Wheel Suspension Overhaul

[Brett Dikeman]

At 5:24 PM -0500 2/23/03, LRGreger at aol.com wrote:

>Can anyone provide me with ball park costs if I replace all of the necessary
>parts myself, versus if I have them replaced commercially?  I recognize that
>I may have to take some parts to a machine shop to have bushings pressed
>out/in.

   If the wheel shifts when you rock the wheel(car on the ground),
that's a sign that something is wrong- it is a good 'acid test' we do
at tech for club events to make sure nothing's going to fall off- and
yes, things fall off, ask the WRX owner who, at Watkins Glen, lost a
wheel into a cornfield on the way back from lunch(awarded the First
Annual Cornstalk Award at that night's banquet.)

Get a friend to look behind the wheel as you really haul and twist
it.  The sucker should NOT move in/out(ie, no camber changes.)  Have
someone hold the steering wheel while you try a twisting motion(ie,
toe.)

A quick search turned up this post in the archives on possible
suspects when you've got a mysterious clunk:

http://www.audifans.com/archives/1997/10/msg00268.html

Do consider taking it to a good Audi/VW mechanic or
alignment+suspension shop. Car probably needs an alignment anyway.

Brett
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"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary
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