Rear suspension components overhaul?
 

Possibly a coincidence, but since having all of my front arms replaced my car feels a little twitchy and less sure footed.

At first I thought I was imagining it but the wife also thinks something is off as well.

If a take a right handed and the near side rear is loaded up it sort of feels like it wants to break away and oversteer. It just went straight through an MOT without issue and drives fine in a straight line but the minute the weight shifts around it feels very odd at times.

Any ideas what could cause this whilst under load? I'm taking it for a hunter 4 wheel alignment check tomorrow to hopefully rule this out.

Maybe something is bent? or the shocks are gone?

I think maybe your title says it all. I did a full front end replacement and it changed the handling dramatically. With front an back suspension wearing in unison you 'live' with the changes until something prompts you to do a full front end replacement. Now you have an 'as new' front end and a worn rear end. It wouldn't surprise me if that wasn't the issue.

If new front suspension is not genuine Audi it will feel weird.
There must be evidence that problem comes from rear.

Quick update.

I went to have the car hunter aligned this morning and whilst performing the pre-check the tech noticed that there was significant play in the offside front wheel. In his opinion he felt that one of the arms were worn (they were replaced 6 weeks ago) or there is an issue with the upright :(

If any of you have read my car thread you would have seen the issues I had with the nearside upright when replacing the arms and had to have it welded.

The car is now back at the garage until further notice :(

So the offside is loose where the top arms go in?

From what I could see MikkiJayne, yes.

My fear is, the upright being aluminium it has corroded/stretched and will no longer hold the arm no matter how much it is tightened. At best a lose pinch bolt but I'm never that lucky :rolleyes:

What are your thoughts on it?

I shifted a month ago to cast iron uprights exactly for that reason.
Alu uprights is a disaster and awful example of german engineering.

Tactical solution: buy new alu uprights from Audi.
They will last until upper arms are due to change again.

Proper solution: migrate to cast iron where problem doesn't exist. They will require lower arms with wider tapers and othe small things.

If it does turn out to be the upright at fault I may look to make the switch to iron.

I have two brand new lower arms from my Meyle HD kit which were the wrong type for my car so that's one part already sorted. Will my existing brakes attach ok the brembo style calipers? What other parts would I need notorious - do you have a list of parts I could give the garage?

Funnily enough I upgrade to the alu uprights on B5s, using C5 parts, because of the savings in unsprung weight. I would do the same on the D2 if mine didn't already have them. Unsprung weight is dreadful on bigger Audis but it has such an impact on handling. I'm curious to see what the FE handles like with its super-heavy 20s and steel uprights. Simple physics says its not going to turn in as well as 18s and alloy uprights. The brake discs on the D2 weigh more than the wheels on my B5 racecar!

While the pinch bolt is a complete **** to get out of the alu uprights, once it is out as long as you keep the new one greased up it won't seize again. I think most of the problems with them are unenlightened garages beating the crap out of them to get them apart, and then over-tightening afterwards.

Notorious - I've never seen any as bad as that one of yours. It looks like it was torqued up with an impact wrench at some point in its life?

Ricky - you will need the uprights from an FE to fit your Brembos.

Here is the kit I installed, which I modified for S8 car with Brembo brakes.
Prices from TPS excluding VAT.

1 x 4D0 407 257 T -- cast iron upright for 1ZL Brembo brakes, 92mm bearings £366.32
1 x 4D0 407 258 T -- cast iron upright for 1ZL Brembo brakes, 92mm bearings £366.32

(need all 4 lower arms with wide tapers)
1 x 8E0 407 693 D -- lower arm £152.88
1 x 8E0 407 694 D -- lower arm £152.88
2 x 4D0 407 151 Q -- lower arms £355.82

(arms nuts are different for wide taper arms)
4 x 4D0 407 644 A -- arm nuts £17.96

(pinch bolts are different for cast iron uprights)
2 x N 101 312 03 -- pinch bolt £6.56
2 x N 104 061 05 -- pinch bolt washer £0.30
2 x N 102 723 02 -- pinch bolt nut £1.94

(since your car is most probably on 82mm bearings the cast iron uprights for 1ZL Brembo brakes will need 92mm bearings and matching hubs)
2 x 4F0 498 625 A -- bearing kit 92mm £166.66
2 x 4E0 407 613 C -- hub kit for 92mm bearings kit £191.16

(it looks like you can transfer your existing mud guards to your new cast iron uprights; in case you'd like to renew, I bet they almost disappeared due to rust)
1 x 4D0 615 311 D -- mud guard
1 x 4D0 615 312 D -- mud guard
8 x N 906 462 01 -- mud guard bolts

(cars with cast iron uprights need different ABS cables and cable holders)
2 x 4D0 927 803 E -- ABS Sensors £280.68
2 x 4D0 971 845 -- ABS cable bracket £12.34
4 x N 101 005 03 -- ABS cable bracket bolts £2.48
1 x 4D0971845AK -- ABS cables to arch wall bracket
2 x N01470210 -- ABS cables to arch wall bracket bolts
2 x N01152426 -- ABS cables to arch wall bracket washers

About £2,400 including VAT in total

Hope it helps.