Awesome - thanks for typing all that up! I'm still hoping to find someone who has gotten the control arm replaced, and if that's solved their issue.

I'm bringing my B8 in next week for these issues and that friggin blower fan bearing problem they can't seem to fix .

 

I have the low speed shudder while in parking lots which everyone has, but I don't have that highway 65-70 mph vibration that all you guys are talking about.... Am I just lucky? Should I go to the dealer and have them put on the new control arms and the better bushings that are coming stock on the '10's just for a free upgrade?.. or should I just leave it alone?

 

You don't have to go far to find someone who had the control arms replaced. Click the link..

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2...n-wrap-up.html

 

Audi will only approve the replacement of the lower control arms if all of the below occurs in sequence:

1) you have the high speed steering wheel shimmy/vibration which can be reproduced by the dealer in a test drive
2) the dealer performs road force balancing on all wheels and after inspecting the wheels and tires notes no damage or other problems
3) the vibration persists and is noted after a second test drive
4) the dealer submits a request to AOA for approval to replace the control arms
5) Audi approves it and you wait for the control arms to arrive in stock

It's highly unlikely the dealer would bother to contact Audi for replacements if you don't exhibit the problem in the first place (or balancing resolves the vibration) much less get an approval from AOA to do so.

However, it may occur in the future after some miles get on the A4 (I have over 13K - how many miles do you have on yours?) and you can go through the process then. I suspect the original bushings may settle in and exhibit the issue after awhile - or not. Don't worry about it until it happens.

 

ok sounds good...I only have a little over 7k right now and I hope I don't have that shimmy issue... why do some have the 65-75 mph shimmy issue and mine doesn't?

 

sorry for the late update. i had my control arms replaced 2 weeks ago and it ran as smooth as it can be until this morning when driving through I-10 at 75mph. i went to audi chandler to have an appointment next week but much to my surprise, the vibration/shimmy went away on my way back home so what i did was that i cancelled my appointment conveying to them that the vibration went away only to find out it came back on. sigh*.. i'm planning to just observe it for a couple more miles and probably on my 5k service if the problem still persist then i'll tell them about it to have them fix it.

what do you think?

 

Ive had the exact same experience with the shimmy at high speeds coming and going. The car has been pretty smooth for the past few hundred miles and I canceled my appointment. I have noticed that the shimmy seems to come back if I do some hard turns before getting on the freeway... Although I need to do some experimenting.

 

although i've only noticed as for now that the shimmy would be felt when doing highway cruising from a completely cold car BUT it doesn't exhibit any at all if i already used it within the city limits for about 5 miles or more before going to the freeway.

 

Interesting. After reading the last two comments, I'm beginning to wonder if the car is subjected to some gymnastics with wheel turns, etc. before getting on the highway that somehow cause the bushings to seat more firmly through heat or friction, thus mitigating the shimmy. I'll have to experiment with this as occasionally in my case as well, the vibration does not occur.

 

after dealing with virtually the same exact problem with a Q7, we still purchased (now regret it) an 09 B8 Avant few months ago...question, has anyone had the control arms installed and the problem RESOLVED? with our Q7 we actually had them ship the diesel control arms from Germany and that did NOT even resolve it...I am more than skeptical this will resolve it.