Lower Control Arms

Lower Control Arms – Replacement in Pairs

Many people wait their whole lives to have a German performance automobile. You've painstakingly studied their engine size, suspension configuration and feature set, and finally decided that the illustrious Audi family of automobiles will be the one that you join. As you feel the finely tuned German engineering purr beneath you on the highway, you probably felt that you would never be happier. However, when it comes time to replace parts on a German car, you might feel that you'll never be more broke. Avoid the high labor costs of having someone work on your Audi by learning to replace the lower control arms yourself.

While you can pick up a lot of information about how to repair lower control arms from friends and how to guides on the internet, you should always exercise a bit of caution when reading through them. Never embark on a large repair job if you feel uncomfortable about it or if you think that the person recommending the repair doesn't know what they are talking about. If you really want to save money in the long run, you will also take the opportunity to repair or upgrade all of your Audi control arms at the same time, instead of individually.

The first thing that you should do if you want to replace the lower control arms on your Audi is to loosen and remove the ball joints from the upper control arm and the wheel bearing housing. It is important that you complete this step with caution, as it can often be difficult to remove the long bolt that connects the upper control arm to the wheel bearing housing. Once you've removed the bolt, you must also remove the sway bar link that attaches the sway bar to the front lower control arm.

Next your task will be to loosen and remove the mounting plate from the upper control arm. You'll be able to accomplish this by removing the three bolts that can be found in the engine compartment, connecting the upper control arm mounting plate to the body of the car itself. The next step will be to take the lower shock bolt out of the front lower control arms. Keep in mind that you can find these instructions in your owner's manual and should always have it with you when you are working on your Audi. If at any time you get stuck, feel free to call your local Audi dealer for a consultation.