Experiences with the eBay control arm suspension kits?

[pezgoon]

I know I know. I already see the text flowing across my screen...

"It's an Audi, you know what you signed up for!"

"They'll last 20 miles!"

"Don't use that cheap Chinese shit! It's cardinal sin! The car will burn itself to the ground!"

I get it, I've owned the car for 7 years, it's always had OEM or very close.

But fuck guys, it's 800$ from ECS and 200$ from eBay, and I get it too, that definitely shows a difference in quality!!

But does it? So many of the OEM parts still come from India, Taiwan, Mexico, and even fucking china! Even for the direct OEM Audi fucking parts!

I am just wondering if anyone has used one of the complete control arm kits from eBay and what your experience has been. I cannot afford the full kit from someone like ECS. The ONLY option I have is to buy all the bushings and ball joints and do all of the work myself. I happened across some complete kits on eBay, and holy shit would it save so much time being able to just unbolt and bolt stuff back in. Like, so much time. And ya I have a press to do it and all that, but I did just the lowers which was 4 bushings total and it took me probably 2 hours to replace the bushings. Constant adjustments on the press, positioning, pushers, pullers, supports etc. I am looking at replacing like 24 different bushings and ball joints. Literally like 2 days OF JUST BUSHING SWAPPING.

Plus, both my A4 and Q5 need complete front ends. The A4's is just tired, worn out, and they are all cracked and torn. The Q5 is creaking groaning and giving me death wobble on the highway.

What would you do???

[Jayz691]

I would buy something like Meyle HD. Good quality, and not as much as Lemforder/TRW. Seen plenty of people buy those ebay kits, and need to replace them a year later. Im sure theyre not all the same, but is it a job ya wanna do twice. And at that point, ya waisted that $200 and time..
Are the ball joints bad, or just the bushings? If its just bushings, theyre not hard to change, if ya have a press. Its only 6 bushings up front, for control arms.
And don't shop ECS. The Meyle kits are $450-$525 from other sites, including FCP with lifetime warranty

Sent from my LM-V600 using Audizine Forum mobile app

[VinnysS4]

I used a cheap ebay set on my b7 s4. I beat the hell out of them for 2 years strait. At the end of the 2 years they needed replacing. It was worth every penny.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

[pezgoon]

I used a cheap ebay set on my b7 s4. I beat the hell out of them for 2 years strait. At the end of the 2 years they needed replacing. It was worth every penny.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

Fuckin right. The Audi ones lea replacing after 2 years anyway (from my previous experience)

Round about how much did you pay? I am simply thinking that co$st = quality

[Jayz691]

Fuckin right. The Audi ones lea replacing after 2 years anyway (from my previous experience)

Round about how much did you pay? I am simply thinking that co$st = quality

2 years?? What? Most people are now replacing them, after 15 years.. Ebay ones, yeah.. If ya go for cheapies, report back in a year.
If you had genuine/Lemforder/TRW go bad in 2 years, they were installed wrong.
Sent from my LM-V600 using Audizine Forum mobile app

[VinnysS4]

Fuckin right. The Audi ones lea replacing after 2 years anyway (from my previous experience)

Round about how much did you pay? I am simply thinking that co$st = quality

I bought the cheapest kit on the market at the time. It was less than $200.
$125 if I remember correctly
Lasted like 40k miles. And I mean hard miles with exhibition stunts like 4 wheel burnouts and rally cross mountain running.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

[vce1232000]

I installed a e bay full suspension kit on a beater. Less then 2 years later it needed to be again with just normal driving. If your looking for just 2 more years out the vehicle. By all means this is the route to go. I personally dont like to replace a PITA job more then once if I dont have to.

[pezgoon]

Thanks for the info! Sounds like Vinny got lucky haha. Probably found a kit that is made at the same place as a “real” brand!

In regards to it lasting two years, while the A4 could definitely use it, it’s moreso my Q5 that desperately needs it and I’m having suspension issues with. Honestly I just picked it up in march and I regret getting it. Should’ve spent the extra for a better shape one lol. Honestly, I just wanna sell it. So looking at 500-800 in parts for me to immediately sell it isn’t appetizing! So it sounds like it’s getting an eBay kit and the A4 will get a real set haha

As long as the eBay kit doesn’t grenade before selling it I don’t mind that much LOL


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[Kevin C]

If you look at the "real brand" parts vs the low cost ones you will see that they have different markings on the castings, they are not made from the same molds and unlikely came from the same plant. Does that mean that the low cost one are bad? No. I have used lower cost name brand parts and had problems (Febi). Slip stick on the ball joints when it was hot out that made for a very creaky car. They did last for a couple of years. The next time I went with Lemforder arms. 7 years , 50,000 miles and they are still good. Yea, the prices was a cringe.

I never tried the super low cost, you might get lucky.

[beefski]

You could try 1A auto they have complete kits.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[beefski]

……

[Spetznaaz]

Personally i would never go cheap on something like control arms.

My neighbour had a serious accident the other day (not our car) because apparently one of the cheap control arms he put on snapped.

[texasboy21]

If you want to go the most economical simply replace the bushings (with OEM) in your stock arms. You will have a little more downtime compared to simply swiping the arms out, but you will spend a fraction.

[Jake@JHM]

We have had excellent experiences with the Meyle HD kit over the years. They are backed by Meyle's 4 year warranty (which we have never had to use). They are in the middle ground price wise too.

https://jhmotorsports.com/front-cont...a4-s4-rs4.html

[BlkS5]

So now this thread is almost a year old, how did it work out?

I just bought a kit on eBay $151. I’m thinking of just using the uppers because no weight is on them. The lowers concern me. I will probably just get new bushings pressed into stock lowers.

[Jayz691]

So now this thread is almost a year old, how did it work out?

I just bought a kit on eBay $151. I’m thinking of just using the uppers because no weight is on them. The lowers concern me. I will probably just get new bushings pressed into stock lowers.

So if your just using the uppers, you could have bought some good ones for $150, or a little more.. The upper bushings actually got tweaked a lot when turning. Usually the first ones to go.

Sent from my LM-V600 using Audizine Forum mobile app

[BlkS5]

I just finished putting uppers on. These look and weigh exactly the same as stock. Tomorrow I’m doing the lowers. I’m going to just use the lowers until I can press new bushing in stock arms.

[Jayz691]

I just finished putting uppers on. These look and weigh exactly the same as stock. Tomorrow I’m doing the lowers. I’m going to just use the lowers until I can press new bushing in stock arms.

The thing is, crappy bushings/ball joints wont look/weigh much different..
But very, very important part is torque the bokts at ride height, not when sagging. Makes a HUGE difference in longevity. If torqued when hanging, even genuine arms wont last long..

Sent from my LM-V600 using Audizine Forum mobile app

[Theiceman]

I just finished putting uppers on. These look and weigh exactly the same as stock. Tomorrow I’m doing the lowers. I’m going to just use the lowers until I can press new bushing in stock arms.

how did it go with the pinch bolt from hell ?