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Noise after installing VWR Springs

805mk7gti

Ready to race!
Location
Socal
I installed VWR's last weekend and am getting a slight knocking noise from the front left when turning the wheel at either a stop or very slow speeds like parking lots or driveways. It seems to be from the springs turning. I removed the cowl and looking through a hole near the 3 screws that attach to the top of the struts you can see the spring turning while the steering wheel is cranked back and forth. Is that from not properly aligning the top hat? I tried my best to reinstall them in there original position. If it won't cause any damage I probably will just leave it until I either upgrade to coils or just get some better shocks one day.
 

dr_mat

Go Kart Champion
Location
Berkshire
The top spring plate should be free to rotate any which way it wants, I don't think there's a restriction to its range of movement. The whole spring should turn and not twist.
 

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
If everything is working properly, the whole strut assembly should turn.....not the spring
The strut bearing sits between the mount & the spring and that's the pivot point for the whole strut assembly to turn on

DEFINITELY double check that you installed the mount in the proper orientation
Double check that your sway endlinks aren't loose
And double check that the strut is turning properly....might be the strut bearing is bad
 

vrBilstein86

Ready to race!
Location
EVERYWHERE
Most causes of suspension noise are either worn out parts or parts that were installed incorrectly...97% of the time it's the latter.
 

TheDoc46

Ready to race!
Location
Florida
Yes, take it out and re-do it.. I had a similar issue, on my front right. It's very important that the strut mount is correctly aligned. Mine was ever so slightly out, and caused a creaking or knocking noise every now and again.. I actually now, draw a line between the top and bottom strut mounts, so that when i put it back together i have that visual confirmation that its perfectly aligned. It may have a painted white line from VW. Mine did, but i've also seen others that have not. So i just used a silver magic marker, before dissembling.
 

nikhsub11

Banned
Location
United States
DEFINITELY double check that you installed the mount in the proper orientation

This. There are 3 possible orientations for the top strut bearing but only ONE way is correct. In my photo below there is a green arrow pointing to a notch on the top of the bearing. This notch must be perpendicular to the motor, in other words have it pointing at the opposite side shock. If it is oriented any other way, it is installed incorrectly.

 

blaqsheep

Autocross Champion
Location
Canada
Car(s)
IS38 GTI
Hate to bump this but does anyone know the correct orientation of the top strut mount? I'm not quite understanding what is written in the erWin guide.



– Position the suspension strut so that the arrows -1- are always inside.
– One of the two arrows -1- on the spring plate -2- must point in the direction of travel.
 

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
The arrows on the mount should be facing in, closer to the engine

And they mean by "direction of travel", that the arrows should be pointing to the front & rear of the car if that makes sense

Just make sure they're in, facing closer to the engine, when you install
 

ROH ECHT

K04 PLAY
Location
PDX OR
Car(s)
2007 MKV GTI
On the MK5 & MK6; the arrows are meant to point forward and backward. I added a pic of MK7 mounts, two posts below. So they will be between the inward two bolts. Just like in this pic ↓ ... And you can feel for the rubber tab position from underneath to check them...also when it is on jacks.
strut mount alignment.png


If you find they are incorrectly installed...you can remove the three bolts, with it on jacks, and use a socket to rotate the strut tube & mount to its proper orientation.
 
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snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
^^^
ALTHOUGH that was on the MK5/MK6 platform & the MK7 has different style mounts. I think the MK7 mounts can only mount one way....the bolt hole spacing is different, I believe.
The little tab/line on the right in the pic below should be facing in closer to the engine:
 

ROH ECHT

K04 PLAY
Location
PDX OR
Car(s)
2007 MKV GTI
Thank you and I am sorry...I hadn't realized I was in the MK7 section.

Yes...the two inward bolts on the MK7 are a bit skewed...or not on the center line of the center hole to the points in the rubber like the outer bolt is (shown in the pic). The arrow orientation, pointing forward and back, will help line up the mount so there's no need to rotate it much when installing the strut.
mk7 strut mount.png



...and you can feel for this tab from underneath...it should be between the two inward bolts:
7tab.png
 
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goodvibes

Go Kart Champion
Location
IL
Spring is binding and then popping on release. Have the tech check that the spring is properly set in the lower rubber bushing.
 
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