100 / A6 Quattro - Tip regarding rear track control

Started by hartster, August 01, 2006, 05:00:03 PM

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hartster

So my 100 quattro fails its WOF due to 'worn left rear wheel bearing'.

WOF inspector says "in my experience the problem is actually wear on the drive shaft by the rear bearing shell which means we'll have to get the shaft machined and a spacer made plus a new bearing and blah blah blah blah......" and gives me a estimate of $1000+ for car to get its WOF. "We can start right now, sir".

I go home.

I jack vehicle, and check for wheel play, there's a clear movement & knock in the vertical plane.

I remove wheel and do test again, there's movement in the ball (hub) end of the track control arm. The ball end boots are cracked and the joint is pretty dirty and dry. There's no movement at all from hub to drive shaft that would indicate bearing wear.

I remove ball end and take it to WOF inspector, he gets all shifty and odd and makes lots of pathetic excuses about how it must be the wheel bearing and then says "You must replace the ball end".

I find out how much ball end costs. $375+. But hold up, I get a whole track control arm assembly for $250+. Go figure. I have small fit of exasperation and swearing. No! No! No! Not possible!

I soak ball end in parts cleaner overnight, blow it dry, and then repack ball end with proper grease using syringe with a 0.8mm needle, and replace rubber boots with ones off old hilux ball joints.

I reassemble the track control arm and, wait for it, there's no more play when wheel test is performed. I drive to neighbours farm and back (very rough track) and there's still no movement. I take vehicle back to WOF inspector, and he passes vehicle. Quickly. Afterwards he asked how much the ball end cost me. I said about 40c worth of grease and 2 hours of buggering around.

If I had been a regular Joe Customer without the condition known as petrolheadism, I would probably have paid god-alone-knows how much for a new wheel bearing, plus labour, before the mechanic doing the job realised that replacing the wheel bearing hadn't fixed the problem. Then he would have fudged it and I would have ALSO paid the cost of the ball end plus its labour. Probably without knowing it.

AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!


wilco

True, so true.

Being a complete prat and making generalisations, I wonder if it was because our cars are slightly odd euro's and that jappa's enmase would get the same treatment???

Recently had the new Passat serviced by an authorised centre - makes me VERY glad I've done all my own work over the years.  Amazing how they can charge like wounded scrub bulls.

Mike

Great tip, I'll definitely keep it in mind.

Maybe we could have tips on the site broken down by model as a sticky in each forum.