Ford focus st 2006 ...

The problem seems to be that drivers front wheel takes a very sudden sharp wobble ... I've tried to pin point exactly when it does it, it seems to be mostly when you accelerate , let your foot off the throttle - the the wheel takes a hell of a share wobble, as if it wants to steer off on its own path!?!

V occasionally that violent wobble will constantly stay on..I pull over (honestly feels as if the wheel is going to fall off!!) the soon as I start driving again, I might not get that wobble again for 2miles or 200miles That's what is annoying me most! On how random it is!?

I have noticed a couple other things that may be linked, yesterday a very faint 'chirping' started when accelerating slowly, and also I noticed when the car steering is turned full lock you can hear a 'click click click' as the driveshaft goes round. Only clicks on full lock, or when nearly full lock and on rougher surfaces.

Car has just had full mot (tester had a look, said there was nothing unsafe about it, but he was there to test that day - not solve the problem) and also it has had tracking,balancing and wheel alignment done.

Anyone else had similar issue?? Are there bearings within ST drive shafts? Surely if it was some form of bearing gone it'd be constant rather that random!? Really P-ing me off now ha!!

 

Clicking on full lock would suggest to me the CV joints.

 

have you had your tyres changed recently?

years ago i had a customer with similar things saying he had serious wheel wobble in the mornings and it would disappear, he had loads of water in the tyre which sometimes froze!

i've even found a roller (which you use to put puncture patches on) inside a tyre!

 

Cheers for reply! i think what il do is put it to a garage, get 'minor' things done like new cv joints etc etc. Would be a help to know though if anyone else had similar problems just to narrow it down.

 

No not had them changed recently, but hmmm that is interesting!? We have been getting quite a bit of frost lately (north of scotland) but nothing serious. That is interesting though thanks! Seems to be just from driver wheel.

 

Thought id post in case anyone else suffers same problem:

Jack front wheels up .... with drivers wheel full lock turned right, check the drive shaft for play, spin wheel a few degree's, check for play, spin wheel etc etc till you have done 360' ......... then do the same with passenger side. That'll give you a rough idea for the state of cv joints.

In my case, on the drivers side it got to a certain point in the revolution where the shaft was very sticky for a few degrees ... turned out to be a naffed CV joint! But when purchased new CV - the original drive shaft did not fit in!? so whether it is manufacturer upgrade or not i had to get a new drivers driveshaft (which fit in with the new cv perfect!?)........ drive shaft was about £160ish and CV joint was about £60.

Problem solved though! done a few hundred miles, no judder / violent random wobble!! delighted