Hi guys, i recently noticed some free play in my front suspension when giving the front wheels a hard up/down wobble (rather than side to side if you know what i mean )

Now i have had this in many cars, and it always turned out to be the lower ball joints. So, £50 later and completely new suspension arms (both sides) and associated bolts replaced and steering tracked, free play is still there.

Next i checked the steering rack again (of course i did this before i just spent money on arms!!!) when both track rod ends removed absolutely no free play detected in the rack.

OK me thinks, check bearings. Bearing in mind they have both recently been done as well, removed the hubs and brake disks, and, no matter how hard i tried with my 20" long extender bar, could detect no free play in either bearing.

reassembeld front suspension completely , and thought maybe just a disassemble/reassemble would have sorted it........but NO. damn it.

Just about the only thing i have not checked is the shocks, would they cause this?????

When i feel the free play, its almost like the suspension itself is not moving, but something heavy, with a rubbery bump (again if you know what i mean ) is moving independant of the wheels/bearings/steering/balljoints.

i have to say, i am at a loss!

any ideas and suggestions will be greatly appreciated, because i just know they will find it in my MOT in a month.

cheerio!!!!!

....oh and all the engine mounts look and feel fine, and were checked last week in local skoda place

a blown shock can make lots of funny noises. sounds like it could be the upper shouck mounts.

open the bonnet, and check the two little nuts next to the top of the suspention turret (one infront, and one behind) if there not tight the whole sus unit will move.

if its not that, then its probly a blown shock. should only be about £30ish a side.

when you jack it up, and turn the front wheels do the shocks and springs turn with the wheel?

if so its the upper bushes gone

dirst cheap about £2 and quite easy to do if you jack the car right and drop the assembley down a bit.

yeah, i'd suggest the upper suspension mounting too

I'd check the rear bush on the suspension arm ..unless that was replaced as well in which case ignore this post. I had similar symptoms on the first Favorit we had..and I replaced the shocker, which was a waste of time /money. put a new rear bush on, and hey presto. Never had this problem again on next Fav or two Felicias so it might have been a quality problem on early preVW vehicle, but worth checking all the same.

Alfie 168

if i jack the car right up and remove the two little nuts on top of the suspension turret can i remove the whole shock/spring assembly without needing spring compressors and whatnot (i dont have these) to check the bushes?

what exactly wll i be looking at? and looking for? (haynes manual not so good)

jack up,

take wheel off,

undo and remove pinch bolt from bottom of damper,

tap the bearing holder casting untill its loose,

put brick under it (suport)

open bonnet,

remove strut brace (if you have one)

undo the two bolts next to the sus turret,

remove damper + spring.