[s-cars] Shimmy -- please help diagnose

[dooksniffer at comcast.net]

This has come up many times over the past year (couple weeks in fact) and a majority of the "violent shakes in the sweepers" have been due to worn bushings in the front-lower control arm(s).

As for a garage you can't beat:
Woodlawn Foreign Auto
454 W. Woodlawn ST.
Philadelphia, PA  19144
215-843-5939

John has an S4 with upgraded suspension, RS2 goodies, blah blah.
They are pretty close over in Germantown.  I am in Doylestown and sometimes make the trip when needed.

Good luck

Ron W.
-------------- Original message -------------- 

> About 2 weeks ago I detected a slight shimmy in the right front of the 95.5 S6 
> Avant that has gotten worse and is now at the point where I do not want to drive 
> the car over 60mph. The shimmy occurs when on the highway and going around a 
> slight left bend. The steering wheel does not shimmy. but it feels like the 
> wheel is shaking. I jacked up the front and examined the suspension and 
> steering linkages and the only thing I found was on the top shock mount there is 
> a gap between the rubber bushing and the cone shaped washer under the nut 
> attached to the shock shaft. When I jack the car up and down the gap changes. 
> Could this be the problem? I am confused because I would expect to have the 
> wheel vibrate over all bumps on the highway and both left and right bends if the 
> shock mount was the problem. I had a local mechanic look at it and he said the 
> rubber mount has failed and the shocks should be replaced as well, $1200 for 
> Bilstein Heavy Duty. I would hate to do the work only to find out that was not 
> the problem. 
> 
> If this is the problem, should I: 
> 1. Just replace the mounts? 
> 2. Replace the mounts and the struts on the front? If so, what would you 
> recommend I install? 
> 3. Replace all four with something a little lower and stiffer? I would like a 
> stiffer ride and less body roll, but I don't want to lower the car much as I 
> drive it in the snow and on the rough potholed streets of Philadelphia. What 
> would you recommend? 
> 
> Finally, I am looking for a mechanic in the Bryn Mawr area, any suggestions? 
> 
> Thanks for the help. 
> 
> Steven N. Verona 
> Inventor of products, services and business processes. 
> PO Box 407 Gladwyne, PA 19035 
> p 215.989.0083 
> f 661.458.2894 
> www.stevenverona.com 
> 
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