A4 feeling wobbly when driving

[KPoolie]

A few month ago my A4 started too feel abit shakey and wobbly when driving, it was very notacable because it was always a smooth drive before. I knew the brake discs were desperate and I thought maybe one or two of them were warped and this was causing the shaking. When I was changing the back drivers side brake I noticed that the spring was snapped. I had to drive the car with a snapped spring to work for a few weeks until I could change it and I think this has caused the tire to be worn on one side. I got the spring fixed and it felt loads better however the woobly feeling when I'm driving is still there. Could it be the uneven tire or should I get the opposite back spring changed also? The wobbly and shaking feeling is not in the steering wheel at all, more from the car itself. At first I thought I'd done something wrong when putting the wheels back on after changing the rotor and pads, I mounted them as best as I could, tightening them in a star shape to 120nm. The shaking also doesn't start only when I accelerate, it still shakes when no gas is applied. Thanks for any help. KP

[Steve Q]

Springs should be changed together due to the wear rate. I'd be also looking bat getting tracking checked if the tyres are wearing unevenly. 

Cheers

Steve

[Magnet]

Hello Kieron,

Judging by what you say, and particularly your reference to a broken rear spring and a shaking through the car - felt through the seat, not the steering wheel?- I would be getting the tyres thoroughly examined for sidewall on other damage. Pay particular attention to the rear tyres and particularly the tyre which was on the broken spring side. It is not unusual for broken springs to damage the inside wall of a tyre. 

If this were mine, I would be treating this tyre inspection as urgent, and certainly not just a walk around look, but removing each wheel in turn and ideally getting them set up on a wheel balancer, to give you an idea of which one may be defective. 

Urgent, would be the operative word in my book.

Kind regards,

Gareth.  

[KPoolie]

Thanks for the reply. I've been told that it's possible that the shock absorber might have been shot when I was driving with the broken spring. I'm going to replace that and get the tires checked also. 

[Magnet]

Hello Kieron,

Why change the shock absorbers on a ‘....might have been shot..’ assumption, before getting a free (and very important) tyre check first?

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[KPoolie]

2 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Kieron,

Why change the shock absorbers on a ‘....might have been shot..’ assumption, before getting a free (and very important) tyre check first?

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

I am getting the tyres checked first. The busted shock absorber would make sence to me in regards to the wobbling/bouncing feeling through the car though. I would think if it was the tyres then this would be felt mostly through the steering wheel? Which isn't the case. Not to mention the driving with a broken spring would have put the shock under more strain. That said I'm hoping you're right and the tyres are the only issue - easier fix. KP

[Magnet]

Hello Kieron,

Front tyre issues/imbalance - effect felt through the steering wheel.

Rear tyre issue/imbalance - effect felt though the seat and/or the whole car. 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[KPoolie]

2 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Kieron,

Front tyre issues/imbalance - effect felt through the steering wheel.

Rear tyre issue/imbalance - effect felt though the seat and/or the whole car. 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Thanks for all the help, Gareth. So, I had a new tire fitted today (the rear one where it was worn on the inside from the snapped spring) and it does feel like there is an improvement and less of the vibration/bouncing feeling when driving. However there is still some shaking still which seems to be more from the front passenger side (items in my glove box are shaking loads) and can be felt more at lower speeds (still no vibration in the steering wheel though). The mechanic did say that the tyre on that side is quite bald and needs changing so I'm thinking if I get that changed next week the problem could be solved? KP

[Magnet]

Did you have them to remove the other rear tyre and check that for damage and balance Kieron? 

Kind regards,

Gareth.