Upper front bushings

B6/7 S4/RS4
#1

Quick one guys, my front passenger tire has been shredded on the inside edge. Service tech at audi dealership said my front upper bushings are gone. About 12 months ago, when I went to try and register it in switzerland the inspector said the same thing. So I think they are gone. Can someone take a look at the pics and lend their opinion.


http://www.audirevolution.net/addons/albums/images/854823414.jpg


http://www.audirevolution.net/addons/albums/images/71130118.jpg


http://www.audirevolution.net/addons/albums/images/335545167.jpg

#2

Looking at the tire makes me think the damage is from something else…like a bolt end or something similar dragging against the tire. The wear area around that groove definitely looks like normal wear from worn mounts/bushings. You have decent tread wear left on that tire so something is up for sure.

Are you lowered? What size tire are you running? Are you sure there is no contact or rubbing happening anywhere?

The bushing itself looks like it let some material go and it is sitting on the control arm. HArd to tell what that is from the pic.

Did you jack the car up, grab the tire and try shaking it yet to check for play?

Any vibrations when braking or hard cornering?

#3

The car is lowered on Bilsteins. It’s been on Bilsteins for the last 4 years or so. I’ve had the 19" RS4 reps since at least 3 years also running 245/35/19. The only problem I’ve had with tires to date was an alignment issue when I went to a new set, and it wore down the inside of the front drivers tire. So I’m 99% certain that there are no rubbing issues.

My suspicion is that the bushing is throwing the wheel out of alignment and with thousands of miles of wear at the wrong angle it started to pull apart.

The picture doesn’t show it well, but in the first pic, it looks like you can see the bolt between the rubber.

The second pic, doesn’t look like it’s that bad.

Haven’t “shaken” it about. No vibrations, but when turning right and driving quick it feels like metal on metal banging.

The car was last in the shop 7k miles ago for the JHM tune and air con. I’m pretty sure they would’ve noticed the tire wearing badly back then.

#4

OP, you are lowered so the front camber is shot. When you lower an Audi the front camber goes more and more negative as you lower the car. That negative camber will wear the front tires on the inside edges since that section of the tire is what is touching the road more than the rest of the tire tread.

Your front upper control arm bushings are not helping things since they are worn. Most people look at the bushings like how you did in your pictures. What you want to do is turn the steering wheel to a full lock then look at the one bushing that is being stressed then turn the steering wheel the other way and look at the other bushing on each side of the car. If you see the bushing has separated from the middle section that the bolt goes through then you really need new control arm bushings.

Why not get adjustable front upper control arms and solve both issues. That way you can get the front camber back into the correct range and replace the worn bushings. Stern and 034 make good adjustable front upper control arms.

#5

^everything jimmy said. Lowered+bad bushings is going to do that to your tires no matter what. You need adjustable uppers

#6

lowering these cars is an expensive mess, loaded with sacrifice.

#7

Depends how much you lower the car. I have stock control arms but was still able to align the car within spec even though I’m lowered. I have zero uneven tire/tread ware.

I have in the past with other cars experienced what the OP is but not with that giant groove. That’s why I was assuming there could be an additional culprit.

#8

Hi guys, thanks for your feedback, gotta tell you that although I do agree that lowering the car without cam adjusters does result in some uneven wear on the tire. I have had cars in the past with such negative camber that I was really only driving on half the tire and replacement was required about every 10k kms. My experience so far with this car at least (6 years and 71k miles), is that so long as the alignment is good, I get pretty even tire wear. I’ve only had one experience where I put new tires on, didn’t do an alignment and I proceeded to scrub off the inside of my front tires. This particular set of tires I put on before we took the car to switzerland @ 35k miles and excluding a period of about 10-15k miles where I had winter tires on, basically this set has done a surprising 20-25k miles! That includes many miles of autobahn/autostrada high-speed driving, a few laps of Nurburgring, and a trip down the Col de Turini. Unbelievable, I know, but if you look at all my tires, they are just starting to touch the wear indicator! I shit you not.

Anywho, I will get the bushings replaced and a new set of tires this weekend and report back.

#9

lok cam adjusters lok

#10

Cost to lower (parts + labour)?

#11

Expensive means different things to different people. I think my Stasis SL’s cost me $1,725 to my door.
Install because i’m lazy = $400
Alignment = $100?
Total: $2,225

No “mess” for me. Car feels solid, stable and flat around corners at speed, feels planted at triple digits and balanced everywhere inbetween. Very confidence inspiring. The suspension provides a feeling - almost as if the car somehow shed 400 pounds if that makes sense. Ride comfort is identical to stock imo. No sacrifice from where i stand.

I’m not “slammed” either. If I were some of my descriptions above may change.

#12

What’s “lok”?

#13

it’s when something is funnier than lol, of course

#14

Cool

still an expensive mod, but sounds like no mess for you and you got a great deal (didn’t you? I thought those SLs were much more money). Rs4s look so good when they’re just a bit lower. All B7s really benefit from it.

#15

You might be thinking of the more expensive Stasis MS series? Those I think are about $4K. My SL’s are usually around $2.2K. I took advantage of a sale.

#16

[quote=“NY07RS4,post:15,topic:3409”]
Don’t look in the free share section at 91’s post for the SLs.

The Stasis Motorsports are normally $3895. I have been looking at them for a little while and am waiting to hear back from a vendor on Audizine about a better price along with other suspension stuff. Still a 3900 pound pig of a car but it is fun with good tires and nice suspension.

#17

[quote=“JimmyBones,post:16,topic:3409”]

I believe D is selling “ST Coilovers” which are not Stasis/Ohlins. I’m not familiar with the brand he is selling. Unless he has another ad for Stasis SL’s.

#18

save your money jimmy bones, they are nice but require care and are not worth the money especially over a kw v3. i can get anyone v3’s which require much less maintenance and offer the same adjustability just dont have the fancy remote resevoirs. the inox body is much more durable and dont require rebuilding every few years like the MS.

#19

[quote=“NY07RS4,post:17,topic:3409”]

ST’s are made by kw as a budget KW v1. they are exactly the same minus the inox stainless body. they are galavanized instead which cuts costs considerably but the construction is the same.

#20

Cool - thanks for the info.