B8 Sports Suspension, replace shocks and struts

[FlyPenFly]

Rotated my tires recently and found out I have feathering on my rears. Thinking about possibly just doing all the shocks on my 2010 with 129k miles. I did the corner push down test and the car doesn't bounce but maybe the sport springs are keeping it from doing that... either way probably time to replace the shocks? Should I also do the mounts? Anything else to get done while the car is at the shop? I recently just did all the front control arms.

2.0T Sport Suspension Front Wheel drive CVT
2x Front BILSTEIN 19171616 B4 for Sport
2x Rear BILSTEIN 19171623 B4 for Sport

Anything else I should grab from Rock Auto?

[Smac770]

I replaced the upper shock mounts front and rear when I did my shocks. Not sure if it was of value, but since I was only doing it once in the lifetime of the car and they are rubber pieces, I figured why not. Don't forget that a lot of the fastener hardware is must replace, if you're supplying all the parts for the job. When I removed my rears at 150k or whenever I did it, they were shot. I could expand and compress them with little effort. But I kind of expected it due to the body roll in hard turns that had developed over time.

[FlyPenFly]

Sounds good, I'll price out the mounts

[FlyPenFly]

I replaced the upper shock mounts front and rear when I did my shocks. Not sure if it was of value, but since I was only doing it once in the lifetime of the car and they are rubber pieces, I figured why not. Don't forget that a lot of the fastener hardware is must replace, if you're supplying all the parts for the job. When I removed my rears at 150k or whenever I did it, they were shot. I could expand and compress them with little effort. But I kind of expected it due to the body roll in hard turns that had developed over time.

Do you know which fastener hardware it is?

So far this is what I've specced out

Screen Shot 2020-04-13 at 4.20.23 PM.png

[Smac770]

Here's your front strut assembly:
https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../4/411-411000/

I bought new 2, 3, 6, 11. I also bought new (9) but I wouldn't bother a second time around. My (6) was pretty bad shape (it was 160k miles old) so I got a new one; it was cheap. The B6 strut had a nut on it, but I bought a new (2) anyway since I didn't know if it would and didn't know what shape it would be vs. the OE.

You mention the model year, but the build date is actually important since there was apparently a roll of some parts starting Nov 2, 2009 (so mid production of the MY10 vehicles). Here's the post Nov 2 '09 front suspension:
https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../4/407-407001/

So getting the assembly out and back in, you're going to need new pinch bolt (15, 16). Should be no need to loosen the bushings on the upper control arms; just leave them be (unless they show to be shot and you go to replace them). Four new (18) for the top to strut tower. The Audi process for getting it out involves removing the bolt for the straight (front) lower to subframe and pull the arm down. So you'll need a new (4, 5). Also new (27, 28) and (29, 28) and (31).

The rear is stupid easy compared to the front.
https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../5/511-511000/
New 10, 9, 8, 6, 2x 13, 12, 11
Like the front, 10 could be optional, I wanted the OE nuts since I didn't know what would come on the Bilstein units.

And all that's "per side".

[FlyPenFly]

Here's your front strut assembly:
https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../4/411-411000/

I bought new 2, 3, 6, 11. I also bought new (9) but I wouldn't bother a second time around. My (6) was pretty bad shape (it was 160k miles old) so I got a new one; it was cheap. The B6 strut had a nut on it, but I bought a new (2) anyway since I didn't know if it would and didn't know what shape it would be vs. the OE.

You mention the model year, but the build date is actually important since there was apparently a roll of some parts starting Nov 2, 2009 (so mid production of the MY10 vehicles). Here's the post Nov 2 '09 front suspension:
https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../4/407-407001/

So getting the assembly out and back in, you're going to need new pinch bolt (15, 16). Should be no need to loosen the bushings on the upper control arms; just leave them be (unless they show to be shot and you go to replace them). Four new (18) for the top to strut tower. The Audi process for getting it out involves removing the bolt for the straight (front) lower to subframe and pull the arm down. So you'll need a new (4, 5). Also new (27, 28) and (29, 28) and (31).

The rear is stupid easy compared to the front.
https://audi.7zap.com/en/usa/audi+a4.../5/511-511000/
New 10, 9, 8, 6, 2x 13, 12, 11
Like the front, 10 could be optional, I wanted the OE nuts since I didn't know what would come on the Bilstein units.

And all that's "per side".

Woah thanks man!

[Theiceman]

smac i have a question ..

why do you need to mess with the pinch bolt . My plan was to undo from the lower arm ( bolt 29 ) and drop the shock out the bottom . What am i missing ? thats how i did it on my a6 and never even bothered with the pinch bolt.

even if i have to drop 17 to undo 14 it still seems easier than messing with PBFH ( pinch bolt from hell )

[old guy]

I didn't mess with the pinch bolt when I installed my springs/shocks. I just unbolted the upper control arms and top bracket.

[Smac770]

If you unbolt the upper control arms from the upper bracket, I guess you can get it out leaving the pinch bolt alone. But, at least for me, it's 10000 times easier to just remove the pinch bolt and not mess with the upper control arm to upper bracket bolts at all. Torquing those in curb height position is a pita. It didn't help me in my case since I was replacing my uppers at the same time anyway. But if I were not replacing my uppers, pinch bolt over the bushing bolts all day. But you northerners with snow and salt, yeah, might be easier the other way around.

[old guy]

I agree that removing the pinch bolt is the least complicated way of doing the job. But that's assuming the pinch bolt comes out easily. Unfortunately that's rarely the case after years of exposure to road chemicals. That seems to rapidly accelerate the galvanic corrosion between the steel bolt and aluminum steering knuckle.