QTC tie rod

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <9706301620.AA18055@mashtun.JPL.NASA.GOV> ptimmerm@mashtun.JPL.NASA.GOV writes:

 
> I recently was told that there was a running change made,
> about the same time as the rear suspension change, i.e. 
> when the 4kq parts were available to the line.  The older
> tie rod ends for the UrQ are larger and much harder to find.
> I have been told the channel is depleted of them.  Comments?
> Anyone do the pn thing?

Yup.  Bear in mind that anything else this person tells you is likely to be 
just as wrong.

The tie rod section of the ur-quattro parts fiche is a model of simplicity.  
The part numbers remain the same from the 1980 WR to the 1991 RR.  The ends are 
_NOT_ available separately.
 
For a LHD ur-quattro, the left tie rod is 859 419 801A - the right is
859 419 802A. 

As a note to others: there _IS_ one important TEMPORARY running change to watch 
for.  Sometime after 85-B-901123 a limited number of vehicles (Audi don't know 
which or how many) were fitted with slightly different A-frames (wishbones) 
and correspondingly different ball joint carriers.  The latter slides into the 
former and is fixed by two bolts passed through elongated slots.
 
On the "different" wishbones and ball joint carriers, the slot into which the 
latter fits is defined as 8.5mm + 0.5mm.  On the "standard" parts, it is 9.5mm 
+ 0.5mm.  The "different" wishbones should also have a blue stripe on the 
underside - though how much of this will remain after a few years is moot.
 
It is important that the parts match.  Since the "different" parts were never 
available as spares, the only issue that can arise is if a "different" wishbone 
on a vehicle is replaced with a "standard" spare - this would result in a ball 
joint carrier with an 8.5mm tongue riding in a 9.5mm slot.  According to Audi, 
it's OK to replace "different" with "standard" parts on one side of the car 
only -it's not necessary to change both sides.  

--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club