Vibration on B5 A4 Avant

[Werner Raschdorf]

Hi Everyone,

I recently had 4 new tires mounted and balanced on my 2000 A4 Avant. 2.8
V6. Also had a 4 wheel alignment done at the same time. After taking it on
the road, I notice a vibration that starts around 55mph and gets worse
until approx. 80mph. Then after 80 mph it dampens out again. I feel the
vibration in the steering wheel and the frame of the car.
I took the car back to the guy that did the work and he found that some of
the weights on one of the front wheels had fallen off. He did the balancing
again on all 4 wheels. It got better but still did not go away. I also had
him check the wheel bearings and control arms and he says they are fine.
The car is stock except that 3 years ago I mounted 17" rims and tires on it
from a 2007 S line A4. When I mounted them I did have to install H+R wheel
spacers to fit the larger wheel. The shocks are original as are the control
arms and wheel bearings. Outer Tie rod ends have been replaced 2 times
before. The car has 98,500 miles on it. The shocks seem stiff when pushed.
I'm not sure the guy I went to was the sharpest pencil in the box since he
can't seem to diagnose the problem. Any suggestions on where to start
looking for my problem?
Also, does anyone have a recommendation for a reputable Audi suspension
shop in the Boca Raton, Fl. area?

Thanks

Werner