[Vwdiesel] front end noise

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

  If you get a heavy rattle, try stepping on the brake lightly on a rough 
road to see if that stops it.  That would be missing anti-rattle clips 
on the brake pads.  
  Tie rod ends can do it, inner or outer so grab the wheel at 9:00 and 
3:00 and give it a few wiggles.  Jack it up and do the same if you have 
ANY doubt.  
  Grab the fender and work the strut up and down.  Go for a bit more 
up than you do down.  This will let you know if it's the strut in the 
housing, bad upper strut bearing or if the busing in the middle of the 
strut bearing needs shortened a tad.  
  Jack up the corner by the body instead of the lower control arm.  
Work a long pry bar so that you can pry down on the control arm.  
Check the ball joint for vertical play.  ANY is bad.
  Pry inboard/outboard on the ends of the control arm to check 
for a bad bushing.
  Wheel bearings just don't tend to clunk unless the big CV nut 
is loose.
     Loren