Replacing front drop links

[mrbubba]

Has anyone got a guide, or quick reference for changing the front drop links?
I've just received a new set, hoping to fix a clunking front nearside after a pothole strike.


Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[Crucible35]

Maybe a bit of a communication gap here. I don't recall them ever being called "drop" links....look like "End" links to me (for your sway bars)....calling them that may give you a better tutorial or more response.

[S4'ed]

They are called upper or lower control arms...can't really tell from your picture which ones they are.
Pretty basic remove and replace, but only tighten the inner bolts when the suspension is at normal ride-height (either with the weight of the car on the tire, or use a jack to raise the disc/hub until it is at the normal ride height versus the body.)

It is usually the upper ones that fail early..causing clunking noises. These typically don't last 60,000 miles before the rubber bushings fail, and that is without hitting any potholes.....this has been a weak Audi design since 1998.....

[mrbubba]

I've always heard them referred to as drop links on previous cars that may be why my search results have come up with nothing

Hopefully these pictures make it clearer (part number is on the sticker and referred to as conn link)

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[audis4quattro]

They’re called end links or sway bar links never heard of drop links


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[SteveYem]

I've heard them called drop links, sway bar links, end links. To curtail further semantics arguments, the OP is referencing the components that link the sway bar to the suspension.

I've done this job a couple times. My best advice is:
1) Get the front wheels of the car up on ramps on a flat surface, which will give you ample room to work under the car while keeping the front suspension compressed in its "neutral" position under the weight of the car

2) Remove the existing endlinks. It's a little tight getting to the upper bolt of the endlink, but it's possible. You may need to use a box wrench or open ended wrench. The bolt holding the bottom of the endlink to the sway bar should be easily accessible.

3) Install the replacement endlinks. Again, it may be tight getting access to the upper bolt where the endlink connects to the suspension member - in fact, the instructions I used call out a torque spec (I don't recall the torque) for that bolt but I did not have enough room to get my torque wrench in there so I used an open ended wrench and torqued it goodntight.

[mrbubba]

I've heard them called drop links, sway bar links, end links. To curtail further semantics arguments, the OP is referencing the components that link the sway bar to the suspension.

I've done this job a couple times. My best advice is:
1) Get the front wheels of the car up on ramps on a flat surface, which will give you ample room to work under the car while keeping the front suspension compressed in its "neutral" position under the weight of the car

2) Remove the existing endlinks. It's a little tight getting to the upper bolt of the endlink, but it's possible. You may need to use a box wrench or open ended wrench. The bolt holding the bottom of the endlink to the sway bar should be easily accessible.

3) Install the replacement endlinks. Again, it may be tight getting access to the upper bolt where the endlink connects to the suspension member - in fact, the instructions I used call out a torque spec (I don't recall the torque) for that bolt but I did not have enough room to get my torque wrench in there so I used an open ended wrench and torqued it goodntight.

Cheers for the info. I will struggle to find ramps, so will have to be a Jack and axle stands underneath.
Might try it after the school run

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[SteveYem]

Cheers for the info. I will struggle to find ramps, so will have to be a Jack and axle stands underneath.
Might try it after the school run

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

Happy to help. The key is to have the suspension compressed to its neutral condition (as if the weight of the car were on the front wheels), so that the urethane bushings in the endlinks are in their neutral condition when the car is sitting at its static ride height on the ground. Then as the suspension compresses/extends while driving, the endlink bushings are starting from their neutral position and rotating in either direction.

EDIT - Be safe about this! If you have the front end of the car supported on jack stands, then I think you could use two hydraulic floor jacks - one on each side of the car - to push up on the lower control arms to compress the front suspension. Before you put the car up in the air, measure from the wheel center axis up to top-dead-center of the fender arch, as a reference point for how much to compress the suspension to get to the neutral compressed condition when the front end is lifted up off the ground. Also, be sure to chock both rear wheels, have the car in gear, and the parking brake engaged before doing the work!
The good news is that doing it this way, you will have the wheels removed and can work from the sides of the car reaching into the wheel wells, which should make the job a bit safer and a lot easier, relative to laying under the car.

[mrbubba]

The new ones are on and the clunking noise is still there
Used a makeshift ramp in the end, once the links were in to tighten up in the correct position.

Not sure on the next course of action .

So far, new shocks, springs, top mounts and sway bar ends.



Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[SteveYem]

The new ones are on and the clunking noise is still there
Used a makeshift ramp in the end, once the links were in to tighten up in the correct position.

Not sure on the next course of action .

So far, new shocks, springs, top mounts and sway bar ends.



Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

How many miles on the car, and have you made any other modifications? Is it a clunk or a rattle?

[PenttisHSR]

They’re called end links or sway bar links never heard of drop links

UK - We call them drop-links (end links) and anti-roll bars (sway bars)

[mrbubba]

How many miles on the car, and have you made any other modifications? Is it a clunk or a rattle?

No other mods. I hit a pot hole a few months ago and the noise started. It's a creaking sound, on the front left side. Happens at slow speed, whilst turning or going over a bump.
I've had 3 mechanics underneath and they can't see anything out of order with it. I made the decision to change the drop link/sway bar ends, as that was problem I had on my old BMW, it was the exact same noise and everything.

The other thing to add, it doesn't creak as bad in the wet, but is worse in the heat, which to me sounds like a bush problem.

It took months to diagnose the problem on the BMW, I changed loads of parts and spent a lot of money, I don't have the luxury with the Audi

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[SteveYem]

No other mods. I hit a pot hole a few months ago and the noise started. It's a creaking sound, on the front left side. Happens at slow speed, whilst turning or going over a bump.
I've had 3 mechanics underneath and they can't see anything out of order with it. I made the decision to change the drop link/sway bar ends, as that was problem I had on my old BMW, it was the exact same noise and everything.

The other thing to add, it doesn't creak as bad in the wet, but is worse in the heat, which to me sounds like a bush problem.

It took months to diagnose the problem on the BMW, I changed loads of parts and spent a lot of money, I don't have the luxury with the Audi

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

There are the two bushings that hold the sway bar to the chassis which I suppose could cause unusual sounds when they wear out, but I'm not sure whether a high-impact event like a pothole strike would trigger their failure. Maybe there is a problem with the upper control arm bushings? I could see a failure there more likely as a direct result of a pothole strike.

[S4'ed]

I vote for bad bushings in the upper control arms...

[mrbubba]

Little update!

I have 3 parts sitting here waiting to go on.
Lower arm and 2 upper arms. A closer inspection shows the rubber has completely gone on the lower one, it's obviously been deteriorating more and more, as it wasn't noticeable a few months ago.

Just waiting for a space in the workshop for them to be fitted, then fingers crossed it's all sorted

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk