Ok Guys...Love this forum, you have taught me a lot! Bought the 01,2.4T FWD last May and have been rebuilding it since...some for neglect and some for just miles(now 150K). a month ago, out of nowhere I started to have the front end pull right. The steering wheel does a quick snap left, then the whole car goes right...so, I have replaced the following: Rotors, calipers, brake Lines, Struts, new tires, alignment, bled system 3x,flushed brake fluid...sparkling clear! Checked all the suspension bushings all look good..and I still have the DAMN Pull! Under 20MPH, no problem...but going 75 and having to hit the brakes slightly to slow down, and you need to be ready to grab the wheel, so I gotta fix it! Thoughts??


Tom

 

Control arm bushings haven't been replaced?

 

ES6T - they don't look like they need to be. Don't know if they ever have been though. Can hey be bad but not look like it until you take it apart??

 

I had a customer with brand new control arms that pulled drastically when braking. He went with cheap aftermarket arms. Bushings looked fine as they were brand new. Put some new OEM arms in and all was good.

 

Given the steering 'snap' before it starts pulling, that looks more like some wear in a mobile junction - such as tie rod (inner or outer), ball joint, upper strut bolt to the spindle (this bolt has some adjustment and needs to be well tight), or some loosen suspension bolt. All easy to check at a garage - no need to keep replacing parts.

If all check good, look closer at the control arm bushings: turn front wheels to full lock and look see if the front bushing is crushed.

Lastly, make sure there is no play in the axles (twist them using both hands).

 

Oragex = thanks for the thorough response. I did not replace all those parts just trying to fix this problem, they were all replaced for other reasons. I will try the lock to lock check, all other things I checked. I have read that torn subframe bushings can cause pulling as well. Any experience with the IPD Poly bushing insert kit? Thanks

Tom

 

The insert bushings for subframe work well - I think the subframe needs to be lowered to get some space to insert them, perhaps even completely remove the bolts two by two (front and rear). Typically, worn subframe bushings will cause a 'vague' steering feeling.

 

I had the same symptom on moderate to hard braking where the front end would dive to the right and the steering wheel would snap to the left. The control arm bushings looked fine (no cracks) but the rubber had partially pulled away from the metal housing. New control arms fixed the problem. I went with Meyle HD control arms from IPD.

 

Dhollow - thanks for this..it made me go look closer and on the left side i have the same issue with rubber pulling away from casting and now a tear in rear control arm bushing...the right one seems fine...is it reccomended to replace them in pairs? Why did you go with Meyle? Is alignment suggested after replacement?

 

They don't have to be replaced in pairs but I decided to do both sides (and ball joints) given the mileage on them. I chose the Meyle HD arms based on favorable comments in the forums. IPD also makes their own HD version which are a little cheaper. I just couldn't find much feedback on them and the Meyle's were on sale at the time. I did have to do an alignment after changing mine as the steering wheel was off-center.

 

I also heard good things about Meyle. There are many people reporting that various aftermarket bushings didn't last past 10k miles. Maybe Meyle is better. Meyle control arms are $150 each side off Ebay. Replacing them in pair is a good idea. If you keep and old one, the new one might wear faster. The alignment is important when replacing the control arms.