[urq] Front Wheel Bearing Shift?

[Mike Veglia]

Frank asks:

<< I get a 'clunk' in the front, when pulling out of my driveway onto the
street....

Thinking about it.. I seem to remember a long time ago that someone had a
similar noise (may have been on a 5k, on the old 'quattro' mail list?) >>

Sorry for the late reply. It is possible that I posted regarding this years ago on the mother list. The post you recall may have been mine. I'm dealing with a medical issue right now and not keeping up with email real well.

The experience I had was with a then new 1987 4kq, my first Audi way back when, that had this problem. It was fixed under warranty by the dealer and was indeed the wheel bearing shifting. They too thought it couldn't be at the time and tried everything else first. The dealer was a Porsche Audi dealer and the tech recalled the same thing on Porsche 914s. I do not recall the exact parts used, after all we are talkling more than 20 years ago now. The wheel bearing was changed but there also may have been a shim involved as well between the circlip and the bearing. At the time it was "unusual" but another 4kq owner I knew at the time (she had a then three year old '84) told me hers did the same thing and she was told "they all do it, it is part of having a quattro" by her (different) dealer service dept.

Our 1995 A6q avant has done this ever since we bought it at 112k miles old. Now at 202k, or 90k later, it still does exactly the same thing, but the wheel bearing has exhibited no other symptoms and it does not seem to effect the driveability of the car at all. The car does have an appetite for front upper strut mounts though--something about gas shocks and Chinese Miele parts makes for a short lifespan there.

As long as everything else checks good (ball joints, bushings, strut mounts, etc.) this is a problem I have let slide in the various Audis I have owned since.

HTH

Mike Veglia