MP4.2+6.0

I completed my alternate source research here to my satisfaction. As before, I am only interested in OE (dealer) and OES (underlying supplier) solutions, not pure aftermarket that doesn't connect back to Audi's supply chain and QC. My preference for dealer OE is strong given the front suspension bushing components are already the weakest link--so to speak--of the overall strong D3 design even 10+ years later. But here at a 3x price delta and very easy bolt in, it became too compelling. You can buy other junk for yet less than I'll discuss here, but from my prior Audi experience (e.g. Meyle), it's...junk...even in a few tens of thousands of miles.

Bottom line is currently as little as $29.49 each at RM European for the Lemforder part. Audi LEMFOERDER Sway Bar Link 4E0411317F (4E0-411-317-F) - RM European Auto Parts It cost me $67.02 total to my door for two, w/ shipping. If I had bought $65, take out the approx. $8 in shipping.

Recent Audi part number for all D3's was 4E0 411 317E. That is what is in my W12 now, having been replaced by the dealer during its CPO warranty phase some years ago now. Apparently it has become 4E0 411 317F sometime more recently. Audiusaparts.com, my normal dealer parts source, shows the "F" rev for a net price of $95.98 each, plus their (typically reasonable) shipping. The Euro EKTA slides I use online still shows it at the "E" rev. Jim Ellis (best US EKTA slides but inconsistent on pricing) doesn't show the part number at all. If you Google the part # from outside their site, you can get to "E" that Ellis says is superseded, but weirdly not "F. They also say "C" is another overlapping prior part #. They showed $97.50. Both sides use the same part number; my older A6 4.2 had side specific part #'s, but these are reversible and bushings top and bottom are now the same width unlike my older C5 A6.

FWIW, I ordered "F" but what came were two boxes marked "E." Inside one has an "F" and one has an "E." The parts are actually cast with the part number as well ink jet stamped as a manufacturing date. "E" was made in the 38th week of 2013, and "F" was the 45th week. Earlier when I Googled and looked closely at images, I noticed only some Lemforder pictures actually seemed to show an Audi part # on them; now confirmed with them in hand. To me the use of week references is another confirming clue this is an underlying OES. In the pictures below you will see a link now in my car with the "E", and the packaging and links for what I actually got. Net, a bit oddball that I got one E and one F, but not worth the time to follow up for an easy bolt in part at this price. Yep, made in China per the fine print (lower left corner of box label)...that has been getting posted lately even on the Lemforder stuff for these links. Box includes replacement nuts BTW for both ends, but not bolts. Length actually varies a bit top and bottom on the two bolts if you want to replace those too.

At a deeper dive, notice the original one in car has the part # plus the letters PYO PL and Audi's trademarked four rings. I don't know what PYO or PL stand for and it could b another OES. I do have the old OE links still I pulled out of my 2000 A6 4.2, which are dual marked with extensive Audi part numbering (multiple) as well as Lemforder numbers and symbols. The D3 upper OE arms in my car now have Lemforder symbols and coding. So do the Audi/dealer S8 part number arms I now have in hand. Lemforder parts often have a triangle shaped emblem and often LMO and/or LME; you can see the emblem on the box end.

My links are still in decent shape more or less--modest distortion on bar end and some signs rubber is starting to pull out a bit. For $200ish for dealer OE I would defer. But since I will be going after the upper control arms, for $67 I sprang for it so I can just do the common wear work again and forget it for some years. My (S8 part #) roll bar bushings are still looking fine, and only thing I see on lower arms is a bit of distortion in the rubber bushing at the air shock/spring unit bolt up point. Bar bushings are around 85K miles now since S8 bar install, and lower arms are original at 107.5K total miles now.

halik

I think those are the ones I bought for my S8, no issues ~8K miles later. They were stamped made in china though on the boxes.

I spent a lot of time trying to find OEM ones not from audi, but it looks like lemforddfer is about as close as it gets. For inner tie rods you can get OEM TRW ones.

Audi Sway Bar Link Front (A6 A8 S6 S8) - Lemforder 4E0411317F
Item# 4E0411317E $30.95 USD 2 $61.90 USD
Promotion (Customer Loyalty Discount)
-$3.10 USD 1 -$3.10 USD
Subtotal $58.80 USD


What's wrong with you camera by the way? All the pics are coming out yellow.

MP4.2+6.0

I previously did tie rods; used dealer parts there. Didn't find much wear. I was after a bit of steering wheel vibration at the time, which is resolved.

iPhone; look reasonable on my screen. Your display?

Sci-fi_Wasabi

MP4.2 or anyone else.
I am ready to put my swaybar end links in as well (p/n 4E0411317f), to replace badly distorted/dried ones. My Lemforders came with just the nuts as well, no bolts.
Just wondering, did you put low strength loctite on the bolt that goes into the swaybar? Just worried about it coming loose. Also, how much did you torque these two bolts, I don't want to over crush the rubber, but at the same time, i don't want them to come loose.
thanks

MP4.2+6.0

Look at the nut to confirm it is self locking. Audi suspension related ones typically are. If a self locking design, no Locktite needed. But a release type like the Blue LockTite isn't going to hurt anything regardless.

Torque is per a...shop manual... A casual guess for a nut of that size is 50 ft lbs or so. I don't think you can "crush the rubber" in any case; IIRC there is a metal spacer sleeve embedded with the bushing.

Sci-fi_Wasabi

you are right, there is a metal sleeve. man those bolts were on tight. For others who do this, the bolts are 16mm, which is not a size in common wrench and socket sets, so i went out and got those. I put medium threadlocker on just the bolt that goes into the swaybar. I could not tell if nut included in the Lemforder kit was self locking.. there were no hash marks on the mating surface, or anything different. I did notice that on the old bolt and nut, rust and road grime pretty much acted like loctite anyway,
My post is 4 years after MP4.2's and my original 2009 links also say PYO-PL on them. My Lemforders are also made in China and had a 2018 date code, with p/n ending in F. My old links looked bad when I looked at them on the car, but once removed, i could see that just the outer edges were dry and cracking, but the inner core of the bushing was still intact, so they were probably working fine... I noticed no ride improvement with the new ones but at least it's done. I did see a video Luis made where they bushing fell right out.

Jack88

Weird you say they aren't common sizes, I have many 16mm sockets and wrenches as part of sets I have acquired over the years.

Sci-fi_Wasabi

you must invest in higher end sets, I was just looking at the ones at local hardware stores.

Mister Bally

You get what you pay for with tools. And most everything else in life that is legal.

Even Harbor Freight Chinese junk sockets include 16mm in their sets. Personally, I think Craftsman tools offer the best value. Then again, I don't want to tell you how to spend your hard-earned money.

MP4.2+6.0

I do recall sets often used to skip 16mm, and often still skip 18mm. But that was a decade or more ago, and with starter type sets. The sizes did not used to see much use on anything I wrenched on from 15-20 years ago or longer. But from work on all of D3, D4 and Mk 6 Golf R, 16 and 18mm are definitely now in vogue on/underneath these vehicles. I have long since acquired or own them--whether Craftsman type sets or one off fill ins.