Wandering around

Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 10:18 pm

2.5TDI Avant on 272k.

Has recently become rather wandery and inclined to follow road camber and ruts with a more pronounced than usual need to steer away from the downhill side. Steering feels dead about the centre position. It also ate the inside of the front tyres quite rapidly though they were already fairly worn.

I've had it up in the air for a good poke around and found the OS TCA balljoint to be shot (just for a change!). However, changing that for a new Febi one has made no difference. Tyres have been changed (for the rear ones with new ones on the rear).

ARB - TCA bushes are not great (didn't get new ones with the new TCA which caught me out) but not sure that this would produce the effect. Possibly tracking is now out, but has never needed adjustment in my 160k ownership in spite of several TCA changes.

I'm thinking:
Subframe bushes
TCA - ARB bushes
ARB front bushes

Dampers / top mounts seem ok
track-rod balljoints seem ok
Not quite convinced all is correct at the inner end of the track rods where they hook up to the rack but there doesn't seem to be any lost motion.

Ideas and suggestions welcome!

Thanks

Nick

Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 7:33 pm

Ok.... no clues.

So, I've changed all 4 subframe bushes. Rear ones were looking sad, front ones ok. Also new TCAs and new bushes where they meet the ARB. Front ARB bushes were not changed (didn't turn up in time) but look ok.

It's definitely quieter now, with less road noise, but still wandering around. What I did notice, while we had it on a lift repairing a broken (rusted through) fuel tank strap, is that both the main rear axle pivot bushes are very knackered, so hopefully changing them will sort it. Doesn't look like a fun job due to the need to disturb the brake hoses. I've got new ones of those also, just hoping the bleed nipples will come out of the calipers as they are looking very crusty!

As an aside, fuel tank straps are stupidly expensive from Audi. £ 54 for the front one and £117 Shocked

for the rear. There were none in the UK either so I bought a 30mm wide strip of 1.2mm galv steel and welded the old ends on that.

Nick

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:41 pm

So I did the axle bushes. Not my favourite days entertainment.......

Bleed nipples and brake pipes came undone, though some subtlety was needed. Bushes were done for - pushed out of housings with fingers - though the housing took a bit of extracting.

Had to use the press to get the new ones in, bit of studding could only get 'em about half way. Getting the beam in the press was a challenge!

Only collateral damage was the main fuel pipe which was so damn rusty it cracked when I tried to ease it aside to access the LH pivot bolt. Guess it needed changing! Happily I had some 8mm copper in stock.

Good news - it now drives straight again.

Nick