Panelhead

I ordered S8 bars from www.Audiusaparts.com for my 2005 A-8. They called and said they would not work after looking at my VIN. I told several people have S-8 sway bars on their A-8.
Today they emailed saying they will not fit. Call for details on other options.
How many here have done this swap on their D3?
I want to tell them the customer is always right. Ship the bars. But they are adamant that they do not want to do this. It sure looks like this is no problem, and I that take several here at face value. You have S8 bars on your A8.
Maybe they do not have any. And a bunch of the others. I will not replace with A8 bars. The ones on the car seem okay. The rear bushings look a little worn, but the bar seems tight.

jakematic

They got into that pi$$ing contest with me over some license plate LEDs that I know darn well will work on my A8.
If the part number doesn't match the VIN they won't do it, period.
No idea if it's a liability issue or orders from the mothership or what.

Once you have the part number, there are many sources on the internet.

I know that credible folks here have done this swap.


Edit: Since that last refusal, I've taken my parts business elsewhere.

MP4.2+6.0

1. Me. I am likely the first guy who did a bar swap. It's an A8, not an S8. Problem though is it is a W12. Specifically, mine is a 2006 A8L W12, USA spec. The bar I pulled off at the part # level (literally, I read it off the bar I pulled) was the factory spec "Sport" bar, even though a W12 never comes with the "sport" suspension, nor does it ride at the 20mm baseline lower ride height like the sport ones do. There car was straight stock from when I owned it, and I know the history back to new. I pulled my stock "sport" part # bar, and bolted in the S8 bars, both front and back. Zero issue with any weird fit stuff. No qualifiers on that, no special mods, no bending, no nothing. In my auto sig below is still a link to my old "how to" post (the rear is the trickier one as far as the install secrets), though the pictures are missing. Later, using a 2005 stock W12, another prior AW'er, covertW12, followed my lead and did the same thing and reported both no problems and that he really liked the change. My speculation has always been they use the "sport" bars on the W12 (with the non-sport air shock units--I also confirmed this by part #'s on my car) to keep the ride height stock and higher, but to reduce some of the lean type issues since the W12 motor and related accessory gear is obviously bigger and heavier.

2. Another guy on this board (not remembering right now the name) who went ahead and tried it with the same prior wave off by AudiUSAParts and who did run into a non-fit problem. I actually asked him about it since it was not my own experience, and it sounded like something about the shaping/bending at the end of the bars. I believe his car was a USA spec 4.2, non-sport. That was earlier this year/spring, so search the archives or just start paging back. It may be over on QuattroWorld's D3 board, so look there too. When you find it, you find both his data and my questions about it.

If I put these contradictory experiences together--both first person--I guess maybe the intersection is if your car uses a sport bar as stock (either a standard W12 or a 4.2 with the sport suspension option, then you can do it, but perhaps not with the non-sport 4.2. If you have non-sport 4.2 and conclude you can't do it, finally also look at the spec/part # for the 2004 as another slight improvement possible. From back when I ordered mine (pre-AudiUSAParts), I had the impression the 2004's maybe had a bit stiffer stock (front) bar that they softened up some as a running change. If the part #'s vary by year even for straight non-sport, that will tend to confirm it. Some of the EKTA (Audi dealer) parts diagrams may have some of the specs for them too alongside the part #'s, though still hard to interpret at times. The front bars are hollow, so both the diameter and the wall thickness matter. IIRC, the S8 bars apparently further increase the wall thickness though it may not be clear from the EKTA listings.

Panelhead

I am too hard headed to give it up. Is there another discount source?

jakematic

WorldImpex is usually good on prices, and Partsgeek maybe.

Panelhead

I will just get the new links installed with the brakes, rotors, and upper control arm inner bushings. Mine firm it up a little.
Sure wanted S8 bars.

MP4.2+6.0

http://forums.quattroworld.com/a8d3/msgs/10293.phtml

Panelhead

e the same
Www.audiusaparts.com told me that the normal (A) and Sport (B) sway vars are interchangeable. But not the S8 (C)bars. The links are the same for all three.
You say you had the Sport bars (B) and they are a simple swap for the S8 (C)bars.
A high school friend just retired as a teacher. So I asked him.
If A=B, and A&B do not equal C then is it possible that B= C.
His response was no. If the normal bars are interchangeable with Sport bars and the Sport bars are interchangeable with S8 bars, then the normal bars are interchangeable with S8 bars.
The pics show them as identical. Plus my Nigerian front end alignment, brake expert, front repair, fuel filter, and sway bar experts will make it work for 25.00 per hour.

halik

Why do people have a hard on for that place?
Genuine has always had better prices (Cornhusker VW audi) than the place and none of the bs
http://genuineaudiparts.com/partloca...?siteid=214407

MP4.2+6.0

1. I strongly disagree with you. The prices are commonly the same. I have looked on literally dozens of parts over time, especially expensive ones. Do you have real data for your sweeping statement?

2. If you thought about it, maybe you would realize if you live in the most populous state in the country--CA--perhaps buying in state for sales tax purposes isn't the best (commonly 9% plus), let alone the ship times from the furthest south of Southern CA to other parts of the very large state may be no different than from Portland. Why throw money away, especially if no ship time advantage?

3. AudiUSAParts/Sunset actually generally know what they are doing, despite the tone of a few of the posts here. But, folks sometimes also need to get past the keyboard strokes and actually pick up the phone to talk it through when the issues get a little trickier. On this specific thread subject (roll bars), back when I did the mod and dealer parts were not easily accessed via the Internet/web shopping, I did that. That is, I picked up the phone and talked through the listings and apparent specs with Clair Audi in Boston--now Prime. They also sell at a discount but are much farther away from me ship wise now.

4. At a technical level, Genuine and AudiUSA both use the same software for their on line stuff. It's actually Jim Ellis who has the better parts info down to part numbers and essentially EKTA parts diagrams, but they are the one usually not price competitive and usually at or close to full list. Dozens of parts checks again have caused me to conclude that, plus for me they are geographically wrong. In the Southeast it might make somewhat more sense though for ship times or maybe shipping cost for others in that part of the country.

So, that's why! FWIW too, if you guys want to post the seemingly gratuitous arm chair comments, maybe as the one guy who put some substance into this thread about the specific issue (roll bar fitments), I'll just skip next time. I'm surprised at some of it.