Front end noise explained

[bigdyno]

I had indicated that I was having front end noise in a previous thread and thought it might be the fuel line problem that some others on this thread were experiencing. When I took the car to a dealer, they discovered it was sub frame bolts that had loosened off, so they retightened them and all seemed to be corrected.

Not so. I was changing my oil a week and a half ago, only to find these bolts were loose again. The car went back to the dealer and this is the story, it sounds reasonable, but I am skeptical about anything a dealer tells me.

The bolts are torque to yield, which means that the bolt is engineered to stretch a specific ammount and maintain a set tension when torqued to spec. Once the bolt is loosened, it is junk as it has been stretched. The bolts pictured are all torque to yield and needed to be replaced.

My concern is that the new ones have all been installed with an impact, not a torque wrench,(you can tell by the markings on one edge of the bolt heads) so I may experience this all over again, but lets hope not, eh.

Here are some pics of the bolts as I found them, when I get a chance I will take a few of how they are now that they have been replaced.

Also note all the paint they scraped off the sway bar, I had them touch that up as well......

 

[SSS_Hoon]

damm so this is the front end, do we need to take the air damm of too see them?


SSS_Hoon

 

[Supratgti]

thats not right AT all... i would have them replace the whole thing and if they didnt bring them to court... spend all the money on a new car and you get that? Not right at all

 

[bigdyno]

damm so this is the front end, do we need to take the air damm of too see them?


SSS_Hoon

these pictures are from under the car, taken while I was changing the oil. The air dam was off, but I don't think you need it off to see them. The two bolts that you can see are clearly not tightened are located above the center of the lower a-arm, so if you turn the steering wheel all the way right/left, you should be able to see these without getting under the car.

The other bolts are on the bottom of the subframe, you will need to be under the car to see them.

 

[Wargen023]

I have to say that mechanic must be a real amateur by the looks of your sway bar, good thing you let them know :thumbsup:

 

[Delboy]

Could you use some Loctite thread lock on them.I know you should'nt have to, but at least you'd know it was ok after.

 

[bigdyno]

Could you use some Loctite thread lock on them.I know you should'nt have to, but at least you'd know it was ok after.

Apparently this was suggested by VWoC as an additional step to replacing the bolts

 

[Finnegan]

That's a little scary. VW should be putting loctite on those bolts from the factory.

 

[james2]

Do you have the picture from the subframe bolts?

 

[marzlam791]

i dont see any pics

 

[dlaitm]

reviving the thread from 2 years ago?