Originally Posted by 2012Q7204

So I performed the steps in the tsb to a T (except the road force balance part as I have had mine balanced 2x the standard way and wanted to try this before going down that road).

Took it for a test drive and there was a very noticeable improvement. The steering wheel does not shimmy anymore but I can still feel some vibrations which could just be from the tires honestly. I will also chalk them up to the fact that I did not have them road force balanced and also, they are lower end General tires that the previous owner failed to rotate on schedule as they were showing signs of cupping in the fronts when I purchased the car. They are fairly new however so I don't want to ditch them just yet.

I had seen this tsb before on the touareg forums but was reluctant to try it because I couldn't really see how it could make a difference. The tsb does a good job explaining its rationale but I think the real reason it makes an improvement is because the disc hold down bolt creates uneven pressure on the hub if you don't torque the wheel starting with the lug directly opposing it first and proceed from there.

One regret I have is not marking said lug to facilitate doing this again somewhere down the line as I have little faith in the knuckleheads at the tire shop or dealer to perform it correctly even if I provide the instructions.

In retrospect, what I should have done was simply use the locking bolt for the number one position on all wheels which would be an easy way to identify it later on. Then again, if the wheels are removed and the lugs not put back in the same order then I guess it is moot. Jacking up each wheel, taking it off to see where it is, putting the wheel back on and lowering it to get it lined up then jacking it again to remove the wheel is a royal Pita. That said, it took me about an hour all said and done and it was worth the effort based on the test drive.

My advice is of you have problems with steering wheel vibration or wheel shimmy you should give this procedure a try. Seems a shame that an otherwise highly engineered vehicle requires this silly procedure but I suppose it could be worse (i.e. unfixable).