spiralsmurf

i have a pretty decent clunk in my front passenger's side. it can be reproduced by applying weight to the core support and it can be felt in the body of the shock. they are bilstein hd installed last october by autosport werks. everything is fine externally, the only thing i can say is the rubber on the tierod end is gone, but i doubt it would cause such noises.

it almost feels like something is stopping it from compressing. i'll take a good picture of the suspension for you guys tomorrow.

thanks in advance.

spiralsmurf

help

4Driver4

The damper has to be really wasted before it starts to make noise. I think your problem is elsewhere.

That said, the damper is cheap and easy to replace. If you are chasing something weird, it might be a good idea to change it.

UrSoccer_mobile®

i heard some clunking on mine and sure enough it was shot so i replaced it.. There was no tension on it anymore..

spiralsmurf

where's a good place to get the damper?

Ellisd

...Making that much noise. It would have to be really toasted before you started hearing noise from it.

Supposedly you can check by grabbing firmly hold of it and giving it a strong tug in both directions. If it doesn't feel smooth (or clunks in extreme cases) it should be replaced.

I replaced mine just a few weeks ago. The old one was original to the car but did not make any noises. It actually didn't feel too bad until I got it out of the car and then I noticed how easy it was to move the plunger in and out. Before then trying to move it around while it was installed yeilded no clunks or uneveness, but since I had noticed a lot of movement in the steering on uneven or bumpy surfaces and the damper I replaced it with is so cheap, I replaced it anyways and I'm glad I did.

I replaced mine with a steering damper from an '87 VW Fox, which is mechanically compatible and while about 5%-10% less "stiff", it is less than a quarter the price of the Audi part. I noticed an immediate but subtle improvement when driving on uneven or rutted surfaces.

One thing the Bentley forgot to mention is that to remove the damper the steering must be cranked all the way to the right(?) side. It took me about ten minutes of checking to figure that part out. The rest is easy.

Two other areas you could check are that the steering assembly mounting points are still attached to the body of the car. These are a weak point and have been known to tear/crack, and will priduce clunking and noise if broken (as well as being a bit of a safety hazard).

You could also check the steering lash and adjust it if there is any play. If there is too much play in the system you will get a noticable but light clunk everytime you move the steering wheel right or left. To check, sit in the car with the ignition off and try moving the wheel a half a turn in each direction quickly. If you hear a soft clunking you likely need to adjust the lash. There is a writeup on S-cars or someplace - I don't remember exactly now but someone else might be able to point you to it if you can't find it.

Best of luck,
-Dave

'93 S4
'99.5 A4 1.8t

Turbo_Anarchy

If you can't compress the strut when pushing down on the bumper with your knee or it is different than the other side it is probably in the strut.

spiralsmurf

where are the steering assembly mounting points?