Just got back from a faultless 800 mile trip to the west coast of Ireland last night.

 

This afternoon coming back from work, 10 min commute, I heard a small crack from the left side. All appeared normal travelling on the A38.

 

As I was slowing down and turning into my home street I felt some wobbling. I thought I had a flat.

 

Checked all wheels. nothing!

 

Took it around the block and the side wobble is very evident at 25-30.

 

Lifted each wheel to check for anything loose, all felt solid and rotate freely. Very strange. All coils look fine.

 

Could it be a driveshaft? I don't want to take it any faster in case something happens.

 

Any ideas?

 

Could tracking that has been knocked out of position cause such wobbling? My leg on the centre console moves side to side.

Edited 5 August, 201510 yr by Brit24

I know you don't want to go any faster and probably wise, but does it appear to get worse with more wheel speed? If you heard a crack I'd be checking the driveshafts for damage and excessive play at the inner joint.

Alignment wouldn't really cause pure wobbling I don't think, would be at least accompanied by veering and off centre steering.

I would check your track rod ends though. As you heard a crack hopefully something obvious will pop up. Turn your wheels out and give all shafts and rods a good inspection.

I know you don't want to go any faster and probably wise, but does it appear to get worse with more wheel speed? If you heard a crack I'd be checking the driveshafts for damage and excessive play at the inner joint.

Alignment wouldn't really cause pure wobbling I don't think, would be at least accompanied by veering and off centre steering.

I would check your track rod ends though. As you heard a crack hopefully something obvious will pop up. Turn your wheels out and give all shafts and rods a good inspection.

Had a look around the shafts and rods. Nothing stood out unfortunately. There was a very slight movement of the offside shaft with the wheel turned full in.

 

I am trying to get hold of a local mobile mechanic who does good work at reasonable prices on your driveway.

Only thing I found was a loose gator on the nearside. Could have leaked grease and caused damage? Had that before on another car but the grease sprayed everywhere. I did smell some burning occasionaly, could have been drops of grease on the exhaust.

 

Mechanic called me and said most likely cause are broken coils but I checked and couldn't see any visible signs of damage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Describe the movement more in the offside shaft?

Are you sure the springs not broken where you can't see?

If that gaiter has gone and grease is lost the heat and dirt would have got to it eventually, the crack you heard could have been something collapsing in the joint but play in the shaft would be very noticeable. Could be a spring, very hard to say without having a dig about though.

Check the lower arm rear bushes?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Describe the movement more in the offside shaft?

Are you sure the springs not broken where you can't see?

If that gaiter has gone and grease is lost the heat and dirt would have got to it eventually, the crack you heard could have been something collapsing in the joint but play in the shaft would be very noticeable. Could be a spring, very hard to say without having a dig about though.

Not really any movement on the shafts after double checking. I lifted the wheels off the ground and only rotational movement from the gearbox.

 

I guess a spring may have broken at the end where I can't see. Only could run my fingers along the ends where I couldn't see.

 

Guess I'll have to wait until the mobile mechanic gets here next week to lift up the car and get a better picture.

 

There is a local VW garage but they have silly reduced hours and no weekend work. Not much use for me without taking time off work.

Check the lower arm rear bushes?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Haven't checked these. Could these cause a side to side wobble also?

Is it best to lift up the wheel to check these?

 

MOT was done just a few weeks ago and no advisories.

Jack the car up 6 inches you should find it easy to see them without taking the wheel off. Lever them with a screwdriver see how much movement you have. Also you can now spin the tyre by hand and look for bulges in the tyre tread and if you get your eye level with the bottom of the tyre as you spin the tyre at the same time look for a deflection in the tyre tread. Just make sure your car's jacked up safe before you stick your head under there.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

What I did notice now after another check before reading your last post was periodic clunking usually after going over some speed bumps around the house.

 

Also if I move the front wheel sideways back and forth strongly there is a faint clunking noise (maybe from the outer cv joint or wheel bearing?) Nothing on the other side - solid as a rock.

Is there any noise when you drive slow at full lock? That would point to outer cv joint. That does sound like play around there somewhere. Don't know how likely it is that your wheel bearing has completely collapsed? Does sound like somethings going on around the hub end of the driveshaft though, could also be lower arm related, have you checked the hub nut?

What I did notice this morning was that the rear suspension arm bushing( offside) looks pretty knackered.

after 4 visits to various garages today, only kwik fit could do a safety check on it as all were busy.

 

they identified the issue as being the front wishbone bushings. excessive play. Nothing else wrong, rear fine, bearings and struts all fine.

250 quid to replace both sides.

 

Maybe my mobile mechanic can do this for cheaper.

 

Parts are super cheap 36 pounds:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKODA-OCTAVIA-PAIR-NEW-FRONT-SUSPENSION-LOWER-WISHBONES-ARM-BALL-JOINT-x2-/231360854024?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&fits=Car+Make%3ASkoda|Model%3AOctavia&hash=item35de2e7808

Edited 8 August, 201510 yr by Brit24

250 that's a lot. There easy. 1 hour's work max on a ramp. 2 hours max on the floor.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I did say lower arm rear bushes. Maybe I should have said front lower arm rear bushes.

Edited 8 August, 201510 yr by FLAPPERJACK7

250 that's a lot. There easy. 1 hour's work max on a ramp. 2 hours max on the floor.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I did say lower arm rear bushes. Maybe I should have said front lower arm rear bushes.

Good to know. May tackle it myself.

 

Are the bushings integrated into the new wishbones you buy? Do I need any other parts? Track rod ends perhaps or leave those in place?

Will they come off without taking the wheel nut off?

Whats socket sizes will I need?

 

A link to a good guide?

 

Have some good hex sockets, plenty of wrenches, a 3 foot breaker bar, 3 ton stands etc.

you will either need to buy new wishbones, or get new bushes pressed into your existing arms (need a hydraulic press for this)

you will either need to buy new wishbones, or get new bushes pressed into your existing arms (need a hydraulic press for this)

Will buy new wishbones for sure. I see they have the bushes already in. Thanks.

Think I'm missing an 18mm socket. I'm pretty experienced with tighting up bolts without a torque wrench (except heads of course, always used a torque wrench on those but I don't have a torque wrench right now), How accurate do these bolts need torquing? Are any stretch bolts?

 

Would you recommend changing these other links? links and track rods?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261263751402

 

(went to brand new ATS centre and a formula one autocentre today and they said they were veyr busy and couldn't fit me in to check the underside - huge workshops with 6 car ramps all being unused with 1 guy working on 1 car!! Busy?? No ramps being used and not 1 drop of oil around them, hmmm)

Edited 8 August, 201510 yr by Brit24

Probably best to change the anti roll bar bushes if they are easy to remove while I'm at it.

Wishbones arriving tomorrow.

Got the local AME garage booked to put them on this Wednesday. 75 quid! Less hassle that struggling myself. I really needed to buy a 3 ton jack anyway to get it up on good stands. It's a big car!

Driveshafts are shot!!

Got the wishbones changed today as they were pretty knackered also. Only charged me 60 quid to change them (I bought the pair online before).

 

Just bought a pair of driveshafts and they'll change them next week.

Probably have the get the ATF/filter changed also as they said oil normally leakes out when changing them.

Wanted to change the ATF anyway.

I was thinking driveshaft/s was it the inner joint? What replacements did you get? Oem ones have a hollow shaft for better balancing, not all aftermarket ones do. Unfortunately I don't think there's anyone who refurbs oem over here like in the states. Anyway, be careful as it's not unknown for people to fit brand new pattern part ones and still experience the wobble because of the shaft design.

Don't want to scare you it's just a friendly warning.

I was thinking driveshaft/s was it the inner joint? What replacements did you get? Oem ones have a hollow shaft for better balancing, not all aftermarket ones do. Unfortunately I don't think there's anyone who refurbs oem over here like in the states. Anyway, be careful as it's not unknown for people to fit brand new pattern part ones and still experience the wobble because of the shaft design.

Don't want to scare you it's just a friendly warning.

The ones I bought were from J&R cv joints. couldn't find any others except for going directly to skoda. Automatic ones weren't common.

Solid shafts.

 

Now a question - Do they really leak oil from the auto box when removed or are they totally separate?

 

The guys in the workshop say it's probably better to change the seals and replace the gearbox oil as they sometimes leak oil when removing the shafts. I'm not sure if that is true.

Been meaning to get the oil changed anyway. Ordered a new auto gearbox filter and gasket just in case.

 

I know on the manual boxes there is no leakage, they are separate.

Edited 14 August, 201510 yr by Brit24

Can the driveshafts on the automatic be replaced without touching the gearbox oil?

What engine code is your Octavia?, I'll look on Elsawin if you could confirm please.

You can take them out. With no oil loss. 6 bolts at the gearbox end on each side. Easy peasy. ..

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk