My dd 98.5 2.8l 30v has play in the steering. If I'm going strait and I wiggle the steering wheel left to right the car doesn't seem to respond like it used to. The steering just seems lose like, I used to be able to just slightly tap the steering wheel and it would be enough to switch lanes. Does this mean I need to get a 12 piece control arm kit or is it somthing else? The car has 130,000 and none of any of the suspension parts have been replaced.

 

jack up your front end and see if any of the wheels shake. they should shake at all so if they do, you definitely need to replace the A arms. an alignment would also help

 

Check the tie-rod ends.

 

Tie rod ends are most likely followed by steering rack and control arms.

 

Agree with above....Happened to my bimmer and was the control arms and bushings. 130k is pretty good for being the original I would say . Michigan you last 50k...Ugh .

 

Forgot to mention that I used to have the car slamed on vogtland coilovers for about 10000 miles from about 110000 to 120000 until I put the factory suspension back in an turned it into my daily. I was on stock winter wheels with 205/55/16 tires and I was tucking the whole tire, my control arms hit the ground countless times. And those coils were extremly stiff! So would I be better of getting the whole 12 piece kit or should I just bring it to my mechanic ( good mechanic works mostly on vw and some audis moslty b5's) and have him look at it and replace just what needs to be replaced. Also if I'm better off getting the kit which kit should I get? Should I stick with oem or get somthing better like the febi?

 

Have you had any control arms replaced before? If not then you will need more or less all of your fronts done. I'd say that lowers seem to not need replacement as often, but if you were banging them on the ground, they're gone.

You can take it to your mechanic but tell him not to order any parts until he talks to you about it. No matter what brand he orders, you're going to pay WAY more if he does not order them all in a kit from an aftermarket company. If he orders them separately and/or orders genuine VAG parts, you'll pay WAY more. To the point where even if he says no warranty on his work if you have him use, say, the Febi kit, it's still worth it if the guy does good work.

 

Some of that difference may also be the fact that you were lower and on a more responsive suspension setup, so the car will naturally turn in and respond more quickly than on a stock setup. If that isn't it, I agree with the above about the controls arms. Also, just to throw the idea out there, how's your tire pressure looking? You don't say where you live, but if you are in an area that gets cold weather, you may need to add a little "winter air" to get the pressure back where it belongs.

 

I do live in new England but tire pressure is fine. I do understand that the suspension set up that I had obviously made the car handle way better than stock. It's almost to the point that I can turn the streering wheel about 90 degrees and the car doesn't turn at all it's definitally not normal and when I turn I let go of the wheel it doesn't straiten it self out to much I have to help it.