I'm about to overhaul the front suspension on my '89 100 2.2

Started by 1oldAudi, March 13, 2005, 10:13:46 PM

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1oldAudi

Today i pulled the whole front suspension down. Both (outer) CVs were clicky on tight turns. Something kept CLUNKING when i pulled into the drive. So far it appears i need L&R control arms, the bushes for the ends of the sway bar that go into the control arms and those the bar is held in. The outer CVs are dead the inners are pretty damn fine with no feeling of being loose etc so i will replace the grease in them.

I should take a few pics and post what i do...

Question, who is best pricewise for parts for these old cars. Thanks.

orggti

those control arms are hard to get. id try qualitat for the bits

1oldAudi

Gulp (gets up off the floor) Qualitat thinks they *might* be able to get a pair from Singapore no change from NZD$800 each. That is outrageous and won't be happening. I can buy another car for that kind of silly money! My next option is to visit the idead of reconditioning the Control Arms.... i wonder if that ball joint can be replaced (the Qualitat parts guys says the chassis end one can be pressed out) ?

wilco

Hi, dont go too nuts on the outer CV's.? I have a selection of great condition second hand outers that you're welcome to pick through.?
Not clear on whether you need to replace the ball joints as well as the A arm bushes?? Is that correct?? Sway bar bushes should be easy enough to get aftermarket.? They don't look Audi specific but then again, it is an Audi..... ;D


1oldAudi

Hi Wilco... i'm in Auckland, so a little awkward to vist as i gather you are in Taupo? Anyway... looks like the outr CVs issue is 'coming to gether' with a quote for some just over the $100 each. As to the Control Arms... still out to lunch on those. The ball joints on mine appear ok but the rubber boots over them are going soft and the grease leaking out. The other end that mounts into the subframe is the bigger nightmare. Both have cracked rubbers. Probably where the huge creak sound came from every time i hit the driveway on full lock. They might be repairable/reconditionable but i don't know. Have you ever worked with these at all? They are too expensive to buy in NZ from ANY agent... more than this model car can be bought for off Trademe!

Last year I've reco'd its auto trans... new diff, driver's door electric window winder (new), all vacuum central locking, dashboard tacho problems sorted, backlighting of gear shifter.... etc. It'd be silly to just send her off to the wreckers for the sake of a couple of control arms.

Pushbutton_auto

Wow, new electric window motor, ... $.......,  and when she does die just send her out west.  :)  :)  :)
Beating up parking wardens ain't a crime.

wilco

1oldAudi how are you getting on with control arms?  The cracks on rubber control arm bushes are a worry!  To me the car would have wandered all over the place if they are that bad.  I have a couple of good spares you are welcome to compare.  Basically I'm looking to clear space in the garage so not interested in the last dollar.  Besides I'm more interested in the creak on full lock syndrome.  Presumably you are hitting the driveway one wheel at a time if on full lock.  The cluck could well be the ARB suddenly shifting load that a visual on the bushes wouldn't necessarily pick up.  Is it practical to change the sway bar bushes, test, then do control arms if still a problem?  I'm not convinced that the inner control arm bush would move that much radially to hit anything steel unless its well knackered, in which case you'd notice the car handling oddly first. 

dunno I might be telling you to suck eggs here of course having not seen the condition.

Rgds.

1oldAudi

Hi wilco.... That awful thing called my job has taken up my last 2 days, preventing me from working on my project... UPDATE: I have found some outer CV kits at a reasonable price so will crank on and do those. The cracks in the C/arms rubber sure are there and yes there have been moments when suddenly the car would follow off the camber of the road as if self steering (!) but suddenly settle down again and be fine. When driving slowly as in crawling speed with lots of steering changes i was getting terrible cluck sounds as i approached full lock. My i ask what the ARB is or is the ARM?

I clamped the bolt-through-tube of the c/arm across its flats in the vice and mimicked the moment the arm would travel. The rubber contains lots of tears/splits around the tube, but the tube does not appear to  move as if fully broken from the rubber yet. Combine that with not so nice ball joint boots (a couple of nicks) leaking grease etc i feel it a good place to start....   Find some better arms now while its all apart.

I would certainly like to take up your offer upon the the spare C/arms if at all possible and i shall start an install and see approach, (still have to locate a set of new swaybar mount and end bushes).

I am not sure but how do we make contact? Regards

wilco

Sorry, all this lingo...ARB is anti roll bar.

Have sent you a PM.

Cheers.

orggti

havent got time to read all this but there is a car at pickapart avondale with the arms sdtill on iit. If the ball joint is ok go to centreline suspension and get a ball joint boot about 2 bucks each i have done this a few times. or i may even have a arm or two or try john shannon urq20v will have his ph no

1oldAudi

Thanks orggti. Have already had a look over that well picked out 100 at Avondale. The c/arms have seen better days and the left side one has been running with a split boot for a long time.... Have ordered up the bushes through Continentals and one of their 'techs' reckons my arms will continue for a while... just need new boots over the ball joints which they can supply... as you've suggested.

1oldAudi

Well... today April 1st i received a call from Continentals that all the new bushes for the front suspension had arrived ex Singapore. I wasted as little time as possible and headed into to pick them up. Like everything in this universe THEY WERE THE WRONG ONES... the whole order!

After ten minutes of messing around with computer screens the news was they had some in Christchurch but a 1 minute phone call disproved that.

So the car has sat on stands occupying a workshop for the last 10days. Not good.

We can't really be expected to leave it there another 10days. There was nothing Continentals seemed to be able to offer... so in my loudest voice i announced i'd ship the parts in myself and that i would never consider buying an Audi from them let alone parts in the future. This stirred a few suits at their desks, and i left.

To drive home takes 3/4 hr. At home i was just in the door thinking which USA firm i'd use to import from off the Internet when the phone rang.

It was Continentals, a VERY apologetic manager announced they had located all the bushes i needed and would have them by late afternoon, including new boots for the control arm ball joints.

Strange how a cloud is lifted from one's disposition.

So this afternoon i collected the bushes... however the 'D' units that hold the swaybar to the body were not new! Indeed they were wrecker stock and worse than mine. I've opted to try mine while new ones arrive.

So big ups to Continentals for pulling finger but why the hell the trouble with wrong order and WHY did they not 'find' the parts were already in the country , preventing me from the ten day wait in the first place?

200qt

Hi,
Have you considered the top strut mount bearing for the source of your clunking.  Mine does the same thing and Im pretty sure it is just the top mount shaggered.  Audifans website seems to rate this first up as a likely cause.  Havnt been bothered doing anything about it yet mind.  Cheers.

orggti