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Oh, had no idea. Should have expected ze Germans to do their due diligence. Bushings make a huge difference though! I'm bad at keeping up with big threads, did you do spherical bushings or higher durometer rubber generally?
I'm lazy, so can't be bothered to remember to monitor and maintain rod ends. Luckily on a non-daily you have more freedom to go a little more extreme.
Oh, had no idea. Should have expected ze Germans to do their due diligence. Bushings make a huge difference though! I'm bad at keeping up with big threads, did you do spherical bushings or higher durometer rubber generally?
I'm lazy, so can't be bothered to remember to monitor and maintain rod ends. Luckily on a non-daily you have more freedom to go a little more extreme.
I've basically been doing OEM replacements for the most part, this is the first part / item that has tough bushings with the exception of my transmission mounts.
And agreed!
Why haven't I seen a build thread with your car? I'd definitely subscribe (especially if there's nudes)!
I've basically been doing OEM replacements for the most part, this is the first part / item that has tough bushings with the exception of my transmission mounts.
And agreed!
Why haven't I seen a build thread with your car? I'd definitely subscribe (especially if there's nudes)!
Small improvements carefully and gradually made are rewarding when you look back at all of it.
Heh, if I had constant progress like you guys, I would! I made a thread but stopped posting in it years ago.
TLDR; Attempted lower control arm install, was shipped wrong parts, S4 is apart and the particular kit I want won't be here for at least a week or two
Long story:
First, lets start with the positives:
- I am installing another steel upright with a fresh wheel bearing / unfucked pinch bolt hole
- All old lower arms are pulled / new hardware is here.
- The lower control arm kit will be an absolute breeze to install now that the hard work is done.
I bought these 034 density line lower control arm kit from the FB groups and the kit was advertised being compatible with steel uprights only (Honestly, I think the seller got mixed up / didn't know what he had). Funny story, he asked me to call him and he Paypal'd me 40 bucks to cover any additional shipping / grief ... solid guy.
This particular kit is only compatible with cars with aluminum uprights ... the balljoint seat is smaller but very hard to tell from a quick glance.
Out with the old .. I had no PB plaster, my only 3/8 ratchet broke during this process .... it made the removal job pretty frustrating but eventually got everything out.
Notice the cut bolt?
Brilliant design by Audi (confirmed this is the factory bolt orientation by a few cars) - on both sides, you need to lower the subframe about 3 inches in order to get the inner bolt that attaches to the subframe out.
I just ordered new hardware and buzzed the bolt in half. Working smarter > working harder.
Anddd here's how she sits. For a B5 S4 ... this is completely normal looking.
Rather than a fixing update, I figured I'd post this up as well:
3 - 4 weeks ago, I did a COVID run with some friends with cars in all shapes & sizes. By the time I filled up and got home, car did 115 miles ... I probably did 15-20 pulls @ 25 PSI resulting in a 9mpg average.
After replacing all my end links / sway bar bushings / upper arms, car handled a lot better than it did last time I took it on a spirited drive. No issues to report at all, car held up perfectly.
It had no authority in the tight stuff but long sweepers / straights is where this car shines ... I was a bit discrete on my cars mods so it was fun seeing their reaction as we got moving
Your S4 looks unassuming...
that must have been rewarding to make them go
I reread to see it was a month ago, if it was today I was curious
if the S4 would have been your choice if maybe something else
with an "S" in the name.
I like this COVID run update. A lot. Glad to see you’re still enjoying that beast!
Thanks man! It's ... a love hate relationship.
Truthfully, I hate going into the garage and seeing it in pieces (Compared to 2 years ago, I have very little time to dedicate to cars) and I've noticed projects take forever to complete now.
I will keep it / drive it as long as I can
Originally Posted by rockstar143
Your S4 looks unassuming...
that must have been rewarding to make them go
I reread to see it was a month ago, if it was today I was curious
if the S4 would have been your choice if maybe something else
with an "S" in the name.
3-4 weeks ago, the S2000 would have certainly been my pick for sure ... it's really a car you can drive 9 or 10/10s with confidence.
Plus .. I've been doing lots of parking lot drifts / clutch kicks to get used to it again.
Good news! All *new* lower arms are installed, new steel upright installed, axle is in ... car is pretty much ready to drive.
Car needs an alignment .. both passenger / driverside wheels are pigeon toe'd. I can do a quick DIY alignment by adjusting the tie rods until I get a real alignment.
I'll be testing it today .. pretty excited to drive it.
Cleaned up the wheel wells / components with simple green. I think I'll hit it with a pressure washer when I have more time. Simply .. I just want to drive the damn thing
Last piece of the BBK puzzle:
I believe these are ML55 rotors - they're 5x112 but, they fit right over my hubs without any drilling / modification . Only thing I need to do is grind my steel upright for rotor clearance .. which is pretty standard for BBK / rotor upgrades on the B5 S4.
Car feels great .. lower arms really firmed up the front end and feels a lot more refined. My DIY alignment got me through Cars & Coffee and a quick trip to the datacenter today.
Since the last update, put 4 car lengths on a brand new dealer plate 392 Scatpack / surprised a 335i ... the sleeper factor never gets old.
