Audi 80 Avant: Control Arm Prices & Info

Hello everyone,

"Does anyone happen to know how much it costs to replace the ball joints on the control arms of an Audi 80 Avant (B4), 1.9 TDI (1Z), or whether it might be worth replacing the entire control arms instead (and what that would roughly cost)?"

Thank you very much and best regards!

Hi Tino.

I had to do the same thing with my old B4 after the TÜV (German technical inspection authority) found a lot of play.
The more cost-effective solution was to replace the bushings. The mechanic swore quite a bit because after 10 years, they were extremely difficult to press out of the control arms.
The workload was approximately 1.5 hours for both parties, with just the pressing and insertion of the rubber parts taking about an hour. I unfortunately don't remember the price. Then there was also the measurement and adjustment. But wasn't there something else about control arms being made of cast iron? Mine were made of steel. In any case, pressing and heating them wasn't a problem.

Hati wrote:

But wasn't there something else about cast control arms?

It didn't happen with the TDI. At least, it only occurred on a single production day, which would be a very big coincidence...

Unfortunately, I can only provide limited information regarding prices.
"I used to own a B4 and had to replace the bushings several times. I once bought two control arms from ATP Autoteile online for about 140 euros. Later, someone offered the control arms for about 50 euros each. I have no idea where you can find them cheapest now - you could try searching on Google or contacting meckhoff.de, which is the best website for B4 owners."
A single socket costs 15 or 25 euros at , but I unfortunately don't remember the exact price, so you'll have to inquire directly. You need 2 pieces per QL.
If only the bushings are pressed in, wheel alignment may not be necessary if the control arm with the ball joint is removed.
When replacing the entire QL (likely referring to a specific automotive part), the alignment needs to be adjusted.

Best regards,
Karsten.

And if you want to continue driving your B4 for longer, the company Meyle offers reinforced control arm bushings.

For those who might be interested... I finally (yes, it took a while) went to the mechanic and had two completely new control arms installed.

Installation and removal: €83.19.
Left control arm, €108.90.
Right control arm, €108.90.
Screws, nuts, and washers: 29.74 EUR.

Fairy tale tax: 62.84 EUR.

Total: €393.57

And what about the wheel alignment?

I was a bit surprised by this. The wheel alignment was announced as part of the service, but when I brought the car in and the work was being done, the mechanic said that a wheel alignment wasn't necessary, but he couldn't say for sure. I then said, "If it needs to be done, then do it; if not, that's fine too." An extra charge of approximately 100 euros was listed, but it apparently wasn't performed.

Next week, I'm going on a ski trip (driving approximately 1400 km total), and I'll be keeping an eye on the shocks. If they're also worn out (after almost 175,000 km), the car will get a new suspension system, and it will definitely be aligned at that point.

It seems that replacing the control arms on a B4 (1Z) might not require a wheel alignment - can anyone confirm this?

On the '89 model, I replaced the rubber-to-metal bushings and didn't re-align anything. The shock absorber just stayed in place, and the only point where adjustment would have been possible was reset by that massive impact. Strictly speaking, something probably should have been adjusted there, but given that impact...

Hi there,

I completely replaced the entire front axle on my Type 89, but I didn't have it aligned.
If you want a slightly more direct steering feel, you should consider using polyurethane bushings, which also tend to last longer.

Otherwise, I would buy complete control arms. If you have to pay for an hour of labor to have the bushings pressed in, it's usually cheaper and, above all, less complicated.

If you leave the ball joint on the control arm, no realignment is necessary.

Best regards, Michael.

However, when installing completely new control arms, a wheel alignment must be performed!