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Weird tire wobble at 50 mph

Tiny
TRWOOD5115
  • MEMBER
  • 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 133,000 MILES
We just had a snow storm with about 15" of dry powder snow. When driving on the cleared roads at 50 mph, the right front tire seems to bounce and wobble. It doesn't do it at 45, but as I get up to 50 it gets hard to steer. All lug nuts are tight. Tires are about a year old with maybe 15,000 miles on them. I have heard a grinding/clicking noise sometimes, but not always, when turning right at slow speeds but not when turning left. What could be wrong with Grace (my white rabbit)? Will it be expensive to fix? Will it be worth it to fix?
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Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 AT 10:03 PM

8 Replies

Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,897 POSTS
Hello,

This could be a problem with your vehicle's right side constant velocity [CV] joint. The reason that you are hearing a grinding popping noise when turning at slow speed is that this is a ball and socket joint, like your shoulder, and it has a rubber boot surrounding and protecting it. When the boot gets compromised, sand, gravel, etc. Gets into the joint and wears out the socket side of the joint and makes it sloppy. So when you turn it makes the grinding popping noise. In the diagrams down below I have included the diagnostic troubleshooting guide for the CV Joint for your vehicle. Please go through this guide and get back to us with what you are able to find out. Remember that if the CV Axle is replaced, a front wheel alignment must be done.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros
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Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 AT 10:23 PM
Tiny
TRWOOD5115
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Thank you for that information and the pictures of how to fix it. But would that make it wobble/ bounce? My husband used to be a mechanic (before they were techs) but hates working on my VW. He didn't think that the CV joint would make it vibrate like that. Would it be worth fixing? I do have a VW mechanic that has been working on my car for about 5 years, so he'd be doing the work. Is it dangerous to drive at low speeds? Just until I can afford to get the work done.
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Thursday, November 28th, 2019 AT 12:25 AM
Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,897 POSTS
Hello again,

Well a tire that wobbles at a certain speed and then goes away could also be a couple of other different problems as well. It could have just thrown a weight and is now out of balance, or you could also have a bad wheel bearing. The reason I thought it was a bad CV joint was you said that it was grinding and popping when you were making slow speed turns to the right. That would indicate a bad CV joint. It should be okay to drive, but I don't have the vehicle in front of me, so I can't see how bad it is. If it just started, then I would say yes. If it has been going on for three or four months, I would say no. Please keep us informed about any progress you make with it and what it actually turns out to be.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros
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Thursday, November 28th, 2019 AT 5:54 AM
Tiny
TRWOOD5115
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Thanks for your help with this weird problem! The wobble is now gone completely. It was ice/snow built up on the inner side of the wheel! I didn't know that it had built up while it was parked when we got 18" of snow! The snow has now melted (mostly now only 2" on the ground where I park). I'll still get it checked soon for the CV joint.
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Saturday, November 30th, 2019 AT 12:33 AM
Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
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Hello,

Wow. Where are from? I live right on the coast in Northern California and it never snows here. It is basically a rain forest with a lot of fog but the temperature rarely drops below 40 degrees and rarely gets above 75 degrees.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros
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Saturday, November 30th, 2019 AT 5:45 AM
Tiny
TRWOOD5115
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
I'm in Colorado Springs CO. 75 miles south of Denver along I-25 and 35 miles north of Pueblo. We live along the "Palmer Divide" which is a ridgeline about 5 miles wide (N-S) and 30 miles across (E-W) that really screws up our weather just SW of us is Pikes Peak--another messes up our weather. We can have 2' of snow, Denver has nothing-or Denver has 2' of snow and we have nothing. It rarely lasts more than a few days, though. Most of the major roads are now clear (even though we've had 70 mph wind gusts and freezing or below temps for the last couple of days. I grew up in Portland or though, so I know about your weather. I kind of miss that! But after being here since 1983, I'm not moving back up there. It's just gotten too weird.
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Saturday, November 30th, 2019 AT 12:33 PM
Tiny
TRWOOD5115
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So you're up where the Redwoods are! We love that part of the country when we travel. We love road trips!
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Saturday, November 30th, 2019 AT 12:34 PM
Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,897 POSTS
Hello again,

I used to drive as a Over The Road [OTR] truck driver and used to go through Denver all the time. When I was driving for Central Oregon I would take a load from Seattle to Denver and then spend three weeks taking asphalt roofing shingles from Denver to Colorado Springs, 3 loads a day. You guys got the Air Force Academy and the last mountain going south on the front range is Cheyenne Mountain where NORAD is, the one with all the antenna's on top. Know your neck of the woods pretty good too.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros
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Saturday, November 30th, 2019 AT 4:44 PM

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