Need new wheel hub

[BouncingCzech]

Just wanted to get a little advice on this. I took my 2004 VRS (had it for 3 weeks now) in to the garage to get the tracking done as it was pulling to the left pretty heavily and it turned out that the previous owner had banged it fairly hard (probably skidded in to a pavement when all the snow was about) and bent the front passenger wheel hub.

If you look at the car head on you can see that the front passenger wheel sticks out more than the front driver wheel, so that's what's pulling.

Apparently it's not dangerous to drive around on, bit ****ed the previous owner didn't mention it, but I still want to sort it out.

Best price I've had so far is £300 though from a dealer in Bristol, I've been told to check all the dismantlers and parts places as I may be able to get one much cheaper that way.

If anyone knows a good parts place, or happens to come across a part that might suit, please let me know!

BC,

[MoggyTech]

Firstly I doubt very much is has bent the actual hub, far more likely to have bent the suspension leg (damper) and probably the wishbone.

You will need suspension leg, wishbone and balljoint, top turret bearing and various single use bolts.

[BouncingCzech]

Okay, so you think the hub is salvageable but the suspension leg and join behind it likely what's bent? Is it going to be any cheaper for me to get these parts individually? Ebay's coming up short and besides that, I wouldn't know where to look.

I've phoned Volksmania in Bristol and a dismantler in Avonmouth and though don't have anything for a VRS.

Edited 17 March, 2011 by BouncingCzech

[BouncingCzech]

Think I found the wishbone and balljoint on ebay, but that's about it.

Edited 17 March, 2011 by BouncingCzech

[MoggyTech]

Suspension leg from dealer or euro car parts I would think. You will also need to find out if the stub axle is bent.

[BouncingCzech]

I don't know what to think to be honest. The first mechanic I took it to said they put the car on their laser tracking thing and it was absolutely fine, then he showed me that the previous owner had obviously hit a curb hard and bent the wheel out of shape (obviously not the hub, more like the joint behind I suppose). Anyway they rekon I need an entirely new hub kit, I don't think they're trying to rob me because they were sending me elsewhere to get it so.. not really anything in it for them...

Anyway, I took it to another mechanic and they said there hasn't been any kind of damage and it's fine. They made some minor adjustments to the tracking but that's about it. It still pulls to the left pretty significantly, they tried to fob me off with crap about the general slope in the road contributing to the drift.

I don't really know what to believe now.

[Fabby]

My front left tyre always wears quicker than my front right. When the left is worn more than the right I get a pull to the left.... After change of tyres it is always reduced.

My tracking showed perfect but car was still pulling left due to tyre wear...

May be worth swapping tyres/wheels between front left and front right (May need tyres turning around if they are directional). May also be worn console bushes??

[Guest BigJase88]

fabia's pull to the left its just something they do

my mk4 golf and lupo do it too

something to do with being designed for the camber on the european roads

[dgmp]

I'd pop your head underneath and see if anythings bent. Check the outside of the wishbone arm and the strut. The hub would shear not bend as it's cast, also you'd have to break pretty much everything around the hub before it broke.

Give the wishbone a really good firm wiggling, see if the bushes have any play in them. Sometimes it's really tough to notice unless you have the car on the ground, handbrake on, push the wheel forward and backward, you should see if there's any play then.

[BouncingCzech]

Cheers guys, very helpful! I think it's just one of those things I'm just going to have to live with it, as long as it's not dangerous or damaging to the car I don't mind. But having said that I do have 4 completely different tyres on there at the minute so I'm hoping it will reduce a little when I get a decent set that are all the same make/model.

[tag1_uk]

I wouldn't bother getting new tyres until the suspension is sorted, a dodgy suspension can very rapidly (if not dangerously) knacker tyres.