Unsafe car preventing me seeing my daughter help!!

[dr_jekyll]

Help!

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Ok,
Third attempt at trying to write this.

Car in question is my stage 2 hdi estate

Last week the car developed a judder feeling whilst only turning left. The judder is best described as a sensation of the inside passangers wheel losing and gaining traction. This feeling only occurs over 20mph while turning left and very mildly over bumps while going straight. The feling is transfered through the body work and not the steering.

Brief history of the passanger side:
-Single thread in top mount torn out
-two weeks ago ball joint replaced
-mild play in passangers wheel bearing

Yestoday i tried to diagnose the problem with the following steps:
-checked lynx engineering bearing wishbones with a pry bar and all related bolts
-checked both ball joints with a pry bar and all related bolts
-checked track rod ends with a pry bar
-check for play in the rack by moving each wheel by hand and making sure everything including steering wheel works in sink
-visible inspection of top mounts

Conclusion:
-passangers track rod has damaged dust cover but no play.
-passangers wheel bearing play seems to have dissapeared
-top mount on drivers side sounds like its grinding and appear to sit taller.


With the conclusion i decided to replace both top mounts. Upon removing the drivers i discovered the bearing had halfed
The passangers bearing was lightly corroded but fully functional with mild play so was re-used.
Whilst fixing this i discovered my gearbox seal on the drivers side was leaking. Replaced the seal, drained the box to inspect the oil. Was dark but was not contaminated with swarf. Fresh oil back in.

*** judder continues ***

This brings me too today. Going by what people had said on facebook i decided to check the drive shafts.

How i did this:
-check for in and out play
-check for side to side play
-check for twist play

Conclusion:
-passangers side has excessive in and out play. Twist play also present *DEAD*
-drivers side has no play on support bearing, mild in and out play but nothing to be concerned about.

After this i replaced the passanger side shaft for a new unit that feels 100x better.

*** judder continues ***

Checked the wheels for deformaties in the tyres and rim. Checked the gearbox mount to find the two 13mm nuts had come loose so tightened. Checked wheel clearance and for signs of rubing. Removed arb links.

*** judder continues ***

Im completley lost on this. The car has cost me shit loads to solve only minor problems and has cost me seeing my daughter this week. In desperate nees of help guys!

Ive even resorted to trying to film the passanger wheel. Video came out very clear but the wheel cannot be seen moving how i feel it.

[Matt]

Is check the wheel bearing again

[dr_jekyll]

Deffo no play. Done it repeatidly

[ozonehostile]

Subframe bolts tight?

[daddyfixit]

only going left ??

cv joint on outer shaft...is it running dry ? needs re-greasing ?

or left and right ? poss the diff ?

[cully]

only been happening since the wheel bearing been replaced?

id say the spring in the cv joint has bent over making a tight spot on turning

[dr_jekyll]

Subframe bolts are proper tight.

Passanger side has brand new drive shaft. When you say cv on outer shaft do you mean drivers?

How do i check the diff?

Wheel bearing wasnt replaced, the play liturally dissapeared before the new shaft was fitted. Dodnt feel tight with no shaft in

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only been happening since the wheel bearing been replaced?

id say the spring in the cv joint has bent over making a tight spot on turning

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Subframe bolts tight?

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only going left ??

cv joint on outer shaft...is it running dry ? needs re-greasing ?

or left and right ? poss the diff ?

[toseland]

differential will be one of two things, jack up both wheels and see if you can turn one freely/.

stick it in gear the other should turn in the opposite direction.. there should be little or no resistance if this is fine, the spider gears in the differential are fine..

next thing to do is put it in neutral again and drop one wheel onto the ground, the other should still turn albeit with a little more resistance, again.. both should feel similar.

if you have stands, yuou can jack the wheels off the ground, pop it in first after starting her up and then have a look... you should, theoretically and carefully, be able to slow and stop each wheel independently of the other, DO NOT GO AND JAM YOUR HAND AGAINST THE WHEEL AS ITS TURNING, apply gentle pressure as the wheel rotates to the side of the wheel with something like a bit of wood or the handle of a spanner... it shouldnt take much effort again..

[dr_jekyll]

differential will be one of two things, jack up both wheels and see if you can turn one freely/.

stick it in gear the other should turn in the opposite direction.. there should be little or no resistance if this is fine, the spider gears in the differential are fine..

next thing to do is put it in neutral again and drop one wheel onto the ground, the other should still turn albeit with a little more resistance, again.. both should feel similar.

if you have stands, yuou can jack the wheels off the ground, pop it in first after starting her up and then have a look... you should, theoretically and carefully, be able to slow and stop each wheel independently of the other, DO NOT GO AND JAM YOUR HAND AGAINST THE WHEEL AS ITS TURNING, apply gentle pressure as the wheel rotates to the side of the wheel with something like a bit of wood or the handle of a spanner... it shouldnt take much effort again..

Ive tried this apart from the final test with the engine running and all apeared well

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I usually nip the wheel up in the air with the car in forst before torqueing on the ground

[Paul_13]

Sounds like your drive shaft could be bottoming out.

Expose the gear box mount by remove the battery and the top tray etc.

Undo the 13mm nuts and lever the engine away from the left wheel and do up the 2 x 13mm nuts and put everything back

[zx_volcane]

Only skim read so forgive me if its been covered - is the bearing on the long drive shaft that goes through engine mount done up ok / hasn't failed?

Will give symptoms you describe ...

[Paul_13]

And yes check those 11mm nuts on the hockey bolts

[dr_jekyll]

Sounds like your drive shaft could be bottoming out.

Expose the gear box mount by remove the battery and the top tray etc.

Undo the 13mm nuts and lever the engine away from the left wheel and do up the 2 x 13mm nuts and put everything back

Yes it sounds exactly like this! Will go give it a crack. Actually found those two 13mm bolts loose yestoday

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Only skim read so forgive me if its been covered - is the bearing on the long drive shaft that goes through engine mount done up ok / hasn't failed?

Will give symptoms you describe ...

The bearing did seem fine. Had a look again and there might be the lightest of play in it but nothing i would call extreme at all

[allye]

Driveshaft

[dr_jekyll]

Guess i'll have to buy a drivers side then as passangers is new. Did just leaver the gearbox over as instructed as found the mount relaxed in a position

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Moving the gearbox has made it alot worse!

[Paul_13]

Move it the other way?

[dr_jekyll]

Move it the other way?

Think ive found the issue. Jacked the car to test the diff again

Couldnt find the sound or vibration. Even with the wishbones jacked up to how low i am an a lock to lock test. Layed underneath and spotted the drivers side driveshaft is running ever so slightly eccentrically. (would love to post a video but taptalk is playing up again!)
Support bearing seems fine but the hub end isnt. This could explain the feel im getting tho im confused as to why its felt through the passanger side. It would all tie in tho i guess as the drivers side driveshaft seal went the other day, could be related to the intense vibration feel