[s-cars] Front Suspension clunking (still)

[Lee Levitt]

I had a clunk on my '02 A6. Turned out to be a bad tie rod end.

Shop finally localized and diagnosed it by putting the car on an 
alignment rack, exercising the steering and listening with a 
stethoscope...

Lee



On Thu Sep 08 09:59:38 PDT 2005, matt ludwig 
<matt.ludwig2 at verizon.net> wrote:

> I have the exact same front end cluck (left front) on my avant as 
>  Serge describes and have messed with it to no end as well. Has 
> H&Rs  w/ Bilstein's w/ original camber plates (not Igor mod'd) 
> and has  original control arms and bushings. Those were my first 
> guess but  upon complete removal/ inspection by my trusted 
> mechanic, these were  in great shape to him and when reinstalled, 
> very tight and no play  when pried. Also had the top nuts of 
> struts on cambers tourqued and  replaced the cambers w/ new OEM 
> versions and still clucking there. My  thought is that the 
> Bilsteins are noisy and may be moving in the tube  as Serge 
> describes. Again, only a guess.
> 
> matt ludwig.
> Lima, Peru
> 
> 
> On Sep 8, 2005, at 11:19 AM, Serge Filanovsky wrote:
> 
>> Steve,
>> 
>> FWIW I have also been struggling with the dreaded front end  
>> cluncking though
>> I think my case is more extreme. Slow speed pavement 
>> irregularities  (of
>> which there are plenty on my local Brooklyn "roads") make so 
>> much  noise that
>> the car sounds and feels like an old beat up taxi. This started  
>> happening
>> after Bilstein/Eibach/2B camber plate install a few months back.
>> Interestingly, the Bilsteins were installed first with stock  
>> springs (don't
>> ask) and though I only drove the car less that 100 miles, I 
>> heard  no noises
>> (other than the axle bolt that, ahhemm... Bell Audi...Rahway,  
>> NJ ... failed
>> to torque down properly). I had my regular mechanic install the  
>> Eibachs and
>> the 2B plates. Thats when the noises really started.
>> 
>> At first I thought it was the plate (only one side seemed to 
>> make  noise).
>> Indeed, the spherical bearing was loose in the black slider  
>> housing, it was
>> not seated firmly against the large circlip (about 1mm of 
>> movement, my
>> unmeasured guesstimate). 2B sent a replacement, it did not solve 
>> the
>> problem, Ken said to torque down on the top strut mount nut (44 
>> lb/ ft) which
>> I did, no help.
>> 
>> Talking to folks at S//Fest I now suspect the inserts are 
>> flopping  around
>> inside the housing tubes. Thanks again, Bell Audi, I will be  
>> ripping the
>> whole mess apart, as soon as I can find a place to do it. 
>> Side-of- street
>> garage has been deemed inadequate for this chore.
>> 
>> 
>> Serge Filanovsky
>> 
>> 95.5 S6 cluncky Avant
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> 
>>> Steve clunked:
>>> 
>>> <<<Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 16:23:36 -0700
>>> From: "Steve Voit" <stevevoit at comcast.net>
>>> Subject: [s-cars] Front Suspension clunking (still)
>>> 
>>> I have worsening front end noise on which I'd like your opinion:
>>> 
>>> *    Distinct noise (metallic-ish creak or clunk) (right or left
>>> side, or
>>> both sides) principally when changing direction such as backing 
>>> from
>>> drive
>>> and then proceeding forward.  Most stop signs.  Sometimes 
>>> simply when
>>> braking and accelerating.  Or the crown jewel: backing and 
>>> turning  from
>>> a
>>> parking spot in a hilly parking lot.
>>> *    I had the 2 Bennett camber plates installed along with
>>> Eibach/Bilstein about 7000 miles ago, and drive smooth roads.
>>> *    After first hearing the noise I had my control arms replaced
>>> *    More recently 4000 miles later I replaced my sway bar 
>>> bushings
>>> and
>>> tightened up all subfame mounts.
>>> *    My sense is that it is lighter (lower mass) components 
>>> that are
>>> causing the noise, and that the subframe stuff is not causal.
>>> 
>>> Theories:
>>> 
>>> 1.    Fenders liners not adequately trimmed.  This was 2Bennett's
>>> first
>>> reaction, I'll check this although I have reservations because 
>>> the  noise
>>> can
>>> equally occur during very quiet periods, suspension-wise, such 
>>> as  just
>>> turning in a parking garage at creeping speeds, where I 
>>> wouldn't  expect
>>> suspension deflection.
>>> 2.    Inadequate torque on strut inserts. (favorite theory) 
>>> 2Bennett
>>> suggest its difficult to achieve the 175-200 lb-ft torque on 
>>> the  strut
>>> collar.  They have seen (only once) the lower part of the strut 
>>>  inserts
>>> make
>>> noise under this condition.  Suggested that I tighten and/or  
>>> machine a
>>> spacer collar for the strut.  This dimensional situation was 
>>> worse on
>>> older
>>> cars such as 4000's where the diameter of the insert was very 
>>> much
>>> different
>>> from the strut housing.
>>> 3.    Play in metallic ball on Camber Plate.  2Bennett suggests 
>>> the
>>> plate
>>> was designed to be silent.  My mechanic doesn't think he's 
>>> observing
>>> enough
>>> motion at this location to make the noise.
>>> 4.    I recall listers commenting on noise resulting from an
>>> interference
>>> b/w the sway bar and the conduit pipe that carries wiring 
>>> across  (under)
>>> the
>>> engine.  I don't have information on this.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Any thoughts?  I want to check everything out as long as I'm 
>>> spending
>>> the $$
>>> to have a look.
>>> 
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>> 
>>> Steve in Seattle
>>> 
>>> 95.5 S6>>>
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Steve-
>>> 
>>> Damn that saga sounds familiar, and has been kicked around on 
>>> list  for
>>> while now with seemingly no tangible conclusions.  My case is 
>>> same as
>>> yours minus camber plates.  I even had the strut top mounts and 
>>>  bearings
>>> done.  All I know is it is better now, something I did (likely 
>>> the
>>> latter) got rid of it.  Mostly.  Bilsteins are tight as are 
>>> their  caps,
>>> heck I even added oil down the housings when we did the install 
>>> to  aid
>>> in internal strut dampening in the housing.
>>> 
>>> Still sounds like crap up there.  Sometimes.  Which is the best 
>>>  part...
>>> it's all intermittent.  Bill Perron and Iiken this wonderful  
>>> phenomena
>>> to feeling like the entire front end is about to fall off.  And 
>>>  then it
>>> feels good again.
>>> 
>>> I still get that 'creek' when I return the wheel from right 
>>> turns to
>>> center but that's not a clunk, speculation was like you said on 
>>> that
>>> metal wiring conduit that runs across back of pan / sway bar.  
>>> I  pried
>>> on it to create distance, still creeky.  Sounds great in my 
>>> parking
>>> garage oh yes...
>>> 
>>> My conclusion is like Serge aptly said, "sometimes my car 
>>> starts  to feel
>>> all used up" (Serge, trademark).  Then on somedays it's fine.  
>>> I just
>>> beat on it harder and it seems to help.
>>> 
>>> Or something.
>>> 
>>> HTH.  Or doesn't.  Not sure.
>>> 
>>> -Paul
>>> 
>>> ps.  wonder if I should address that torn rack boot before I cook
>>> something else up there, naaaaaaa maybe it'll heal...
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> S-CAR-List mailing list
>>> S-CAR-List at audifans.com
>>> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
>>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> S-CAR-List mailing list
>> S-CAR-List at audifans.com
>> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
>> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> S-CAR-List mailing list
> S-CAR-List at audifans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
> 
>