[s-cars] Creeeeak, creeeeeak, creeeeeeak -Tired of those

[Igor Kessel]

R. Mair wrote:

> Perhaps I spoke too quickly and didn't even bother to pull a wheel and see
> for myself what the material was that we were talking about. If it's steel,
> then this issue is much less benign. I've replaced dozens of aluminum upper
> front links on A4's lately and I suppose that's what I had in mind. Of
> course, these links on A4's can not only be noisy, they are downright weak.
> Sorry for the confusion, I didn't realize we were talking about steel links.

Well, actually I was the one who drilled the 5mm holes in the Aluminium 
lower control arms of the A4, tapped them with the 6mm threads and 
installed the grease fittings.
I disagree with you regarding weakening of the control arms and 
allegedly creating the stress cracks. I did not subject the material to 
deformation, or to thermal stress. I didn't cast the Aluminium either. 
The fast cutting drill bit left a very smooth finish. Also the material 
of the control arm is beefy enough to take such a small hole. Aluminium 
is both ductile and malleable. I see no risk in doing what I have done.

Also, I would disagree on the weakness assessment of the A4 links due to 
the same reason. While it is true that they will bend easily, thus 
making the marvellous B4 chassis unsuitable for rallying, they are hard 
to break. Last winter my buddy jumped over the corps of a dead deer 
while travelling at night at a rather high speed on the PA turnpike. He 
bent his LH side control arms but did not break them.
Another time he skidded in the light snow on summer tyres right into a 
tall concrete curb. He twisted the RH side lower control arms into 
propellers, but did not break them. Sorry, I don't buy the theory of 
weakening the massive Aluminium control arms of the A4 by a tiny 6mm hole.

I will report on the longevity of my repair a few years years later. 
Stay tuned.

-- 
Igor Kessel
two turbo quattros in the stable,
the third one is in the works