[rc_tech]

Hey guys, was wondering if anyone could shed light on this problem...

My brakes are becoming spongy, but only after I turn the wheels. I press the brake and there's about twice as much travel as usual on the first press. When I release and press again it's nice and firm.

If I then drive on a straight road the brakes remain firm.

If I turn a bend and then brake they go spongy again. The harder the turn, the spongier it gets until it's almost down to the floor.

It's a '97 mk2 Ghia with hydralic clutch, which feels no different under any situation.

It seems as though some force is moving the pads away from the discs when cornering.

If it's any relation, just prior I had a regular knocking noice coming from one of the front wheels which got worse at speed, but has gone now. I haven't had time to check the brakes yet and in any case can't get the right front wheel off due to stripped splines in one of the wheel studs.

Has anyone ever come across this problem? I expect it's one of those unique problems that requires diagnosis but you never know.

Incidentally, my clutch pedal goes stiff after about half an hours driving - anyone know what that is? Been happening since I bought it.

Many thanks all.

 

[kithmo]

Too much play in the wheel bearing or loose wheel nuts (loose disc) come to mind for the brake problem, can't help with the stiff clutch, but it is not an uncommon fault, my 2005 mk3 does it after a long motorway run if I don't change gear for a while, 2 or 3 clutch presses later it's back to normal .

 

[rc_tech]

Well I found the problem. Front wheel bearing has half an inch of play in it. Just found out that it can cause the wheel to fall off and since I drive to work over a mountain with precipitous drops there's no way I'm going anywhere in that until it's fixed.

That amount of play is causing the discs to push the pads back into the caliper.

I only found all this out when I changed my wheel after some little sh!te has knifed my tyre sidewall again. He doesn't like us probably because we're not part of his family (the whole street is one huge family practically). It's depressing that our family is being terrorised by a 7 year old. We can't do anything about it either. I could catch him on camera but then what? His father would come along and beat me up no doubt if I went to the police. I hate living in the valleys. Want to move to Pembrokeshire. Nice there. :sad: