keeps snapping o/s/r lower arm

[colin x]

Anyone had experience of this. We have one thats done 3 in 3 months. Can't seem to find out why, and how to solve it???

 

[Alex C]

has it been lowered?

 

[colin x]

No, it's just as it came out of factory.

 

[jojo]

Are you snapping them at the end where it bolts onto the rear arms? If so, they are being done up too tight, and you need to grease them up. Maybe tighten the lower arms bolts with the car on the floor will help it too.

 

[s3dave]

Anyone had experience of this. We have one thats done 3 in 3 months. Can't seem to find out why, and how to solve it???

what jojo says or as it ever been in an accident? have a good luck around it may be twisted....

 

[s3_kev]

upgrade to forge ones???

 

[s3dave]

upgrade to forge ones???

I dont think it would matter witch ones he got, as there is obviosly an underlying problem, and if he paid all that money out for forges effort, and it snapped he will be well out of pocket...

 

[Biggied]

Your rear joints are siezed mate, the ones on the hubs where the arms bolt on, seen it a few times. theres two types, one thats like a ball joint & one like a rubber bush, the rubber ones are ok but the ball joint type cause the arm to snap when they stop allowing the arm to move the way it should.

Ewan

 

[s3_kev]

not if he's using non oem equipment and there poorly made, also if as jojo says and its due to overtightening then the better quality items will be far more suitable to stop the part breaking as there be made of stronger material. oem arms have been prone to breaking anyway
but your correct in the fact that the problem needs to investigated before just thrownig more parts at it i mearly stated maybe upgrading is of benifit also

 

[s3dave]

Your rear joints are siezed mate, the ones on the hubs where the arms bolt on, seen it a few times. theres two types, one thats like a ball joint & one like a rubber bush, the rubber ones are ok but the ball joint type cause the arm to snap when they stop allowing the arm to move the way it should.

Ewan

Thats true and its called a rose joint, when it siezes ithas the weight of the car on the arm as the suspension can nott move .... good shout Ewan :icon_thumright:

 

[s3dave]

No, it's just as it came out of factory.

looks to me like it is standard....

 

[s3_kev]

Your rear joints are siezed mate, the ones on the hubs where the arms bolt on, seen it a few times. theres two types, one thats like a ball joint & one like a rubber bush, the rubber ones are ok but the ball joint type cause the arm to snap when they stop allowing the arm to move the way it should.

Ewan

sounds more like it could be the issue i was thinking of with the oem ones snapping i thoguht there was a recall on early models to replace the bushes and arms?? i still have the old style bushes with the new ones sitting here waiting to fit about a year after i brought them lol

 

[s3_kev]

No, it's just as it came out of factory.

looks to me like it is standard....

 

[Biggied]

There was a recall for the rear joints on TTs & some A3s for the reason that cars were snapping rear arms, theres nothing wrong with the arms & its the joints that cause it. The recall is probably closed now but give your local dealer a shout as if its still open you'll get the joints done for nowt, don't go expecting them to pay for the arms though cause you've no chance.

Ewan.

 

[tompearson]

Mine had the recall work done and still had 2 go afterwards - it is unrelated although the symptoms appear the same and Audi just ignored the issue when I spoke to them - I won't rant on now, but I had even taken the car to them prior to the first one going telling them I thought something was wrong as they had just MOT'd it. They called it seized bushes.

Anyway, the first time it went the garage (independent) just replaced the arm, the second time the arm and bushes (at their cost), this solved this issue. Whoever keeps fitting them without doing the bushes should really pay in my opinion - although in my case I had specifically requested they be sorted and they didn't.

 

[Biggied]

Mine had the recall work done and still had 2 go afterwards - it is unrelated although the symptoms appear the same and Audi just ignored the issue when I spoke to them - I won't rant on now,

What did you expect them to do?

Ewan.

 

[tompearson]

What did you expect them to do?

Ewan.

I took it to them before it snapped the first time as when I got it back after they MOT'd it the car felt wrong. They stated there was nothing wrong, but the arm went 2 weeks later and had clear signs of rust where initially it had only partially cracked before going completely (as confirmed by some bod from Audi UK who though it looked like it had gone about 2 weeks previously...). When challenged their response was simply "you don't think we need to check where each wheel connects to the car do you?" - I suggested that as I brought it in with what I perceived to be a handling fault that is what I would expect and had assumed they had done. I also though that an arm snapping due to a tired bush could perhaps be seen as a bit of a safety hazard and that they might feel the need to do something about it- It was several years ago now and I was perhaps a little naive though!