wheel tramp, banging, thumping.

[kentbloke]

Now my cupra 280 sc is run in ive started to give it a bit more welly in the gears, only to get a loud thumping and banging from the front due to wheel tramping when going over iron work, road repairs or manhole covers, its a hell of a noise, any one else getting this?? I never got it in my last 2 hot hatches, a clio 197 cup or the megane rs 250 cup. Do all the Vag group cars suffer this?.

 

[brentnall]

I get this also but don't need anything special on the road such as repairs to set it off (altho stuff like that does indeed exacerbate it!).
Heavy acceleration at low speeds is enough to lose grip at the front end and get a good helping of wheel tramp.

Just assumed it's normal and feather the throttle more at lower speeds to account for grip levels...

 

[kentbloke]

I get this also but don't need anything special on the road such as repairs to set it off (altho stuff like that does indeed exacerbate it!).
Heavy acceleration at low speeds is enough to lose grip at the front end and get a good helping of wheel tramp.

Just assumed it's normal and feather the throttle more at lower speeds to account for grip levels...

I forgot to say mines a manual gearbox, i see yours is a dsg box. So do they all suffer this?

 

[kazand]

I forgot to say mines a manual gearbox, i see yours is a dsg box. So do they all suffer this?

Yup, just out of interest are you on Bridgestones?

 

[kentbloke]

Yup, just out of interest are you on Bridgestones?

Yes mate, the tyres they come with, also 19s.

 

[simonali]

Mine disappeared when I fitted winter tyres. The TC light flashes more than than the indicators, but no wheel hop!

 

[Ocularis]

Mine disappeared when I fitted winter tyres. The TC light flashes more than than the indicators, but no wheel hop!

Im on winters and have the same - spin yes, tramp no. Not sure how its going to behave in the summer.

 

[kazand]

Yes mate, the tyres they come with, also 19s.

I'll be glad when they are worn out

 

[CyberGene]

I get this wheel tramp even on my humble FR so can imagine how those insanely powerful cupra beasts lose traction on rough surfaces I only hope it's not doing bad to the wheels or suspension.

 

[simonali]

Im on winters and have the same - spin yes, tramp no. Not sure how its going to behave in the summer.

Your car will get more powerful as the engine loosens up and will easily break traction. The noise is horrible, like driving on a road made of loose house bricks!

 

[kentbloke]

I get this wheel tramp even on my humble FR so can imagine how those insanely powerful cupra beasts lose traction on rough surfaces I only hope it's not doing bad to the wheels or suspension.

Must admit i do wonder what damage or wear this is having on the drive line. Has any one replace the bridgestones 19" with other makes and found the wheel tramp better? I see fitting winter tyres changes it.

 

[JF77]

......as Ive said too much power for FWD

 

[kentbloke]

......as Ive said too much power for FWD

My mk3 rs megane was remapped to 285hp by Ktec and never had any axle tramp at all, had mich ps2 and hankook v12 fitted. May be it is the bridgestones, really need to know if any one has fitted any other type of tyres and its improved this problem.

 

[mbk72]

What mode DCC were you running when it happened? I've only experienced this once in DCC comfort, it doesn't seem to be an issue in Sport or Cupra. I'm not sure but could it be an issue of the dampers not reacting quickly enough in comfort?

I suspect this is why the taller and softer sidewalls on winter tyres might help - gives the dampers and TC/ESP longer to react? Just a possibility.

Will different tyres help? Maybe as they'll have more grip but if it's a damping issue probably not that much. I've read a few magazine reviews that suggest the manual is more aggressive on acceleration in 1st/2nd than the DSG so that might be part of the issue too.

 

[kentbloke]

What mode DCC were you running when it happened? I've only experienced this once in DCC comfort, it doesn't seem to be an issue in Sport or Cupra. I'm not sure but could it be an issue of the dampers not reacting quickly enough in comfort?

I suspect this is why the taller and softer sidewalls on winter tyres might help - gives the dampers and TC/ESP longer to react? Just a possibility.

Will different tyres help? Maybe as they'll have more grip but if it's a damping issue probably not that much. I've read a few magazine reviews that suggest the manual is more aggressive on acceleration in 1st/2nd than the DSG so that might be part of the issue too.

Good point and i did think to try the other modes as it was in comfort when its happened, i will try over the weekend switching modes, Cheers for reply.

 

[Seastormer]

My last two Biza Cupra twinchargers only had 180BHP, and on the standard 17" wheels I got wheel tramp now and again if the road damp or I gave to much gas in low gears. The tyres were changed a couple of times, Pirelli, Dunlop, etc and still the same, so not just a 280 thing.

 

[Famandy1]

This sounds a particularly nasty side to 280 ownership and something I have never experienced in my 5 years with a A3 Quattro which just catapults forward in the damp. Really concerns me, but are we talking quite extreme throttle inputs like flooring it?

 

[-=Rob=-]

Mines done it a couple of times, and no it doesn't sound healthy. But I was in Cupra mode giving it some, I put it down to my eager right foot. I'm a bit more careful now and aware of it so know I cannot just nail the loud pedal, especially on certain surfaces...

That being said, my mk1 Leon Cupra did it as well, and a lot of people upgraded the dog bone mount to help against it.

 

[kentbloke]

Tried it in sport mode on way to work this morning on a road i know sets the banging off, just the same really. No point in having the power if you have to be extra careful how/when/where you use it even on dry normal roads.

 

[mbk72]

I agree it's more than just the occasional wheel spin you get with pretty much all FWD cars, especially if you are a bit enthusiastic in the wet at junctions.

We'll only know if the tyres help when someone changes them. I'll be going to Super Sports but the Potenzas still have some life in them and this is just my daily driver so I'm not going to the expense just yet.

Closest thing I've experienced to this was in RS3 which was quite stiffly sprung and had limited suspension travel. On a very wet track days with standing water the front wheels would run out of suspension travel and skip across the surface - especially if the track was a bit bumpy. It made braking distances a real challenge because it would be full stopping power, then suddenly nothing, then everything again - made for some real heart in mouth moments and a few squashed cones. Being quattro the effect wasn't as big - it didn't have that front suspension thumping sound the Cupra makes - but I suspect the haldex was shuffling the power around. To be clear the RS3 never did this on road or a dry track, it really had to be maxxed out on a very wet track to provoke this behaviour.

Strange that none of the magazines have mentioned it, there are quite a few running long termers now (TG, evo and Car I think), as most of us seem to have experienced a bit of this.