[s-cars] Fw: Suspension Problems in 94 S4

[Rich Assarabowski]

Did you replace the strut bearing?  Was everything assembled in the correct
sequence?  I guess you'll find out when you take it apart....  Sounds like
the strut bearing is binding up.

-- Rich A. 

-----Original Message-----
From: theringmeister at triad.rr.com [mailto:theringmeister at triad.rr.com] 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:18 PM
To: Rich Assarabowski
Cc: s-car-list at audifans.com; Sean Douglas
Subject: Re: [s-cars] Fw: Suspension Problems in 94 S4

Background.  92 Urs4, Bilstein sports, rebuilt front end (except subframe
bushings) in Nov '07.  New control arms, upper strut mounts and bearings,
bilsteins, tie rod ends, steering damper.  I just confirmed at least
"something", I think.  I had a friend help while I turned the steering wheel
while the car was stopped, searching for the clunk in the steering I was
experiencing, among other things, which was happening at very low speed or
at a complete stop.  Confirmed it's coming from the upper strut mount.  with
the cover removed, the shaft of the strut is visibly moving nearly a quarter
inch as the wheel is turned before actually "releasing" and turning freely.
These things have 14K miles on them and are less than a year old! 

I did not do the work but a competent shop did.  I supplied the parts.  Is
the stuff out there (I sourced the parts from AutohausAZ and Blau) just
total crap?


--
Wylie Bean
TheRingmeister at triad.rr.com
90 cq
91 90q20v sport
92 UrS4
01 allroad


---- Rich Assarabowski <konecc at snet.net> wrote: 
> Randy:
> 
> Bilstein struts are prone to early failure in these cars.  If you've
eliminated all other sources of clunking it could very well be a defective
strut, as it was in my case.   The check is very simple -- follow the
procedure in Bentley for removing the strut.  This is done with the car on
the ground, you remove the strut mount and and allow the strut to extend.
There's no need to remove the strut from the housing, that's as far as you
need to go.  At this point it's just the car weight keeping the spring
compressed, so you don't lift the car!   Move the strut laterally and if
there's any play in it (this will create the clunk which you'll hear very
clearly), you have a defective strut.  To align the strut back into position
you can raise the car SLIGHTLY to take the load off the suspension, but not
enought for the spring to extend and pop out.
>  
> The good news is the Bilsteins have a lifetime warranty.   Zygmunt Motors
who I bought the struts from replaced them with no hassle.  I took the
opportunity to send the new struts to Bilstein for revalving (I kept the
compresssion the same, increased rebound by 40%).  The difference with the
H&R V8 springs was very noticeable, the ride actually improved a lot (less
pounding on bad roads) and the car felt tighter.
> If you end up pullling the struts and putting in new ones, I would follow
a recent recommendation on this list to drill a hole in the low point of the
housing for drainage.   There's some suspicion that the housings may be
filling up with oil and blocking a vent hole in the strut bottom, apparently
they're designed to be open. 
>  
> -- Rich A.
>     ex-'93 S4
>     ex-'92 S4
>     '08 Mazda MS3
>     '99 Miata (CS autocross)
> _______________________________________________
> S-CAR-List mailing list
> S-CAR-List at audifans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list