Front lower arm lengths

[smphillips]

Hi all,

Hoping someone with a little more Audi experience could answer a question about Front suspension lower control arms.

There is two lower control arms on my B6 avant 2003 1.9TDI 101hp model Audi, my question is are the curved control arms supposed to be the same length from side to side?

I will tell you for why, I was driving to work on a wet cold morning and going around a corner the car slid on either black ice or oil and took a hit to the front left wheel on a curb. The front left wheel now does not sit centrally in the wheel well and to my eye looks to have more positive camber than the other side. I have looked under the car when i took in for tracking and cannot visably see anything bent, but the car pulls to the left. I have this evening measured the curved control arms and the left hand one appears to be about 1.5 inches approx shorter than the right hand one.

Hoping the image attached helps clarify which arm i mean.

Regards and thanks in advance Simon

[Trevor]

Hi Simon

I would say that the curbing incident would definitely have shortened the link as you have discovered.

I haven't actually come across unequal length lower arms before and if they were you would see the length comparison on sites like Eurocarparts where they list information about the product.

Cheers,  Trevor

[smphillips]

Thanks Trevor for your response, i have been googling and found a measurement of 17.5 inches. Been out and measured mine at approximately 17 inches, probably should have checked other side for comparison. I am trying to order a kit of lower arms for both sides but having checked with the parts palce my registration has both sizes of ball joints listed against it. I have measured the thickest part of the joint and it measures 21 and a bit millimetres, assuming thats 20mm ball joints?

[Trevor]

What was the measurement for the other balljoint?

If it is substantially smaller or larger then I would assume that it is the 20mm that you have fitted

[smphillips]

Good point I will try and measure the others this evening, did not think of that