GrA8ful S8

The really loud annoying squeak upon compression of the shocks and turning of the wheel was due to a corroded lower control arm. The part was $298 at the stealer, $160 from my mechanic, and $80 from Wendy H.!!!(priceless)(Thank's Wendy!) Obviously, I went with Wendy's OEM part, I had the lower control arm replaced as well as the sway bar link that went along with it($35). The car is back to normal again! I don't like going a day without it...thanks for the input everyone on the squeaking problem!
Cheers!
JWA

PaulW

I replaced my straight control arms when put my H&R's on.

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/22012/dsc03745.jpg">

I bent my curved control arm right after I got my car, what a *itch to replace!

pw

Excellr-A8

Paul,

I am going to replace both the straight and the curved lower control arms in the next week. Why is the curved control arm so hard? It looks pretty easy to me.

Thanks,
Jeff Bernstein

PaulW

It's been almost 2 years since I did it, but you have to stick an open ended wrench in the subframe hole to get to the bolt that bolts the nylon bushing in.

Then to get the bolt out, you have to lower the subframe, I remember not really being able to figure it out and then I finally pried it down and got it out (the bolt that is). It's a cleance issue as a I recall, it has to be lowered so the bolt can clear coming out.

When I put it back in, I ended up reversing the bolt direction, so now I didn't have to pry the subframe down to get it back in. But if you drop the straight control arm (easy) then I bet you could get the bent one out too. I was changing the CV joint also at the time so I was wrestling the whole front end for the first time.

Here's the old and new control arms, the old one is slightly shorter than the new one, 'cause I hit a pipe sticking out of the ground (capped fire hydrandant) straight on with my RF wheel on the tire face. Going about 3 MPH and it bent it. Man, did it screw up the handling!

And the part was $240!

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/images/controlarm1.JPG">

GrA8ful S8

That I'm not sure of...it was the one the sway bar link connects to....;-)