Front ARBs, what's the deal?

[AG205]

Hi, pretty new to Audis so excuse the newbie question but I'm just ordering a set of powerflex bushes for my 2001 S3 and need to know the diameter of the front ARB as there's several different ones to choose from.

After doing a search it looks like it should be 19mm but it also looks like it might be sleeved therefore taking it out to 23mm if I'm right. Thing is, I read somewhere that the sleeves can crack so would it be best to cut them off and order 19mm dia ones rather than get 23mm ones and risk having to change them for smaller ones when/if the sleeves crack??

 

[murran]

the sleeves locate the bar side to side. if in the small chance that they're not already cracked. i wouldnt cut them off.

just go to tps and buy a new one (they not expencive at all), the're a different design without a plastic sleeve. insted they have a metal collar to locate the bar. then order the bushes to go with the new bar.

 

[AG205]

Ok cheers. Can you just confirm that I'm right with the standard sizes I mentioned? Also, if I did buy a new ARB from that place, would that be the same sleeve diameter as the standard part (23mm??)?

 

[murran]

i doubt the bush size would be the same. as the original plastic sleeve is slightly larger diameter to go over the bar. whereas the new bar doesnt have a sleeve.
ask tps for the diameter spec of the new bar redesigned bar for your car.
if you ring sheffield/chesterfield tps, ask to speak to adam. he knows his onions.

 

[AG205]

Ok, nice one, thanks for the info.

 

[fingermouse]

put a R32 one on front and rear , no sleeves and inproves the car

 

[mattyboy199]

R32 all the way, see my thread all details are there.

 

[TDIQ]

put a R32 one on front and rear , no sleeves and inproves the car

Put an R32 on the rear only. Uprating the front negates the effect of putting a bigger RARB on in the first place.

 

[fingermouse]

donig the rear only make the car very twitchy on the motorway

 

[AG205]

Measured the front ARB and it's definitely 19mm dia and there are no sleeves just things on the inside of the bush to stop lateral movement.

I wouldn't mind uprating the ARBs to sort any tendancy to understeer. Although I was going round a greasy roundabout the other night and the back end stepped out straight away with just a touch of the throttle which surprised me a bit as I thought they'd understeer rather than oversteer in the wet.

Has anyone ever thought about either changing the torque split on these or maybe ditching the haldex clutch pack and welding it up or locking it out to make full time 4wd?

 

[fingermouse]

the front should have sleeves if they have gone then you will need a custom arb bush. think the S3 and R32 bushes are the same. The r32 isn`t sleeved but the s3 is