Why's my mate's Golf GTI shimmying?

[Ari]

Mate of mine bought a 1998 (I think, MK4 1.8T anyway) Golf GTI recently with about 90,000 miles on it.

When it's on gentle to medium acceleration the whole car shimmies from side to side. It's not through the steering like a wheel balance issue, you feel it most through the seats. And it's not rapid like a wheel balance or a vibration either, I suppose it's a couple of shimmies a second.

It's most noticeable when pulling up hills, particularly in second or third gear at around 30-40mph.

Bit of a loss as to what it could be, anyone got any suggestions?

[Mikeyplum]

Could be the engine mounts and dogbone bushes...

If these wear, which they tend to do, they can put a lot of vibration/juddering into the cab... especially when its under load (perhaps in too low a gear)...

[PHmember]

Has he checked the boot for a 'not quite dead' prostitute?

[KenBlocksPants]

Wheel bearing?

[DannyVTS]

KenBlocksPants said:

Wheel bearing?

Can't say if this is the problem but wheel bearings are meant to be a common consumable on the mk4

[V88Dicky]

Rear wheels out of balance can be felt through the whole car, maybe this?

[thiscocks]

Rear suspension bushes quite likely. Wheel bearing worn would not make the car move about

[S1_RS]

Buckled, bent or out of shape wheel?

[Chicane-UK]

Could be a lot of different things already mentioned in this thread. Think they all need checking by the sounds of it!

[iva cosworth]

Ari said:

Mate of mine bought a 1998 (I think, MK4 1.8T anyway) Golf GTI recently with about 90,000 miles on it.

When it's on gentle to medium acceleration the whole car shimmies from side to side. It's not through the steering like a wheel balance issue, you feel it most through the seats. And it's not rapid like a wheel balance or a vibration either, I suppose it's a couple of shimmies a second.

It's most noticeable when pulling up hills, particularly in second or third gear at around 30-40mph.

Bit of a loss as to what it could be, anyone got any suggestions?

sounds to me like a driveshaft/cv joint thats not quite straight

[Simes205]

Most likely driveshaft, failing CV joint.

Accelerating up a hill, lots of load.
I bet it doesn't do it going down a hill in neutral.

[ROOODBOY]

I had something very similar recently with a neighbours' Mzda 323, turned out to be a visibly out of shape rear tyre.

[Ari]

If it were rear wheels, rear wheel bearing etc, would it not do it all the time? It's the fact that it only does it under power that makes me wonder whether it's drive train related?

[rhinochopig]

iva cosworth said:

Ari said:

Mate of mine bought a 1998 (I think, MK4 1.8T anyway) Golf GTI recently with about 90,000 miles on it.

When it's on gentle to medium acceleration the whole car shimmies from side to side. It's not through the steering like a wheel balance issue, you feel it most through the seats. And it's not rapid like a wheel balance or a vibration either, I suppose it's a couple of shimmies a second.

It's most noticeable when pulling up hills, particularly in second or third gear at around 30-40mph.

Bit of a loss as to what it could be, anyone got any suggestions?

sounds to me like a driveshaft/cv joint thats not quite straight

Joking apart, if the CV boot splits then you can get grit into the splines which causes them to wear - symptom vibration.

OP check the CV boots are intact and still full of grease.

Edited by rhinochopig on Wednesday 18th May 16:34

[The Wookie]

As it's load dependent I'd guess engine mount or CV joint

[Silver940]

Inner CV joint

[Ari]

That's brilliant, I'll pass it on to him.

Any other thoughts, do keep them coming.

[Gunk]

The Wookie said:

As it's load dependent I'd guess engine mount or CV joint

If it's a CV joint it will clunk on full lock when pulling away.

It could be something as simple as a bent alloy wheel or poor wheel balancing

[Simes205]

Simes205 said:

Most likely driveshaft, failing CV joint.

Accelerating up a hill, lots of load.
I bet it doesn't do it going down a hill in neutral.

Get him to try this

It will rule out the bent wheel nonsense.

[Ari]

It's not a bent wheel or wheel balance because it only does it under load, it's perfect on even throttle or decelerating.