A6fixer

Would like to initiate a control arm discussion. Given this is a regular Audi maintenance item. What are the preferred brands? Qunatify the experience. How long are they lasting?

I installed a complete new set of Ocap (pronounced o-crap) from Blauparts last June '09. Now completely gone, kaput. Car rattles more now thanbefore.

Currently I am investigating which brand to install next.

I believe ZF (Loemforder) is the OE supplier, so I'll spend the Extra $$$. The originals lasted 7+ years... Great ccompared to my last aftermarket purchase.

Some people on other german car forums rave about Febi(Bilstein). Curious about Audi experiences.

Brake pads is also an interesting topic.....but we'll save that one.

Thank you!!

K04-S4

Lemforder and Febi Bilstein are OEM front suspension control arms and are good quality. You should not have any trouble with them. Considering the amount of work involved to install a control arms kit, I would not waste my time or money on any aftermarket suspension arms kits.

Also ensure the kit is installed properly by someone who knows what they are doing. For example bushings will be torn up in no time if not installed with loaded suspension, etc.

Batman

I took my car to a (non-Audi) mechanic for a tire problem - which they fixed. However, they told me that my 2001 C5 A6 Avant has a cracked upper control arm and a ball joint is on it's way also.

Is it sufficient to replace only the broken control arm or all of them - as there seems to be a problem with the C5 control arms. What about the ball joints? Are the after-market/upgraded control arms better than the OEM parts? My car has been lowered with Eibach springs - I'm not sure if that adds more complexity that I should be aware of. Will my lowered car cause any issues for the replacement of these parts?

What did you do for your new control arms?

LR Audi

A cracked control arm? I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe the rubber in the bushing is cracked or the ball joint end has play but the actual arm having a crack? These are usually made of forged 6061 aluminum.

My recommendation is that you replace all the uppers together if one of them starts to fail, and replace all the lowers together if they are starting to fail as well.

I have a set of Gruven adjustable control arms on order, I will be posting pictures of them and detailed instructions on installation when I get to that point. I also have a set of new Febi Bilstein upper control arms that I will be selling but it's for local Vancouver pick up only.

In regards to lowering your vehicle, you shouldn't have an issue with your control arms but if when you lower your car your alignment will be off and without adjustable control arms your tire wear will be excessive and uneven, depending on how low you go.

Batman

LR, thanks for the reply!

I just swapped my winter tires with my summer tires. I couldn't see anything visibly wrong with the control arms.I'll probably take it to another garage (one that works with Audi cars specifically) to get an opinion.

As for lowering, I have the Eibach Pro-System Kit (1573.780) installed. As far as I can find, this lowers the car by 1.2". The alignment has been done on all four wheels. Is the camber still off after the lowering and alignment?

After a second opinion, if I do in fact need control arms, I might be interested in your's. How are these control arms better than the OEM control arms?

LR Audi

To check your control arms for wear and/or play takes a procedure that isn't done by a visual check on the ground. The Vancouver Audi Club is doing a get together this weekend, if you swing by I'll check your arms for you. We may even take a trip up to Whistler sometime.

The Eibach Pro Kits are fine with regular control arms as it's generally a modest difference in ride height. The S-line models on our cars, well as the 4.2 40V and 4.2TT (RS6) have slightly lowered ride height from the factory, yet utilize the exact same control arms as us. If you do go with coilovers, race springs or anything that is lower than 1.8 inches then you should get adjustable control arms. This is what I have found from research as well as discussions with several OpenRoad Audi techs. I can't comment on the camber/toe but as long as the printout on your alignment shows that your vehicle's suspension geometry is generally neutral to close to factory settings then you should be good to go.

The OEM control arms are $1800+ at OpenRoad Audi, and they are manufactured by TRW. They have a one year warranty, regardless of the mileage. In regards to direct replacement aftermarket control arms, Febi is still the best. Meyle was good for quite some time but many of us Audiworld members had issues with premature failure as early as 20,000km. Meyle apparently updated their design to meet with the 2002 recall but they already garnered a negative reputation with us. Lemforder is a hit or a miss, sometimes their products are manufactured in Germany and some of them are manufactured in India. Ocap is made in Italy and is available at Blauparts but there have been negative reviews on their products as well. The reason why I purchased Febi is because many Audiworld members swear by Febi and in all of my research (and I did lots in regards to control arms) Febi has been noted to have the best after-sales support and best overall reviews from actual members. I have never seen any other direct OE replacement control arm last longer than 80,000km but there are many Audiworld members who are still driving on Febis that were installed years ago. One thing to keep in mind is that proper installation is absolutely critical. You can wreck your control arms in a week if you install them incorrectly!

Do not waste your money on the many eBay retailers selling cheap Taiwan made control arms. There are many write ups on Audiworld about this that you can search. Given the amount of time involved and how important it is you're better off spending a fair bit if money on control arms that will last. It's not a very challenging job other than removing/replacing the pinch bolt but it's not something you wish to do every 15,000km.

I will be posting a write up on the Vancouver Audi Club forums about control arms when I get my adjustable control arms in. It will have detailed installation pics and comparisons plus follows ups.

Batman

LR: Thanks again for the great information!

Unfortunately, I'm out of the province this weekend! Hopefully I can make the next one!

I would be wary of buying cheap, lower quality parts. That's not the reason I bought an Audi.

I look forward to this!

nothing77

Guys, keep in mind that most control arm installs where the new arms(bushing) wear out in a matter of a year or so, can be traced back to improper torquing of bolts, not torquing while the bolt was under load.

Not saying that it always the case, just most of the time.

I know people who have successfully installed Blauparts, FCP kits, that are still working well. Just as I know some that have installed Febi, or Moog and had them fail in short order. I believe it is in the installation

LR Audi

In that case I'm sure 99% of those who have improperly installed their control arms would never admit to it. But then again if you don't know what you're doing and can't follow proper procedure then you have no business working on a vehicle in the first place.

Anyone who has ever replaced control arms with either heim joints or ball joints would know that you must have the vehicle's suspension under full load before torquing the fasteners down to the proper specs. Also, all the kits from FCP Groton, Blauparts, ECS Tuning, etc. all state that they will not warranty their product if the arms were not installed bearing the full weight of the vehicle.

I can't totally agree and say that the majority of the C5 A6 owners out there had problems due to improper installation. Most people I know of follow the Audiworld DIY guide and/or Kris Hansen's tech guide and both state the proper procedure for installation. Anyone who tries to do this procedure without previous knowledge is asking for a disaster. They may as well do their timing belt and waterpump without proper tools and expertise.

Batman

I've found out further that this is my problem, "upper control arm bushing is cracked and torn". I'm told the ball joints are also a bit worn and will need replacing soon.

How serious of a problem is this and what is the required action? Can I replace only the bushing or does the control arm need replacing?