Looking at Conspiracy Theories...

[rs899]

I don't think it's the steering.  Anyway, mine is tight.

It FEELS like that rear lower control bushing is the problem.  I started digging in from the floor down this evening, but it started raining.  I am tempted to give that bolt the proper torque- don't think its at 96 foot pounds.

[theman53]

I would have to look in my bentley and it has been 3 years since I did it, but I swear it was under 50ft lbs. Mine definately didn't say anything about one time use either...hmmm.

Anyway, I would at least look at that part closer. I would tread very lightly on it, but loosen it up and see if it was grabbing ahold. If it is, what is the noise??? This has me confused.

[libbydiesel]

When I accelerate moderately I can feel the car pulling to the right and then back left when I ease off the throttle.

That is caused by the passenger side front control arm to frame bushing or possibly the welded in stud/bolt has broken its weld.

You know I got that backwards.  It would be the driver's side control arm bushing or bolt, not the pass side. 

[damac]

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v44/kellyass/?action=view&current=Untitled-1.jpg


now that i think back i degreased and wire wheeled my bolts but i doubt that i put that much torque on them.  mainly because i was paranoid after reading about people stripping those out and having to repair from above.  i will check mine and see what the wrench says.

[rs899]

I would have to look in my bentley and it has been 3 years since I did it, but I swear it was under 50ft lbs. Mine definately didn't say anything about one time use either...hmmm.

Anyway, I would at least look at that part closer. I would tread very lightly on it, but loosen it up and see if it was grabbing ahold. If it is, what is the noise??? This has me confused

It's a fairly distinct "pop" when braking or sometimes accelerating, usually in combo with a left hand turn.  The noise is coming from the pass side lower foot area.

The pirated and widely distributed Haynes lists its torque at 96 ft pounds.  The outer sway bar end bolt is 18 ft pounds- maybe that's what you were thinking , "man"?

[libbydiesel]

The front wheels pull the body under power.  Because of this, if there is any play between the suspension and the body, the front wheel with play will move forward relative the body under load and move back when the power is removed.  The driver's side tire moving forward will cause it to pull to the right under power and the passenger side moving will cause it to pull to the left.  I'm sorry that I worded that wrong previously.  You may have two separate issue, the clunk and the pull, but I will staunchly state that if it pulls to the right under power, then the issue of excess movement in the suspension must be on the driver's side.  I'm also happy to be wrong about it.  

[rs899]

I guess I am going to cross my fingers and torque them to 96 ft pounds .  I can imagine that the tack welds may not stand for that.

[rs899]

Update-

Cranked the rear lower control arm bolts on both sides to 96 ft lbs.  Nothing popped or gave way that I could tell.

Passenger side is still popping on moderate acceleration- braking doesn't seem to set it off.

I think I got rid of most of the pulling on acceleration.

Next weekend I think I will replace the right LCA with a new one I have and see if I find any issues while I am doing it.  I am running out of other ideas.

[ToddA1]

Out of curiosity, is there a reason I see many people changing just the tie rod ends?  I've always changed the entire thing... do the inners rarely go bad?

What year Audi TT are you looking at for the solid bushings?

-Todd

[rs899]

This is the solid bushing for  Audi TT/VW R32:

http://www.fcpeuro.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=8n0407181b

I already have a pair of new Deeza LCAs with new original bushings and ball joints, so I am going to use them and hope I discover something I missed on the right side the first time I did this.

As for tie rod ends, I think the outers wear a lot faster than the inners.  The test of the inners is supposed to be if you can disconnect the outer and gravity keeps the end up, but I have reused sets that failed this but still had no discernable slop.

[R.O.R-2.0]

if it pulls based on throttle, then you got a bushing or bolt loose somewhere..

tie rods or ends maybe?

when my Jetta was MISSING the rear a-arm bolt, it did the same thing..

[rs899]

I think I fixed the pulling/squirreliness on throttle by torquing the LCAs per spec.

But I get a "pop" about a quarter second off the line'

The outer tie rods are new- the inners are about a year old.

Still gonna change the right LCA tomorrow.  I hope I find something...

[Smokey Eddy]

The rubber bump stops on the top of the strut towers forever made noise. OEM used. New Chinese. New German... always make noises all the time. Driving over bumps. Turning the steering wheel...

[rs899]

Another wasted weekend chasing the devil.

Replaced right LCA with a new Deeza that includes new bushings.

No change- still pops on moderate acceleration about 1/4 second after throttle applied.

Swapped right side axle back to what I had earlier- nada- still pops

Just for the hell of it, I might swap struts side to side, but I don't feel anything unusual in the right hand strut bearing ( which is German Febi and about 4 months old).

When I removed the old LCA (which I had pressed a new bushing into) I did notice a bit of shiny metal on top and correspondingly on the top surface of the pocket on the subframe. But, it's really faint. The next thing I guess I need to try is to use an Audi TT/R32 bushing.

The sound ("pop") just doesn't seem to correspond to the visual, but, for the life of me , I can't dope it out...why only one side?  Why didn't it happen before on the old worn out bushings?

I feel like giving up and taking this to a pro...but seems like another way to waste money. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

Another wasted weekend chasing the devil.

Replaced right LCA with a new Deeza that includes new bushings.

No change- still pops on moderate acceleration about 1/4 second after throttle applied.

Swapped right side axle back to what I had earlier- nada- still pops

Just for the hell of it, I might swap struts side to side, but I don't feel anything unusual in the right hand strut bearing ( which is German Febi and about 4 months old).

When I removed the old LCA (which I had pressed a new bushing into) I did notice a bit of shiny metal on top and correspondingly on the top surface of the pocket on the subframe. But, it's really faint. The next thing I guess I need to try is to use an Audi TT/R32 bushing.

The sound ("pop") just doesn't seem to correspond to the visual, but, for the life of me , I can't dope it out...why only one side?  Why didn't it happen before on the old worn out bushings?

I feel like giving up and taking this to a pro...but seems like another way to waste money. 

tighten the control arm bolts tighter

and the sub frame bolts..

like tighter than you think it needs to be..