Galco

Since there is so much attention to this common problem of leaking air struts on our cars, I thought the group would appreciated some new news from Arnott. Apparently, they recently (~2 weeks ago) began to offer a NEW, not re-manufactured replacement front strut for SPORT suspension optioned A8s (D3). While the website didn't have an option for non-sport, this appears to be a viable solution to the only 2 other choices.

A) Dealer with completely new item for ~$1,200 or
B) Arnott's re-manufactured OEM for $791 (for Sport Suspension varietal)
New option C) New, aftermarket unit from Arnott for $880 (sport)

- Downside to Option A, the dealer supplied is obviously price, but upside is the item is new including the strut inside the unit
- Downside to Option B, is the air bladder is re-manufactured, but the strut is NOT, if may have 70K or 130K miles on it and now way of telling. Arnott does claim to tests the strut before rebuilding, which could be true as I have yet to read of a failed Arnott re-manufactured unit on this board.
- With newly emerged option of a NEW aftermarket unit from Arnott, including the same lime-time warranty (non transferable) this is a reasonable alternative and one I am considering for my limping front suspension.

Has anyone tried this NEW item from Arnott? Your comments would be welcomed by the community.

Thanks

mishar

That's interesting. Do you know where they are coming from? There are new ones from Chine for $480 OBO on eBay.

By the way, do you know what is the difference between sport and non sport struts?

Panelhead

If I need to replace one I will order a rebuild from Partsgeek for 600.00. The ideas is the worn dampening will better match.
For new ones I will get the Audi parts in pairs. These will last 100K+ miles.

Panelhead

I looked at Audiusaparts and the new ones are 1500 - 1600 from them.

Galco

Arnott claims they are manufactured in the US. Sorry, I do not know the difference between sport and non-sport dampers. There however must be some difference hence the unique part numbers. As most would suspect, the sport is likely tuned to be a bit firmer than non-sport which some may prefer. Would be interesting to know if non-sport versions can take the sport strut. I don't happen to know.

Panelhead

There is no mention of the active dampening. It may be included, just listed as custom tuned.
I know in a Suburban LTZ With active shocks I had to trick the system to eliminate throwing suspension failure codes after replacing the 1500.00 GM front shocks with 100.00 Bilstein. The rear were replaced with Arnott re manufactured air shocks.
In this system the shocks measured around 10 ohms. A 10 ohm resistor would still throw a code once a week. Tried a 22 ohm 25 watt resistor and never saw another code.

carl viking

Many of us sadly have seen failures WAAY before 100k miles...

Pashamad

'07 S8. During past 20kmiles I've changed Arnott's struts twise on each side and now on "medium" potholes (here iin LA - enough of them) I hear knok in right strut like there's no bump stop. Once they've sent me non-sport strut and I didn't look at P/#, installed it and ran on it unknowingly untill its natural death without admitting any difference.
Changed all struts due to air leaks "for free" - warranty, minus my job&time&frustration.

MP4.2+6.0

If you go back to the intro of the sport suspension in an Audi press release, you might find D3 specifics. Failing that, from older Audis I tracked Audi would quote a 30% increase in stiffness--not sure if they stated it more specifically in terms of compression/rebound rates or spring rates or what. I think it was probably just a generalized reference to 30%. Given the factory set up is Sport starts 20mm lower, with a max drop of only 5mm more, it basically needs to deal with the same weight between rest and max compression/bump stops as non-sport. So it is bound to be set up with more "stiffness" too, presumably in the valving of the overall air unit.

Having mentioned it though, over the years I've kind of concluded the sport suspension may not be so much the hot set up for various reasons. With non sport, you have greater height and drop flexility--the first .8"/20mm that is essentially "missing" in the sport package. Since the VCDS/VAG COM mod to adjust the ride height came out in the first few years after D3 was sold (courtesy of Der Kimbo on this board), an old primary reason to have a more hunkered down look kind of evaporated. In other words, you can get the same look via a VCDS tweak, and you still have 20mm + 5 range of motion down, not just 5mm. If you keep the drop modest the risk of bottoming it still seems remote given the air unit leveling. In my 8 years now and 100K miles on it myself, I have never bottomed it ever--W12 weight, std. air units, S8 bars (W12's start with sport bars stock), factory 20's. And from my own experience, you can essentially separately also stiffen the feel by either changing the roll bars to one of the stiffer ones (sport or S8 level), or the tire sizing/aspect ratio. Roll bars don't just affect flatness in cornering, but also increase perceived overall stiffness. Roll bars are way cheaper than air units too, and relatively easily reversed or modded differently.

carl viking

That's a pretty extreme experience, and in a very tempered (actually mild - never get's really cold in LA I assume) climate. Odd.
So you have gone through 8, soon to be 9 Arnott's struts in 20 k miles?