Control Arm Hell!

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jan 24, 2001 | 10:42 AM

#11

mykel8

AudiWorld Super User

Joined: Nov 2000

Posts: 2,103

Likes: 0

indeed

Jan 24, 2001 | 10:49 AM

#12

TRailer

New Member

Joined: Mar 2000

Posts: 6

Likes: 0

Bushings or *****?

If it's worn out ball joints at the end of the control arm, that sucks! I just bought a sack full of Polyurethane bushings. Any M.E.'s think of a way to machine the end of an old control arm and bolt on a new ball joint?

Jan 24, 2001 | 11:00 AM

#13

Kris Hansen

Head Cat Herder

Joined: Oct 1998

Posts: 66,550,462

Likes: 103

Ball joints.

Jan 24, 2001 | 11:29 AM

#14

dimitristx

AudiWorld Senior Member

Joined: Jan 2001

Posts: 1,884

Likes: 0

Not familiar w/ the tech. specs of the control arms/bushing/ball joints structure. Any diagram?

Jan 24, 2001 | 11:32 AM

#15

Hawaiiannights

Member

Joined: Aug 2000

Posts: 2,499

Likes: 0

is this a problem only in 96' models? i have a 97' and i had the symptoms too..

clicking creaking from wheels and steering colum... they said it wasthe left side tie-rod end. so they replaced it... is this different from the control arms? what exactly is the control arms and what is the tie rod end?? i want to know if i need to change something before my warantee expires...thanks!!!

Jan 24, 2001 | 12:10 PM

#16

av_audi

AudiWorld Super User

Joined: Apr 2000

Posts: 2,003

Likes: 0

Problem til at least 1999.5? It's supposed to be fixed for 2000+, but not enough time to tell yet.

Jan 24, 2001 | 04:02 PM

#17

Bob Petruska

AudiWorld Super User

Joined: Mar 2000

Posts: 6,598

Likes: 247

From: US PA

Not totally correct. The inner bushings also go often.

The clearance between the trough bolt and bushing increases giving an good clunk going over bumps at slow speeds. They will also start creaking when really bad. The outer ball joints will start sounding like two balloons being rubbed together when they go bad.

I have lower control arms in my possession that have both inner bushing wear and outer ball joint wear! Definitely a very, very poor design. I hope this was corrected on the new 2002 A4!

Jan 24, 2001 | 04:05 PM

#18

Bob Petruska

AudiWorld Super User

Joined: Mar 2000

Posts: 6,598

Likes: 247

From: US PA

Actually 12 control arms in a quattro.....

4 each side front, 2 each side rear. Cost about $4,000 to replace them......wait until we start trading the A4's in and the dealer starts mumbling about the $4K he has to invest to replace the bad arms and has to lower the trade in value by that much!