Aluminium and Steel front hubs
 

Hi I have a 2002 D2 2.8 QS and I've noticed that the rear control arms are aluminium but front hubs are steel, I've seen some hubs online for sale that were aluminium usually from 1999+ models.

Can someone shed some light on this?

The PF all had steel front uprights, as did the first 500 FLs in 1999. After that the V6 & V8 petrol had alloy hubs, either in HP2 or Brembo format. The W12 and 3.3 TDI had steel hubs, in HP2 format. Them when the factory 20" cars came along (most 2002s) they also got the steel hubs - HP2 for the A8, Brembo for the S8 & FE.

All the FL rear uprights were alloy regardless of engine or wheel configuration.

If yours has steel front uprights then its a factory 20" car. The alloy ones are a useful weight saving (5Kg each) but you also need different bearings, wheel hubs and lower control arms to fit them so not necessarily worth it.

Thanks for your insightful reply.
It's interesting as I thought the Sport Quattro came only with the 18" 6 spoke sport alloys?

I'm not 100% sure, but I think by 2002 the 20" wheels were standard on the only two remaining D2 models which were the S8 and the 2.8QS. Up to 2001, sport models were on 18s - the Bolero (7 rounded spokes) on the A8 sport, and the Avus (6 flat spokes) on the S8. Comfort models always had the 17" Competition (aka fat fives).

My grey S8 is an early 2002 which was still on 18" Avus with alloy hubs, but its the only 2002 I've seen that is. Everything else is on 20" by then. The 2002 and 2003 2.8QS's I've had have both been 20" cars.

This is the sort of thing we really need Ian for as he is the oracle as far as specs and configuration are concerned :)

There's mine too...… ;)
Build date was IIRC some time in spring 2002 (though not registered until late in 2003!) and it didn't have 20s from the factory.

How can I easily see what front hubs it has?

Edit: VIN WAUZZZ4D42N007941 Date of Production 10.04.2002
C9T Leichtbauräder 8J x 18 ET 48 (4D0 601 025 T)
E0A No special edition

If it has factory 18s then it has alloy front hubs :)

Mine is May / June 2002 iirc so the switch over, if there was one, was after that.

I'm doing a whole complete rebuild of the front and was thinking of changing them to aluminium as the steel ones are a bit rusty anyway but they go for £200 each, expensive!

Yeah its a fair chunk of cash to save 5kg per corner. The alloy uprights aren't without their problems either - the mountings for the upper control arms can be more easily damaged than on the steel uprights.

The 2002 run out models did all seem to get 20" wheels and Xenon plus notably although i confess its an observation, rather than anything I've ever seen documented......

Andrews is a late one to have 18's from the factory, but its still possible it was special ordered that way as someone may have wanted the 'comfort' of the 18's over the potentially now standard 20's (sigh) :-)