Tighten it up
#1
04-26-2008, 11:27 AM
Tighten it up
Hello, I was wondering what is the best way to tighten up the suspension & steering? The springs and shocks seem to be in good/fair condition still but I would like to tighten it up. Is their a complete set of bushings package available out there? What other items would be good to look at?
Also, there is a clunking sound from what seems like the top of the front struts at low speed while turning and when it goes over bumps. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Inibalir
Also, there is a clunking sound from what seems like the top of the front struts at low speed while turning and when it goes over bumps. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Inibalir
#2
04-26-2008, 01:15 PM
RE: Tighten it up
Yes...check out ECS tuning, I know TTstuff.com carries them. I had an issue with them about a year ago along with several others. They didn't rip me off just took a looooong time to get my stuff. I haven't heard anything bad about them in a long time though....check them out.
#5
04-26-2008, 02:48 PM
RE: Tighten it up
I talk with the guys at TTStuff on an almost weekly basis, you shouldn't have any problems with them anymore, the issues they had in the past are all resolved.
Heres what I'd recommend, as its what I've done, and I'm totally amazed at how different (better) the car handles.
First off, my suspension itself is still stock, as are the sway bars. What I have swapped are:
Rear control arm bushings, inboard. K-MAC adjustable camber/caster poly bushings. These things are easy to install, and adjust, and are just awesome.
Front strut tower bushing/pillow, K-MAC Stage 1 poly pillow. *While it works well, its a TOTAL bitch to get the alignment set. I like the results of the change, and I'd recommend swapping the top end of the strut tower, I wouldn't recommend K-MAC's kit. For the $450 I spent, I'd like to see something a little more user friendly. The adjustment instructions actually have you prying on it with a large screwdriver, while trying to tighten a nut. It's dumb. While being dumb, it may fix your clunk you're hearing. There is a bearing in the top of the strut tower, and it may be going bad.
A-arm bushings, both front and rear bushings swapped to Powerflex poly bushings. Night and day difference, this corrects Audi's early model year recall 'correcting' the steering so idiots could drive too. That recall used a more flexible bushing, which makes the car understeer. The powerflex bushings tighten everything up, and I've hammered thru this onramp in town so hard that the car just starts sliding towards the left lane as you blast onto the highway, as opposed to stock, where you'd have the wheel turned further than you should, front tires howling and pushing the front toward the ditch before you're even 3/4 thru the ramp. Theres a side effect though, you'll have a stupid grin on your face every time you exit a tight turn going way faster than you ever imagined you'd take that turn.
Prioritizing that list, I'd get those A-arm bushings first, the rear control arm bushings if you want more adjustability with your alignment, and the strut tower kit last, if at all. You may want to just try replacing the stock components with OEM if you're sure thats where the noise is coming from.
What I haven't done yet, and am debating whether I will do at all, is upgrade the sway bar(s). The car is feeling much more neutral to me as it is, if I do anything, it'll probably be replacing the stock sway bar bushings with poly ones, my stock bushings are shot. It'll be more powerflex stuff from TTStuff when I do that. May consider up sizing the rear bar and see how it acts. For street use, its as it should have been from the factory now, and until I'm tracking it, I can't really push it hard enough to weed out any more flaws. I'd like to try for a KW variant II suspension setup by fall, and if/when thats tuned right, this car could be a whole other animal.
Anyway, thats my setup, and my thoughts on it. IMO the bushing swaps should be at the top of the mod list. It does for your handling what a chip does for your engine. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Heres what I'd recommend, as its what I've done, and I'm totally amazed at how different (better) the car handles.
First off, my suspension itself is still stock, as are the sway bars. What I have swapped are:
Rear control arm bushings, inboard. K-MAC adjustable camber/caster poly bushings. These things are easy to install, and adjust, and are just awesome.
Front strut tower bushing/pillow, K-MAC Stage 1 poly pillow. *While it works well, its a TOTAL bitch to get the alignment set. I like the results of the change, and I'd recommend swapping the top end of the strut tower, I wouldn't recommend K-MAC's kit. For the $450 I spent, I'd like to see something a little more user friendly. The adjustment instructions actually have you prying on it with a large screwdriver, while trying to tighten a nut. It's dumb. While being dumb, it may fix your clunk you're hearing. There is a bearing in the top of the strut tower, and it may be going bad.
A-arm bushings, both front and rear bushings swapped to Powerflex poly bushings. Night and day difference, this corrects Audi's early model year recall 'correcting' the steering so idiots could drive too. That recall used a more flexible bushing, which makes the car understeer. The powerflex bushings tighten everything up, and I've hammered thru this onramp in town so hard that the car just starts sliding towards the left lane as you blast onto the highway, as opposed to stock, where you'd have the wheel turned further than you should, front tires howling and pushing the front toward the ditch before you're even 3/4 thru the ramp. Theres a side effect though, you'll have a stupid grin on your face every time you exit a tight turn going way faster than you ever imagined you'd take that turn.
Prioritizing that list, I'd get those A-arm bushings first, the rear control arm bushings if you want more adjustability with your alignment, and the strut tower kit last, if at all. You may want to just try replacing the stock components with OEM if you're sure thats where the noise is coming from.
What I haven't done yet, and am debating whether I will do at all, is upgrade the sway bar(s). The car is feeling much more neutral to me as it is, if I do anything, it'll probably be replacing the stock sway bar bushings with poly ones, my stock bushings are shot. It'll be more powerflex stuff from TTStuff when I do that. May consider up sizing the rear bar and see how it acts. For street use, its as it should have been from the factory now, and until I'm tracking it, I can't really push it hard enough to weed out any more flaws. I'd like to try for a KW variant II suspension setup by fall, and if/when thats tuned right, this car could be a whole other animal.
Anyway, thats my setup, and my thoughts on it. IMO the bushing swaps should be at the top of the mod list. It does for your handling what a chip does for your engine. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
#7
04-26-2008, 04:40 PM
RE: Tighten it up
sure, you can get the kmac rear bushings from www.ttstuff.com
and you can get those front a-arm bushings from www.ttstuff.com
the strut tower kit is harder to find, but you can ask @ www.ttstuff.com and they can order it for you even though they don't keep them in stock. : )
I went the hard way with the strut tower kit, and ordered it directly from Kmac, and if you go that route, you get to add another $20 or so for the import tax, since its coming from Australia.
BTW, it was $370 for the tower kit, I think $450 is more like what it cost me to get the damn thing aligned the first time, I ended up leaving the car overnight. Like I said, huge PITA.
and you can get those front a-arm bushings from www.ttstuff.com
the strut tower kit is harder to find, but you can ask @ www.ttstuff.com and they can order it for you even though they don't keep them in stock. : )
I went the hard way with the strut tower kit, and ordered it directly from Kmac, and if you go that route, you get to add another $20 or so for the import tax, since its coming from Australia.
BTW, it was $370 for the tower kit, I think $450 is more like what it cost me to get the damn thing aligned the first time, I ended up leaving the car overnight. Like I said, huge PITA.
#9
04-29-2008, 05:41 PM
RE: Tighten it up
No problem.
I'll try to get my crappy cellphone pics up from my a-arm bushing/wheel bearing/ball joint install day. Those a-arm bushings might prove a challenge for the average at home mechanic. The idea is very simple, but the stock bushings are a total BITCH to remove. Dissimilar metals tend to grow into each other, so I ended up cutting away the center of the bushings, and the rubber, and then cutting a notch in the outer sleeve, and chiseling it out.
I'll try to get my crappy cellphone pics up from my a-arm bushing/wheel bearing/ball joint install day. Those a-arm bushings might prove a challenge for the average at home mechanic. The idea is very simple, but the stock bushings are a total BITCH to remove. Dissimilar metals tend to grow into each other, so I ended up cutting away the center of the bushings, and the rubber, and then cutting a notch in the outer sleeve, and chiseling it out.
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