[s-cars] Help diagnosing suspension issue

[djdawson2 at aol.com]

Replace your front control arms... just do it.  It isn't worth the risk of having one come apart (and they have), and I'll be you money that those are the source of your wobble.
 
Dave 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Graham Hicks <urs6turbo at yahoo.ca>
To: S-Cars list <S-CAR-List at audifans.com>
Sent: Tue, 23 May 2006 21:02:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [s-cars] Help diagnosing suspension issue


I've got a '97 S6 and need some advice on what to look for.
Coming home from work there is a great sweeping left that is slightly down hill 
and great for running up speeds.  I regularly run 140kph in that stretch, 
(90mph) but the other night there was a bad vibration.  Bad enough it made me 
think my front right wheel had come loose!
    I pulled off and the wheel was tight and the tie rod was tight so I 
continued home and started jacking up each corner to see if there was something 
loose.
Tie rod ends are good, no movement up down or lateral from any corner, and a 2 
foot pry bar revealled no play in the suspension when jacked up.  Based on my 
visual inspection the left rear lower, inner control arm bushing looks like it 
needs to be replaced but still seems solid. The reason I say that is because it 
looks like the metal sleeve has separated from the rubber part (at least 
partially). 
    I have repeated the corner at various speeds and above roughly 120kph and 
under acceleration the vibration or feeling that the right front is wobbling has 
been duplicated so there has got to be something wrong.  I swear its in the 
front passenger but would the the rear control arm give me a wobble feel if when 
weighted there is actually play in the bushing? (note that the steering wheel 
translates the vibration and that if I straighten out and lift off the throttle 
- it stops)  
    Also, IF the front passenger wheel bearing were gone, would there not be a 
noise or movement to tell me there was a problem? Does anyone have experience 
with the control arm bushings to tell me what kind of bill I am looking at to 
have them replaced?  I believe I could remove the control arms, but I do not 
have a press and would have to have it re-aligned afterwards right?
 
Graham Hicks
  UrS6Turbo at Yahoo.ca
  

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