last year and that is in excellent condition.

 

What makes it worse is the fact that its random. For example, I was driving along the motorway at a constant speed and then it just lurched to the right for no apparent reason. It was that severe that the person I was following rang me and asked me what I was playing at!

 

Can anyone else shed some light on this please.

 

Cheers

 

Erica

[j_turnell 137 3 Cars]

You tried a different rack?

[erica 0]

That was only changed just before I bought the car. So that is only about 3 years old.

 

Its been checked anyways and there is no play it.

 

Thank you anyways

[boldy205 75]

front subframe bolts loose? tho i expect if you had changed all the other things you would not have overlooked this? only a shot in the dark?

[erica 0]

front subframe bolts loose? tho i expect if you had changed all the other things you would not have overlooked this? only a shot in the dark?

 

Hi

 

Yeah theyve been checked too and theyre fine. Sowwy, I should of put that in the original post.

 

Thank you

[Pugnut 9 1 Cars]

has the differential been checked ? dropping the gearbox oil usually tells a story .

[erica 0]

has the differential been checked ? dropping the gearbox oil usually tells a story .

 

Shes got a new gearbox too. Shes now got a 6 speed box.

 

 

 

Also forgot to mention that pinch bolts and strut bearings have been swapped too.

[brianthemagical 1]

get a second gti and swap parts back and forth, driving and checking as you go, should be able to determine whats causing the problem. is the body straight? has anyone else drove it and experianced the same? not knocking your driving but it's the only thing i can think of. try it on a smooth road, like a track, see what that does.

[TEKNOPUG 3]

Do you own a cheap French car?

 

Have you checked all the bushes?

[luggy 13]

When were the rear suspension rubber mounts changed last? Rear beam can be fine but if the rubbers have perished you can get rear wheel steering on the motorway especially if the 1st lane has a poor surface.

[NOsMAN 10 1 Cars]

Just a suggestion as it happened to my car a very long time ago.Got the same twitchy and unstable feeling. Ended up changing the whole suspension set up with new springs and shocks but it still handled cr4p , eventually found the reason . Somebody had ripped off the stuck on weights on the wheels.

Edited March 11, 2007 by NOsMAN

[erica 0]

get a second gti and swap parts back and forth, driving and checking as you go, should be able to determine whats causing the problem. is the body straight? has anyone else drove it and experianced the same? not knocking your driving but it's the only thing i can think of. try it on a smooth road, like a track, see what that does.

 

Okies, as per original post, both my fiance, Rich (16v205) and Anthony have driven and checked over my pug and they both agree that something is definatley amiss. Everything we can think of has been swapped. Ive even done an HPI check and if it has been in a bump then its not been recorded. Anthony has had a look over the body work and says that it doesnt appear to of been in a bump as all the panels look like theyre the originals.

 

Have you checked all the bushes?

 

Yars, all bushes have been checked and appear to be fine.

 

When were the rear suspension rubber mounts changed last? Rear beam can be fine but if the rubbers have perished you can get rear wheel steering on the motorway especially if the 1st lane has a poor surface.

 

That is something thats not been checked yet. We havent checked them as the general opinion was that the issue was in the front. Maybe its time to start checking the back of the car now. Thank you

[erica 0]

Just a suggestion as it happened to my car a very long time ago.Got the same twitchy and unstable feeling. Ended up changing the whole suspension set up with new springs and shocks but it still handled cr4p , eventually found the reason . Somebody had ripped off the stuck on weights on the wheels.

 

Gutted!! But no I dont think its this as ive changed all her wheels and then had them balanced again. But this didnt change anything.

[Toddy 7]

Steering rack loose?, I have had that which caused the same.

[Batfink 201]

I would agree the rear sandwich mounts and bushes could be shot

[Rob_the_Sparky 9]

Mine has been doing the same - new wishbones, shocks, spring, driveshafts. Steering rack and subframe tight.

 

Just found play in a track rod end, but only when a significant amount of pressure is applied. Not got a chance to replace it yet...

 

Symptoms: certain amount of torque steer, tramlines and steers over severe bumps.

 

It will be a while now before I get a chance to change the track rod end but I think it is either the trackrod or wear in the steering rack itself. Gearbox is worn so I can't rule that out 100% but bump steer/tramlining doesn't sound like gearbox to me.

 

Rob

 

P.S. Try to analyse what causes it to "wiggle", it is not likely to be random just the cause is not immediately clear. E.g. MWay - lane 1 ruts can pull my car around so I try to avoid them...

[welshpug 1,657]

another vote for rear bushes, but i've also had similar symptoms caused by naff tyres (they had gone hard!!) and still had a similar feel for a week till the new tyres wore in.

[Guest Rollermike]

wel its bound not to be the problem, but i had mine MOT'ed and they didnt tighten the wheels so mine was unstable and almost came off! Some times the simple things..... But i had a loose steering rack in my last car, it meant when i turned over the center it felt unstable.....

Edited March 16, 2007 by Rollermike

[inferno 1]

if your running a gti6 box theres been mods to the rack / track rod ends to make it lock to lock without hitting the tyre on the gearbox.

 

my moneys on something not being done right here.have the tracking rechecked, and find out whats been done to make the rack work without touching wheel to gearbox.

 

only other from experience and your symptoms was a loose bottom ball joint.

[mos 1]

have you stripped and checked the brakes etc..?

[Emmy Seize 8]

rubber mounts on the rear beam as well !

[erica 0]

Hi guys.

 

Back again.

 

Okies, the steering rack has been checked and its fine. However, I am having a Richards quick rack soon so that will be changed again anyway. So will be definatley be able to rule that one out.

 

if your running a gti6 box theres been mods to the rack / track rod ends to make it lock to lock without hitting the tyre on the gearbox. my moneys on something not being done right here.have the tracking rechecked, and find out whats been done to make the rack work without touching wheel to gearbox.

 

Richard didnt get that far. Hes really very busy at the moment and didnt have time to do this, so ive got to be careful when driving. It will be done in the next week or so as he's got some time off now and my pug will be coming off the road and inspected again. She has now developed a severe knocking which you can actually feel through the pedals when you go round a roundabout. Its only when it loads up cus if you go round slowly it fine.

 

I think checking the rear beam mounts and bushes etc really is the next job on the list.

[steve@cornwall 100]

Hi guys.

 

Back again.

 

Okies, the steering rack has been checked and its fine. However, I am having a Richards quick rack soon so that will be changed again anyway. So will be definatley be able to rule that one out.

Richard didnt get that far. Hes really very busy at the moment and didnt have time to do this, so ive got to be careful when driving. It will be done in the next week or so as he's got some time off now and my pug will be coming off the road and inspected again. She has now developed a severe knocking which you can actually feel through the pedals when you go round a roundabout. Its only when it loads up cus if you go round slowly it fine.

 

I think checking the rear beam mounts and bushes etc really is the next job on the list.

 

 

Any chance the retaining bolts on the intermediate bearing aren't tightening properly? (or nuts slipping 'cos they've been overtightened in the past? If the car lurches to the right, suspect something binding up on that side? Knocking sounds like driveshaft, but you say that's recently replaced and , I would imagine the bearing too? so it also sounds like loose retainers! 10 mins to check

[Anton green 12 1 Cars]

I haven't read the whole thread as I'm offline now-ish, but have a look at how many of the suspension top mount / top hat studs are still in one piece and dont just look like they are securing your struts maybe.

 

I presume you have checked the front hub to balljoint hole hasnt gone oval btw

[kyepan 291]

That is something thats not been checked yet. We havent checked them as the general opinion was that the issue was in the front. Maybe its time to start checking the back of the car now. Thank you

regarding the rear beam.

my second car was swapping lanes, putting new bushes in the rear sorted it out. the sandwich ones were reasonable, but the circular ones inside the inboard mounts were a mess.

 

sarty's is also just changing direction mid corner for no reason, we've been over the front and its in good shape, he put on a good ish rear beam, what state the rear bushes are in, i'm not sure.

 

Taking the beam off, is a 1 hour job, then time to do the bushes, then maybe a couple of hours to put back on.

 

when you do the bushes, you just need a blow torch, and hammer / good punch .. to get the metal bearing sleeves out.