Lower arm bushes and top mounts for my s2 aby

[orsum]

I have just serviced the rears, and everything was good.

I am now going to check the fronts. I don't think I have a problem I am just planning on setting the Koni shocks a bit harder.

I am looking for advice on the top mounts and bottom are bushes. Which make to use. I would prefer OEM Boge but I cannot find them in the UK. If I find everything is ok when I strip and set the shocks I will just add what I buy to my spares collection.

Always good to have spares.

Which make does everybody recommend. Boge, Lemforder, SKF ETC

893407181 BOTTOM ARM BUSH

8A0412323D TOP MOUNTS

[Tractor Dave]

Try your local Audi dealer as there were some old stock top mounts around. BOGE was taken over by Sachs and their version of the top mount looks identical to the BOGE version. Well worth fitting a set of Lago Blues top mount savers while you are there. As for the bottom arm bushes, i would go Poly Bush. Lemforder quality isnt what it was sadly. Production appears to have moved to China. If you dont like Poly, go Meyle HD.

[Lago Blue]

Hi Steve, and anyone else looking for OEM type top-mounts and A-arm bushings


That top mount Audi P/N 8A0 412 323 D you've listed above was superseded by at most March 2006 by the stronger
Audi P/N 8A0 412 355 A.

Oddly, the Audi supplied BOGE '355A' which was the last and best of all the top-mounts; was not listed in ETKA.

As Dave suggested, you may get lucky and find some Audi dealer's old stock despite that they are officially NLA.

However if none are found there, know that (as Sachs, Boge and Lemforder metal-lastic bushings are now house brands of ZF) a Sachs P/N 802 453 lately appears to get you their mount and strangely with the unlisted in ETKA Audi P/N 8A0 412 355 A embossed in it. I see they are available this way in Russia, Germany and the UK. At least some of these are made in Slovakia.

Sachs has listed two versions (and two different P/Ns) of top-mounts for our cars in the past, the P/N 802 453 was listed as the HD (heavier duty) version of the two.

The other reason to use the '355A' mount is importantly the 'Strut-Stops' (which act as mount-savers) are sized to fit properly in this mount. Other marques are weaker structurally and often sized differently such that the Strut-Stops won't fit or function properly.

In the UK I see this listing (which I think is really AutoDoc):

https://www.autopartspro.co.uk/sachs-1229976

Not surprising to me, the Sachs P/N 802 453 is the most expensive mount they sell.

image_93152.png image_93153.png

All that being said, your mounts are likely fine (as you've been running Strut-Stops with them since they were new). They may look to be slightly tilted on removal. This is due to the suspension's designed movement arc, which tilts the strut's base outboard on compression, relative to the mount receiver in the fender turret (see the drwg. below). The mount's bearing, held captive on the installed damper shaft then reforms the mount's rubber body slightly. They will have taken a set that reflects that angle, which is normal.

image_93154.png

Re: strengthening A-arm bushings, for those who may be interested, I've written ad nauseam on the forum here about Strut-Stops sister mod (the inexplicably less popular!) 'Arm-Stops', which do for OEM A-arm bushes similar to what 'Strut-Stops' do for top-mounts. The idea being that you will likely not have to change your A-arm bushings again. Plus other driving benefits. Enquire.