Bouncy front end !

[x.D]

I have coils on my jetta and am sitting decently low. Just recently, after a year having them on the car, the front end is extremely bouncy and jumpy.

I replaced the two front struts and still have the issue. Could this be caused by the springs?? Maybe they are just getting soft on me?

Also due to this issue, my stock front sway bar is rubbing on my axle around turns and any small bump.

Any insite?

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

Sounds like the springs. If the sway is rubbing get shorter endlinks. Maybe think about getting a notch if your that low.

[x.D]

Hmm. Guess that's all that can really cause it to bounce. Either springs or struts. Might just have to get new springs.

But shorter end links will pull the sway bar up closer to the axle won't it? I would need longer end links but not long enough to hit the control arm. Right??

It goes axle, sway bar, control arm.

[edward40handz]

Check the sway bar and make sure its tight and bushings aren't shot. When I removed my swaybar my car was a bit more jumpy than before.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[x.D]

When I completely unhooked the sway bar from the struts, it seemed to ride just as shi*ty as before. You think the bushings can cause that??

Any though about my end link statement above?

[edward40handz]

When I completely unhooked the sway bar from the struts, it seemed to ride just as shi*ty as before. You think the bushings can cause that??

Any though about my end link statement above?

Im pretty dure your issue id strictly sway bar related ..

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

Point of shorter links is two give more room between the sway and control arm.

[x.D]

But the sway bar is hitting the bottom of the axle. Why would it need to be further from the control arm and closer to the axle?

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

Are your struts installed in the housing all the way? Your sway bar should not be hitting the axle, ever...

[x.D]

Yes they are sitting all the way down. Is that what you mean? But I don't see how the sway bar would make it abnormally bouncy.

[v408w]

Are your struts installed in the housing all the way? Your sway bar should not be hitting the axle, ever...

This.. thats wierd im all the way down on FKS and my sway bar doesnt touch the axle ever

[x.D]

Not even when hitting a large pothole?? You must have no travel being all the way down, so what happens when you bottom out?

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

Not even when hitting a large pothole?? You must have no travel being all the way down, so what happens when you bottom out?

Your sway bar will only hit the lca if you don't shorten the endlinks in addition to lowering. So if your coils are spun all the way down and you have stock endlinks you will bang swaybar to control arm all the time. You should never hit axle, only thing axle should be hitting is the passenger side frame rail, which a notch will fix...

[x.D]

Your sway bar will only hit the lca if you don't shorten the endlinks in addition to lowering. So if your coils are spun all the way down and you have stock endlinks you will bang swaybar to control arm all the time. You should never hit axle, only thing axle should be hitting is the passenger side frame rail, which a notch will fix...

If the end link mounting tab on the strut is the same as stock, shouldn't the sway bar not change at all? And shouldn't the axle become closer to the sway bar once you lower the car? If you're lowered past a certain point, you'll have to remove the sway bar completely, right?

Am I right or am I not getting something here? Lol thanks for your help by the way. The bounciness is making me not even want to drive.

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

Ya your missing something. Sure the tabs are in the same place as stock, but when you lower the car on coils you spin down a collar lowering the spring, compressing the shock strut, then lowering the car. Yes the sway bar end will get closer to the control arm. To fix that issue a pair of shorter sway bar links are needed to give distance between the sway bar end and the control arm.

When the shock compresses from hitting a bump the axle, sway bar, lower control arm all move up, so how could the axle and sway bar hit each other unless you have custom super short endlinks...

What coils do you have and did you get them used? It sounds like the springs. Jettas, Golfs, and R32 all have different spring rates, cheaper coils just use one rate I've read.

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

It'll get close with shorter endlinks, but should never touch the axle unless a massive unload of the suspension happens, like hitting a bump with intentions of launching! Lol

[x.D]

Hmm if my axle should never touch the sway bar, what could be causing it? Think the springs softened that much after a year causing them to rub so easily? I only used to hit hard on extreme potholes or bumps. Not sure if it was frame or sway bar then, but now even turning the car causes rubbing. Not good.

So I can get new springs and see I that's causing it. But this problem started happening instantly. Not slowly over time. So I thought the struts were blown. Could something sway bar related really cause a bouncy ride? It's not slight bouncing either.

[x.D]

Up for help.

[missamagnificent]

It won't bounce if you lay the car on the ground... just saying

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

You didn't answer my question.. What coils do you have, and did you buy them new or used?

[x.D]

You didn't answer my question.. What coils do you have, and did you buy them new or used?

Oh sorry. Brand new 8380 Coils.

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

It won't bounce if you lay the car on the ground... just saying

I have a great joke, but out of respect I won't deliver it.

[kevin FaKiN spLits]

Oh sorry. Brand new 8380 Coils.

Wow. Are your strut bearings bolted to the car? Can instantly rule out sway bar. That affects body roll, won't make the car "bouncy". If your struts are in the knuckle all the way, your sway is bot touching the axle ever. If your coils are bottomed out and the spring rates are too soft, there's your problem. Spin them up half way and go for a drive see if that stiffens it up, if it does you have nothing to worry about.

[x.D]

Wow. Are your strut bearings bolted to the car? Can instantly rule out sway bar. That affects body roll, won't make the car "bouncy". If your struts are in the knuckle all the way, your sway is bot touching the axle ever. If your coils are bottomed out and the spring rates are too soft, there's your problem. Spin them up half way and go for a drive see if that stiffens it up, if it does you have nothing to worry about.

Strut bearings were all replaced and are bolted to the car. Just replaced the struts this last weekend also so everything is tight. Shouldn't the spring be the same regardless of how low you are?

Think the sway bar bushings could could be off? Causing the position to be closer to the axle than normal? Even though that wouldn't cause bounciness. It just makes no sense to me why sway bar and bouncing happened all at the same time. Makes it hard to troubleshoot!

[FLMKVDUB]

I have 8380 coils too and always thought the fronts were a bit bouncy. Im running them all the way down and thought that maybe it was sitting on the bumpstops but according to ethan at 8380 you should be able to run them all the way down with bumpstops and still have travel. I considered taking them out to see if there was a difference but ive been too lazy to mess with them. Curious as to what your findings are though.

[x.D]

I have 8380 coils too and always thought the fronts were a bit bouncy. Im running them all the way down and thought that maybe it was sitting on the bumpstops but according to ethan at 8380 you should be able to run them all the way down with bumpstops and still have travel. I considered taking them out to see if there was a difference but ive been too lazy to mess with them. Curious as to what your findings are though.

They always felt fine to me until recently though. I wanna drive in your car to see what it feels like. lol Cause mine is very annoyingly bouncy.

You don't have any issues with your sway bar? I never used to till now. Just wish I knew what it was. I can replace the springs and go from there. If I rule the springs out, I'm not sure what else can cause the car to bounce.

Have any ideas?

[FLMKVDUB]

They always felt fine to me until recently though. I wanna drive in your car to see what it feels like. lol Cause mine is very annoyingly bouncy.

You don't have any issues with your sway bar? I never used to till now. Just wish I knew what it was. I can replace the springs and go from there. If I rule the springs out, I'm not sure what else can cause the car to bounce.

Have any ideas?

Well if your ever in MD your more than welcome too haha but I never noticed any issues with the sway bar hitting. I'll be throwing some different wheels on soon and inspecting everything before I get it aligned so i'll see if there are any rub marks on the swaybar/control arm. I guess it could be the springs, I hope not though, I already went throught that with a set of JOM's.

[x.D]

Yeah, I'm going to get replacement springs and go from there. Hopefully they will be cool and send me out a pair of springs no questions asked like they did with the front struts. They have good customer service.

The ride does feel smoother than before with the new struts but still bouncy!

[FLMKVDUB]

Just curious, how many miles do you have on them? Were your struts leaking or making noise before you replaced them?

[x.D]

Just curious, how many miles do you have on them? Were your struts leaking or making noise before you replaced them?

I'm not sure how many miles. Its a daily driver. I wont work too far from home and i've had them on a little over a year.

Struts weren't leaking and they only made like creaking noises when going slow over bumps, when the struts are compressing at a slow rate.