Lower ball joint and suspension arm concern

**pizzaboy150** · 13-04-2015,06:25 PM

Hi All,

I have recently replace all suspension arms on my a4 from a kit I bought on ebay.

All items fit snug to the car bar the lower front control arm. There is a gap between the nut and end of the conical section that attaches to the joint?

When fitted the bolt was tight but when I lowered the car onto the suspension the joint traveled further and there is now a gap between the nut and hub assembly?

20150413_181237.jpg

This doesn't look right and I am not sure what I have missed?

Any help appreciated!

**Doctle Odd** · 13-04-2015,06:58 PM

Do you have a vernier calliper? Measure the other side as there's different sizes and somebody might have put a hub from a scrapyard on it. That cars not safe to drive put in the old one until you get a replacement. Post a link to the kit you bought.

**pizzaboy150** · 13-04-2015,07:06 PM

Hi thanks for responding I will be chucking the old ones back in now, I don't think the hubs have been changed given the look of it and how tough some of those bolts were to come out. Both sides are the same and the kit is this one

WISHBONE SUSPENSION ARMS KIT SET FRONT AXLE LH RH AUDI A6 4B C5 1.8-3.7 97-01 | eBay

**Doctle Odd** · 13-04-2015,07:13 PM

Mate those kits are bovine excrement return them and start a complaint with ebay immediately. If you can't afford to do it all at once do the bottoms first then the tops. Those kits you linked to are made from the tinsel in old embassy cigarette packets

**pizzaboy150** · 13-04-2015,07:47 PM

thought it looked to good to be true, have just ordered some new parts from eurocarparts these ones best fit. Thanks for your help!

**rhencullen1989** · 13-04-2015,08:04 PM

Sorry to rub salt etc, but buy cheap, buy twice. If I was doing the job myself I would go genuine Audi parts or if that is out of range I believe Llemforder are good as are meale, I have used the e bay ones before and they do last......... For about a year, it's an *** of a job, and one you only want to do once. If you buy from TPS you will get genuine Audi, or if that's too dear, try GSF or Euro car parts. If it was me with my pair of B6 1.8T's I would probably go for TPS. The genuine ones should last over 100k.

**Col** · 14-04-2015,05:13 PM

There are two different sized balljoints on the lower arms.

Early cars had larger diameter tapers, later cars smaller.

Looks like your car needs the larger size but is fitted with a smaller.

**spartacus 68** · 15-04-2015,02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Doctle Odd

Mate those kits are bovine excrement return them and start a complaint with ebay immediately. If you can't afford to do it all at once do the bottoms first then the tops. Those kits you linked to are made from the tinsel in old embassy cigarette packets

Excellent description. The structural integrity of the Embassy foil wrapper still out-performs the Ebay part!

Only fit Meyle HD, Lemforder, etc. It's a sod of a job to do, so it never ceases to amaze me why some people cut corners. These things are critical and I certainly wouldn't want one to fail at speed.

**pizzaboy150** · 16-04-2015,03:13 PM

I would agree that the ones I first got are poo, but i'm not paying Audi prices on a car of this age no matter how much I love it. The new parts are Llemforder from euros they were £47 each which seems fair. Now I have received them they seem good quality feel more sturdy than the previous ones also you can see a clear difference in the shape of the ball joint. (Lesson learned there).

Also I was going to start a new thread but does anyone know where you can find an ABS sensor retaining clip. I just smashed the one on the car into a thousand small pieces and the new sensor does not come with one. Spoke to euros gsf and done a general search on the web but no cigar. I suppose Audi would pull my pants down but do not really want to go there unless I have too.