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Mk7 suspension issues/noises/advice. CLICK HERE FIRST!

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Man this topic has been popular lately. It’s definitely time to reduce clutter and focus all of these questions into one thread to clean up the forum and save everyone time and frustration.


HAVE A SQUEAK, CLUNK, or RATTLE?

You could check swaybar end links first, as they’re the quicker fix, but that’s most likely the strut mounts worn/loose.

I cannot stress enough the importance of properly applied torque via hand tools/torque wrench vs using airtools. Also, stretch or torque to yield hardware is often reused during suspension work, but doing so puts you at risk for premature wear or failures as well since it is always one time use per the manual, and comprised by design when the original torque is applied. Repeated torque applications will break these bolt or at the very least ruin their ability to tension lock themselves in place as they’re designed to do




WELL, I HAD MY SUSPENSION PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED, MAYBE THIS NOISE IS “NORMAL”

I’m sorry, but that’s a hard NO. No suspension noise/clunks should be heard or felt no matter what. Any excuse claiming that’s just how it goes with aftermarket or upgraded parts is a flat out lie.

Not to discredit automotive techs at the dealership, Indy shop, your buddies house, etc. but often times corners are cut or “norms” (deviations from the OEM service manual considered “normal” because “everyone” does them) are accepted because they save time and money.

The most popular “norm” for techs is the use of airtools to apply torque. Specifically to the strut mount/bearing on the shocks and struts. That’s a wild guessing game of “how tight did it really get before the strut shaft spun?”...and that guessing game is on your dime risking the whole job needing to be redone with new mounts and bearings. Not cool.


SHOULD I LUBE IT?

No. By design there’s is no grease point nor anything to lube, so don’t bother with lithium grease or any other like idea. Won’t fix anything
 
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GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
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Hammersticks

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
'16 GTI, '18 e-Golf
Here are a few I have had. Based on YouTube comments others have had them as well.

Creak when turning steering wheel (Not related to new suspension work): https://youtu.be/qgoMYhzC72Y

Subframe: https://youtu.be/G2tv1db19uM

Clunks over speed bumps (old setup with FSDs and neuspeed sports. thought this was the mounts but they seemed fine. undiagnosed): https://youtu.be/rCsm41K6_YQ







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

flip7

Ready to race!
Location
Austin TX
My new suspension sqeaky noise. Seems to be coming from the front
I have ST XTA coilovers

Does anyone have a suggestion where to investigate first?

It is temperature dependent. Below 80F no noise
otherwise this noise LINK



Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
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DrDavid

Ready to race!
Location
Argentina
I have the rear clunk in irregular surface or getting in/out of my garage in the rain (when the rear suspension is wet)

i test every bolt and nuts but not the 13 mm of end link swaywar. i think that is very small to torque them...

so go to a friend dealer and they torque the two 13 mm and the rear clunk dissapear !! i am very happy...

i have replace every bolt in the front and rear suspension and torque them to the specified NM but no t the 13mm..... this peace of sh@t can make a headache ...

so when yo do a suspension job make sure to replace EVERY bolt and nut you use, they are not expensive and torque them to the specified NM !!
 

yirayira

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Chicago, IL
Car(s)
2015 GTI SE
SHOULD I LUBE IT?

No. By design there’s is no grease point nor anything to lube, so don’t bother with lithium grease or any other like idea. Won’t fix anything

Except for aftermarket sway bar bushes
 

Animoski

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Queens, NYC
What if you have had popping noise fixed by the dealer by retorquing the subframe? What if that popping noise came back, is now a metalic clunking/goraning noise instead, and the whole time the steering is off as hell?

Ive had 2 dealers hold my car for 2 weeks each, 6 alignments and an “all good and clean” on every suspension component.

After a pretty small but sizeable pothole my steering has been off. That was with the popping noise. Now accelerating/deaccelerating/bumps causes the steering angle to change as im driving, causing constant re-correction on a car already needing one...

What the hell do I do? VWoA hasnt been helpful in the slighest.
 

Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
What if you have had popping noise fixed by the dealer by retorquing the subframe? What if that popping noise came back, is now a metalic clunking/goraning noise instead, and the whole time the steering is off as hell?

Ive had 2 dealers hold my car for 2 weeks each, 6 alignments and an “all good and clean” on every suspension component.

After a pretty small but sizeable pothole my steering has been off. That was with the popping noise. Now accelerating/deaccelerating/bumps causes the steering angle to change as im driving, causing constant re-correction on a car already needing one...

What the hell do I do? VWoA hasnt been helpful in the slighest.

Install the deadset kit if subframe is moving.
Worth a try?
 

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
What if you have had popping noise fixed by the dealer by retorquing the subframe? What if that popping noise came back, is now a metalic clunking/goraning noise instead, and the whole time the steering is off as hell?

Ive had 2 dealers hold my car for 2 weeks each, 6 alignments and an “all good and clean” on every suspension component.

After a pretty small but sizeable pothole my steering has been off. That was with the popping noise. Now accelerating/deaccelerating/bumps causes the steering angle to change as im driving, causing constant re-correction on a car already needing one...

What the hell do I do? VWoA hasnt been helpful in the slighest.

So I’m guessing they reused hardware and it’s now even looser than before...that’s super sketchy that the components are moving enough to change steering alignment as you drive. Ride along with the dealerships Senior Master Tech and she his reaction. Dude will probably drive 20ft before he says “nope that’s not right”
 

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Also keep a file with all the invoices from each dealership visit. Three failed attempts to fix the same issue on a new car is lemon law worthy in most states.

Can’t fix it? VWOA can if they replace the whole car (worst case, but it does happen)
 

NopeR

Autocross Champion
Car(s)
18 Golf R
Thoughts on this one? It started when I switch to h&r springs on oem dampers... But now it's happening on kw v1 coilovers with new 034motorsports mounts, new strut bearings, all new fasteners torqued to spec, new sway bar end links... I can't figure it out and it's driving me insane. It's audible from the front only, mainly on the drivers side, but sometimes sounds more centralized.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qdfjBF30eSv1R_uQ5TdA5sRn6AeIILfW/view?usp=drivesdk
 

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
^^^
Link doesn't work for me


How many miles on the car?
My guess is possibly the strut mounts, or possibly the LCA bushings...if everything else is installed "correctly"
 

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Link doesn’t work for me either, but either way the actual troubleshooting needs to be done in person. This thread is pretty much a “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink” kinda thing.

New parts installed correctly won’t make noise, so something is still off.
 
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