So after a couple days of search on the forums and on the car, i think I have found my clunk. I had what sounded like the usual front suspension clunk. When i am driving in stop and go traffic i hear an annoying clunk. So i checked out both TRE and the lower CA ball joint. Neither one of them are cracked, loose etc. I found out if i bang on the lowe CA, i hear a metal clatter. Thinking that it must be the ball joint, i wanted to be sure. I put a metal pipe up the the ball joint and my ear and hit the CA. I didnt hear anyhing out of the normal. I put it on the lower CA bushing and hit it and hear the metal sound but amplified.

So i am 95% sure it is my lower CA bushing, but I am not sure if that makes sense. On closer look i can see the control arm move on the bushing when i wiggle the tire. But i thought that bushing squeaked and ball joints clunked. Is it possible that this could be my clunk?

Thanks in adavance. I believe this is my first post (will find out after I post this) but i have been reading the board for about 6 months now. I picked up a 1.8t awhile back and am still getting used to the design of it. I am used to toyotas and hondas, so there is a little bit of a difference for me.

-Brian

 

do some search with audi cause awhile back Audi had a recall on control arm bushings in which i believe applied to 96-99 A4's.

 

I tried that out. I called audi, and apparently it is no longer valid. The employee said that it was not a recall, it was something else that you only had a certain ammount of time to do.

 

How's your steering? is there any play at all? usually the clunking is tie-rod ends rather than CA. Control arms usually just squeek and creak, not usually a clunk unless they are really shot bad.
If you jack up one side, grab the wheel on left and right sides, and wiggle it, does it move at all? If so, you need TRE's.

 

The tie rod ball joint does not appear to move at all.

 

But does the wheel move? Is there any play? if not, you're good on the tre's then. Especially if the steering is real tight with no play. Otherwise, that would be the first thing to look at.

 

I am inside now, but i can re-check it tomorrow. I know I can grab the TRE and twist/rotate it (as though i was threading it). Is that normal?

 

That TRE is how your wheels are aligned - if you can thread it then the last time it was aligned it wasn't tightened back up. I would take it somewhere ASAP to get that looked at.

 

Double

 

okay, i went back out and took at look at it. I cant thread it, i can only rotate it a littl (apears to be just the ball joint moving like it should). I check the other side and it does the same. I have driven the car as is for about 6 months, so I am guessing it is correct. I am pretty stumped on what the clunk is. I went back out and grabbed the tire at 9 and 3 and pushed/pulled it around for awhle. Nothing seems to be moving. If there is any play at all in the tie rods, it is the whole tie rod and not just the outer ends.

I dont know what to do. Maybe i wont be able to save the money i was hoping too, and might have to buy the complete kit.