Ok, the time has come to do something about the clonking etc coming from the front suspention. at the mot back in october the guy recommended i changed the passengers side lower radias arm, but most the noise comes from the drivers side now. i solved the squeeking my greasing the top 2 joints. anyway what i really want to ask is which is the most common one to go which causes the clonking noise over bumps? dont really want to change ones which dont need it due to time/money etc...
I had two sets replaced by audi costing me nearly 1k... still knocking.
I went to a different dealer who then replaced the "curved arm" - cost a 1/4 of the cost of the others and solved the problem... ask them to check these.
I went to a different dealer who then replaced the "curved arm" - cost a 1/4 of the cost of the others and solved the problem... ask them to check these.
it really can be any of these that go, and I don't think there's any that are more likely to go either.
All i remember from my b5 was that there was a full kit available from vagparts for about £400 that contained a full set of 8 front control bars, and the C links too. As zero says how much his cost, its a full 500 quid cheaper than a dealer, but you still need somebody to fit it - and unfortunately due to the A4's setup, the 4 way alignment is really only a dealer task, and costs £200.
Still, it works out cheaper than paying them to do the whole job. Plus if you replace them all you then dont have the paranoia of running on old suspension parts.
All i remember from my b5 was that there was a full kit available from vagparts for about £400 that contained a full set of 8 front control bars, and the C links too. As zero says how much his cost, its a full 500 quid cheaper than a dealer, but you still need somebody to fit it - and unfortunately due to the A4's setup, the 4 way alignment is really only a dealer task, and costs £200.
Still, it works out cheaper than paying them to do the whole job. Plus if you replace them all you then dont have the paranoia of running on old suspension parts.
[ QUOTE ]
I had two sets replaced by audi costing me nearly 1k... still knocking.
I went to a different dealer who then replaced the "curved arm" - cost a 1/4 of the cost of the others and solved the problem... ask them to check these.
[/ QUOTE ]
These are a common problem... the bushes go in them quite frequently.
They are the ARB drop links or 'C' links as they are sometimes called due to their shape... mine need doing soon /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I had two sets replaced by audi costing me nearly 1k... still knocking.
I went to a different dealer who then replaced the "curved arm" - cost a 1/4 of the cost of the others and solved the problem... ask them to check these.
[/ QUOTE ]
These are a common problem... the bushes go in them quite frequently.
They are the ARB drop links or 'C' links as they are sometimes called due to their shape... mine need doing soon /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
hop2407
Registered User
As TIm Says, I have had my ARB drop links done as there was a knocking..... the Mekanic had the car on the ramp and showed me the movement and what would cause the knock..... Only 1 was shot, but had both done..
Cant remember the price, but wasnt too bad (£100 - £150 I think.... maybe less)
Anyway, IIRC, there are about 7 arms, links, bushes etc on each side of the car... a guy at the dealer told me that the B5 A4 was one of the best setups for suspension..... Audi really went to town on it...... Great when it's all workin fine - a bummer when it goes wrong.... Still, we wudn't be without our Audis eh ??
Cant remember the price, but wasnt too bad (£100 - £150 I think.... maybe less)
Anyway, IIRC, there are about 7 arms, links, bushes etc on each side of the car... a guy at the dealer told me that the B5 A4 was one of the best setups for suspension..... Audi really went to town on it...... Great when it's all workin fine - a bummer when it goes wrong.... Still, we wudn't be without our Audis eh ??
Buy the parts fromGSF and fit them yourself! Just watch out for the pinch bolt - its a beatch when it doesnt want to budge!
are the atb links easy to change, read in haynes that you have to do them with the car on the ground, gonna be a bit of a squeeze
dummi
smoking a6
before you go spending that on oem check this uprated arb links, lot cheaper and stronger looking, think autospeed do them aswell
http://www.awe-tuning.com/pages/shared/p...cppswaybarlinks
http://www.awe-tuning.com/pages/shared/p...cppswaybarlinks
Charlies604
Registered User
[ QUOTE ]
unfortunately due to the A4's setup, the 4 way alignment is really only a dealer task, and costs £200.
[/ QUOTE ]
ouch! that seems steep.
I wouldn't pay that.
Paid £90+Vat for a full check and relalign on a B5.
I go to a Bosch Specialist that is /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gif hot on all VAG and Porsche mutations
unfortunately due to the A4's setup, the 4 way alignment is really only a dealer task, and costs £200.
[/ QUOTE ]
ouch! that seems steep.
I wouldn't pay that.
Paid £90+Vat for a full check and relalign on a B5.
I go to a Bosch Specialist that is /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gif hot on all VAG and Porsche mutations
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
unfortunately due to the A4's setup, the 4 way alignment is really only a dealer task, and costs £200.
[/ QUOTE ]
ouch! that seems steep.
I wouldn't pay that.
Paid £90+Vat for a full check and relalign on a B5.
I go to a Bosch Specialist that is /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gif hot on all VAG and Porsche mutations
[/ QUOTE ]
yeh? i've not heard of anywhere other than a dealer that can do a full 4 way alignment of the A4 front suspension?
[ QUOTE ]
unfortunately due to the A4's setup, the 4 way alignment is really only a dealer task, and costs £200.
[/ QUOTE ]
ouch! that seems steep.
I wouldn't pay that.
Paid £90+Vat for a full check and relalign on a B5.
I go to a Bosch Specialist that is /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gif hot on all VAG and Porsche mutations
[/ QUOTE ]
yeh? i've not heard of anywhere other than a dealer that can do a full 4 way alignment of the A4 front suspension?
[ QUOTE ]
before you go spending that on oem check this uprated arb links, lot cheaper and stronger looking, think autospeed do them aswell
http://www.awe-tuning.com/pages/shared/p...cppswaybarlinks
[/ QUOTE ]
That CPP stuff is awesome... I've wanted to go the full hog with all their links for some time now but the cost of a full set is astronomical /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
before you go spending that on oem check this uprated arb links, lot cheaper and stronger looking, think autospeed do them aswell
http://www.awe-tuning.com/pages/shared/p...cppswaybarlinks
[/ QUOTE ]
That CPP stuff is awesome... I've wanted to go the full hog with all their links for some time now but the cost of a full set is astronomical /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
[ QUOTE ]
yeh? i've not heard of anywhere other than a dealer that can do a full 4 way alignment of the A4 front suspension?
[/ QUOTE ]
Autowerks Edinburgh.
Has all the VAG toys. They are a Bosch Service Centre and are a damn sight better and cheaper than my nearest dealer.
Full four wheel camber castor, toe in and tracking check and alignment, for £88.
report is here
yeh? i've not heard of anywhere other than a dealer that can do a full 4 way alignment of the A4 front suspension?
[/ QUOTE ]
Autowerks Edinburgh.
Has all the VAG toys. They are a Bosch Service Centre and are a damn sight better and cheaper than my nearest dealer.
Full four wheel camber castor, toe in and tracking check and alignment, for £88.
report is here
LEDA Suspension in Essex also have this facility... awesome piece of kit.
I had the privilege of a tour of the facility a short while back... great outfit and well worth a look if you need coilovers too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I had the privilege of a tour of the facility a short while back... great outfit and well worth a look if you need coilovers too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
These are quite straight forward to change, did mine recently. Cost was about £60 all in. The earlier models had ball joints on these links. These parts have been modified to a rubber bush\bolt. You need to get the car level on 2 axle stands in order get these on and off easily (otherwise the anti roll bar will work against you). You also need to remove the lower shock bolt and move it over to get the links on and off. Took me about 40 mins a side.
Bolts were very tight and I managed to break a socket whilst doing mine. My old arb links where completely gone, you could move them easily by hand. I found a tech article on Audi world in the tech section for b5, search for sway bar links.
Bolts were very tight and I managed to break a socket whilst doing mine. My old arb links where completely gone, you could move them easily by hand. I found a tech article on Audi world in the tech section for b5, search for sway bar links.
I replaced some last year with the ecp bits - one has just gone again - and yes they were done correctly. I know several other people who have had the same experience. This time i will use genuine. And the bolts are a pig.
[ QUOTE ]
I replaced some last year with the ecp bits - one has just gone again - and yes they were done correctly. I know several other people who have had the same experience. This time i will use genuine. And the bolts are a pig.
[/ QUOTE ]
I once replaced an anti-roll bar link on an Audi 80 with one from ECP which cost just over £11, it didn't even last a year when luckily I spotted that the rubber boots on the balljoints on the link had split....
Replaced it with a Genuine one (bought via VagParts and at £30-something was a lot better than the stealer price of £44 plus) and it was fine over 4 years later....
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I replaced some last year with the ecp bits - one has just gone again - and yes they were done correctly. I know several other people who have had the same experience. This time i will use genuine. And the bolts are a pig.
[/ QUOTE ]
I once replaced an anti-roll bar link on an Audi 80 with one from ECP which cost just over £11, it didn't even last a year when luckily I spotted that the rubber boots on the balljoints on the link had split....
Replaced it with a Genuine one (bought via VagParts and at £30-something was a lot better than the stealer price of £44 plus) and it was fine over 4 years later....
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
cheers guys, looks like a job for the weekend (or next weekend even) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
guess ill start with the anti role bar links, then if it still happens change others.
guess ill start with the anti role bar links, then if it still happens change others.
