Re: Thoughts & suggestions wanted re: Audi A8
 

Jonathan,
I was thinking "crash damage" too - even a low speed slide into a curb can
result in huge damage to the complex multi-link suspension - and adding on
the behavior of the aluminum space frame following damage from a crash (the
aluminum can't be pulled out & fixed like steel can). The "fix" the vendor
offers may only be good for a short time, and then the alignment will creep
out on that corner again.
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"Jonathan Morton" <jonathan@jonathanmortonbutignorethisbit.co.uk> wrote in
message news:dlhckh$adl$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> "[ a m z ]" <amz.REMOVETHIS@eskimo.REMOVETHIS.com> wrote in message
> news:w0Pef.99$8U4.5367@news.uswest.net...
>> "Jonathan Morton" wrote:
>> >
>> > Hmm... the thing that immediately struck me about no 3 was the word
>> > "alignment". That really is one of the things you can't put right on a
>> > quattro - after all, if it could be put right, why hasn't it been done?
>>
>> I checked CarFax and the dealer just bought the car at auction a week or
> so
>> ago. Based on the RF tire wear, it has been out of alignment for some
> time.
>> Dealer replaced the brakes and both front tires just the other day (after
> my
>> test drive).
>>
>> Are you saying that once an A8 quattro goes out of alignment, you'll
>> never
>> get it back again??
>
> I'm just thinking that the reason for the lack of alignment *might* be
> crash
> damage causing the car to be out of true.
>
> Even when properly set up, these cars do eat front tyres - especially the
> inner edges.
>
>> What are your thoughts about a 1997 straight auto vs. a 1998 with
> Tiptronic?
>> I'm most concerned about punching it to pass or needing to get moving
>> quickly in tight traffic.
>
> Well, mine's a 2000-model with Tiptronic - though I have to say I very
> rarely use the Tip. Even with the conventional 4-speed auto you won't
> suffer
> from lack of performance.
>
> Regards
>
> Jonathan
>
>

Re: Thoughts & suggestions wanted re: Audi A8
 

Jonathan,
I was thinking "crash damage" too - even a low speed slide into a curb can
result in huge damage to the complex multi-link suspension - and adding on
the behavior of the aluminum space frame following damage from a crash (the
aluminum can't be pulled out & fixed like steel can). The "fix" the vendor
offers may only be good for a short time, and then the alignment will creep
out on that corner again.
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"Jonathan Morton" <jonathan@jonathanmortonbutignorethisbit.co.uk> wrote in
message news:dlhckh$adl$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> "[ a m z ]" <amz.REMOVETHIS@eskimo.REMOVETHIS.com> wrote in message
> news:w0Pef.99$8U4.5367@news.uswest.net...
>> "Jonathan Morton" wrote:
>> >
>> > Hmm... the thing that immediately struck me about no 3 was the word
>> > "alignment". That really is one of the things you can't put right on a
>> > quattro - after all, if it could be put right, why hasn't it been done?
>>
>> I checked CarFax and the dealer just bought the car at auction a week or
> so
>> ago. Based on the RF tire wear, it has been out of alignment for some
> time.
>> Dealer replaced the brakes and both front tires just the other day (after
> my
>> test drive).
>>
>> Are you saying that once an A8 quattro goes out of alignment, you'll
>> never
>> get it back again??
>
> I'm just thinking that the reason for the lack of alignment *might* be
> crash
> damage causing the car to be out of true.
>
> Even when properly set up, these cars do eat front tyres - especially the
> inner edges.
>
>> What are your thoughts about a 1997 straight auto vs. a 1998 with
> Tiptronic?
>> I'm most concerned about punching it to pass or needing to get moving
>> quickly in tight traffic.
>
> Well, mine's a 2000-model with Tiptronic - though I have to say I very
> rarely use the Tip. Even with the conventional 4-speed auto you won't
> suffer
> from lack of performance.
>
> Regards
>
> Jonathan
>
>

Re: Thoughts & suggestions wanted re: Audi A8
 

Jonathan,
I was thinking "crash damage" too - even a low speed slide into a curb can
result in huge damage to the complex multi-link suspension - and adding on
the behavior of the aluminum space frame following damage from a crash (the
aluminum can't be pulled out & fixed like steel can). The "fix" the vendor
offers may only be good for a short time, and then the alignment will creep
out on that corner again.
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"Jonathan Morton" <jonathan@jonathanmortonbutignorethisbit.co.uk> wrote in
message news:dlhckh$adl$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> "[ a m z ]" <amz.REMOVETHIS@eskimo.REMOVETHIS.com> wrote in message
> news:w0Pef.99$8U4.5367@news.uswest.net...
>> "Jonathan Morton" wrote:
>> >
>> > Hmm... the thing that immediately struck me about no 3 was the word
>> > "alignment". That really is one of the things you can't put right on a
>> > quattro - after all, if it could be put right, why hasn't it been done?
>>
>> I checked CarFax and the dealer just bought the car at auction a week or
> so
>> ago. Based on the RF tire wear, it has been out of alignment for some
> time.
>> Dealer replaced the brakes and both front tires just the other day (after
> my
>> test drive).
>>
>> Are you saying that once an A8 quattro goes out of alignment, you'll
>> never
>> get it back again??
>
> I'm just thinking that the reason for the lack of alignment *might* be
> crash
> damage causing the car to be out of true.
>
> Even when properly set up, these cars do eat front tyres - especially the
> inner edges.
>
>> What are your thoughts about a 1997 straight auto vs. a 1998 with
> Tiptronic?
>> I'm most concerned about punching it to pass or needing to get moving
>> quickly in tight traffic.
>
> Well, mine's a 2000-model with Tiptronic - though I have to say I very
> rarely use the Tip. Even with the conventional 4-speed auto you won't
> suffer
> from lack of performance.
>
> Regards
>
> Jonathan
>
>