Front wishbone bushes - A3 and S3 identical?

[comdw]

Need to get my bushes changed and I rang up the local GSF for a price. They said they only had A3 ones and they had a specific note on them saying "not S3". Anyone know if this is right?

May well end up going for the Powerflex ones anyway - their website says its the same bushes for A3 and S3. But it does mention two different ones for the front bush - PFF85-201 (earlier cars) and PFF3-501 (later cars). I assume its PFF85-201 for my pre-facelift year 2000 S3?

 

[cg]

hi sorry to hijack your thread but reading about bush replacment people say you need to "press" them out. what does this mean? sorry to be a bit of a nobber.

 

[rodenal]

I'll add another factor in here - the sport suspension bushes are different to normal A3 ones - perhaps these are the same as the S3 ones - you could just buy them off audi, theyre only bushes shouldnt cost much......

 

[Ryore]

When they talk about pressing out the old bush, what they mean is that the component to be removed is what is called an "interference fit".

An example of this is a bearing on a shaft, the inner race of the bearing is actually a couple of 100's of a mm smaller than the diameter of the shaft. To fit, the bearing is slightly heated to expand it so it fits on the shaft..when the bearing cools it shrinks again and is a tight fit...an interference fit.

Pressing is the term used to describe the use of hydraulic or mechanical equipment to overcome this tight fit.........basically its too bl**dy tight to remove by hand so ill press it out.

hope this helps.

 

[rodenal]

Yeah, if doing them yourself its normally a better idea just to cut the buggers out, getting the new ones in can be 'interesting'

 

[comdw]

Also the Haynes manual (A3 version) says that brand new wishbone mounting bolts should be used afterwards. Does anyone bother doing that?

 

[god_thats_quick]

I did bother with new bolts / nuts on my S3 but I don't think most people do you'll also need to get the allignment sorted after.

Getting the old bushes out is easy with drill / hammer etc. getting the new ones in would have been almost impossible for me if I hadn't borrowed a mates hydrualic press and even then it was "interesting". Do not get the ECS bushes I knackered a load of them before getting the powerflex ones which are much easier to fit but still not that easy.

 

[comdw]

Thanks. I will probably get powerflex ones. Can you confirm that they are the same part numbers as the A3 ones?

Also where did you get the new bolts from? Audi?