05 TDI - OSR Lower Arm/Inner Bush

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djaniero

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Hi guys,

I went to have the geo checked on my A3 this morning as one of my drivers side rear tyre seems to be wearing on the inner thread a lot more than the passenger side does.

Once the garage got it on the ramp and checked etc they said my OSR lower arm bush seemed to be causing the issue. The nut and bolt on the camber adjuster was seized also.

I just wanted to know what the best route to repair it would be? Can just get the garage to replace the bushes, or just buy a complete new arm with fresh bushes already installed?

Also for the inner bush nut and bolt that is seized...are these VAG only parts? The garage said I'll need bolt, nut and washers.

Cheers for any info.
 
Depends on the condition of your arms. Just be aware there are some aftermarket bushes out there that aren’t as snug a fit as oem, so play can occur prematurely
 
Thanks for the heads-up on that abmat. So will be easier just buying a complete new arm I assume?
Any idea where I can get the nut bolt and washers from for the inner bush?
 
This place are have great price if you can wait a week for delivery:

By lower arm, I assume you mean the control arm?
Here’s arm and the eccentric bolt sets for camber and toe, each does just one side of the car.

https://m.autodoc.co.uk/lemforder/9660629
https://m.autodoc.co.uk/lemforder/9668366
https://m.autodoc.co.uk/lemforder/7522605

Best to do both sides at the same time as genrally the other side won’t be far behind.

I replaced every bush, bolt and all 8 arms at the back for a little over £200 in parts form this place, and they were all either Lemforder or TRW (OEM brands).
 
The parts you linked are for the arms on the front axle not rear. And they are parts for the older Mk1 8L A3. Did they run the older chassis in the US for longer?

You can replace the just the bushes in the arms at the rear, but as all the arms are pressed sheet steel and tend to corrode.

Also when the adjustment bolts are seized as the OP said, you often have to cut them off, likely damaging the arm.

If you are not doing it yourself and paying for labour, new arms will be much quicker to fit, so price difference will be minimal.
 
Thanks guys.

I just bought the bushes in the end.

Can I ask also in regards to changing my rear discs and pads....what socket do I need to remove the small grub screw, holding on the disc?

It looks like some form of hex socket that has been rounded off by the garage that fitted them previously :(. Looking at the youtube tutorials...someone said it was a t30 torx bit...tried that but it didn't fit.
Then another tutorial said it was a TPS 27 torx?
 
The screw head is conical so use a small grinder to remove the head of the screw. Don’t remove too much as when the disc comes of , you will need enough of the screw to grip hold of with pliers or grips. Spray plenty of penetrating oil to help the screw out. You could do the same with a drill and large metal bit if you don’t have a grinder.
 
djaniero said:
Can I ask also in regards to changing my rear discs and pads....what socket do I need to remove the small grub screw, holding on the disc?

It looks like some form of hex socket that has been rounded off by the garage that fitted them previously :(. Looking at the youtube tutorials...someone said it was a t30 torx bit...tried that but it didn't fit.
Then another tutorial said it was a TPS 27 torx?
Click to expand...

If it’s the factory screw then it’s definitely a Torx , sorry I can’t tell you which one but it’s definitely T30 or smaller....
I’ve also seen on YouTube a tip to whack the head of the screw with the round face of a ball-pein hammer to try and shock it loose?
If you’re resigned to drilling/grinding the screw head off anyway it might be worth trying it first?
Lastly, when putting back everything after you’ve done the discs/pads a light coating of copper grease applied using a small brush onto the wheel hub will stop the disc from ever rusting to the hub in the future and a dab of the same grease on the screw thread will prevent that from ever seizing too.
 
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Thanks guys. I will try the above methods. The t30 I bought seems too big, but I doubt the tps 27 will fit as the screw has rounded off. Will try and shock it first before drilling/grinding.
The rear disc protection/dust plates look really corroded and seem to be catching on the back of the discs. Thats why I have been trying to renove the discs to take a closer look.

Can these be replaced or can they be removed all together?
 
djaniero said:
Thanks guys. I will try the above methods. The t30 I bought seems too big, but I doubt the tps 27 will fit as the screw has rounded off. Will try and shock it first before drilling/grinding.
The rear disc protection/dust plates look really corroded and seem to be catching on the back of the discs. Thats why I have been trying to renove the discs to take a closer look.

Can these be replaced or can they be removed all together?
Click to expand...

The rear protection /dust plates are held on by 3 torx screws again , of course they can only be accessed once the disc is off....the lowermost screw on my car was really corroded (it’s the one most exposed to the elements) and so I really had to carefully de rust it before I tried inserting the torx bit to undo it.
I definitely would not recommend leaving the plates off, they stop all sorts of dirt and crud splashing up onto the braking surface of the brake disc!
I can’t imagine that they would be that expensive to buy new.....
 
You could wire brush them and paint them. Leave them on as they stop stones jamming the brake mechanism, that’s why they are fitted originally.
 
Points taken. Does anyone have any links to where I could buy some replacements online?All 4 of my guards are quite badly corroded and I would rather just replace them all.

Looked on ECP, but they no longer sell them. Saw a host of them on ebay, but were listed as golf and A1 guards. So was unsure as to whether or not they would fit my car?
 
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