MOT fail on bushes and few other suspension bits

[Abdul_Vali]

Hi Folks,

bought my Audi A7 C7 2011 2.0TDi in 2014 when it was around 2 1/2 years olds with 110k on the clock. Motorway miles from company with full history. Since then I have regular serviced and maintained the car, current mileage is 185k. I usually have my MOT and service work done by local garage. This year I decided to take my car to an Audi Main Dealer for an MOT, here is the video from Audicam.

https://vv2u.co/DsIixs

the MOT failed on the bushes on both front lower rear suspension arm (split), think this is the wishbone.

NSF ball joint cover leaking

OFR coil spring broken.

My questions are as follows, the arms have replaceable bushes, should I change the bushes or the complete arms, my garage is insisting on changing the arms rather then the bushes saying it would be safer to change the complete rather then the bush.

ball joint cover, my garage is saying he can change the cover, but I’m thinking I should change both ball joints on the both sides considering the mileage 185k. better to change both or just change cover?

Rear driver side spring is broken, will change in both sides, no issues there.

if I’m changing Both arms, both ball joints, both rear springs, should I go ahead and change the all shock absorbers (front and back). From what I can see they have never been changed, car has done 185k, if thinking I should go the whole hog and get it done.

Let me know what you guys think, would really appreciate your help and advice.

regards, Abdul

 

 

[Stevey Y]

1 hour ago, Abdul_Vali said:

Hi Folks,

bought my Audi A7 C7 2011 2.0TDi in 2014 when it was around 2 1/2 years olds with 110k on the clock. Motorway miles from company with full history. Since then I have regular serviced and maintained the car, current mileage is 185k. I usually have my MOT and service work done by local garage. This year I decided to take my car to an Audi Main Dealer for an MOT, here is the video from Audicam.

https://vv2u.co/DsIixs

the MOT failed on the bushes on both front lower rear suspension arm (split), think this is the wishbone.

NSF ball joint cover leaking

OFR coil spring broken.

My questions are as follows, the arms have replaceable bushes, should I change the bushes or the complete arms, my garage is insisting on changing the arms rather then the bushes saying it would be safer to change the complete rather then the bush.

ball joint cover, my garage is saying he can change the cover, but I’m thinking I should change both ball joints on the both sides considering the mileage 185k. better to change both or just change cover?

Rear driver side spring is broken, will change in both sides, no issues there.

if I’m changing Both arms, both ball joints, both rear springs, should I go ahead and change the all shock absorbers (front and back). From what I can see they have never been changed, car has done 185k, if thinking I should go the whole hog and get it done.

Let me know what you guys think, would really appreciate your help and advice.

regards, Abdul

 

 

Hi Abdul, it looks like quite a shopping list you have developed there, I think changing the shock absorbers is a good shout as you will get your money back in record time with the extra milage out of the tyres as for the arms you can get poly bush kits but in all fairness they are three times the cost of the better quality arms, changing both ball joints makes a great deal of sense and as for the two grinning idiots on the video I think I would grin as well if I had just made my company that amount of money pro forma the shielding is a five minute job and a couple of self tapping screws, the tyres I pay what they want for one tyre for two good mid range tyres and believe me I know all about tyres as I run my A6 Avant as a cab, it might be worth buying all the arms and bushes upper/ lower as a kit off eBay at around £250.00 you can replace the lot.

Steve.

[Magnet]

Hello Abdul,

Thanks for being in touch. 
The car would appear to have given you good service. 
Apologies, but I’m a little confused as to why you have suddenly abandoned your local garage who have looked after your servicing and MOTs needs, and moved to an Audi main dealer for your MOT. Anything to do with any element of ‘offers’? 
Anyway, re. the now necessary repairs:- It sounds as if you are again intending to entrust these repairs to your local garage again, and that would seem to be a good move to me. 
Worn bushes and suspension arms? No debate in my book - replace the arms complete with new bushes, otherwise you are going to have to pay labour to remove and refit new bushes into your old arms - not economic sense. I would spend once and wisely and invest in Lemforder arms. You can buy these at competitive prices via. eBay search, but if you are a follower of a certain abbreviated to 3 letter on line factors who offer attractive discounts on so called retail prices, then you could find yourself buying one of their own brands at an attractive price! Um.  If you are entrusting the supply of the parts to your garage, then beware that they may be enticed to buy the ‘best deal’ parts on offer from their local motor factors. For me, I see no reason to depart from Lemforder. 
Track rod end covers:- I’d simply replace the TREs as a pair - try Febi. 
Spring? Yes replace both, but get your garage to double check that one is actually broken! 

Shock absorbers - yes you can change them, but I would be tempted to give them a good coat of inspection, and leave them alone if not suspect. 
Hope some of this helps, 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Stevey Y]

20 minutes ago, Magnet said:

Hello Abdul,

Thanks for being in touch. 
The car would appear to have given you good service. 
Apologies, but I’m a little confused as to why you have suddenly abandoned your local garage who have looked after your servicing and MOTs needs, and moved to an Audi main dealer for your MOT. Anything to do with any element of ‘offers’? 
Anyway, re. the now necessary repairs:- It sounds as if you are again intending to entrust these repairs to your local garage again, and that would seem to be a good move to me. 
Worn bushes and suspension arms? No debate in my book - replace the arms complete with new bushes, otherwise you are going to have to pay labour to remove and refit new bushes into your old arms - not economic sense. I would spend once and wisely and invest in Lemforder arms. You can buy these at competitive prices via. EBay search, but if you are a follower of a certain abbreviated to 3 letter on line factors who offer attractive discounts on so called retail prices, then you could find yourself buying one of their own brands at an attractive price! Um.  If you are entrusting the supply of the parts to your garage, then beware that they may be enticed to buy the ‘best deal’ parts on offer from their local motor factors. For me, I see no reason to depart from Lemforder. 
Track rod end covers:- I’d simply replace the TREs as a pair - try Febi. 
Spring? Yes replace both, but get your garage to double check that one is actually broken! 

Shock absorbers - yes you can change them, but I would be tempted to give them a good coat of inspection, and leave them alone if not suspect. 
Hope some of this helps, 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth, at that milage the shocks are probably at the end of there service life if you take into account the tyre wear in the video, the shocks are oil over gas and don't have to leak to be knackered which is why springs break as they are doing most of the work and the damper unit is just following the spring about like a bored husband in a dress shop, I have always changed the shocks and springs on my cabs at around 120k and noticed a spectacular improvement in handling and tyre wear, example being my last MK4 Mondeo estate after switching to heavy duty shocks [Bilstein] and Kilen springs the ride was as sharp as a razor and stayed that way until I sold the car another 2000k later, I would also like to point out badly worn dampers increase your stopping distance by twenty feet from any given speed as the tyre is trying to grip with no gradual compression from the damper and spring, saw this at a trade show I attended and it made pretty grim viewing as you can have the best discs and pads available but if the rest is knackered the end result is the same, longer to stop.

Steve.

[Stevey Y]

Sorry that was meant to be 200,000k