Suspension creaking/popping after lower control arm job

[reesea17]

I've searched many times, and have come up with nothing useful and this is starting to get to me.

Had no issues with sounds except a clunk when going over speed bumps, turned out the drivers side guide link (lower rear control arm) bushing was completely shot. I replaced both lower control arms on the passenger side, and the guide link on the drivers side (front lower had been replaced a while back).

I know for a fact that I didn't torque the control arms down properly the first time due to poor advice from an FCP euro video that stated ride height was in-between the lowest extend and where the suspension would start raising the car off the jack stand. Or at least now I've read on ECStunings guide that when it starts to lift the car, that is the ride height, and I basically figured this out after it was back on the ground. I started to get a creaking or popping sound when breaking to a stop and then starting up again as it unloads the suspension.

Assuming it was the improper ride height torquing, I took it to a ride on lift, loosened all the possible offenders, lower control arms, sway bar links, and wishbone, and then retorqued everything. No dice.

Figured it might be the fact that I didn't properly torque or replace the stretch bolts on the subframe after having to drop it, took it back to the lift and found the pass side was stripped... awesome. A ton of searching and the ultimate installation of a time sert, and new stretch bolts... no dice.

Other searches pointed at the possibility of it being the sway bar, so I completely removed the sway bar, took it for a drive, and the noises were still there. Greased the bushings and reinstalled the sway bar and I'm back at square one. I cannot for the life of me figure out what is going on and I'm starting to lose my mind with multiple pops as I stop and begin to accelerate. It wasn't like this before and now its every single time I stop ever since doing all this work. It also pops throughout a slow speed turn.

I know that was long, but this has been quite the adventure so far. Thanks for reading and thanks for your help.

[vavJETTAw36]

Are you preloading the suspension before torquing?


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[reesea17]

Yes. Thats what I was alluding to with the first time I did it. I didn't fully preload the suspension when I initially torqued all the parts, so I took it to a ride on lift, loosened everything and retorted at ride height.

[WanaB5]

I had the same problem when I did my suspension. I brought it to a full alignment style lift and tightened everything down and still had the issues. I eventually brought it to my buddy's shop where he let me use his two post lift and used a long post jack, compressed the control arms as much as I could and tightened them down. fixed my creaking and popping issue.

[reesea17]

Thanks, I might have to end up trying this. Noticed today that the car is now making a sharper crack sound when turning left, seems to be coming from the upper control arm section. Hear it best from above in the engine bay. Any chance there are issues with the shock cups that would cause this kind of problem as well?

[snolvr]

I feel your pain. After months of head scratching, I traced a very consistent pop/clunk under very low speed braking to one of 2 things I replaced: Tranny mounts and sway bar end links that were both shot. Everything else had been recently replaced in the suspension except these items. Good luck!

[reesea17]

Just replaced the sway bar end links because I snapped a bolt trying to torque it to 74ft-lb, still don’t get the lower links to that torque, just feel scared it’s going no where but stretching. It’s got 180K miles, so my next task is tranny mounts and then motor mounts since neither have been done in the 10 years I’ve had the car.

There is a good bit of movement in the shifter when letting off and on the gas, so I’m betting it’s the mounts as everything else has been checked and rechecked, and checked again. But I still have the issue so far.

[Bordom]

I'm going to point this out:

Did you replace the control arms with the same ones as before? (Shorter/stubbier, longer/thinner)

It could be that the ball joint taper is different than your originals and its causing movement.

Failing that, snub/trans/engine mounts?

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[reesea17]

I'm going to point this out:

Did you replace the control arms with the same ones as before? (Shorter/stubbier, longer/thinner)

It could be that the ball joint taper is different than your originals and its causing movement.

Failing that, snub/trans/engine mounts?

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Yeah I noticed on ECS that there is a split in model years starting in 01 for the front lower control arms that connect to the sway bar end links. I bought mine from FCPeuro a long time ago (2015), they are Delphi 4D0407151Px2. Searching around for them it seems they are the proper arms for my year model (2001.5). It's possible they have the wrong taper, but I'm less inclined to think this is true since I installed the drivers side back in 2015 and didn't do the pass side until just recently because I'm lazy and ended up hitting a deer totaling the front left of the Audi in 2016. Had a lot of other things to work on to get it road worthy again due to no comprehensive insurance at the time, long story. However, I had no issues with suspension noises after installing the drivers side front lower arm.

As I stated above, I haven't changed out the motor or transmission mounts since I've had the vehicle (10 years) and it's possible these could be the culprit. Planning to get the 034 street density's and get them installed to see if it fixes the noise issue or not as I'm sure it needs to be done anyway. The sharper noise I mentioned before was the top control arms, they had loosened up over time, retorqued them and the noise there went away.

Still currently have a noise when stopping and starting and when turning sharply either left or right which is the part that makes me think it may not be the mounts.

EDIT: I had replaced the snub mount a while back with a polyurethane one from Black Forest Industries.

[reesea17]

Well I replaced the transmission mounts with 034 street densities and it did nothing for the sound.

Interestingly it rained the other day and the noise went away when the undercarriage got wet (my skid plate is removed because it broke). So I started selectively soaking the ball joints, control arm bushings, rear subframe bushings, and then finally the motor mounts as best I could. Drove the car after each individual soaking to see when the noise would go away, and it only subsided when I soaked the motor mounts/front subframe bushings. So it seems maybe it is the motor mounts being shot. I'll go through the process of changing those soon but have never done it, so any pointers would be good. I've read as many of the picture less how to's as I can and seem to have a general idea, but take it that I will need a motor support bar or to use a jack to hold the motor up as I replace them.

Plan of action is to bite the bullet and put it into service position, get a motor support bar, and remove the brackets underneath the motor mounts/front subframe/sway bar. Remove the right turbo pipe and get at them as quickly as possible. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

[vavJETTAw36]

Well I replaced the transmission mounts with 034 street densities and it did nothing for the sound.

Interestingly it rained the other day and the noise went away when the undercarriage got wet (my skid plate is removed because it broke). So I started selectively soaking the ball joints, control arm bushings, rear subframe bushings, and then finally the motor mounts as best I could. Drove the car after each individual soaking to see when the noise would go away, and it only subsided when I soaked the motor mounts/front subframe bushings. So it seems maybe it is the motor mounts being shot. I'll go through the process of changing those soon but have never done it, so any pointers would be good. I've read as many of the picture less how to's as I can and seem to have a general idea, but take it that I will need a motor support bar or to use a jack to hold the motor up as I replace them.

Plan of action is to bite the bullet and put it into service position, get a motor support bar, and remove the brackets underneath the motor mounts/front subframe/sway bar. Remove the right turbo pipe and get at them as quickly as possible. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

if you still have factory K03 inlets, its easier.

- undo the bottom 13mm nuts and mark where the nipples sit in the brackets from underneath.

- support the motor and lift it with the support, that will release the mounts from the chassis side brackets.

- remove the sway bar out of your way. You could swing it down and leave it connected to the end links, but you could damage them.

- remove PS and DS charge pipes

- Then, get on the top nuts with a 16mm and loosen her up.

- Pull engine mount out and insert new mount.

- Repeat for left side.