4kcsq braking/chassis behavior problem

[Huw Powell]

> My 86 4kcsq (with 170k) recently has been performing strangely under
> braking.  At speeds higher than 40 mph, I apply the brakes firmly and
> it feels like the chassis is flexing in the rear.  It's not exactly a
> shudder or a shimy, but rather a floating movement from side to side.

> Then, just the other day, I had a friend of mine (retired Audi
> mechanic) drive the car and he said that if felt more like a rear
> control arm bushing than the brakes.  Would a worn bushing make the
> car behave this way only under braking? 

it could.  when you're braking it might be moving he control arm and
messing up the alignment a bit.

> I've read in the archives that suspension bushings fail regularly on
> the 4kq's and I checked and found that calipers are about $90, but I
> don't want to go and replace something that's not the problem. 

before buying parts, test or examine the suspect ones.

jack up the bakc of the car, make sure the wheels spin freely.  apply
the brakes.  make sure they don't.

put some jackstands under it (or use ramps) and check out the CA
bushings.  You can usually shift the CA manually if the bushing is bad -
or you can see that it is no longer "whole"

Good luck.

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/

http://www.humanthoughts.org/