B8blacks4

I have a 2010 S4 with 55K miles and I recently took my car into get the Revo tune (which I love!) and after a courtesy inspection I was told that I need to replace the upper control arm bushings and that this is a common problem for this car. The price seems reasonable but I am not sure it is necessary. I called the dealer to get a quote on the service and there price was higher, as expected, but they informed me that I would not need an alignment after and the independent shop had that on there as part of the quote. So my question is, am I right to be suspicious that this is unnecessary work? Anyone have this issue with theirs?

snagitseven

I'm surprised they are able to replace just the bushings. When I had my '09 A4, there was a problem from the factory with the upper control arm bushing design for 2009 and early 2010s and they had to replace the arms as the bushings were integrated into the them and not solely replaceable. They were covered under warranty per a TSB and included an alignment. The improperly designed bushings resulted in a vibration in the steering wheel at 60-75 mph. If yours were bad, I would imagine you would start to feel vibrations or possibly notice other steering issues. Have them show you the bushings when the car is up on a lift.

B8blacks4

Yeah I didn't notice anything prior to him saying it and still don't. I started thinking it was swaying more after he told me but I could be imagining it.

westwest888

It is necessary, but you should just get adjustable upper control arms from the aftermarket. In other words, don't replace the bushing but replace the whole arm with a threadable one. The bushings will be spherical and of much higher quality. Additionally, you can dial in a VERY precise alignment with 6-7 degrees of caster which will make your car handle like a dream. There isn't much adjustability in a stock Audi.

Dr Chill

Agree with this. Make for much greater adjustability when you get an alignment.