geoffreyr66

I've been having a real issue with premature tire wear on the inside surface of the right, rear tire. I've had the car aligned by the dealer several times. No change as a result. They tell me the alignment is to specs. It's only that one tire that seems to wear quickly (very noticeable within 5000 Km's). 4 sets of tires now over 6 years that I have owned my car!!

Another problem that may (or not?) be related as its a newer problem, is a loose feeling on slippery surfaces. By that I mean the car is almost uncontrolable at speeds above 80kph on slippery, icy or loose gravel roads. Its very planted on dry pavement and wet pavement. But on slushy or ice covered roads, the back end wants to pass the front and it's a full time job actively sawing at the steering wheel to keep it going forward. I only noticed the problem after the stealer changed a front tie rod end. I've had the cars alignment (4 wheels) checked twice after that, thinking they had made an error when doing the alignment after the tie rod end change. I haven't worried about this problem too much as its summer and the roads are dry.

Anyone have any thoughts or similar experiences???

macpaperpusher

Yes, as to the tire wear but it seems better with General G-Max tires which is more of an all-season tire. In the past, "performance tires" lasted 6 months and I consider myself a reasonable driver.

As to your problem with the slippery surface issue......

I tracked my solution down due to the breakage of a REAR control arm. Actually, I had two left rear controls arms sever and luckily, both times, it was at very slow speed or I probably wouldn't be writing this. Audi dealer couldn't resolve it and suggested that that ONE severed control arm has never been reported and TWO would be impossible within 6 months. So I took it on as a "beyond the Audi dealer problem". I would suggest that you check this as quickly as possible if for no other reason than to eliminate it as the cause of the slippery handling and maybe to save a life.

With the vehicle on the ground, undo the rear control arm, one at a time, from the bracket near the rear differential. You will have to unhook the headlight leveller arm which is attached to the left rear control arm. The idea is to now swing the control arm which is now only attached to the wheel in all directions to ensure that it has full movement. Reconnect the control arm and the headlight leveller arm and do the same exercise on the right control arm (no headlight leveller on that side).

If the control arm does not have full movement, you have one or more frozen (read badly rusted) rose-joint and either one or all joints must be replaced (got mine at ECStuning). It may also apply to the upper control arms but my problem was only on the left lower arm. Replacement resolved the problem immediately. I believe that the EPC was also over-compensating for the lack of movement in the control arm but by turning that control off, you may see temporary improvement but that will not solve a frozen rose-joint causing a severed control arm.

I believe that there is a later replacement part for the rose-joint as it was badly designed but I chose to install the same part.

The main concerns are that the frozen rose-joint eventually tore two control arms in half at the hub and caused uncontrolled slippery rear handling. I also replaced both lower rear control arms with more substantial and adjustable arms from gruvenparts.

Hope that helps.

John.....

geoffreyr66

Macpaperpusher,
Thanks for your input. I think I may have solved the issue. I had the alignment redone on the car by Kal tire. They gave me a copy of the before and after specs. As I had suspected from my investigation, the. Toe on the right rear was WAY out. Although its still summer and the roads aren't slippery, I have noticed a difference when running over a large bumps where the suspension gets a good workout. Before the car would get "loose". Now it's back to how it used to be. I get jarred but the car feels to track straight.
We'll see if the alignment has made the difference when the weather turns nasty in the late fall. If it doesn't, I'll be back to my investigation and madly replacing parts.