misfiturs4

How hard is it to replace these bushings? Can I do it myself with out a press? If I pull out the bolts can I get them out and the new in without removing the whole arm, or is this just wish full thinking? The ball joints are still good but my car came from Canada and has a lot of surface rust combined with layers of flaking undercoating everywhere. I want to mess with as few bolts as i can. Years of undercoating = big F'ing mess.

scarman

"If I pull out the bolts" seems to mean the inner end of the front control arms? These bolts fit through a metal sleeve that must be pulled out after the bolt is removed in order to free the control arm. The bushing can not be removed and replaced without using a press of some sort, and is seldom done because it usually outlasts the ball joint unless it gets soaked with Pentosin 11S from a hydraulic leak. The swaybar bushings on the outer end usually need replacement by now also along with other suspension parts that are most economically replaced at the same time.

How hard is it? It depends on how rusted the undercarriage is and how well you understand the Bentley instructions. Most suspension fasteners are designed for one time use by Audi.

If you are describing aftermarket undercoating, the more that flakes off the better. All it is doing is holding moisture to provide a medium to accelerate rusting.

misfiturs4

I see. Thanks for the info. When i got the car it blew a power steering line. It went everywhere. Ill get under it this week and look again at the swaybar links and ball joints. Thanks again.

Integra 26R

Blau parts sells the whole arms with all new bushings and hardware. Those little sleeves don't seem to last to well after a few times in and out.

scarman

Blaufergnugen packages a convenient parts kit but you pay for the convenience and get mediocre parts. To be successful with ownership of this vehicle you really need a better forum for advice as well as a maintenance manual and parts catalog of your own. Look around, all the advice and help you need is not here.

misfiturs4

I see.. I have heard the same about the Blau parts. Where do you go for parts and advice?

I really care about this car and want to do it right. I would choose mooge lower control arms from my own experance with their stuff, but where to find good fasteners.

And do the sleeves come with the arms????

scarman

The sleeve 4A0 399 413 A is used with hex hd screw N 904 563 02 (M12X1.5X150X60 bolt) to secure the inner bushing of the front control arm. Both are separate parts to be ordered individually. The control arms are sold with the inner bushing and ball joint installed. You can replace the inner bushing but not the ball joint. Some of the control arms come with the sway bar end bushings also.

Check the FAQ at the top of this forum and click on "top of the FAQ page" when it appears. The supplier list has a few good links but is woefully inadequate and out of date. For dealer parts www.genuinevwaudiparts.com is the almost universal choice. They are a San Diego Audi dealer that sells online. The catalogs are riddled with errors so the best way is to order by part#. There is a place where most DIY and enthuasist owners have gone that is a world named after the Audi AWD system and has a more up to date FAQ and many times the traffic.

GoHeels

http://www.audipartsnationwide.com/p...?siteid=215503

Similar but you can call and ask questions...same prices as genuinevwaudiparts...hell, same website basically

ETA: they will also fax you diagrams to help...I've ordered basics to NC and it takes a week+
.

scarman

I have not dealt with Rector Audi, but having the phone available is a plus. The important thing is to have a good relationship with one dealer source that knows that many UrS parts are unique and will verify them against your VIN before shipping.

The censors will not like the posting of such a visible link for a non-advertiser for their site. Hence, speaking in codes for others. Miramar Audi was the first to use that price list which only Rector matches among the online parts departments. So, they have a leg up for supplying the UrS parts since they get almost all the business when
one can afford to wait on a shipment. This does not mean the full 4 or 5 days since most local dealers will not stock any UrS parts unless they happen to be used on several other models in later years. That wait time depends on the dealers proximity to a warehouse, so the time savings is probably only 1 or 2 days.