Baloo588

Hey guys, I have 130k miles on my 2012 audi A8L and I am not happy with the way the air suspension is damping the roads now. I had the control arm bushings replaced but the car is not smooth like it should be. The ride gets jittery on unenven pavements and when you hit a bump or rut or hole, the car shudders and the front wheels slam into them without any good dampening. How much and where can I get a good replacement air suspension for the front 2 wheels? Do I have to get the whole unit or part of it? I wish it wasnt such a big and expensive unit and was just easy as replacing the spring or strut separately...

MP4.2+6.0

Consider replacing the sway bar links, both given the number of D4 posts at even a lot lower miles where it has been done, plus some of your symptoms. Easy and cheap compared to the air units. Then move onto those if needed, though from D3 years folks typically only replace/rebuild when the unit leaks.

Baloo588

Hey thanks! I did replace the front sway bar links last fall btw. I am searching over the D3 forums right now and lots of confusion as to whether rebuilding the air struts is a good thing vs finding a good certified used one...

MP4.2+6.0

FWIW, having been on that forum for 10 years I have a pretty negative opinion on the rebuilds. The basic post on the D3 forum is something like: 1) I replaced one/two and it has a leak or rattles or some other defect, 2) I replaced it and < 12 months later it crapped out. Who knows if it is a representative sample on the board, but it seems like a meaningful percentage (maybe as high as 30-50%?) have follow on issues before too long.

Two basic choices there: Arnott and RMT. People have had issues with both. I think RMT is the less expensive one. Arnott started doing them earlier on, but perennially seems to have had issues with enough cores. In last year or two they introduced a bastard child product. A new rather than rebuilt unit, but no adjustability to it. What kind or product is that? RMT seems to have more issues in general. But in both cases, the suppliers do seem responsive to replacing from what folks post. Definite conclusion on board is you should have your own rebuilt when ever possible instead of taking some random core with who knows what history.

FWIW, when I lost one at about 110K and 9+ years, I paid up for new. Not sorry I did given continuing rebuild issues posted on a lot. But new price went up again in the last year or so from what others have said.

Given what you have done so far, maybe look at yet two other things: sway bar main bushings, which on D4 are a separate replaceable part like most Audis (but not the D3), and maybe whether your rack is tight or could use adjustment. Looseness there can make it feel a little sloppy and sometimes cause some noise. Just trying to help avoid big $ or hassles for main air units.

Baloo588

I will check the sway bar bushing tomorrow. I have a 2016 Audi A7 and wow its so smooth and button down with the sports suspension and 20 inch rim summer time and 19 inch winters that it put my aging A8 to shame... I love driving the A7 more now and miss how the A8 used to feel like this in the first few years of ownership. The A7 stays low mileage of course. I have thicker sway bars on my a7 and used polurethrane bushing for tighter and flatter cornering over the stock sway bars which are a bit too flexible and too much body roll.

I think I will shell out for 2 new air suspensions to get me few more years out of this car till 2019 or so for the new a8l.

audionlineparts

If you do end up going this route, I can supply you with NEW OEM air struts. I run audionlineparts and operate out of Audi Meadowlands in NJ. All our parts are back by a 12k/12 month warranty. So incase you do run into an issue early on, I can get another one to you for free. Let me know if you need any help! My name is Jeremy.

Thank you!

Jack88

I'm with MP4, exhaust the other possibilities before going to replace the air units. I'd suggest making sure none of the bolts for the sway bar links came loose since you played with them so recently, especially if this is something that's either new or came back since that replacement.

Baloo588

My dealer did the control arm bushings last spring and the sway bar links last fall and I am hearing crunching noise when I come down onto the main street from my driveway in the morning and going over speed bumps.... I am a bit annoyed that the job has not been done properly and something is loose... I will take both of your advice and take the car back to my dealer and have them reinspect everything and make sure its tightened down and inspect those new bushings and links to make sure none of them are defective and to get the sway bar bushings replaced regardless.

Florida8L

Speed bumps are a nightmare to the A8 upper control arms.