well as u guys know by now, im a complete noob. what im learning is what im reading online and hearing from you guys. so i need ur help. i need new upper and lower control arms. i have found this on ecs tuning

http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/...productID=1611


i owuld like to clear things up though. each side, front and back has control arms. correct?
each side front and rear has a upper and lower control arm, correct?
or, are there more for each side?

is that link above what i need to change the upper and lower control arms of my front end?

 

For the front, each side has 4 control arms each. There are two upper (front and rear) and then two lower (front and rear). Check out a DIY to see pics of all of this. Go to Audiworld.com, then search for DIY control arms and search for posts with pics and you should find it.

The full set is ES#3005 or ES#3006 with tie rod ends and costs $550 and $600 respectively. If you decide to replace all of your control arms, also order new sway bar links (set is ES#1130 for $60)

This kit of 8 control arms does not include anything for the rear.



I just installed this kit two weekends ago. If you are going to replace the uppers, my opinion is you may as well do the lowers as well. And if you do the lowers, absolutely replace the sway bar links too.

Before you buy the set, read a DIY to make sure you are up for it. If your car has been in salty, snowy weather (like mine) prepare for some stubborn bolts. I actually had to use a hacksaw on some of the bolts because they seized up. Air tools would be great if you have them (I did not). You will need to go rent a set of ball joint separators from Autozone. Hope this helps.

 

I would suggest you make sure you need control arms. I had a front end "clunk", and was told by and Audi and Firestone dealership it was control arms and tie rod ends. I did a little investigating myself, and found it was a sway bar link. Cost me $40 bucks and 1/2 hour vs hundreds and all day.

'98 A4 Quattro 1.8T

 

If you DIY, use a blowtorch to heat up the pinch bolts for much easier removal.

 

how do i make sure i need upper control arms? i will take a pic and show you guys. the bushing(i think aka boot) is cracked and ripped. its right above the tire and very visible. above 60 miles an hour i get a bad shacking. i had someone look at it and the said my tie rods were bad and both my right and left front side upper control arms were bad? like i said i dont know if he is telling the truth or not. hes not an independent mechanice so i dont know if i shouldnt trust him or not. what do you guys think?

 

Change the tie-rod ends first, and inspect other parts while you are at it.

If the bushings are cracked and look bad on the control arms, or if there is play in the control arm, you may want to replace them all while you are at it.

how many miles on the car? pics will def. help also.

 

there are 87,000 on it right now. i will post pics when i get back from school today

 

Jack the car up under the body so each front wheel is off the ground,
one side at a time. With you hands on a tire 9 and 3 o'clock shake the
wheel. if either wheel is loose , you need tie rod ends.

 

There are a total of 8 arms in the front, 4 uppers and 4 lowers.
We recommend changing out all 8 together using one of our control arm kits.
You'll save money on installation and alignments in the long run by doing them together.

Worst case, just install the ones you need now, and save the rest for later. It's inevitable that you'll need to replace them sooner or later.