Check your front suspension arms people

Thanks Spike. Post says
Word from the German Forum (via Bret) recommends TRW wishbones.
but then says TRW are cast but there was no answer to the question whether pressed steel can be replaced by cast arms.
 
Has anyone any views on what make of arms to use, i.e. is best quality brand? I found this website https://www.buycarparts.co.uk/audi/...-links-control-arm-trailing-link-diagonal-arm that lists quite a few makes. Eliminating the cast iron ones I'm left with:

MOOG @ £60
Ruville @ £66
MEYLE @ £80
LEMFÖRDER @ £119 (not too sure if pressed steel or not based on the photo)
Vaico @ £49 in Aluminium - I would think this is only for the 1.2 3L

Does Audi still make them, i.e. sell them as Audi even though bought in?

Just my 2 cents worth and experience of buying parts for my other Audis. Out of that list i'd go for Lemforder as they are top quality and believe it or not when i changed my C4 S6 top mounts, the Lemforder mounts were exactly the same identical in every way to the original Audi part i removed. It's always worth trying to find out who manufactured what part for Audi originally. My Lemforder mounts that came in Lemforder boxes as i said were identical, Lemforder or the supplier i bought them from, in Germany, even went to the trouble of grinding of the four ringed audi logo on the mounts, thats how i realised they were in fact 100% original parts. Hth.
 
Hi Alan

Have a read through all the posts on the second link and it confirms the pressed and cast arms are interchangeable

Cheers Spike

PS. this is the specific post - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthrea...a-cordobra-can-I-fit-it-!&p=272126#post272126

I am trying to convince myself that interchangeability of cast and pressed lower wishbones is correct. I was feeling confident this was true until I started searching for suppliers of the recommended Lemforder or TRW manufactured ones. Autoparts Pro supply both at a good price, however the description specifically say "not for engine code: BHC"!
The BHC engine came much later than the switch from cast to pressed wishbones so what is uniquely different about this later varient that meens it cannot use the cast wishbones?
Interestingly they also list an Aluminium arm for the 1.4tdi £47.98 (75% discount) almost tempted to try it but details are a little scant and as the image looks identical to the standard design I am sceptical as I am sure an aluminium version would be a beefier design.

If anyone knows why a BHC varient warrants a different wishbone, your input would be appreciated

Geoff
 
Ok, the parts catalogue does state that the same wishbone is used for all post 2003 models:

Screen Shot 2017-11-04 at 17.44.28.jpg

AUA, AMF, BBY, BAD, BHC & ATL variants all use this single control arm, which is interchangeable from nearside to offside. I would therefore have confidence in saying that the BHC variant is no different and it'll just be an error from Autoparts Pro which has given rise to your concerns.
 
Ok, the parts catalogue does state that the same wishbone is used for all post 2003 models:

View attachment 32120

AUA, AMF, BBY, BAD, BHC & ATL variants all use this single control arm, which is interchangeable from nearside to offside. I would therefore have confidence in saying that the BHC variant is no different and it'll just be an error from Autoparts Pro which has given rise to your concerns.

That is great to know for certain
Thanks
Paul
 
I am never a fan of how strict some mot stations can be but this really should have been noted.

There used to be an old guy that ran a garage up here who did mot's, quite often the cars never even went on the lift, he eventually got rumbled by the inspectors and lost his MOT certification thankfully.
 
I'm thinking of replacing Tank's wishbones as a precautionary measure - they are 14 years old now and have served well, but they are showing some signs of acute rusting.

I'm probably going to buy the pressed arms - the castings look a little too slender in places for my liking and the built in ball joint is a concern also. I am however very interested in aluminium arms and am looking into the possibility of replacing with such parts. Whilst in Awesome the other day, they had a brake/ARB static display set up with an 8J (Mk2 TT) control arm which looked scarily similar to the A2 one.
 
I contacted one of the motor factors that sold the wishbones who actually had one of the alloy arms listed for the 1.4 tdi. I queried whether it really was correct for anything other than the 1.2 tdi. They assured me that it was but I was not confident enough to go ahead with it.
We need to do a direct comparison on the geometry between the 1.2 version with the 1.4 etc. I cannot imaging in service loads would differ across the model range as the severe loading comes from road input (potholes) rather than inertial loads from the higher weights.
If anyone has access to both versions I am sure many of us would be interested.

Geoff
 
Check out AutoDoc they list 8 brands for cast suspension arms and 3 brands pressed steel for 1.4 Tdi. Joint a chat, they are a bit pushy to communicate, and they will check for you against your VIN number. Keep a copy of the chat though, they can also be a bit pushy to get you to go away if they get it wrong.
 
I queried whether it really was correct for anything other than the 1.2 tdi.

Don't be tempted unless you are keen to pay return postage! The 1.2Tdi suspension is so different from any other A2 (and the Lupo 3L for that matter)!

RAB
 
So as for interchangeability, I discovered that my £800 ebay punt has one of each on it, cast on the offside, pressed on the nearside. I'll be changing the pressed for cast, does anyone have any recommendations? Struggling to find Lemforder arms.
 
So as for interchangeability, I discovered that my £800 ebay punt has one of each on it, cast on the offside, pressed on the nearside. I'll be changing the pressed for cast, does anyone have any recommendations? Struggling to find Lemforder arms.

Eurocarparts sell them £115 if you use the sale55 discount code


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AUTODOC has cast Lemforder at £122.

An issue I’m having is what to buy for future service ability. I have shot steel with good Lemforder joints. Struggling to find pressed steel arms. If I do will I be able to get joints in the future?
 
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