[MYFoxIZhot93]

so before my car broke down, i was able to spin second and chirp third on some med tread tires, now i know that it wasn't the power that was doing so something has to be wrong somewhere. Turns out it is my suspension. I began to notice that when i pressed the gas the front end of course would come up bcuz of the stock suspension travel, but lately it would POP up (keyword here, not just gradual i mean a pretty violent POP!) and kind of to the right and then when i would let off the gas or press the brake it would POP down and to the left. Well it seemed to come from somewhere in the front left of the car. One nite when i was in my friends car to the left of mine, my other friend began to back out my car and then stopped quickly and i watched my wheel jump forward more than an inch when it stopped. I imagine that this is coming somewhere from the control arm or area of the balljoint, but i have no idea and am not sure how to check... can anyone help me before i wind up pulling the whole front end apart lol timidly...
thanx alot and help is greatly appreciated...
bo
p.s. i apologize that i ask so much questions and am not really able to give all too much advice, you have to understand i am pretty young and just starting out with cars, i am very interested and am willing to do the work but any help i can get is more than greatly appreciated...
thanx so much guys and i hope one day i can help someone else too

 

[FoxII]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (MYFoxIZhot93)

I'm having a similar problem you can feel the car actually jerk to the side then jerk back (but isn't cool to spin those tires forever). I jacked up the front of the car and checked to see if there was any lateral or axial play in the struts (by holding the wheel and trying to move it up and down then foward and back. You betcha there was about 3/4 of an inch of travel, well anyway I have a upper strut bushing that's shot and has to be replaced. If that is your problem, I ordered bushings for both sides (no since having to just wonder when the other side will go) from steven's european automotive, ask for Andre.

 

[Germany_MOM]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (MYFoxIZhot93)

Quote, originally posted by MYFoxIZhot93 »

I began to notice that when i pressed the gas the front end of course would come up bcuz of the stock suspension travel, but lately it would POP up (keyword here, not just gradual i mean a pretty violent POP!) and kind of to the right and then when i would let off the gas or press the brake it would POP down and to the left.

Hmm... It sounds to me like a binding suspension component. I have not yet seen (my way of saying "it could be this, but I doubt it") a ball joint cause this kind of problem. Usually, the ball joints and TREs develop lots of slop, but would not bind in this way.
What I have seen from time to time are binding struts. Sometimes, when struts wear out, the chrome will wear off the shaft, leaving a rustable and coarse area on the shaft. I have seen struts and shocks actually lock up if neglected long enough.
If this is your problem, the struts probably have very little oil left in them: the bad spot on the strut shaft will readily leak lots of oil. Check your struts for oil leaks and examine the shafts for the kind of wear I have described. With many cars, and especially Foxes, replace the strut bearings while replacing struts. If you want strut bearings that won't fly apart in 10K miles, IM me. I'll give you a phone number.
Also, part of what you have described sounds somewhat like a bad CV axle. I am referring to the jumping you described in the front wheel. This should not cause the upward "pop" under acceleration, nor should it cause the harsh downward "pop" under deceleration. But, for your peace of mind, and knowing you have replaced the right thing, you should check the CV as well. Inspect the boots, then spin the wheels with the front end lifted. Watch for any binding or noises coming from the joints.


Modified by TeraFox at 5:15 PM 7-20-2003

 

[MYFoxIZhot93]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (TeraFox)

thanx guys i will check all this out and use this as a reason to get new struts and springs lol, but thanx alot i hated this problem
bo

 

[Evilclown]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (MYFoxIZhot93)

Check under the car to make sure everything's tight. Pulling in one direction or the other under load and on decel is a sign of something being loose; control arm, ball joint, wheel lugs, etc. Also check to make sure the tires are at the right pressure. This could cause the pulling, but not the pop.
The pop leads me to believe that the strut mount is bad and shifting in its spot.

 

[MYFoxIZhot93]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (TeraFox)

ok i was searching techtonics tunings site because i already have a rather large order coming through for them. Is part #412.125 Upper Strut Bearings for 85 and up golf, jetta II; what i should be getting?? or should i get the A1 bearings or at best stick with somewhere you all have gotten parts from??? if so can one of you give me a number or website where i can get these??? thanx
bo

 

[Germany_MOM]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (MYFoxIZhot93)

Without modifications to the chassis (strut towers) you have to stick with the Fox strut bearings. The A2s are different and the A1s are radically different. The Fox part number is ZBA 412 (and three more numbers, which I have firgotten.)

 

[MYFoxIZhot93]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (TeraFox)

i called up good ole techtonics and the part no. is 412.145, of course it isnt on the website so i had to call about it but you know, you cant win em all. Anyway thank you all for giving me advice and hopefully once i finish the rebuild this will be one of my other problems that i fix!
thanx again,
bo

 

[FoxII]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (MYFoxIZhot93)

what price did they give you??????????????????
I only say this because there are a lot of different cars manufactured today; and since every pep boy, and auto barn, and atv etc cant stock every part for every car there are only three or four super warehouses in the United States. When a
dealer says he can get the part for you; sure he gets it from one of these warehouses... BUT THEN HE ADDS ON TO THE PRICE!!!!! Try to get your parts wholesale you've been warned.


Modified by FoxII at 1:55 AM 7-22-2003

 

[MYFoxIZhot93]

Re: suspension pop??!?! anyone have any ideas (FoxII)

im getting them from techtonics for 35, i dont really think its that bad, but it doesnt really matter anyway because i was in the process of ordering 450 bucks in parts already so i just added that on... but thanx for the concern and the warning...
bo