Bad control arm bushings.
08-01-2006, 07:25 AM
#1
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 15,545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bad control arm bushings.
Just thought I'd post up a picture of some bad control arm bushings. This was from an S4 with about 65k miles on it.
You can see the large cracks around the bushing. The arm also had little spring left in it.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/13830/jason_bushing1.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/13830/jason_bushing3.jpg">
You can see the large cracks around the bushing. The arm also had little spring left in it.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/13830/jason_bushing1.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/13830/jason_bushing3.jpg">
08-01-2006, 07:59 AM
#4
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 15,545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Appears that way, however..
This is the 2nd owner, and there wasn't any obvious signs of the suspension ever having been removed. The car had rims for sure, but if the suspension was ever changed, they did a pretty good job of hiding the fact.
08-01-2006, 08:30 AM
#7
When you alter the ride height, you need to loosen the inner pivots and re-torque under load...
the inner pivots are where the control arm bolts to the subframes, NOT the outer ball and socket end which attaches to the upright.
Loosen all 4 inner pivots, and the lower shock mounting bolt, get the full weight of the car resting on the suspension (either by jacking the suspension or lowering the suspension onto a stand, or remounting the wheel and lowering it to a ramp) and do the final torque on the bolts.
What this does is ensure that at a normal 'resting' ride height, the bushings are under NO stress from twisting, which allows them to twist with the suspension's compression and droop within their safe limits.
Loosen all 4 inner pivots, and the lower shock mounting bolt, get the full weight of the car resting on the suspension (either by jacking the suspension or lowering the suspension onto a stand, or remounting the wheel and lowering it to a ramp) and do the final torque on the bolts.
What this does is ensure that at a normal 'resting' ride height, the bushings are under NO stress from twisting, which allows them to twist with the suspension's compression and droop within their safe limits.
Trending Topics
08-01-2006, 08:31 AM
#8
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 15,545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The inner pivots or bushings are what's in the picture above.
Those are the upper control arm pivots. The lower control arm pivots are similar looking, but on the lower 2 control arms. Kris Hansen has some photos of those on his website.
