Very tired suspension and possibly steering

Hi all, I've got a 176k 1.4 tdi that I'm slowly bringing back to life. I've had the cambelt replaced and an engine oil leak repaired, and the OSS has been kindly replaced by Audi UK via Worthing Audi.

Next most pressing problem is very wallowy suspension, and wooly steering. I suspect it needs complete replacement but where do I start and if I do have to do the whole lot, including bushes, can I do it myself?

There's also a knocking noise coming from the front right (offside) suspension as the car is in motion which sounds terrible.....

That noise well may be the anti roll bar bush, which is not an expensive fix.

If any other bushes are worn to such a serious extent then these will be a MoT failure. So ask a garage to inspect the bushes for you and identify which ones if any need replacement.
Personally I don't like changing bushes, it tends to be physically tough, especially when laying on your back.......much easier for an garage with a car lift.

Again, if the dampers are worn this will be a MoT failure, so ask the garage to inspect.

No point spending money needlessly IMHO.

Like Will, I would suspect the knocking sound is worn ARB bushes.
If the rest of the suspension is worn and wallowy you might want to consider biting the bullet and replacing all the shocks plus top strut mounts and all other suspension bush components in one go? If you do that, you could always consider an upgrade to the Koni FSDs...

Ok, cheers for the replies guys.

Will, I agree that there's no point spending money for the sake of it- if the bushes are good I'll leave 'em be. having said that if they're cheap and I'm doing the whole bundle I might well do the lot in one hit, but only if they're cheap.

Dan, I did try a trawl of previous posts re Koni FSD's and Schnelletrecker's 'Suspension overview' is great but almost too comprehensive in that I don't feel I know enough about the A2 yet to make a choice.

What I'm really after is a compromise between real world everyday driving comfort and a bit of an improvement in the handling department.

The one fly in the ointment on this issue is wheels. I have the original 15"(?) alloys and they're ok, but I do like the 17" sport alloys and I've got a new Vortex bodykit sitting in the garage waiting to be fitted. However, I have learned from this brilliant forum that the thinner the tyre i.e. the bigger the wheels, the harsher the ride is.

I don't want to lower the suspension really as I live on Portsdown hill in Portsmouth and as you come off the main road onto the first road going up the hill, if you're low at the front you scrape the bottom of the bumper on the tarmac. My wifes Honda Civic is bog standard and hits every time unless you creep over the edge of the road at about 5 mph. I'm going to have to be very careful once I've fitted the kit, so lowering the suspension would only make it worse.

If I did go for FSD's could I get away with original springs, or do they lose their effectiveness over time and miles? Either way, can anyone recommend the best value outlet to buy all this stuff from?

Cheers...

If you go for FSDs you should really change the springs too - the front FSDs impart a lifting effect of +15mm so you'd at least need a new set of shorter springs to counter that (eg. a new set of Weitec -30 fronts, or you could try and find someone who can compress the stock springs) - plus if your suspension is old and creaky anyway it's likely your springs are probably past your best, and if you're going to the extent of swapping out the whole suspension you might as well put new springs in at the same time and do the job just once.

You could compromise too and get 16" alloys with an oversized sidewall -eg. 195/50/16 - that'll give you more of a full-looking wheel-arch without being as harsh as the 17s?

I changed to FSD's and kept the original springs. I don't think there's any need for lowering the front, the car is perfectly level:



The wallowness is gone but the wooly steering feel is still there... Mine also knocked but changing the drop links solved that. 120K on the clock....

Ok, lots to ponder. If I fit new standard springs and the ride height is 15mm higher that might negate the lower front profile once I fit the bodykit which wouldn't be a bad thing with the road issue leading to my house.
Regarding the steering feeling very tired, I assume fitting a replacement rack is best done at the same time as the suspension? Is it a diy job or are there any special tools etc?

I recently fitted new ARB drop-links, ARB bushes, BOGE shocks front and rear, front strut top bearings and front top mounts. The car (1.4TDI) was on 100k and was felt tired especially at speed and cornering. Took me a day to replace. No major headaches, although the O/S strut means removing the brake reservoir (pushed to one side) to gain access. Both front springs were changed by myself within the last couple of years, so were not renewed.

Ok, are ARB & Boge suppliers of standard kit or is this another way to uprate the suspension?

Anyone got any views on how long a rack should go for before needing replacement, and again is it diy possible? Thanks in advance...

ARB is shorthand for Anti-Roll-Bar - I imagine he would have fitted the geniune Audi bushes?
I don't know anything about Boge shocks...

I'd be surprised if the rack itself was the cause of your vague steering. The only time I've had to replace a steering rack was when it started leaking hydraulic fluid at an alarming rate. I do remember though on my S2 steering rack you could adjust the "pre-load" on the power assistance which had the effect of making it feel less vague around the centre position and in initial turn-in, although you had to be careful not to dial it too far. I have no idea if there is a similar setting on our racks?

Ok cheers, I think I'd better sort the suspension first and see how it feels after that before tearing the steering apart....

Hi Dave,

I think you and I have not dissimilar requirements, so I'll add my 2p to this thread...

I do a lot of driving in mountainous areas with rough roads - mostly the Lakes, though also a lot in the Dales, the Highlands, Snowdonia, etc - so didn't want to lower the car at all. I also really like the look of the 17" 9-spoke alloys; they're what I've got on my car and any solution I could come up with had to take my vanity into account! I was looking for a way of improving the everyday comfort whilst also improving the handling, though that was secondary to comfort.

Firstly, I stuck 205/45 tyres on the 17" wheels, rather than the standard 205/40. The extra side-wall helps enormously.
Many people, when changing to FSDs (remembering that they impart a 15mm lift at the front only), go for Weitec -30 at the front, resulting in a total lowering at the front of 15mm compared to SE ride height. The car can then be levelled by fitting rear springs from a Sport model of the A2.
When I had FSDs fitted, I had Sport springs fitted at the front, compensating almost perfectly for the 15mm lift and keeping the car at SE height at the front. I've kept SE springs at the back and so the car runs on FSDs without being lowered at all. I'm surprised that AJP's car doesn't sit high at the front. Perhaps it's on very old SE springs?

I renewed everything; shocks, front and back springs, bump-stops, bearings, drop-links, nuts, bolts, etc. At first, my car was also high at the front, despite having had shorter-than-SE springs fitted. This annoyed me for a few months, but the car settled down as everything bedded itself in and I'm now perfectly level.

I imagine my car doesn't handle as well as those that run with the Weitec springs and Sports at the back, but keeping the springs long should get the most comfort from the FSDs. I'm very pleased with my set-up. For my style of driving, the roads I drive and for the wheels I've got, I think this set-up does a good job all-round.

I hope this is food for thought.

Cheers,

Tom

Cheers Tom, as ride height is quite important to me I might well try the setup you've got. The tyre choice sounds good also. Wonder what the difference is between weitec and stock or sport springs? Is there much difference in price?

timmus said:

I'm surprised that AJP's car doesn't sit high at the front. Perhaps it's on very old SE springs?

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I don't know about the springs... Aren't those trim level names like "SE" in UK cars only? IIRC there was a 345mm distance from hub to wheelarch before changing to FSD's. ( haven't measured afterwards) Maybe its just the combined weight of TDI and OpenSky that keep the front end low, with an aluminum-roof 1.4 petrol things could be worse...

I don't know how much Wietec springs cost, as I never really considered them. Audi's A2 springs, whether Sport or otherwise, all tend to be around the £120 mark for a pair.
Another advantage to keeping SE ride height is that you won't wear the inside edges of your tyres faster, though I understand this to be only marginal.
Well-inflated 205/45 tyres actually increase the ride height by a few mm, so you should be fine over the bumps even with your bodykit.

Cheers,

Tom

AJP said:

Maybe its just the combined weight of TDI and OpenSky that keep the front end low, with an aluminum-roof 1.4 petrol things could be worse...

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Mine's a TDI with OpenSky. Indeed, the trim levels etc are different. Perhaps that's got something to do with it? Are your front springs the same age as the car?