G0to60

All you need to do to tighten the control arms at ride height is place a jack under the lower ball joints and lift it up. Easy pleasey.

I just had an order from ECS and they were perfect. A couple parts were back ordered but they listed the time it would take to get them in and they hit the date perfect. I don't think I've ever had a bad shipment over the dozen or so orders I've done with them.

vtraudt

Makes sense (even so lifting with the jack is a bit of a 'wobbly' undertaking; had a few 'kickouts'.

Now need to get (with the wheels on, car in 'preferred' ride height), the correct height to a repeatable/measureable point on the suspension.

ECS Tuning-Audi

^^This.

With the wheel off, and the vehicle on jack stands, or a lift, place a jack under lower ball joint and compress the suspension.

Once the suspension is at about where it would sit normally, then you can tighten your bolts. You can start them while you have the suspension hanging but just leave them loose enough that there is no tension on the bushing. Get your ride height set then crank them down.

This is 99% of why bushings fail so quickly because people don't follow this one crucial step.

Below is helpful attachment I have included for anyone who needs more information or a visual.

Tightening Suspension Bushings - May.pdf

I hope this helps!

Jason

vtraudt

Jason, thanks. Great help. Makes sense if the rubber is in deed 'clamped' and not free to rotate.
Need to do all my AR (and bunch of Passat/A4). Puh.

ECS Tuning-Audi

Glad I could help! God knows front suspension overhauls are never fun to do! Hopefully this will assist in getting the most life out of your control arms.

It should also be mentioned that you really should adjust the bushings if you lower your vehicle.

Any time you can allow the bushing to be in the neutral most position the better.

Cheers!

Jason

thejulex

A note for allroad.

You want to tighten the bushing bolt while at the level you use THE MOST. For most it means L2, some people ride on L1 all the time and these would do it at L1.

Since allroad is equipped with air suspension you want to cycle the car levels once the wheel knuckle is jacked up until it reaches desired level. Then tighten the bolt.

Oh, and it doesn't matter how high, to a sane level of course, you jack up the wheel you working on. The leveling in allroad is not gravity/level based or corner to ground based but a simple distance from lower control arm to level sensor attached to chassis. Theoretically the car can be upside down and still regulate the height of wheel properly.

jesusgatos

Unless you're installing something like Powerflex bushings, which are not pressed/bonded, right? Just ordered a set of those for my allroad and can't see how it would matter where the suspension was at when they're tightened. What's the deal with the aftermarket upper control arms? They give you the ability to adjust caster/camber? Do they all use the same outer balljoints?

GTA_Driver

No camber adjustment, the only ones that do that are Stern or 034 Motorsports, as they are adjustable.

ECS Tuning-Audi

Correct. A poly bushing is designed differently than whats in your control arms from the factory.

Unless you have adjustable control arms you cant really adjust front camber.

You can shift the sub frame to even out the camber but this wont completely rid you of negative camber.

Jason

vtraudt

Well, thinking about those prematurely (1 year?) failed upper control arms (Allroad, A4, Passat): they did wear at the outside PIN, NOT the inside 'rubber' mount that MAY suffer from be tightened with the wheels hanging (not loaded). While 'loading before tightening' may help (by not pre-stressing the rubber in the bushing), it obviously has nothing to do with wearing out the ball joint!!!

Back to square one.