[200q20v] Warped UFO's - not anymore!

[Bernie Benz]

A great response, Scott. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
My further comments below.

> From: QSHIPQ at aol.com
> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 08:44:06 EST
> To: b.m.benz at prodigy.net, pwaterloo at compuserve.com
> Cc: 200q20v at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: [200q20v] Warped UFO's - not anymore!
> 
> 
> In a message dated 1/30/01 10:46:48 AM Central Standard Time,
> b.m.benz at prodigy.net writes:
> 
>> Please tell us why you replaced the control arms, and not just the inner
>> control arm bushings.  Nothing to wear out on the control arms.  I have
> also
>> had to replace the sway bar to control arm bushings on my 250K 5KTQ, but
> not
>> the 200-20V yet at only 130K.
> 
> Data point:  Paul's car is over 220k...  Er, since I did the work (including
> luckily finding out that the 18mm C/A's were the wrong ones, and finding out
> that you can indeed put the left c/a on the right:),
I believe that Bentley warns about the handedness of the C/As.
> I can share that the
> outer ball joints on Paul's car had about .250 play in them, in fact the
> inner bushings weren't really all that bad.  The play in the outer ball
> joints is what I believe gave the symptoms of warped rotors, when indeed it
> was the whole wheel and tire wobbling during braking.
This rings true with my old 5KTQ that my son has.  At 260K it is slowly
getting "loose" in the front end, but no brake symptoms.  Most likely those
ball joints, as everything else looks to be in good shape, SB bushings
having been replaced.
> The parts Paul 
> supplied included 5ktq 18mm B/J front C/A, and 5k upper strut bushings, when
> the 200tq 19mm B/J and v8/S4 upper strut bushings (these in *great* shape)
> were on the car.  This was a *huge* risk (on the improper B/J), since the
> pinch bolt on a 18mm B/J will allow the joint to exit the upright.  Make sure
> you get the right parts, this could've been ugly.  That said, interesting
> that the right and left C/A's can be installed backwards, I never thought
> that possible.  Learn something new everyday...
if not careful!
> If you have 130k on the
> original SB bushings Bernie, do them, you'll notice a huge difference.
> Absolute the *best* 60bux you'll ever spend.
The SB are on the list for Spring, along with a check for B/J play.  Thanks.
>> 
>> When you free up the tie rod ends, take them off the rods and lube the
>> threads and the taper clamp washer with waterproof grease.  You'll never
>> have the problem again.
> 
> Not my experience Bernie.  The problem with the tie rods is usually the
> monkey lads, but audi shares some of the blame as well.  The inner threaded
> coller is aluminum, the nuts, clamp washer and both ends of the tie rod is
> steel.  Add a bit of salt...  I've tried grease, antiseize etc, and still
> find that the tie rods stick. Heat and patience is the best remedy, IME.
What inner threaded al coller?  If we are talking about the outer end of the
tie rods, the toe adjustment area, these parts are all steel on the 4 Audis
that I have had.  The only part that remotely fits your description is the
connecting stud between the tie rod and the rod end, having R and L hand end
threads and the center hex which the alignment monkies destroy with their
channel locks.  Aluminum!  I've not seen it.
> That said, I believe it was the rear toe adjustment that was the problem in
> this case.
> 
>> All brake rotors tend to wear true so, short of a major thermal trama, well
>> used rotors are better performers than new or newly machined.
>> 
>> Bernie
> 
> Agreed.  I personally like the UFO's when they are working, when they aren't,
> the price of rotors is a source of "major thermal trauma" to the guy needing
> to replace them.
IMO, UFOs are great brakes, with 20% more stopping torque than the G60s due
to the 20% increase in active rotor radius, the caliper cylinder CSA being
identical between the two systems.  Audi's replacement program was one cheap
mistake as a fix. 
> 
> HTH
> 
> Scott Justusson
> QSHIPQ Performance Tuning
> Chicago