Audi A4 Upper Control Arms
During a complementary safety inspection, damaged inner control arm bushings were found on a 2008 Audi A4 with 86,000 miles. This is a common issue for nearly all Audis built in the last 25 years.
- The rubber bushings isolate the vehicle from road noise, allow suspension movement over bumps, and keep wheels properly aligned. When worn, drivers may notice clunking, reduced handling, vague steering, and increased tire wear.
- All four upper control arms were replaced with new OEM Lemforder units including fresh bushings. A wheel alignment was then performed using a Hofman Geoliner imaging system, with angles matched to within .01 degrees.
- Our master technicians follow every repair with a test drive to confirm everything is working correctly. This Audi A4 is internally referred to as a B7 series.
Upper control arms on an Audi A4 are components that physically connect the wheels to the car through the steering spindle. Over time, the rubber bushings within these arms can crack and deteriorate, requiring replacement. New control arms are installed on the strut assembly and a wheel alignment is performed afterward.
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- Damaged inner control arm bushing, note the crack in the rubber
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- Another Damaged inner control arm bushing
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- Upper control arms before removal, these connect the car to the steering spindle, which is connected to the wheel. The control arms literally connect your wheels to your car.
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- Another view of a damaged upper control arm bushing on this Audi A4
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- Control arms removed from steering spindle
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- Front strut, spring and damaged control arms ready for replacement
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- New control arms installed on strut assembly
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- Audi A4 strut assembly installed in vehicle with new upper control arms & bushings
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- high-quality alignment being performed
During one of our complementary safety inspections, we found the control arms on this 2008 Audi A4 with 86,000 miles to have damaged inner control arm bushings. This is a common concern for almost all Audis manufactured in the last 25 years. The rubber bushings serve to isolate the vehicle from road noise, allow the suspension to move up and down as the vehicle goes over bumps and corners, and keep the wheels in the correct position so proper alignment is maintained. When the bushings have deteriorated the driver may notice a clunking when going over bumps, a decrease in performance and handling, a vagueness in steering and increased tire wear. There are a total of 4 control arms on each side, 2 upper and 2 lower. The lower arms have larger, more robust bushings that seem to last longer, but they do wear out. In this case, it was the upper bushings that had reached the end of their service life. After the new OEM Lemforder control arms with new bushings were installed we aligned the car using our Hofman Geoliner imaging wheel alignment system. Using this state of the art equipment our master technicians make sure every customer gets a perfect alignment, with the angles matched from side to side to within .01 degrees and right in the middle of the manufacturers recommended range. Our technicians always take a test drive to be sure everything is working as it should when repairs have been completed. This Audi is internally referred to as a B7 series.