88 90 2wd tie rod ends

[Dennis Ruffing <altia!dennisr@uucp-1.csn.net>]

Long timer de-lurking for some repair advice,

My lovely 88 90 (182k and still a beautiful car...) has had a
persistent loose feeling in the steering over the last year.

New struts (much needed), control arm bushings, strut bearings,
and a transmission mount have not cured the kick-back, torque-steer,
and pulling to the right.  Yup, it's been alligned too. Nasty
clunk in suspension when heavy torque is applied (1st & 2nd acceleration,
climing big hills -I'm in Colorado, don't ya know-).  You can just
feel something moving.  Could be engine mounts, might be ball joints.

I'm looking to replace the tie rod ends this weekend and wonder
if I'll run into any problems pulling the tie rod end out of
the front suspension wishbone or in getting the things threaded off
the steering arm.  Anyone btdt?

Has anyone done the other motor mounts and can a weekender do them?

any advice please respond direct:  dennisr@altia.com

In other news, after three years and 100k self inflicted miles on my
favorite car,
The wife and I bought an 88 90 Quattro.  Red.  I must tell you about it.

The neighbors are kind of surprised to see two of the same car sitting
in the driveway.  Now I'm a lifer.  The feller I bought it from was
surprised that I knew everything that had gone wrong with his car:
Replace the door locks?
 ...uh, yeah.
Window switches?
yup.
Waterpump?
yup.
Sunroof work?
Nope.
Clutch MC?
"How do you know all this?!?!?"

Well, I know what I've got, now don't I?  :-)  Everything else, of course,
is just ducky.  Except the engine runs a little smoother than my other
90.  And when you drive, Oh when you DRIVE!!!  I'm dancing and throwing
dandylions in the air!  For those of you from Colorado, we took the
Q up to Bailey along route 285, 50 mph sweepers with ups and downs and
all arounds, in the rain and in the evening.  Just pick a line, run it 
tighter in, let it go further out.  Fast or slow, it just went where you
pointed it.  My wife gets nervous riding or driving in the hills.  Vertigo
and large drop off corners will do that to you.  But she could feel how
well things were holding on.  Spent the whole afternoon last saturday
waxing some color back into the red.  Yowza.  When she took it into the
office for the first time, people just couldn't believe the car was
eight years old, had 90k on it (heck, that's brand new for an Audi!) and
that she picked it up for half of what they thought it was worth.
The only trouble is that it's hers.  So I only get to drive it on the
weekends.  And for skiing this winter!

Well, must fire up the lurking device again.

Thanks for an entertaining list.  The digests on the web page are fantastic,
Dan!

Dennis Ruffing
Proud owners:
88 90 2wd, 182k, rev it out!
88 90 Q, 90k and breaking it in.
85 Suzy gs700, 25k, blown coils, and it aint the water-buffaloe my dad had.

dennisr@altia.com