Check your front suspension arms people

For Info -Another close shave!- check yours , fellow members!, -as this was missed at the MOT recently , and also only days ago when the wheel was off for a new valve and balance :-(
- one of the reasons I advocate self maintenance at times as you ‘get to know the car’ and have a bit more time to examine it than some rushed mechanics might!
 

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Another example of dodgey wisbones, moted a couple of weeks ago, with advisory on wishbones, but ,' not looking too bad' . To be fair they didn't look too bad' on the car, bad, but not like the photos below. I checked with a screwdriver and went straight through the front edge..... On top of one was a big hole... Like the thread says, check them!

Cheers
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Another example of dodgey wisbones, moted a couple of weeks ago, with advisory on wishbones, but ,' not looking too bad' . To be fair they didn't look too bad' on the car, bad, but not like the photos below. I checked with a screwdriver and went straight through the front edge..... On top of one was a big hole... Like the thread says, check them!

CheersView attachment 89959
Sound advice. The slightest sign of rust and I switch to cast ones straight away. With an A2 you don’t really think of rust, so these can be easily overlooked.
Steve B
 
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Here are some photographs of the offside front lower suspension arm of my '03 reg 1.4Tdi A2 - after it collapsed while I was driving it, fortunately at low speed (as I was on a single-track country road, with passing places, and had just braked to let a car come from the other direction). Had this happened at (say) motorway speeds the outcome could have been quite different, as the wheel actually moved back in the wheel-arch and was rubbing against the mudflap, making a loud graunching noise - it could have jammed at a higher speed and caused the car to spin ? This car passed it's MOT the month before, so the extent of the corrosion was not obvious, it has rusted from the inside outwards.View attachment 27186View attachment 27187View attachment 27188View attachment 27189View attachment 27190View attachment 27191View attachment 27192View attachment 27193

The intact one is the nearside, needless to say the car is currently in a workshop having both arms replaced (and the new ones will be wax-treated inside).
Thank you for this! Had some uneven tyre wear (bald on inside edges of front tyres). Got tyres changed and tracking done but something made me search the forum too - thanks to you I discovered this ⬇️. Definitely not safe to drive with. Neither the bald inside edges or the suspension arm were picked up at last service and MOT - will be having some harsh words!
 

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Thank you for this! Had some uneven tyre wear (bald on inside edges of front tyres). Got tyres changed and tracking done but something made me search the forum too - thanks to you I discovered this ⬇️. Definitely not safe to drive with. Neither the bald inside edges or the suspension arm were picked up at last service and MOT - will be having some harsh words!
They couldn't have done the tracking without spotting that. Now, if they did do the tracking it will need doing again when your new arms are fitted.
 
Well I can only add my voice to the ”check your suspension arms people”. I got a “new to me car“ a couple of weeks ago, but on the drive home had terrible wheel balance problems. I had a couple of spare but balanced wheels in the store so decided to change the fronts. I might not have done and would have been non the wiser for the following revelation. Whilst on the jack with the OS wheel removed, I decided to have a poke around, it all looked ok initially but after Couple of taps with a small hammer a small hole appeared, which of course got bigger with more poking. So unanticipated extra work required, (efficiently carried out by WOM btw). I should emphasise that it all looked fine bit of surface corrosion but nothing too serious.
So have a good poke around you never know what you might find I should add the this was the OS which traditionally is the more resistant. The NS wishbone is better, no holes anyway.
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Have anybody compared 8J0407151D aluminium arms if they fit they look very much the same as A2 arms if you take the rear bush part away?

"Everything went back with copper grease liberally applied" If that "copper grease" means hot part antiseize and actually contains Copper I don't think it's very good to use it in underbody parts in aluminium and get more noble metal in parts which eventually get salt water treatment and electric corrosion.
 
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Well I can only add my voice to the ”check your suspension arms people”. I got a “new to me car“ a couple of weeks ago, but on the drive home had terrible wheel balance problems. I had a couple of spare but balanced wheels in the store so decided to change the fronts. I might not have done and would have been non the wiser for the following revelation. Whilst on the jack with the OS wheel removed, I decided to have a poke around, it all looked ok initially but after Couple of taps with a small hammer a small hole appeared, which of course got bigger with more poking. So unanticipated extra work required, (efficiently carried out by WOM btw). I should emphasise that it all looked fine bit of surface corrosion but nothing too serious.
So have a good poke around you never know what you might find I should add the this was the OS which traditionally is the more resistant. The NS wishbone is better, no holes anyway.View attachment 100372View attachment 100373
As mentioned above please do keep a regular check on your wishbones. I was lucky enough that I was having my car serviced over the weekend and this was spotted,drivers side.

Booked in with Gary & John @ B&F autos so, if anyone is selling any casted iron wishbone or have any links please get in touch via PM

Many thanks to A2steve and Andy for your assistance/advice.

As per thread title "Check your front suspension arms peeps" 😬
 

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Our 2003 A2 1.4TDI has just had this failure - drivers side at low speed - the wife was driving it and sent me a picture of the rust on the floor by the tyre.
The content of this thread was very helpful - the RAC are going to recover it in a few hours time.
 
It seems insane lucky that all recorded failures of the arm when driving are at low speed - I wonder if that's because the forces on the arm required to actually make it fail are greater when exercising the car's turning circle?

Either way, how long until someone has a nasty accident on an A road or motorway? Doesn't bear thinking about it.
 
It seems insane lucky that all recorded failures of the arm when driving are at low speed - I wonder if that's because the forces on the arm required to actually make it fail are greater when exercising the car's turning circle?

Either way, how long until someone has a nasty accident on an A road or motorway? Doesn't bear thinking about it.
The wife had to brake hard as someone pulled out on her - that's probably why they break at low speed, probably greater force/load.

They don't actually seem to snap initially, they just bend/fold and move back in the wheel arch an inch or two.
 
Same with my failure - braking for traffic lights. I think the braking force is what gives the torque and direction required for pressed arms to fail.

And yes, my offside moved back enough to rub on my mudflap and wear it away, which I am upset about as they're not easily come by now.
 
Sorry guys but there has been enough warnings about the lower suspension arms for some time now. Those that are taken by surprise after knowing about the warnings and not previously checking does not give much hope for the rest of the car. Yes there are those who do not know about the issue and those that have recently become an owner of an A2.

As I have said before because the body does not corrode everything under the car is forgotten about, but that is the area that contains steel and that most certainly does corrode.

The pressed wishbones has lasted about 15 years and that really is not bad. Is there a panic to swap to the cast wishbones I do not see why. The pressed ones are the same part number for both sides, the cast arms have a part number for each side. The most critical thing when changing the arms is that they CAN NOT BE MIXED AND MATCHED. You MUST have either a pair of cast arms or a pair of pressed arms.

So if you have not checked the arms GET THEM CHECKED NOW.
 
Sorry guys but there has been enough warnings about the lower suspension arms for some time now. Those that are taken by surprise after knowing about the warnings and not previously checking does not give much hope for the rest of the car. Yes there are those who do not know about the issue and those that have recently become an owner of an A2.

As I have said before because the body does not corrode everything under the car is forgotten about, but that is the area that contains steel and that most certainly does corrode.

The pressed wishbones has lasted about 15 years and that really is not bad. Is there a panic to swap to the cast wishbones I do not see why. The pressed ones are the same part number for both sides, the cast arms have a part number for each side. The most critical thing when changing the arms is that they CAN NOT BE MIXED AND MATCHED. You MUST have either a pair of cast arms or a pair of pressed arms.

So if you have not checked the arms GET THEM CHECKED NOW.
I must 2nd that.
Let's just say the Audi decided not to include good rust prevention on the A2's. My 2002 A4 isn't perfect but in comparison much better in that department under the car.
After reading through the forum and picking up on the weak wishbone issues I checked mine and hidden in the skin of rust was holes like many of the images in this thread.
I had already decided to remove and refurbished the rear axle, brakes and suspension which is now done.
I shall do the same to the front.
My family will be driven around in this A2 so it has to be right for them and others road users.
Get yours up on ramps/ blocks of wood / axle stands wheels off and work on the rust with a wire brush to see what is hiding underneath.
You might be surprised in not a nice way.
Stay safe.
 
Whilst I agree that there’s plenty of documented evidence of wishbone failure here, not everyone picks up on it, nor should they be expected to, when all our A2s go through a yearly inspection at MOT time and such impending issues should be picked up there.

Mine for instance, failed less than 3 months post MOT and I’d have expected the tester to see such a deterioration really when they have the car on a ramp.

A lot of owners don’t bother with the oily bits or the non-shiny parts, but there’s nothing wrong with that as long as the tester does their job. So never complain about picky testers people - they may just save your skin one day!!
 
Whilst I agree that there’s plenty of documented evidence of wishbone failure here, not everyone picks up on it, nor should they be expected to, when all our A2s go through a yearly inspection at MOT time and such impending issues should be picked up there.

Mine for instance, failed less than 3 months post MOT and I’d have expected the tester to see such a deterioration really when they have the car on a ramp.

A lot of owners don’t bother with the oily bits or the non-shiny parts, but there’s nothing wrong with that as long as the tester does their job. So never complain about picky testers people - they may just save your skin one day!!
That is true and if a tester had seen mine I doubt he would have failed it, maybe an advisory on the corrosion on it.
But as I said when I applied the wire brush by hand which a tester would not be allowed to do it would have shown up the holes that I exposed. Probably had 3-6 months at best.
15-20 year old cars have weak points and the pressed wishbones on A2's are proving to be just one of them.
 
The thing to do is hose down and rinse the (often forgotten) wheel arches and suspension components.

This is done at least twice a month with Alison. As a result, the front springs (2019) look like this and the arms have only a bit of surface rust.

Take the time to remind any 9N Polo and other related cars to check their suspension arms.

A 9N owner dismissed my warnings and the crusty arm broke (at parking speed) so had to be changed.

If only they'd listened...
 

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Testers may not be able to use a wire brush, but they can press, prod and poke with fingers and use their corrosion assessment tool if necessary. This is a nylon headed hammer with a scraper built in too.

Since the test changed in 2018, testers have been encouraged to find corrosion as the number of people keeping older vehicles on the road has increased.
 
Hence even more important for those that do not touch their car to have it checked out and not wait for the MOT test.
 
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