[s-cars] Front control arm fell off

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

Aaron:
It's really not clear from your posts, exactly what you are looking for here.  If you are looking for the 'proper fixes', your current shop should be expiditing that resolution.  If you are looking for more than a fix (i.e. lawyers involved), then don't expect much (if any) communication from the shop involved.  IMO, a fair resolution would be a complete R&R of the control arm (the right way) at no charge to you.

My own thinking is the shop probably didn't tighten the existing pinch bolt (it technically is a one time use, but I routinely see dealers not put new ones in, or not the proper ones).  Just FYI, control arms don't come with new pinch bolts, even from the dealer.  In *kit* form, the only kit that I'm aware of that contains pinch bolts is wheel bearing kits.

The what-if's of any experience like this is scarey, it should scare the heck out of you (and probably did), and it should scare the heck out of the shop that did the work as well.  As in the last case I remember reading here (control arm broke), it's always good to read that someone upstairs decided that your number wasn't up while flogging those back roads at speed.

Looking at 'actual' damages here, it sure appears minimal from your description.  Get attorney's involved, and you will find quickly and oxymoronically that it would have been better restitution-wise if there were 'more' personal and property damages involved.  I always see these things as reasons to go back to church next Sunday (then go back to ACNA events), and be thankful that the what-ifs, just didn't manifest themselves.

In an ideal world, you should give thanks you and yours are alive and well, and your mechanic should forever lose sleep over pinch bolt stock in his shop.

Hope more luck comes to you in 2005, don't forget to buy a lotto ticket....

Scott Justusson
QSHIPQ Performance Tuning
Chicago

In a message dated 1/20/2005 1:35:11 PM Eastern Standard Time, Aaron <aaront at cox-internet.com> writes:

>I confirmed with the manual - It is specific about what needs to be
>replaced.
>The shop is claiming that if the "rebuild kit" did not come with the
>required fastners they dont really need to be replaced.  "We usually
>just torque them back up and sometime use a little locktite"
>I was firm about needing the fastners replaced and that they are stretch
>bolts for one time use etc.  They are ordering them-but somewhat
>reluctantly.  Apparently they are not yet familier with the term "liability"
>Aaron
>
>Bjørn Eirik Ødegård wrote:
>
>>Yup, all the nuts and bolts in the suspension components are throw-away-stuff. I reused the control-arm to subframe bolt, but got a new one that's going in as soon as possible. The locking nuts use a special aluminum locking ring that just works once, so they're pretty obvious. The others are stretched, so they should also be replaced. (They're also specially coated to withstand corrotion.)
>>
>>I think you have a pretty clear case here, Aaron, and It's good you got away without injury or other mishaps!
>>
>>Another episode with a broken controlarm resulting in front-end damage comes to mind..
>>
>>****
>>A little cry:
>>Since all of us get all these messages anyways, please remove as much as possible from previous posts, and drop the 'me too' and 'me three'- responses!! ;o)
>>****
>>
>>Bjorn  :o)
>>'92 S4 MTM
>>
>>-From: Aaron <aaront at cox-internet.com>
>>-Subject: [s-cars] Front control arm fell off
>>-To: Audi - Scars <s-car-list at audifans.com>
>>-
>><snip>
>>
>>-Turns out the outer
>>
>>-control arm nut came off and the spindle assy came free and jammed in
>>
>>-the wheel well!
>><snip>
>>
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